It’s a tension Sophie constantly battles, and it’s also something Ha understands. “I was cheering for her,” Ha tells Teen Vogue. “I was so happy that we got to see that kind of full arc, like [her] actually turn and choose herself; her choosing to be vulnerable. I think it’s such a powerful message. We’re told a lot to not be sensitive. Especially as Asian people, sometimes it’s like, ‘Don’t cry. Just hold it in. Don’t be weak.’”

Based on Julia Quinn’s An Offer From a Gentleman, this season of Bridgerton puts a fresh spin on the Cinderella story. But this time, the lady in silver isn’t waiting to be rescued; instead, Sophie is a quick-witted, resolute maid who isn’t signing up to be anyone else’s secret—she has plenty of secrets of her own. In part one’s closing moments, she boldly turns down Benedict’s offer to become his mistress (rightfully so!), refusing to accept a love that requires her to shrink—a decision that immediately resonated with viewers online.

In this world, stepping into view is no small act.

Ha was in Korea with her mother when she got the call that she’d booked Bridgerton. Given the show’s global reach, the moment seemed bigger than anything she’d done before. “I think it did feel like, potentially, a breakthrough job for me,” Ha recalls. “And to celebrate that with my mom, who’s been there with me and supporting me since the beginning of my acting journey, it just felt really special…. I am constantly pinching myself.”

Ha grew up in an acting household, and credits her grandmother, veteran South Korean actor Son Sook—who’s been in films like Only Because You Are a Woman and, more recently, The Glory—for shaping her ambitions by showing her what’s possible. Says Ha, “She gave me the idea that acting is an occupation, it’s a career that you can do.”

But possibility and visibility aren’t the same thing. Born in Australia, Ha moved to Korea when she was young to pursue acting, after realizing she didn’t often see faces like hers onscreen. Now, at the center of one of the most-watched series in the world, and recently named an ambassador for SAG-AFTRA’s 32nd Annual Actor Awards, she reflects on what she would tell her younger self: “Don’t lose hope. Trust that you can change the narrative, and you do hold power—not in a negative way, but in a very affirming, positive way for yourself.”

That idea, power rooted in self-definition, holds just as true for her character. As a maid, Sophie moves through the ton openly, but she’s invisible to those who benefit most from the system. She isn’t afraid to stand up for herself and others, though, including throwing water at a nobleman who is harassing a fellow maid. And Sophie is certainly observant, understanding the shallowness of the glittery extravagance and the absurdity of the ton.

Bridgerton. (L to R) Yerin Ha as Sophie Baek, Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton in episode 408 of Bridgerton.

When Benedict first begins to pursue her, she doesn’t rush toward the fantasy. She turns him down, fully aware of the stakes and conditions at hand. “I knew in part two it was going to lean very heavily towards her insecure side of the love that she’s never carried,” Ha says, “and the loss of, potentially losing Benedict, the part where her walls are crumbled and [she doesn’t] feel like she’s deserving of love.” Only later does Sophie allow herself to be vulnerable, and even then, it’s on her terms.

For those emotional scenes, where Sophie’s composure begins to slip, Ha turned to Billie Eilish, Benjamin Clementine, and, most of all, her unofficial theme song for Sophie: “Into My Heart” by Lee So Ra. Ha chose the soft Korean ballad because it was “about not wanting to accept this love, because the change feels like it might be too hurtful.”

The pressure to be strong, quiet, “good,” and enduring is not unfamiliar to many Asian and Asian American communities. Vulnerability can become something you learn to tuck away. Composure is always the safer choice. “Seeing Sophie choose, it’s not weakness, it’s about honesty and vulnerability,” Ha says. “I think it is a brave thing to do, and I was so proud that she did that for herself. I felt like, at that point, I was really close to Sophie.”

Characters like Sophie still feel rare. According to a report by USC Annenberg and the nonprofit Gold House, Asians accounted for just 3.2% of streaming TV lead roles in 2022. Even with progress like Bridgerton season 2 having a South Asian leading lady, meaningful representation across the industry continues to lag. Historically, the same side-lined tropes have been reused: the hyper-competitive overachiever, the dragon lady, the perpetually nice, shy girl. The Annenberg study indicates that this could be slowly changing in streaming, at least with major characters who have more fully-fledged arcs.

This season builds on Bridgerton‘s progress in season two, now centering its first East Asian heroine while expanding the range of characters around her. “What an incredible thing that I get to be in a room with three other Asian women, and we’re all playing different types of characters,” Ha tells Teen Vogue. “We’re not all playing the shy person. You see Katie [Leung] being the villain and the antagonist, and it’s so refreshing.”

Alongside Ha, Leung plays the sharp, calculating Araminta Gun. Isabella Wei’s Posey Li is tender but perceptive. Michelle Mao’s Rosamund Li moves with ambition and bite. “I don’t know about you, but when you meet other Asian actors, I feel like there’s just this unspoken bond already. Like, it’s been hard enough—Jesus, there’s not enough of us,” Ha says. “It feels like I knew them from the beginning of time, and I’m so happy we were able to coexist in one space together. It was a real gift.”

Bridgerton. (L to R) Katie Leung as Lady Araminta Gun, Michelle Mao as Rosamund Li, Isabella Wei as Posy Li, Yerin Ha as Sophie Baek in episode 408 of Bridgerton. 

That closeness bleeds into the work. Ha says stepping into a sister dynamic with Wei didn’t require much effort: “Izzy [Isabella] playing my sister didn’t feel hard because she does feel like my younger sister [laughs]…. You can’t help but want to care for her. It wasn’t hard at all.” Offscreen, the pair can be seen filming dances on TikTok in full Regency costume—including one viral clip set to the “I always wanted a brother” sound that has garnered more than 40 million views.

The internet, meanwhile, had long been anticipating the bathtub scene between Sophie and Benedict (as hinted in the novel) that was featured in the last episode, dissecting theories and manifesting its arrival across TikTok. And while the chemistry between Ha and Thompson delivers exactly what viewers hoped for, the reality of filming it was far less glamorous.

“They’re not as sexy as you think they are, which is so funny…. It was a long bathtub. I’m really short. I didn’t have anything to anchor myself down onto. I thought I was gonna drown,” Ha says, laughing. “My little toe was pointed like this [at an angle], just to make sure that I was able to balance myself. It was unsexy, but fun.”

In true Bridgerton fashion, the spectacle doesn’t stop there. The season closes with a surprise wedding scene tucked in neatly after the end credits. “It was so sweet,” says Ha. “It was such a sentimental moment. I think Luke and I hold a little bit of an attachment and a soft space for my cottage, so it did feel like a bit of a travel-destination wedding, going back to a sentimental spot, and then seeing the Crabtrees and all the cast come together was really special.”

That said, Regency pacing isn’t exactly Ha’s speed. “I will say, walking down the aisle at a very slow pace is very exposing,” Ha notes, laughing. “If it was my wedding as Yerin, I would be bolting down that aisle.”