Singaporean host and radio DJ Sonia Chew has revealed that she auditioned for the role of female lead Sophie Baek in the latest season of hit Netflix period series Bridgerton (2020 to present).
The part eventually went to Korean-Australian actress Yerin Ha, 28, who became the show’s first East Asian lead. Part 1 of Season 4 dropped on Jan 29 and Part 2 on Feb 26.
Chew, 34, said on social media on March 9 that she was invited by her artiste manager to audition for an acting role while she was on holiday in New York in 2024.
“She said, ‘You gotta sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement), it’s top secret’, but I suspected it could be Bridgerton just based on the timeline,” Chew said in a video clip uploaded to Instagram.
The opportunity left the presenter at English-language radio station 987 wondering why she was even approached for the role.
“I am not an actress, I have not had any formal acting training. I’ve dabbled in a couple of comedies here in Singapore. My actual job is a radio presenter, a host and a media personality,” she said.
“I had to record an introduction with a British accent and not just any British accent. It had to be an RP (Received Pronunciation) accent,” she said, referring to what is sometimes known as the Queen’s English or BBC English.
Chew made it to the next stage and her manager asked if she was available from late July 2024 to April 2025, believed to be the production period for Bridgerton 4.
“This was when panic set in,” she said.
Chew then shared a side-by-side comparison of her audition clip and the eventual scene that aired featuring Ha reciting the same dialogue.
“In fact, this is the first time I’m looking back at it since I submitted the audition tape,” she said. “All the excitement, the anxiety – at least I tried and I am thrilled that I was given the opportunity to try.”
The radio DJ added that Ha was amazing as Sophie.
“There’s no one else that could have played that role,” she gushed. “She slayed it and I really enjoyed watching all the episodes.”
Chew added: “Honestly, never in a million years would I have ever gotten that role.” – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
