Bridgerton, the new series from TLC that chronicles the lives of six very eligible and equally handsome brothers from one of England’s most prestigious families, has gotten off to an excellent start in its first season. Based on Julia Quinn’s popular Bridgerton novels, Season 1 has just wrapped up and the ratings have been excellent thus far — and it’s all thanks to the newest addition to the cast, actress Sabrina Bartlett as Siena Rosso. But who exactly is Siena Rosso? How did she become involved with Anthony Bridgerton? Sabrina Bartlett Steals the Show as Siena Rosso in Bridgerton’s First Season
Table of Contents
Sabrina Bartlett and Her Character, Siena Rosso
Debuting on Wednesday, February 3rd, PBS’s original drama The Bridgertons: Season 1 follows a family of five from late 1800s England. Like every great family drama, there is a lot of love and hate—and I do mean that literally. This season has been about love triangles, taking sides and more importantly: passion.
How did you get cast?
I was watching a movie, having dinner, she recalls. The first time I watched [the audition tape], I did it for fun — and then I saw something about Mary Elizabeth’s name! I sent her an email and she got back to me immediately. We had a Skype meeting and we just hit it off. It felt like we knew each other already. Sabrina says that being part of such a big project has been both exciting and nerve-wracking. A lot of actors get so stressed out during filming — they’re not used to working under so much pressure; there are so many people involved and everyone is watching you very closely, waiting for you to do one thing wrong, she explains.
What was it like working with some of Canada’s biggest stars?
I have to be honest with you. I was a little intimidated at first. It’s not every day that you get to act with someone like Rachel McAdams, who has been such an inspiration to me for so long. But, what was really great about her was how welcoming she was to me and really just trying to make sure that I felt comfortable on set and that we were all getting along well.
Will we see you on screen again?
I don’t know, let’s see how many people stop me on the street and ask! I would love to do more television and film – if only I had more time! Right now, my focus is on The New York Pops. I recently finished recording a full-length CD with them (due out in early 2017), which is quite an accomplishment for a tenor who comes from classical music roots. It was such a great experience and I felt really lucky to have been included; it definitely changed my life to be part of something so culturally relevant. Also, we just wrapped up our first world tour. We visited 15 countries and it was one of those life-changing experiences that will stay with me forever. Who knows what will happen next?
Is there anything else you would like to say about the series or its upcoming finale?
I’m so excited for people to see how it all ends! It is truly one of my favorite things I’ve ever been a part of. I hope people fall for Anthony and Leonora like we did, and that they enjoy watching their love story unfold over nine weeks. There are so many twists and turns on Bridgerton, but everything gets tied up by season’s end!
About The Show
Though Sabrina Bartlett is a relative newcomer to primetime TV, she’s been building her career for almost two decades. She was a finalist on Star Search at age 10, had recurring roles on Party of Five and The Practice, and played one of Dawson Leery’s girlfriends on Dawson’s Creek. Now she stars as opera singer Siena Rosso in Bridgerton Series One, out now from Amazon Video. We chatted with Ms. Bartlett about life after Life After People and how she still keeps finding new ways to challenge herself in Hollywood.
Notable Cast Members
The answer, of course, is yes. But it was a long and bumpy road to happily ever after for the Bridgertons, who are back on Masterpiece Sunday night at 8/7c with a second season of all-new episodes. The ninth installment, Reunion at Longbourn sees two major moments happen: Anthony finally admits his feelings for Lady Violet (Jemma Redgrave) and proposes to her – setting up their eventual marriage later on—and fans get another long-awaited coupling when Gabriel (Hugh Bonneville) marries Siena Rosso (Sabrina Bartlett).
How & Where to Watch the Series
There are a lot of stories about screenplays being written during lunch breaks or even on paper napkins, but I can’t imagine that one would be written on a napkin. In The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky, there is a scene where two men are vying for someone’s attention. One buys her chocolates while another gives her champagne and jewelry. She finds herself falling for both of them but eventually selects neither. The moral is that sometimes there isn’t just one right answer, just different choices with different consequences.
