Getting Ready With Bridgerton's Hannah Dodd For Season 3's Part 2 Premiere
Hannah Dodd is the latest Bridgerton star to have received the show's magic sprinkling that has transformed the careers of alumni Nicola Coughlan, Phoebe Dynevor and Simone Ashley, and is still acclimatising to commanding such attention.
Chatting to ELLE UK from her London flat just hours before the premiere of Series 3: Part II of the hit Netflix series, the Colchester-born model turned actor is getting accustomed to the churn of the red carpet's thrill and trepidation.
'I don't think I'll ever get used to it,’ says Dodd, while prepping her skin with a sheet mask. ‘In the early days, I looked so tense in photos. I always remind myself to breathe and just hold on to whichever co-star is next to me for dear life.’
Bridgerton 'stans' have only gotten know the actor's Netflix character, Francesca, since Part I aired last month, with Dodd stepping out as the introverted sixth Bridgerton sibling who enters the Ton's marriage mart in high society London. In the first four days of its release in May, the series clocked up 45 million views – around double the previous season, and equating to around 165.2 million hours of viewing time.
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‘People recognise me now, which is really strange,’ says Dodd. ‘I was in Tesco yesterday and a group of kids walked past me and just started screaming. Every time somebody comes over my natural reaction is to think I've done something wrong when they just want a hug.’
Dodd, 29, who brought her mum as her plus one for the premiere, dressed in a statement silver chainmail Versace dress for the event. A classic look from the Italian fashion house, the cold hard mesh has been an A-list weapon since 1993 when Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell first stepped out in matching minis. Then in 2002, Paris Hilton’s cowl-neck mini dress and matching choker for her 21st birthday became so iconic that Kendall Jenner recreated the look for her own 21st party 14 years later.
Doubling up as her body armour, ‘It’s got a lot of weight to it and makes me feel held and secure,’ says Dodd, who is styled by former ELLE UK fashion editor, Felicity Kay. 'It’s such a privilege to be dressed by Versace and wear a piece like this - the artistry that goes into creating these tiny, metal squares.
‘It has a built-in corset with a square neck and some draping, so that's our nod to the Bridgerton era. Throughout this press tour, I have tried to keep Francesca in mind.
'We’ve really been leaning into the sparkler idea,' she adds. Fans will of course remember that in Part 1, Queen Charlotte deems Francesca a ‘sparkler’ rather than the traditional ‘diamond’ as she plays the game on her terms. 'It’s hilarious because Francesca's so shy about it and then I'm literally showing up like a disco ball.'
To accompany the look, Dodd wore crystal-embellished strappy Louboutins and a pair of Tudor Rose-inspired Gerrard earrings threaded into her hair, giving a regency spin on the Noughties butterfly clip trend.
'Felicity was looking at these old Versace references from the 1990s where they wore jewellery in their hair, and it was also a popular trend in the 19th century,’ says Dodd. ‘As soon as we played around with that option in the fitting the look really just came together.’
Hair stylist Paul Jones, using Sam McKnight’s Love Me Do nourishing oil and Save The Do blow-dry spray, also drew inspiration from 1990s Versace runway, mixed in with Daryl Hannah in the 1980s movie Splash, to serve Dodd’s crimped look.
And to counterbalance the metallic aesthetic, Dodd’s make-up artist Sara Hill used Chantecaille beauty products, with palettes of Luminescent Eye Shadow in warm brown and Champagne along with the brand’s signature blush Happy giving a delicate ‘rose bud’ flush.
Dodd - whose already-impressive CV included credits in Marvel's Eternals, Netflix's Anatomy of a Scandal and Enola Holmes 2 - was joined on the red carpet by her on-screen potential love interest Victor Alli (who plays the Earl with a similar penchant for silence, John Stirling) as well as co-stars Coughlan, Luke Newton, Golda Rosheuval and Hannah New.
‘Nicola's been absolutely killing it this season,’ Dodd comments. ‘I would love to play in her wardrobe and try everything on. I've known her for quite a few years now, as we started on Harlots together. That’s been so comforting when you step into something like this. She’s the best.’
On her own style, Dodd adds: ‘I'm somebody who really wants to buy less and buy well, so now, if I wear something and I’m like, "I absolutely love this", I will invest in it and wear it all the time. I adore classic pieces that I can wear over again. I’ve always been drawn to tailoring. I love a blazer and I love the waistcoat trend that's happening at the moment.’
As Bridgerton is well-known for its romantic scenes, how does Dodd think the regency-era costumes - with all of the laced-up corsets and satin gloves - would affect those moments, practically speaking?
'The clothes probably helped and hindered romance, but what I do love now is that women can express themselves through clothes way more than what we were able to back then,' says Dodd. 'For me, the main thing is that a woman is able to show or not show and express what she wants, which is a massively powerful thing.'
Hear, hear.
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