Luke Newton studied romantic comedies to prepare for Bridgerton season 3

Ever since the sophomore season of Bridgerton took our hearts by storm, we've been waiting very long for the season three premiere of the smash-hit romantic series. But fans aren't the only ones who have been mentally preparing for the upcoming release, as the cast has also been doing their homework to figure out how to give audiences the new season they deserve.

Luke Newton, the talented actor behind Colin Bridgerton, is one of these actors who has been studying how to deliver a performance so stunning that every Netflix subscriber will swoon at the thought of being loved by this character. Safe to say, he's going to pass the test with flying colors!

How Luke Newton transformed Colin Bridgerton

Luke Newton recently sat down with Bustle to discuss his thought process behind turning Colin Bridgerton from a serious character who cares little about romance into a character who slowly but surely falls in love with his best friend, Penelope Featherington.

His answer: romantic comedies!

"When we were shooting, I kept watching rom-coms," Newton told Bustle. "We wanted to have a rom-com element within Season 3, because we’d never explored that previously. It was always the enemies-to-lovers [plot]. It was nice to have those comedic moments of two people being goofy around each other."

Newton looked to the American sitcom Friends to draw inspiration. He thought Ross and Rachel's emotional rollercoaster of a relationship was very similar to that of Colin and Penelope.

"We always reference how Colin and Pen are like Ross and Rachel [from Friends], because it never works out at the right time. They keep just missing each other," Newton continued. "It’s so fun to play the different versions, of when someone is ready to commit and the other isn’t."

As Newton stated, the first three installments of Bridgerton (including Queen Charlotte) followed couples who didn't necessarily get along at first. However, Colin and Penelope have a lengthy history and get the unique chance to explore their relationship even further.

Be it making silly mistakes or having a goofy love confession, fans anticipate seeing a less volatile start to a new romance. Rather, season 3's featured relationship will already begin from a more romantic point-of-view.

"There’s always been that romance between them, mainly from Penelope’s feelings. It’s gone over Colin’s head. When I was anticipating how the show would be written, I thought, 'Is it going to be platonic, and then suddenly they’re together?', But the romance is really ramped up [this season]," Newton spilled.

Nevertheless, Colin and Penelope's relationship won't come without some form of struggle, as both characters are experiencing intense emotions that they never thought they would be able to feel. What's more, with Penelope's double life, she'll have to figure out ways to juggle being the mysterious Lady Whistledown while also being the blossoming wallflower that finally emerges from the shadows.

Bridgerton season 3 will be the talk of the town, so be sure to catch the highly anticipated premiere of the first of two installments on Thursday, May 16, on Netflix. Until then, check out the official trailer to see what's to come!