If you’re a fan of the Bridgerton series, you know Polly Walker as Portia, Dowager Baroness Featherington, one of the matriarchs of the Featherington family and Colin Bridgertons mother. But how much do you really know about this character? How much did Polly Walker have to do with her portrayal? Get to Know Bridgerton’s Polly Walker as Portia Dowager Baroness Featherington
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Polly Walker as Portia
A matriarch is someone who runs a family, says actress Polly Walker, who plays Lady Portia Featherington in The Locket. It is quite something else to be playing someone who is at a very high social level and has all of those things going on in her world.
How Polly feels about playing an older character
As soon as I read that a dowager was going to be featured in The Duchess Hunt I thought ‘Oh great! Just what I always wanted. To play an old lady.’ But when you really think about it, who doesn’t want to play a wise and interesting older woman? And then I got to know about Portia and what a wonderful character she is, with so much spirit and verve at her age – of course I was immediately on board! It will be lovely for younger readers (and older ones!) to see a depiction of women like my grandmothers in popular fiction and that they can still enjoy life and relationships even at their age. And yes, old women do laugh!
What are her favorite moments in Bridgerton
I’m so excited that I got to wear a whole bunch of fabulous clothes in A Bridgerton Christmas. For example, my favorite outfit was definitely that gorgeous green gown—it’s so pretty and fit me perfectly! (I had two fittings because it was handmade.) I also loved my blue day dress with long sleeves; it fit me really well, too. And of course my ball gown for the masquerade party…that dress took three people to put on! It was a team effort. What did you like about playing a dowager: I loved getting older on camera!
How she got into acting
In England, actors go to drama school , and she went to London’s prestigious RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts). Since graduating from RADA in 1991 she has worked in film, television and theatre. She came into acting later than most. As a child she wanted to be a hairdresser or an interior designer or maybe a vet. (She was a horse rider.) Acting didn’t come into her thoughts until she was 19 and took a part-time job at The Watermill Theatre in Newbury where her uncle was artistic director. It wasn’t long before she knew what career path she would take—and hasn’t looked back since!
If she prefers stage over screen
Although she’s performed on stage in several productions, including her off-Broadway debut in Wilde: The Importance of Being Earnest and a role in The Naked Truth, Polly has appeared primarily on screen. She’s played a variety of characters on series such as Unforgettable, NCIS, and JAG. For her work in film, she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. In her most recent projects, she starred opposite Eddie Redmayne in Les Miserables and Liam Neeson and Chiwetel Ejiofor (in his Oscar-nominated role) in Risen.
Her dream role
In an interview with The Daily Beast, Polly talked about playing Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, and says she also loves playing strong women in film. But before getting serious about acting, she really wanted to be a veterinarian. I loved animals growing up. I thought I was going to grow up and become a vet. She even took her first trip to Africa in high school with Earthwatch Institute—where kids pay for summer travel by raising money by doing odd jobs—and saw leopards roam wild through Kenya! [Leopards] are one of my favorite animals, she said. In fact it was one of my dreams when I was little that if we ever had children they would have a pet leopard named Mr. Sniffles.
Who is Lady Portia in bridgerton?
4-year-old Amelia Bridgerton is a budding socialite and heiress to a fortune. Currently residing in London with her parents and older brother Harry, she spends most of her time studying Latin and French under a strict governess. And while she’s only 4 years old right now, everyone can agree that when Amelia gets older—she’ll be one exciting lady!
What else has Polly Walker been in?
The actress first earned an Olivier Award nomination for her performance in The Mystery of Edwin Drood at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory. She made her Broadway debut in Red and Blue Make Purple at Lincoln Center Theater. Her television work includes Rome and Poirot: Death on the Nile, Doctor Who: The Beast Below, EastEnders, Bodies and New Tricks.
Who plays Lady feathering 10 in bridgerton?
A dowager is a widow who holds a title or property and retains some of it after her husband dies. This usage is now archaic; widow usually refers to a woman whose spouse has died relatively recently. Historically, some European royalty held dowager titles (derived from the Dutch word dwaeger, for husband-preserver), and those titles were used as courtesy titles by their descendants. It gradually became obsolete in Britain and Ireland since about 1700.
How old is Polly Walker?
Polly Walker is 35 years old. She was born on February 20th in 1982. In 2015 she will turn 36. How old is her character? Her character is 92 years old, making her 97 during season 3 of Downton Abbey (1923). If she were still alive today she would be 112 years old!
Does Lord Featherington like Portia?
In How to Woo a Reluctant Lady, these two characters—who aren’t normally next-door neighbors—are stuck together in an intimate setting. In real life (and in Bridgerton books), they get along famously. When I asked Lord Featherington if he liked Portia, he replied: I certainly do! She is such a darling girl and much too good for Tom. He continued on with many compliments about Miss Walker.
Who does Penelope Featherington marry?
Penelope Featherington was born as a daughter of Viscount Rathbourne and Lady Margaret Rathbourne. She is 27 years old when she gets married in 1819. Her husband is Sir Percy Blakeney, who becomes 11th Earl of Craven after their marriage. He dies in 1821 and Penelope inherits his title. Their only child, Walter Blakeney born in 1820 dies when he is six months old and never becomes heir apparent of Bridgerton titles.
