“She’ll be suffocated slightly because she does need to kindly her family,” teases Jessie.
Of course, considering that Penelope is actually both those people will significantly complicate things.
“Her alternative is something that she doesn’t want to be a part of.
Nicola Coughlan and Claudia Jessie on season 2 of ‘Bridgerton’.LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX
She doesn’t want to find a husband and dance,” adds Jessie.
“So, I can understand why that has become nearly an obsession.
Eloise is, for want of a better term, c–k-blocking Penelope in her job.”
Claudia Jessie and Nicola Coughlan at EW’s ‘Bridgerton’ season 2 cover shoot.Zoe McConnell for EW
“I’d be standing on my own for three days.
Now I’m like, ‘Oh my god, I have a friend.
But then, obviously that throws up a whole bunch of stuff for Penelope.”
Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton, and Claudia Jessie at EW’s ‘Bridgerton’ cover shoot.Zoe McConnell for EW
It tests her relationships with everyone in her life."
In many ways, Eloise and Penelope are radical opposites.
Where Penelope is shy and reserved, Eloise blusters through life, determined to seize what she wants.
Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton on the set of EW’s ‘Bridgerton’ cover shoot.Zoe McConnell for EW
Coughlan, who is Irish, got to indulge her roots.
she jokes, before adding, “Penelope is very different with everyone.
With her family, you see her being this bratty teenager and rolling her eyes.
Zoe McConnell for EW
With Eloise, she’s excited and they’re joking.
With Whistledown, she’s this badass, and with Colin, she’s this romantic.
But she’s all of those things.”
‘Bridgerton’ star Claudia Jessie.Zoe McConnell for EW
“Penelope’s a solid listener, which works to her benefit.
Another thing Eloise might’ve noticed if she listened more and talked less?
The fact that Penelope is head over heels in love with her brother, Colin.
“Weirdly, the truest her for me is when she’s with Colin,” muses Coughlan.
“There’s a relaxed feeling around him and he’s such a genuine soul.
She obviously adores Eloise, but there’s something about being around Colin.
And she’s been able to reveal herself more in those letters.”
But that doesn’t mean he won’t still be oblivious to her true feelings.
“He’s looking for new pursuits and different ventures that maybe don’t cause as much heartbreak.”
Part of the problem is Colin’s natural obliviousness across the board.
That’s part of his upbringing he’s the third son, the golden boy who can do whatever.
“She’s very focused and very driven,” Newton says.
“She realized a lot of things.
She can see the power she has on society now.
And the relationship [with Colin] has taken a step up.
She is a writer; she expresses herself that way.
She’s much freer than when she is in person.
So, he now sees her with different eyes because he’s seen this girl in the letters.”
Undoubtably, Colin would not respond well to that.
But Coughlan isn’t too bothered.
“She realizes she messed up with Marina, but does she regret it?”
“Probably not because then they’d be married and that would be really bad for her.
And she gets a kick out of people saying that her writing is good.”
“Eloise is on a pedestal for her.
Will Eloise be impressed or consider Penelope’s secrets the ultimate betrayal if she ever learns the truth?
“There are two big secrets between them,” says Jessie.
“My hope is that you’re able to get beyond those things, even if they are huge.
“In season 1, it felt like the most uncomplicated love that there was,” Jessie says.
“I think that’s why everyone was so attached to it.
It’s two women sharing their minds and their thoughts.
They need each other to make sense of this world together.”
“But when you’re that age everything feels so massive, and it will shake them both.”
A version of this story appears in the March issue ofEntertainment Weekly, on newsstands Feb. 18.
