Korean-Australian actress Yerin Ha’s role on the fourth season of steamy period drama Bridgerton (2020 to present) has put her on the map.
But as the show’s first East Asian lead, the 28-year-old still worries about not being able to find work in the future – even as fans call out streamer Netflix and Spanish media for appearing to sideline her in recent promotional materials from the Bridgerton press tour.
At a Lunar New Year celebration Ha co-hosted for an Asian-American non-profit in New York earlier in February, she is asked what is on her wishlist for 2026.
“I’m manifesting more jobs because acting is always feeling like unemployment,” she says.
On Season Four of Bridgerton – the second part of which debuts on Netflix on Feb 26 – Ha plays Sophie Baek, an earl’s illegitimate daughter who is forced by her stepmother (Katie Leung) to work as a housemaid.
But sneaking out one night, she poses as a lady at a masked ball and forms a romantic connection with wayward aristocrat Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson).
Speaking at the party in New York, Ha welcomed the Year of the Horse, which she noted is “a symbol of strength, freedom and forward motion”.
“Those qualities resonate deeply with me,” says the performer, who starred in the science-fiction series Halo (2022 to 2024) and had a supporting role in the Australian mystery series The Survivors (2025).
“My culture is something I carry with me in every role I take on,” adds Ha, who was born in Sydney to South Korean parents and is the granddaughter of veteran South Korean actress Son Sook, 81.
“And when I stepped into the world of Sophie Baek, it was important to approach her story with intention, respect and pride, allowing her heritage and tradition to quietly shape her journey.”
This season is adapted from the third book in American author Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series of Regency romance novels.
On the page, the female protagonist, Sophie Beckett, is white, but the series’ showrunners decided to cast Ha, and changed the character’s last name to Baek to reflect her Korean heritage.
Commenting on the season’s reception, Ha – who has been vocal about East Asian representation on screen – says she believes this is a step forward.
But some viewers remain concerned about the visibility of minorities in Hollywood, and the actress has become something of a flashpoint.
Recently, some fans criticised Netflix Spain for posting a cast photo – taken during promotional activities in Madrid – that seemed to foreground English co-star Hannah Dodd instead of Ha, despite the latter having a more prominent role on the show.
Commentators also slammed Spanish media outlets who misspelt Ha’s name or cropped her out of social media thumbnails.
And some have speculated that the audience score for Bridgerton 4 on review site Rotten Tomatoes – which, at 67%, is lower than for all other seasons – is the result of “review bombing” by those unhappy the character is not white.
But Ha stands by the decision to cast an East Asian woman. “I’m proud that I get to be the face of that, and advocating for change, knowing that we deserve these roles and spaces.”
Ushering in the Lunar New Year is the perfect time to celebrate Asian heritage, and for Ha, the best way to do that is to eat.
“Food is such a big part of my culture and identity,” she says.
And her favourite part of the festivities – which Koreans call seollal – are classic Korean dishes such as tteokguk, the rice cake soup traditionally served on New Year’s.
“I also love sweet rice cakes, and anything my family makes from scratch, like seaweed soup.”
In 2026, Ha hopes to create a “better version” of herself and leave behind any “doubt, pessimism and feeling like I don’t belong – because I obviously do”.
To achieve this, her plan is to cultivate “good vibes and surround myself with people who actually celebrate me, and vice versa”.
She adds: “And just be able to uplift the people around me. I’m a big believer in supporting everyone and doing more for my Asian community.” - The Straits Times/Asia News Network
