"Bridgerton" star Claudia Jessie thinks that there's room for plenty of romantic storylines for her character Eloise, including queer ones.
Liam Daniel/Netflix
If you think that Eloise Bridgerton may read as a queer character, you're not alone — Claudia Jessie, who plays her in the show, doesn't think it's out of the realm of possibility.
Eloise, the second-eldest Bridgerton sister (and fifth-eldest Bridgeton) made her debut in society during the second season of "Bridgerton," the Netflix series based on Julia Quinn's novels. But she's notably reluctant to marry, and prefers not to subscribe to the strict societal norms of Regency-era London.
Eloise does get married to a man in Quinn's novels. But "Bridgerton" doesn't always hew precisely to its source material, and there's always the potential that it could diverge entirely. Many fans have speculated that Eloise could be a queer character — and Jessie doesn't necessarily disagree.
"I've always loved that there's this coding that people have with Eloise," Jessie told Business Insider in an interview ahead of the season three premiere. "There's a strength in her that I think a queer storyline can connect. And I've always been touched by that as a notion with Eloise. But yeah, there's definitely room for all of that."
Liam Daniel / Netflix
Jessie's Eloise is sharp and prickly, and an always-entertaining audience proxy. She's also had some unconventional romance storylines on the show: In "Bridgerton" season two, she forms a brief relationship with politically engaged printing assistant Theo Sharpe.
Unfortunately for Eloise, her relationship with Theo ended in scandal after gossip columnist Lady Whistledown reported that she had been fraternizing with political radicals. Even more cruelly, Eloise learns that Whistledown is her close friend Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) — and despite the fact that Penelope released the information to protect her, it causes a rift in their friendship.
"Bridgerton" rules dictate that Eloise will eventually get her own season of romance if Netflix continues renewing the show (it's currently renewed through season four). While we won't know what her story holds until the series gets there, Eloise's character has boundless potential.
"I don't think 'Bridgerton' would ever ignore romance. It is such a huge part of the show," Jessie told BI. "But the great thing about Eloise is that there's so much room to play."
