"Bridgerton [1]" might not be Luke Newton's first acting gig [2], but it's certainly been his biggest thus far. As the third child of the Bridgerton [3] family, Colin is a bit of a free spirit who enjoys traveling, food, and his best friend Penelope. What's fun about Newton playing this role is that he's quite similar to his character — and he and Nicola Coughlan [4], who plays Penelope, have become tight in real life as well [5].
There's more to Newton, though, than his character on "Bridgerton." [6] The British actor didn't love school, he told "The Independent [7]" this month, until he started acting classes. "That's when I really felt like I started to love being... in a learning environment because before then I'd loved my drama class and loved music and PE but other than that I didn't really get on at school," he said. This put him on the path that led him to Netflix and Shonda Rhimes with "Bridgerton." And while we can't imagine him as anyone other than Colin Bridgerton, he originally auditioned to play the Duke of Hastings. He told "The Independent" that it wasn't until his second audition that he was seen for Colin instead. And the rest is history!
Get to know Newton even more with the fun facts ahead.
He Loves Food as Much as Colin Bridgerton
In the "Bridgerton [11]" books, Colin is known for having a voracious appetite. Adding his own two cents to Netflix when crafting the show, he asked if that detail about the character could remain, because he also loves to eat (which he tweets about frequently [12]). He told "The Independent [13]," "I spoke to the team and said, 'If there's a dinner scene, if there's a scene where we're having tea, can he always just have a plateful?' I'm really excited for [the fans] to see their direct input, like, 'Luke loves food like Colin does.'"
He's Admittedly Shy
It's easy to think that someone who has made a career of playing characters on screen would be bold and outgoing, but Newton says he's not. He told POPSUGAR [16] in 2021 that he's a shy person, especially when it comes to making a move. "I think sometimes people would think that I have a lack of interest or that I'm being too abrupt or seem rude," he said. "Back when we could have parties last, I remember wanting to introduce myself to a group of people, but I just felt quite intimidated. And I was like, 'Oh, I don't want to.' So, I had to get a mate to be like, 'This is Luke. He's my friend.'"
He's an Elvis Presley Fan
Not only has Newton Instagrammed about Elvis Presley [18] a few times, but he also mentioned in an interview that he's a fan. He told F*cking Young [19] magazine that he grew up listening to Elvis and still considers him a go-to in his playlists.
He Sings
Newton sings on the soundtrack for Disney's "The Lodge," [20] the show he was on in 2016 and 2017. He played the character Ben alongside Thomas Doherty, Sophie Simnett, and more.
He Was a Little Embarrassed by the Steamy "Bridgerton" Scenes
Newton is nearly 30 years old, but he still didn't want to be in the room when his parents watched any of the sexy scenes in "Bridgerton [21]" season one. He told Hey U Guys [22] at the season two premiere that he was at home with his family watching the first season in sweatpants, but he left the room when the steamy scenes were on. We understand — season one was pretty steamy.