Interview: Emma Naomi On Alice Mondrich’s Rise To The Ton

6 months ago

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From humble beginnings to ratified member of the Ton, Will and Alice Mondrich have one of Bridgerton‘s most heartening storylines. We sat down with Emma Naomi who plays Alice to hear all about what we can expect from her in Bridgerton season 3.

Interview: Emma Naomi

Hi Emma, how’s life going at the moment?

It’s wonderful!

You star as Alice Mondrich in Bridgerton – can you give us a topline pitch for what we can expect from Alice this season?

More glamour, a challenge, and hopefully a victory.

How would you describe Alice?

Calm and confident, uses the ‘mum voice’ when she has to.

What was it like playing her?

She’s a lot more assertive than I am, has far more responsibilities and a family to think of. She handles it all with a lot of grace and consideration.

How do you get into character?

I do a lot of work with my scene partner (Martins Imhangbe). We run the scene many times and talk a lot of backstory. The costume and the hair help considerably, too.

What has it been like moving through different parts of the Ton as your storyline has evolved?

It’s a lot of fun for us – it’s all new. The locations are incredible and I purposefully didn’t read around how to behave in polite society to keep that naivety and vulnerability in Alice.

What do you hope to see in the character’s future?

I think Alice might be good at giving advice about marriage or on the experience of being a young mother. The Mondrichs have a lot to offer in that department. They are stable, have been through hard times and come out the other side.

Any standout moments from rehearsals or filming?

Caleb Obediah (Lord Cho) taught us some TikTok dances during the weeks we had those huge ball scenes. That kept us entertained. The Queen has moves! Even in that huge corset.

What is the cast dynamic?

Laughter, laughter, deep chats, more laughter.

Who is your favourite person to film with?

Martins Imhangbe, without a doubt. He’s been there since day one on this job. We’ve built a lot of trust over the years and he’s so lovely to work with!

If you could be any Bridgerton sibling, who would it be?

Eloise.

You’ve obviously had to do a big press tour. What has that been like?

The Press has been fun! The London premiere of Part 2 really took my breath away – I hadn’t anticipated it would be such a big deal.

Do you get stopped a lot by fans of the show?

I think my energy is quite different to Alice so people tend not to recognise me. I’m pretty shy.

James Bryan as Nicky Mondrich, Martins Imhangbe as Will Mondrich, Ariella Warburton as Daisy Mondrich, Emma Naomi as Alice Mondrich, Elias Amos as John Mondrich in episode 301 of Bridgerton

(L to R) James Bryan as Nicky Mondrich, Martins Imhangbe as Will Mondrich, Ariella Warburton as Daisy Mondrich, Emma Naomi as Alice Mondrich, Elias Amos as John Mondrich in episode 301 of Bridgerton. Liam Daniel/Netflix © 2024

You’ve also starred in the likes of Professor T and Surprised by Oxford, but what has been your favourite project to date?

Professor T was a special experience for me. It was mostly filmed in Belgium and I loved it there, I picked up the language and made lifelong friends. I’ll never forget it.

Any roles in the pipeline that you’re excited about? (If you’re allowed to tell us!)

I’m not allowed to say, but yes. I’m very excited about an upcoming project.

Who has been your favourite actor to work with in the past?

I can’t narrow it down to an actor, but my favourite ensemble was under Michael Boyd’s The Cherry Orchard. All of us were so invested in that show, you didn’t know what was doing to happen each night, it was thrilling.

Which co-star did you learn the most from?

Luke Thompson. He is a playful, present actor who takes risks no matter the role.

What’s your dream role?

I would love to play Lara Croft one day.

What’s a genre you’d like to do more of?

Smaller independent films (I know, that covers a lot).

Do you get to spend much time at home?

I’m enjoying being at home more these days, especially time in the garden. But mostly I like to be out doing something, watching something, learning something.

Do you prefer the town or the country?

I love towns. I like to be in amongst it all.

What’s your interior design style?

I like lots of light, space and soft colours, and wooden floors.

How do you find balance in your personal and work lives?

Work naturally comes with busy periods and quieter periods. During my down time I like to work on my fitness goals or pick up a new skill or do a course in something unrelated to acting.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

An actor!

If you could give advice to your 15-year-old self, what would it be?

I promise you’re over thinking it. Try not to worry so much.

How can we all live a little bit better?

Reuse and fix things. Things don’t have to be new and shiny all the time and I think there a lot of pressure these days to have or ‘be’ the latest thing. It’s not sustainable.