A Interview with Sabrina Bartlett
Although I’ve been acting since I was a child, I never really thought of myself as an actor. Sure, once in a while someone would ask me about my career or tell me how good I was on stage at a play, but I wasn’t really doing it for my job. Then one day when watching The Big Bang Theory on TV with my husband, he asked if he could put me forward for an audition. And that was it – from then on acting became my job!
What happens to Siena Rosso in Bridgerton?
The poor woman has suffered enough. Fans of Julia Quinn, Tessa Dare, and Maisey Yates know they like to write tortured heroines and having characters fall in love through hardship is part of what makes romance so appealing. The fourth season finale also leaves fans wondering if we’ll see Siena Rosso again. Based on what I heard from Julia Quinn during a recent interview at her book launch party for One Night for Love (go here to read my review), I think it’s safe to say that Sabrina Bartlett will return for more Bridgerton soon. Still, I can understand why fans would be upset with how things ended up between her character and Anthony Carrington (played by Sam Heughan). At least they have each other now?
Does Sienna come back in Bridgerton?
I haven’t read all of Natasha’s books yet but from what I have read, it appears that Sienna comes back to visit with Anthony. She has three younger sisters and a baby on her own so she wouldn’t return to England full time. This is just my guess though. I hope they do bring her back!
Is Siena in the Bridgerton books?
No, but her character fits perfectly with every other memorable member of that incredible family! I can tell you that she was originally part of Alex’s storyline in book 7, but during revisions we decided he needed a little more time to explore his relationship with Imogen before taking on a new romance. Unfortunately for us (but fortunately for you!), Alexa came up with an idea to move Sabrina over to Anthony’s storyline and we loved it. We couldn’t be happier with how well our fabulous actresses have brought these characters to life!
Who was Sienna in Bridgerton?
If there was one thing most people could agree on, it was that if she sang like an angel then her face looked like a nightmare. But even though she had an ugly face, Sienna found love with Anthony Bridgerton. However, due to some shady business dealings by his brother and mother he ended up running off to India while his pregnant wife followed shortly behind. In an attempt to save their marriage from disaster Sienna returned to London after a few years only to be ridiculed and shunned by polite society for being married (she wasn’t) and then un-married (she still wasn’t) for six years.
Does Anthony marry Siena?
Well, it’s hard to answer a question like that without giving anything away! But, I will say that Sabrina and Robert Pugh—who plays Anthony’s cousin Colin Bridgerton—had a lot of fun on set together. Sabrina really brings an intriguing depth to her character, and I think fans are going to be very surprised by some of her choices. A lot happens to Siena over season one. She was on top of her game at first, then struggles later because she doesn’t quite know what she wants or who she is when not onstage.
Do Siena and Anthony end up together?
No. There are a lot of twists and turns along the way, but Anthony and Siena ultimately wind up together. They grow so much from their initial relationship, though; I think it helps them have a much more solid foundation for their eventual marriage.
Who is Mrs whistledown?
Mrs. Whistledown is a fictional person who has written an anonymous gossip column about London social events for almost two hundred years. It is speculated that she is a member of high society, but no one knows for sure who she is or even if it is a single person. Her column (called Whistledown) appears once a week and readers cannot get enough; it consistently outsells every other newspaper in London (although very few people know exactly what it says). The name derives from her most popular column topic: observations on events happening around town and notable quotes or incidents.
Who does Eloise marry in Bridgerton?
Eloise settles down with Colin in Bridgerton, where they meet their future child, Amelia. Although Eloise prefers to do charity work now, she longs for her days of excitement and fun. While sitting alone one day after a soiree, she becomes quite unsettled when Colin walks into her room and proposes that they should have a baby. Eloise is taken aback by his proposition but quickly warms up to it upon realizing that it could be their last chance at creating a family together. She then realizes that there is nothing more important than being a wife and mother, despite how much she still wishes to continue working with Operation Smile or another other charity organization.
