"Bridgerton" star Claudia Jessie, who plays Eloise, auditioned for the show with her now-partner Cole Edwards, a casting director.
Liam Daniel/Netflix
There may be some rumored behind-the-scenes "Bridgerton" couples within the cast, but one of the show's stars has already found a match.
Claudia Jessie, who plays Eloise in "Bridgerton," is dating casting director Cole Edwards. In fact, they met through her "Bridgerton" audition: Jessie told Glamour in 2022 that Edwards was the person for whom she first auditioned, calling it "the best audition" she'd ever had.
"That's a lot to do with [casting associate] Cole Edwards, who I had auditioned with," she told Glamour. "It was so much fun, and I felt really comfortable. And then that was it."
In the show, Jessie plays a member of the upper crust of society: Eloise is the fiery fifth child of a wealthy family, who flirts with feminist politics and liases with members of the working class. By season three of the series, Eloise has integrated herself more into society, including a friendship with former enemy Cressida Cowper.
But the Birmingham-raised actor told The Guardian that as a working-class actor, she credits her casting to Edwards also being working-class.
"I can do a really good posh accent, because you're so used to hearing them growing up — imitating them is easy," Jessie told The Guardian.
"I got a job and a fella on the same day," she continued. "It was a great day for me, wasn't it?"
Liam Daniel / Netflix
Jessie and Edwards are generally private about their relationship, though Jessie has referenced Edwards and her casting process several times in interviews. In a 2024 interview with Vanity Fair, Jessie recalled that Edwards said during her audition that she could read for either Penelope or Eloise in "Bridgerton." Eventually, of course, she was offered Eloise.
Eventually, Eloise will get her own love story on "Bridgerton," should Netflix continue to renew the series. Jessie told Business Insider that she thinks there's plenty of space for Eloise's story to go off the beaten path.
"Eloise is such a maverick," Jessie said. "I don't think that 'Bridgerton' would ever ignore romance, it's such a huge part of the show. But the great thing about Eloise is that there's so much room to play."
