Florence Hunt is ready for her starring role

Logging onto our call, Florence Hunt — star of Netflix’s Bridgerton and BBC series Mix Tape — is in a flurry of movement. “Sorry,” she laughs, “I didn’t realise we were doing a video call.” Soon, she’s settled on her bedroom floor at home in the Midlands, the white wings of a built-in wardrobe behind her. It’s a set more appropriate to early YouTube vloggers than a rising star on the stage and screen, but Hunt has an admirable knack for not taking things too seriously. The trait is noticeable as she describes humble beginnings at a local drama group. “I started when I was seven,” she explains. “It was just one of those, drop your kids off and then you don’t have to look after them on a Saturday [things].” There, she did acting, dancing and singing classes — but acting soon established itself as her niche.

“I tried to find another acting class to join, so I’d do [the club] and then go to the television workshop, also on a Saturday.” She laughs as she describes her parents chaperoning her between these extracurriculars. “Bless them, they’ve been through a lot.” After auditioning with her sister and family friends for an agency that visited one of her Saturday clubs, Hunt got a role in an advert celebrating two hundred and fifty years of Lloyds Bank — an unusually corporate beginning for the now-glamorous portfolio. But it’s this role that cemented Hunt’s aspirations. “I remember stepping onto set,” she recalls. “Up until this point [acting] was just [for] fun. It was the most magical feeling. It sounds very pretentious, but from that moment, there’s nowhere else I wanted to be and nothing else I wanted to do.” This early job, which Hunt describes as “being dragged out of a house fire” in period costume, started the actor off on a career that clearly still holds a sense of magic. Dressed down in a black sweatshirt and sitting cross-legged, Hunt holds that tricky balance between gratitude, humour and integrity that conveys a quiet maturity.

It’s a quality the eighteen-year-old shares with her on-screen counterpart Hyacinth Bridgerton in the Netflix favourite. “She feels quite deeply and she’s wise beyond her years,” Hunt describes. “I think that’s what really captivated me [about the character].” But it’s the Bridgerton filming process that seems to have transferred these qualities into the actor. “Acting can become quite serious. Sometimes it needs to be. But for a show like Bridgerton, we’re fortunate [that] we can have a lot of fun with it,” Hunt explains. “Every season is focussed on a sibling [so] you watch this sibling explode into this world.” First-born Anthony (Jonathan Bailey), oldest sister Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and third son Colin (Luke Newton) have all survived their turn on the Regency marriage circuit with a dedicated season each and a wedding — or two. Now, it’s second son Benedict Bridgerton’s turn to track down his true love. “Watching them, before and after, being the exact same person is so important. I’m glad I’ve been able to witness [it],” Hunt says. Whether she realises it or not, it’s a groundedness the actor shares with her onscreen counterpart and co-stars. It’s impossible to know if Bridgerton will live to see the family’s youngest sibling in the spotlight, but it’s clear that Hunt is ready for her starring role.

Daisy Finch: What was it about acting that appealed to you so early on?

Florence Hunt: I find it hard to explain. I have this visceral feeling when I play a character and I’m in a scenario that’s so different to my life or me as a person. [Also] that feeling of being around people who love it so much — everyone on set, the crew, [the] cast. I remember the sets captivated me, the costumes captivated me. It was the playfulness of it. I still get that feeling when I act — I’ve always said to myself if I ever don’t have that feeling, I would never force myself to continue doing it. Because it really is, I think for most actors, that feeling that draws you in. We’re all a bit mad.

DF: At eighteen, you’re establishing yourself as an actor while your friends are off to university. In another life, what do you think you’d be doing instead?

FH: I find this question so difficult because I’ve always had my heart set on acting. It’s been my whole life. [But] it’s a daily thought I have: what would I be doing? I very much enjoyed school — I just did my A-levels. I found sociology really interesting — I think that’s quite related to acting because it’s a study of human interactions. I’d love to see a different universe where I didn’t do this. I’ve always thought if I get bored at any point then maybe I’ll do an Open [University] course. There’s totally a part of me that would have enjoyed [university] as well. I think, because none of my friends do any acting [and] none of my family have ever touched the industry, [I] very much want a normal life. Sometimes this career can go crazy ways and that is scary. I think that’s scary for anyone.

DF: How has getting that first big role in Bridgerton as Hyacinth, the youngest of the eight siblings, played a role in your career and life?

FH: It’s been pretty crazy. I don’t think, when I walked into that audition room, anyone could have guessed what would have happened. That isn’t something you can or should be able to wrap your head around — I like to keep it that way. We were so in our little bubble that when we go to premieres, for example, that’s the only time it hits me and makes me realise how big the show is. If you’re aware of that at all times, it’s terrifying. I like to forget about that. I’ve been very lucky, being able to go back to a group of people you love so much and a character you love so much is so fortunate. People always say you don’t get to do that many times in your career. If you’re lucky enough you’ll do it once. I feel very fortunate I’ve grown up doing it.

DF: What was it about the character you clicked with?

FH: When it first came through, I had no indication as to what it was. I had this really short script, and it was a scene in Season 1 where I’m chasing Daphne [Bridgerton, played by Phoebe Dynevor] up the stairs asking her questions, and then she slams a door in my face. I think as a younger sibling myself, you know that feeling. Being the youngest sibling usually comes with being the most annoying one, which was a lot of fun. She has this freedom about her that means that in the scene you can do what you want and it’s justified because she’s such a free spirit. I think that really drew me to her.

DF: What does Hyacinth get up to in Season 4?

FH: She has [a] maturing arc this season, which was so exciting to film. She’s developing relationships with her siblings and that doesn’t always mean in a totally positive way. Reality hits quite a lot this season. It means her bubble — this idea of the world she has in her head — is somewhat attacked. She goes through this process of realisation. To be able to mature with a character I’ve been with so long and watch the character grow is really cool.

DF: How has it felt returning to the production team and the Bridgerton family fold with a few new members?

FH: It’s been one of the biggest joys of my life. All of the siblings, our mum, everyone who’s in those rooms when we film — everyone is so genuinely lovely, so caring and funny. It means that I have grown up with an amazing group of people around me. We get to film for six to nine months and I’m incredibly grateful for it — I have such strong relationships with all of them outside of filming. They really do feel like my extended family. We have time apart after filming but as soon as we get back together, it’s like nothing’s changed. It’s really exciting when we have new people joining us. We had Yerin [Ha] join this season and loads of new characters, which was quite different. It feels special that we can welcome even more people into the world — they all fit in so incredibly, they’re all such professionals.

DF: What should viewers be looking forward to in the new series of Bridgerton?

FH: I’ve watched four episodes, and the two leads this season, Luke [Thompson] and Yerin, have a story that’s so full of soul. Watching it was so emotional. You’ve worked for so long and I’ve seen them on set working so hard. To finally see the end product is so exciting. We’ve got a lot of new characters, new sets and a lot of new stuff, which feels refreshing. I think people are going to really enjoy this one.

DF: Now you’ve finished shooting the new series of Bridgerton, what are you looking for in your next project?

FH: A lot of actors are always searching to do the opposite of what they’ve just done. I feel like that’s where I’m at at the moment. You always want to keep stretching your skills and seeing how far you can go. Maybe something like a horror film that’s totally different to what I’ve done before. That’s what’s so exciting about this industry.