Bridgerton star Adjoa Andoh has opened up about the Black experience in the entertainment industry.
The actress, who plays Lady Danbury on the hit Netflix series, sat down with Digital Spy to discuss the upcoming documentary Breaking Through with Zeze Millz, which explores three Black women's experiences, including her own, of breaking into the industry.
When asked what some of those experiences were, Andoh began: "Well, how do you navigate when you’re called aggressive? How do you ask for what you need around your physical appearance?
"Be it makeup, the makeup artist, lighting, hair. All those sorts of things. How do you ask for those things while also recalibrating yourself to wait for the inevitable 'you’re difficult' or 'you’re angry'."
Related: Bridgerton's Adjoa Andoh and Golda Rosheuvel talk working with younger selves in Queen Charlotte
She continued: "Basically, it’s really just saying, 'Can you actually just see me and take the person who's in front of you, and picture the needs of that person, and without there being any judgement attached?' It’s a practical request. That’s all it is. It’s not a manifesto.
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"So it’s those sort of demands that are particular to our industry – the responses that women get, that people of colour get, that women of colour get in life about wanting to feel comfortable in the space that they inhabit."
Andoh went on to explain how tropes such as the 'strong Black woman', the 'angry Black woman', and 'aggressive Black women' are often "laid against us", when in reality, Black women are "just human beings trying to get on with life, trying to be happy and fulfilled, and not being embarrassed or humiliated or any of those things".
Related: Black History Month TV guide: What to watch in October 2023
The star concluded: "There’s something very small and fragile and human about that – about being who we are. So I suppose my thing I want to say to us is: box clever, pick your fights, keep your focus on what’s important to you, protect your heart, and protect your fragile self.
"You know, there’s a tiny, little girl in there, just going, 'It’s not fair. I didn’t do anything wrong. Why are people being mean to me?' You know, all of that sort of stuff. I don’t think we ever grow out of that, however far down the track we get.
"So we need to protect that little girl who needs to be loved and cherished and valued and celebrated."
Elsewhere, Andoh offered an update for Bridgerton season 3, hinting at a deeper story arc for her character Lady Danbury.
Breaking Through with Zeze Millz will air on ITV1 October 11 at 10.45pm.
Social Executive, Entertainment Portfolio After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022, where she wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona continued contributing to the site as a freelance reporter, becoming social executive for the Hearst UK entertainment portfolio in summer 2025. Iona now leads the DS social channels, covering red carpets with stars such as Paul Mescal, Austin Butler, and more.
TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
