Bridgerton’s Adjoa Andoh Says Show Has Trouble ‘Lighting Black Skin’

Adjoa Andoh discusses her experiences on the set of Netflix’s hit series Bridgertons and Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.

The actress who plays Lady Danbury within the Bridgerton universe revealed in a recent episode Mixing this podcast that she doesn’t yet feel “empowered” in her profession, partially due to extra steps she has to take as a Black woman. Andoh said she’s faced “a constant conversation about lighting up Black skin.”

“Nothing has changed in every show,” the actress shared of her experiences with low lighting.

Andoh added that the industry is becoming more aware of easy methods to properly light all skin tones, but black actors are expected to always explain and defend themselves, while white actors can simply give attention to their craft.

“I want to stay in character,” Andoh said. “I just want to come in and be Lady Danbury and do what I need to do and be fully committed to it.”

Andoh added that she does feel like she has to rise up for the black actors on the Bridgerton set at times, but it surely’s not a continuing feeling.

“Now I’m going to say, ‘Am I a blonde?’” she said, referring to the low lighting. “But I hate doing that because part of me is like, ‘Oh, I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to cause a fuss.’ When people say we’re sensitive or combative or all of these things, what I want to say is, ‘I’m just human and I just want to use the gift that I’ve been given. I want to do it in a free way, like I see a lot of other people doing.’”

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Andoh continued by saying that she often wonders if she is losing roles or booking them due to color of her skin. She describes the method as “very tiring and very distracting,” adding that black actors mustn’t must carry such a burden within the entertainment industry, per People.

“I don’t want to think about it,” she said. “I just want to get this job because I’m great, or not get this job because I’m a b—.”