Michelle Mao has opened up about her experience as an antagonist in season four of Bridgerton. While much of the response has been positive, including memes and fan edits, the 27-year-old actress acknowledges that playing one of the central antagonists comes with intense scrutiny.
“People are just meeting me,” she told People, noting it’s a learning curve to separate herself from her character. “I’ve really enjoyed being part of this hype train, seeing all the memes, videos, and jokes.”
Despite the backlash, Mao sees it as a sign that she portrayed Rosamund Li—Sharp-Tongued Stepsister to Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), devoted daughter of Lady Araminta Gun (Katie Leung)—convincingly. “It’s the first time people are meeting me, and so navigating that has been its own little journey,” she explained.
Mao says Netflix warned the cast about potential online reaction but provided support for those in controversial roles. “I remember thinking at the time, ‘No, I’m sure I’ll be fine,'” she recalled. She turned to Leung for advice, who also got a lot of passionate responses.
The actress views this experience as transformative, saying, “Growing up, I was always a people-pleaser, almost to an extent that felt anxious for me.” Having Rosamund in Bridgerton break into public discourse like this felt like exposure therapy for her, she added.
“It’s really cool because you get to play this character who is unlikable and meant to be such,” Mao enthused. “It’s made it so I feel free when portraying these characters that are not likable.”