Bridgerton's Lady Danbury criticizes the show for failing to light Black actors properly

On Bridgerton — and its spin-off series Queen Charlotte — Adjoa Andoh is powerful, regal, and just plain fierce as Lady Danbury, the doyenne of the ton, but she rarely feels that power as a Black actress.

Particularly when it comes to the way she and other actors of color are lit on Bridgerton and many other projects. Andoh discussed the topic on last week's episode of the podcast Stirring It Up, with hosts Andi and Miquita Oliver.

“The continuing conversation about lighting Black skin," Andoh said. "On every show, nothing’s changed.”

Andoh conceded that she feels powerful "in that I will now go: ‘Am I blond?,’” adding, “But 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.’”

Still, Andoh knows that if she doesn't stand up for herself, doesn't make a fuss, it will ultimately impact the quality of her work.

"I want to stay in character," Andoh said. "I just want to come on and be Lady Danbury and do what she’s got to do and be totally engaged with that.”

She continued, "When people say we’re chippy or we’re being militant or we’re all that stuff, what I want to say is, ‘I’m just a human being and I just want to do the gift that I’m blessed with. I want to do it in a free way, like I see many other people doing.'”'

Andoh went on to say that she still faces self-doubt, however, because she finds herself wondering if she got a job because she's Black or lost out on a job for the same reason.

“I don’t want to think about it," she concluded. "I just want to get the job because I’m great, or not get the job because I’m s---.”

The third season of Bridgerton had the show's biggest opening weekend ever, recently joining the list of Netflix's most popular titles of all time. It followed the falling-in-love of Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), despite Penelope's secret identity as Lady Whistledown.