Season 3 of Bridgerton, which is set to be released in two parts, is one of the most-anticipated of the year. Fans of the period romance have been waiting two years for the love story between Colin and Penelope. However, the two of them will have to overcome plenty of obstacles… Including a new suitor for Penelope.
Nicola Coughlan, who plays Penelope, told People that Season 3 of the Netflix show was going to be “romance all the way.” As fans of the series know, Penelope has been in love with Colin since forever, but in the last episode of Season 2, she heard him saying to his friends that he would “never” court her… Which, obviously, was a lie.
However, from the first teasers, Pen has now decided to prove her worth and won’t be waiting for Colin (Luke Newton) anymore, and she will even be pursued by a new gentleman in the ton: Lord Debling, played by Sam Phillips. Here’s what to know about the new character and the actor.
What do we know about Lord Debling, Penelope’s new suitor
In 2022, Deadline reported that there were going to be new faces in Bridgerton. One of them was Sam Phillips, playing Lord Debling, who, according to the description of the character is “genial lord with unusual interests … with wealth and a noble title to back up his eccentricities.”
It’s worth noting that Debling didn’t appear in the original book by Julian Quinn, “Romancing Mr. Bridgerton.” Phillips told Shondaland that his character is an “outsider,” and that he lives “on the fringes of society.” According to the actor, Debling is looking for a love match, and he thinks Penelope is perfect because she “is a little bit of an outsider like him.”
But what is so special about Lord Debling? Well, it seems like he is quite progressive for the era. Phillips said that his character “loves wildlife, he’s a conservationist, and he is a vegetarian.” We suppose that this will be an interesting contrast with the rest of the ton, especially Colin.
Who is Sam Phillips, who plays Lord Debling?
Sam Phillips is a 39-year-old actor from London. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and he is the son of director and producer Nic Phillips, who is known for titles such as Goodnight Sweetheart, Birds of a Feather and Coronation Street.
Among Phillips’ credits, there are other period dramas such as From The Madding Crowd (2015), where he played Sergeant Dockett, as well as appearing on episodes of The Crown (2019-20) and Grantchester (2021).