Bridgerton’s Adjoa Andoh Recounts Challenges of Proper Lighting for Black Actors

Adjoa Andoh, renowned for her role as Lady Danbury in the hit Netflix series “Bridgerton,” has brought attention to a significant issue in the TV industry: the improper lighting of Black actors.

In a candid interview on Miquita Oliver’s “Stirring It Up” podcast, Andoh expressed her frustration with the ongoing struggle to ensure that Black actors are lit correctly on set.

Andoh, 61, who plays the Queen’s confidante in the Shonda Rhimes-produced series, remarked on the tiring nature of having to constantly address this issue. “The continuing conversation about lighting Black skin on every show. Nothing’s changed. They’re getting better, so I suppose I feel powerful in that I will now go, ‘Am I blonde?’” she said.

Despite “Bridgerton” being celebrated for its diverse cast, including British-Zimbabwean actor Regé-Jean Page as the Duke of Hastings, Andoh highlighted the exhaustion that comes with the pressure to continually raise these important issues.

“I hate doing it because a bit of me is like, ‘Oh, I don’t want to do it, I don’t want to make a fuss’. I don’t want to because I want to come and do my work,” Andoh explained. “I want to be Lady Danbury and be totally engaged in that.”

The actress described the constant battle with production teams as “very tiring and very distracting,” adding, “that’s not my sh** – I don’t want to talk about it.”

Andoh also noted her collaboration with Rhimes and the costume designer to incorporate elements of her character’s West African heritage into Lady Danbury’s jewelry design.

Nicola Coughlan, another leading star of “Bridgerton,” previously defended the show’s diverse casting against critics.

“You know the way some people were like ‘Diversity in period drama doesn’t work’… 63 million households thought it did tho,” she tweeted in January 2021, referencing the show’s massive viewership.

As the conversation around diversity in Hollywood continues, Andoh’s remarks underscore the ongoing need for industry-wide changes to ensure that all actors are properly represented and respected on screen.