Bridgerton season 4 star Yerin Ha explains Sophie's necessary last name change

If you were first introduced to the intricately beautiful world of Bridgerton thanks to the Julia Quinn novels, then you might have noticed that there's a change in Sophie's last name. Bridgerton season 4 is finally focused on Benedict Bridgerton's love story with the gal, based on the third book, An Offer from a Gentleman.

In the novels, Sophie's name is Sophie Beckett. However since the romance drama has cast Korean/Australian actress Yerin Ha in the role, the series felt like a name change was in order to respect the star's heritage and culture. And so in the fourth season, she is known as Sophie Baek. Here's what Ha had to say about the name change, per Netflix's Tudum:

"A name is the first bit of identity that you share with the world, and that’s why changing a name can be so powerful. To make Sophie’s name fit someone who looks like me is really empowering. All credit to Jess Brownell, our showrunner."

She continued on to say that "it’s a really nice way for me to feel like the role is fit for me, rather than me having to fit a certain mold. It’s amazing what it can do just in a psychological sense." And we definitely agree with these statements! The Netflix hit has been praised for its diversity from the very first season with Daphne and Simon, then again when it came to Anthony and Kate in season 2. And this isn't the first time the show has chosen to change a character's last name in respect to the actress' heritage.

With Kate actress Simone Ashley being of Indian culture, her character's name was changed from Kate Sheffield to Kate Sharma for the Bridgerton television series. As Ha pointed out, this might be a small change but it's a very important one that holds a lot of meaning. It's great that the show and team behind it are showcasing, highlighting, and putting attention on different cultures and backgrounds. It's definitely one of my favorite aspects of the series!

With this name change, Netflix also shared a quick glimpse at Ha admiring some costumes, then stopping at a silver outfit with gloves. Book readers know that the gloves are noteworthy as Benedict and Sophie's Cinderalla-ish story all starts with a masquerade ball and a forgotten glove.

I think Bridgerton season 4 and this couple in particular will stand out perhaps a bit more than the previous couples due to the story being so different this time around. With Sophie being a maid, and not a debutante from high society, there's definitely interesting plot points to explore. I absolutely can't wait!

Stay tuned to Netflix Life as we bring you news and updates about Bridgerton season 4 on Netflix!