"Bridgerton" fans, get ready for a behind-the-scenes peek at the making of those sizzling Colin and Penelope (aka Polin) love scenes! Luke Newton, who plays the charming Colin Bridgerton, recently dished about the hilarious (and surprisingly relaxed) experience of filming intimate scenes with his longtime friend and co-star, Nicola Coughlan.
In a candid interview with Men's Health, Luke confessed that even he had moments of self-consciousness while filming those steamy scenes.
"You do selfishly think, 'How am I going to look on camera?'" he admitted. But it was a particular wardrobe essential that really tickled his funny bone – the infamous "intimacy garment."
"I was wearing my intimacy garment, which is just like a sock with a cup on it, sort of taped on you up in the front, and I saw myself in the mirror and started laughing," Luke shared, painting a hilariously relatable picture of behind-the-scenes life on a period drama set.
Instead of letting the awkwardness fester, Luke decided to share the laughter with Nicola.
"I went to Nic and said, 'Nic, I need to show you this before we do a take, because you'll just laugh at me, and it won't be this romantic, sexy scene anymore," he recalled. "So I showed her and we had a bit of a giggle."
Their friendship, it seems, was the key to navigating those potentially awkward moments.
"We were trying to suppress those giggles," Luke said of their attempts to maintain a straight face during filming.
Luke praised the "Bridgerton" production team for creating a relaxed and supportive environment, giving him and Nicola the time and space they needed to feel comfortable.
"The production allowed us the time we needed," he explained. "I think we shot one of those scenes over three days. And it's quite a short scene – five minutes, maybe. But having that luxury meant there was no pressure. No 'let's go, let's get on with it, let's get to the next scene.' It felt surprisingly relaxed.
Luke also opened up about how his long-standing friendship with Nicola actually made filming those intimate scenes easier.
"Initially, I thought it was going to be more uncomfortable," he confessed. "In your head, you imagine getting undressed in front of one of your close friends and then simulating sex with them, and of course, you imagine it'll be really awkward."
But their years of friendship and their shared understanding of Colin and Penelope's journey from friends to lovers created a sense of trust and ease.
"We actually felt really comfortable because there was already a sensitivity from knowing each other through all these years – not just as Luke and Nic, but as the characters," he explained. "Because their story is a friends-to-lovers story, there needs to be that history between them. And because of our friendship and our rapport on set, each of us could predict how the other person was going to play it, so there was more trust there."
Luke and Nicola's candid revelations offer a refreshing glimpse into the behind-the-scenes world of filming intimate scenes. Their laughter, their friendship, and their mutual respect for one another translated into on-screen chemistry that's both steamy and heartwarming, proving that sometimes, the most awkward moments lead to the most memorable performances.
So, the next time you're watching Colin and Penelope's love story unfold on "Bridgerton," remember the "sock with a cup," the suppressed giggles, and the power of friendship to create magic on screen.
