Luke Thompson
Luke Thompson, an actor born in Southampton, England, moved to France at a young age. Later returning to England, he studied at the University of Bristol and graduated with a degree in English and Drama. He also attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London and graduated in 2013 with a degree in Acting. His career spans voice narration, on stage performances, television, and film. BBC In The Club, Dunkirk, and most recently Netflix’s Bridgerton are his most notable works. In 2020, Bridgerton was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for “Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series,” highlighting his role in the Netflix series in which he plays the second eldest sibling, Benedict Bridgerton. Bridgerton Season 2 is available globally on Netflix on March 25, 2022.
Grey suede over shirt by Brunello Cucinelli
Black cotton trousers by The Kooples
Black leather boots by Russell & Bromley
You’ve talked about how much fun the environment is on set with your castmates. What have been some of your favorite off-screen moments while filming season 2 of Bridgerton?
When it all goes wrong. With a modern piece you could just improvise your way out of a hole and keep going with the take, but inventing Regency lines on the spot, well, we’re not natural. The scenes demand a certain aplomb, that’s lacking when you’re panicking, let’s say. We usually just end up looking like we’re malfunctioning robots. Ruth swears. Jonny gets the hysterics. I just stare blankly and gibber random lines that belong in neither time period “but, like, sister, c’mon like…in truth ….” Claudia has never let that one go actually.
The show has already been renewed for seasons 3 & 4 thus far. How do you hope your character will evolve over the course of the series?
I’m not great with hope. It’s my job to sit in the life of the character, and the writers to shape character as they see fit. If I start getting involved in expressing anything about the character representationally, as an idea separate from me, a piece of writing with a trajectory, rather than a human being, then I feel like I’m not really doing my job properly.
Left:
Cashmere Jumper by Cifonelli
White cotton trousers by Brunello Cucinelli
Black leather boots by Russell & Bromley
Right:
Milford Coat by Belstaff
Cashmere jumper by Cifonelli
White cotton trousers by Brunello Cucinelli
Black leather boots by Russell & Bromley
How would you describe your character in three words?
Relaxed but restless, ‘but’ isn’t a great one admittedly, but you are being strict.
What is it like getting dressed in those elaborate regency era costumes each time you film? Do you have a personal favorite ensemble or accessory that your character has worn?
The only word I can describe it is magical. And I mean that literally. The world of Bridgerton is such a distinctive, idiosyncratic one, that everything, right down to a waistcoat, a ring or a hairstyle, carries a charm about it that takes you away as soon as you wear it. This is obviously a testament to the talent of the teams involved in designing the show. The detail is breathtaking: as an example, Sophie Canale started playing this season with neckties for Benedict that were bowed on one side, something a little bit casual, and lop-sided, like a Quentin Blake drawing.
What is the best piece of acting advice you’ve ever received and from whom?
I’ve learned more through watching actors act than hearing any advice. I was in a play a few years ago called Oresteia, and watching the two actors playing my parents, Lia Williams and Angus Wright, lots of pennies dropped in my head.
Left:
Grey wool polo neck by Ralph Lauren
Green cotton trousers by Asket
White leather trainers by Myrqvist
Right
Cream leather front v-neck jumper by Bally
You tend to keep much of your personal life private. What is one aspect of your personality that the media doesn’t get to see?
Ha! I see what you’ve done there. It really isn’t out of a sense of privacy or secrecy, I should say, I’m not intent on keeping the two separate, but rather about the nature of acting. Communicating through performance is all about blurred boundaries, truth through lies and lies through truth, etc. This is what’s so beautiful to me about the interaction. It’s a powerful antidote to our current obsession with identity, experience and “authenticity,” I think.
If I start setting the record straight for you, I’m eroding the little power I have, and also your power to fantasize. To be clear, I welcome the interest, I’m an actor, after all!
Left:
Cream leather front v-neck jumper by Bally
Right:
Black wool overshirt by WAX London
White rayon bowling shirt by Basic Rights
Burnt orange cotton trousers by Tod’s
White leather trainers by Myrqvist
What was your experience like filming Dunkirk, especially given the high stress nature of the main scene in which you were featured?
High stress is the word. It was a day’s work in Dunkirk, I went over for a fitting and suddenly, there was a scheduling change and I was doing the scene the next day. When you jump in for a few lines like that, in a scene involving hundreds of people, you are a tiny part of the whole, but simultaneously it’s hugely important you don’t fuck up. It’s a tricky combo: imagine asking for a retake involving hundreds of actors when your part is the matter of a few lines. I didn’t, thank God. Or maybe I did and I’ve blocked it out.
What kind of roles do you hope to play in the future?
I’m obsessed by the big, older plays: the Greek guys, Shakespeare, Chekhov. A lot has to align to pull those off as relevant and moving. In my experience, they mostly end up irrelevant and boring. But in good directorial hands, I’d love to jump into any number of those parts. I’d also love to work in French ( I grew up there) or do a musical. I’m very open basically, if for no other reason than that it’s always about so much more than the part. I guess the best things that I have done so far have been delightful curveballs (Bridgerton included) rather than long cherished ambitions.
Social Media.
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CREW CREDITS:
Editor-In-Chief: Alison Hernon
Creative Director: Mike Ruiz
Creative Direction + Photographer: David Reiss
Talent: Luke Thompson
Fashion Stylist: Grace Gilfeather
Grooming: Alexis Day using Omorovicza and Lee Stafford
Fashion Stylist Assistant: Amelia Hudson
Tearsheets by Daniel López, Associate Art Director, PhotoBook Magazine
Interview by Alessa Hatch, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
