‘Bridgerton’s Jessica Madsen on Cressida, Challenges, And Favorite Lines

Netlifx’s Bridgerton has been on the top of the TV charts for the past few months, becoming Netflix’s highest viewed show in history. And that has to do with their amazing cast. More specifically, Jessica Madsen

Known for her fashion-forward character Cressida, she has already became a fan-favorite. Jessica talked with us, virtually, on everything Bridgerton, her favorite lines, and the challenges of staying in character:

 Q: Is your character on Bridgerton similar to you in real life? How/how not?

J: “Cressida is controlled, cle​ver, and self-assured. So charmingly passive aggressive!! She is brilliant with her words and is perfectly manipulative. She uses words carefully to reveal her truth and then mask the harshness to keep even the nasty things she says just on the right side of the dignity line. That’s what makes her so incredibly fun to play. While I’m someone who speaks my mind and I’m not afraid to share my opinions much like Cressida, I am however a great believer in being kinder while being transparent in how I feel and what I mean, directness, openness and honesty to me is everything. I live by the Moto if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all, so we differ a little there. Cressida is definitely fiery. Her fire inside fuel’s her need to light a fire underneath others, she has a lot of passion and determination and will take down anyone who crosses her. I’m an Aries so I have that same fieriness, passion and determination but I’m more excitable, impulsive and less of a fire starter or scolder – haha. 

Oh and I also don’t give nearly as many side-eyes as Cressida! “

Q: What is your all-time favourite line from one of your roles?

J: “Fur at this time of year? Well, I suppose it depends on how much time you and the Duke spend outdoors, but you are fond of a midnight garden stroll I believe.” I love this line, it’s so wicked, there is nothing Cressida loves more than to be all-knowing and all provoking! I have to say, all of her lines were such a joy to say, the musicality in Chris Van Dusen’s writing is second to none. When I first read the scripts she jumped off the page at me! “

Q: How do you negotiate your character and personal identity? 

J: “I try to separate myself from a character as much as possible, immerse all my focus in their life and who they are, and leave my own identity out of it. I want to be as objective as possible to serve my character best.  But deep down there is something unspoken that comes out when things are really working, something inside you brings them to life, be it your similarities or compassion.  It is something I can’t quite put my finger on. “

Q: What is the biggest challenge you face when approaching any role? 

J: “Making sure I never present my character as one dimensional.   I don’t think anyone is a stereotype, people are so beautifully complex. So for me, it’s all about searching for their soul and what makes them human. I’ve played a lot of badasses, people who are troubled yet tough and so very often misunderstood or judged. I love the challenge of finding out why they are the way they are, what fuels them, what their insecurities are, and their strengths. To me nothing is black and white, it’s all very grey. I go back to the Stanislavski method of what is their super-objective? The Super-objective serves as the final goal that a character wishes to achieve. Finding that one thing can be a challenge, I mean ask yourself what is your main goal in life? It’s not that easy to answer and would take a lot of looking down deep. It’s a challenge because there is a pressure to get it right as it impacts everything. But for me, it find the spirit of the character and what her driving force is and then every piece comes together. “

Q: What is one thing you find difficult when getting into your element for roles?

J: “When I first started acting it was getting used to the technical side of the job that I found hardest while maintaining the creativity of it. A lot of the time when your filming you have to work around camera angles to get that perfect shot, so you have to make a compromise, something that might not feel totally natural but it looks great on camera. For example, when I shot my first movie Leatherface, there’s a scene where I talk to the other character looking through a mirror, to get us both in frame she had to step out of my eye line, so I had to act to a dot of the wall. Sometimes these compromises can feel limiting, but I learned quickly, it is really down to letting go and using your imagination.  “

Q: How has quarantine affected your creativity? Do you find it easier or harder to channel energy into your characters?

J: “It has been an incredibly difficult time for everyone worldwide. I’ve gone through a lot personally in my life during this last year. It has put things in to such perspective.  I’ve been tested emotionally and am more vulnerable than before so from that I’m more engaged and sensitive towards the charters I’ve been playing.  I feel I’ve been brought down a notch into a deeper reality. On a whole, I’ve kept really creative during this period, I decided really early on during the first lockdown that I was going to utilize this time and embrace my hobbies and find some new ones. I’ve gotten back into my painting and have started co-writing a script with a costar of mine who’s a very dear friend which has been a new and wonderful experience.” 

Watch Bridgerton right now on Netlix!​