The second half of Bridgerton season 4 arrived on Netflix on February 26, bringing with it the most talked-about moments from Benedict and Sophie’s love story. For actress Yerin Ha, who plays Sophie Baek, stepping into the world of intimate scenes for the first time was a nerve-wracking experience. But what viewers are seeing on screen—particularly two very different romantic sequences—required careful thought, a lot of trust, and even some unexpected physical reactions.
The Korean-Australian actress opens up about why these moments feel distinct from anything the show has done before, and how Sophie’s agency changes everything.
Yerin Ha Opens Up About Nerves Filming Intimacy Scenes for the First Time
For Yerin Ha, joining the cast of a global phenomenon like Bridgerton came with pressure. But the part that scared her the most? The intimacy scenes.
Speaking to Business Insider, Ha admitted she was “super nervous” about filming these moments. “Just as a woman in society, people constantly talk about your body,” she said. “That just happens in the spotlight or when you have eyes on you anyway, but I knew that ‘Bridgerton’ had such an audience as well. And that’s quite daunting” .
The 28-year-old actress, trained at Sydney’s prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Art, explained that this was her first time exposing herself in that way on screen. What helped her push through the fear was focusing on the story. “It was scary, but I overcame it in terms of thinking this is a deeper narrative between Benedict and Sophie, of actually being so completely enraptured with each other and their passion for each other that it made sense to show it” .
Ha also credited her co-star Luke Thompson for making the experience bearable. “I think we shot it with a lot of levity,” she shared. “I try to have fun. And then I think I realized after the first take, you’re like, ‘Great. We’ve done it now. We can do as many takes as we want.’ It’s the pre-game that’s the worst” .
The Bathtub Scene: A Major Change From the Book That Yerin Ha Loved
One of the most anticipated moments from Julia Quinn’s novel An Offer From a Gentleman is the bathtub scene. In the book, a newly betrothed Sophie takes a bath at Benedict’s home after being rescued from jail. Benedict joins her, washes her hair, and they end up having sex in his bed.
But the show took a different path—and Yerin Ha was relieved.
“When I read the bathtub scene in the book, actually, I remember being like, ‘I wonder if we’re going to have it, A,’ and ‘B, if we are, what does that look like?’” Ha recalled .
In the Netflix version, the scene still happens. Benedict apologizes for asking Sophie to be his mistress. But when things get intimate, Sophie makes her boundaries clear. She tells him she does not want penetrative sex because she fears pregnancy out of wedlock. Throughout the scene, Sophie speaks up for what she wants, and Benedict respects her wishes completely.
“I loved that they changed it so that Sophie very much still protected herself and was like, ‘This is the stuff that I don’t want to do’ and how it’s respected,” Ha said. “I think I resonate very deeply with her in terms of, do the things that you want to do and protect your own health and safety first, rather than trying to appease anybody else” .
The actress also pointed out why this version matters for viewers. “That to me is very attractive,” she said. “A man who actually respects a woman’s boundaries, I think, is very, very important to be shown on screen” .
Why the Episode Five Intimacy Scene Felt “Completely Different”
Yerin Ha emphasized that the two intimate sequences in Part 2 have very different feels. The bathtub scene is tender and about care. But the scene at the end of episode five is something else entirely.
Showrunner Jess Brownell explained to The Hollywood Reporter that the episode five scene was mostly the show’s invention, not directly from the books. The challenge was creating a moment where Sophie, who fears having an illegitimate child more than anything, allows herself to get caught up in passion despite her better judgment .
“We needed to neutralize those power dynamics in the intimacy to see real equality and reciprocity happening,” Brownell said. The team initially wanted Benedict and Sophie to orgasm together side by side to visually represent equality. But intimacy coordinator Lizzy Talbot pointed out that the height difference between Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha made that position difficult. They adjusted, but the feeling of equality remained the focus .
For Ha, this scene represented Sophie letting go—temporarily—of the walls she has built around herself. It shows a woman who has spent her life in service finally allowing someone to see her completely.
The Not-So-Glamorous Reality: Hives and 7-Hour Shoots
While the bathtub scene looks romantic and steamy on screen, filming it was a completely different story.
Yerin Ha revealed the uncomfortable truth behind the scene during an interview with Capital Breakfast. To prepare for the shoot, she covered herself in baby powder. “Basically I put baby powder all on me because I was told it would help dry my skin to put the intimacy wear on with the tape,” she explained .
The aftermath was not pretty. “And then basically the next day after the bathtub, I got hives all over my body, and I got folliculitis, so I needed steroid cream” .
Ha laughed about the experience, taking responsibility. “But I blame myself, because I think it was a combination of baby powder and the bath water. So it’s me, I’m a sensitive gal!” .
Her co-star Luke Thompson added that the entire bathtub sequence took seven hours to film. That is a long time to sit in water, covered in products, trying to look effortlessly in love .
Showrunner Explains Why Sophie’s Agency Drives Part 2
Jess Brownell elaborated on why Sophie’s voice matters so much in these episodes. “Sophie has spent a lot of her life starved for love and really not feeling loved, so it’s very meaningful for her” when Benedict says “I love you,” Brownell told The Hollywood Reporter .
But even in the heat of the moment, Sophie does not lose herself completely. In the bathtub scene, when Benedict tries to propose, she stops him. She asks him to wait until they know whether she is going to jail. She refuses to let marriage be decided while her future hangs in the balance .
Brownell also addressed why the show flipped the power dynamic in the bathtub. In the book, Benedict washes Sophie’s hair because she smells bad after jail. But the show made Benedict the caretaker. “Sophie has spent so long this season being a role of service, and for Benedict to now be washing her hair and then pleasuring her felt like a really nice switcheroo that Sophie deeply deserved” .
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Where Benophie Is Headed After Part 2
With Part 2 now streaming worldwide, fans are asking: where do Benedict and Sophie go from here?
The season ends with the couple overcoming incredible odds. Araminta’s schemes, Sophie’s time in jail, and the class divide all threatened to tear them apart. But Violet Bridgerton’s plan—forcing Araminta to admit Sophie is really the daughter of an earl—allows the couple to stay in society .
Jess Brownell confirmed that Benedict would have chosen Sophie even without that plan. “He’s absolutely planning on proposing to her at the end of episode seven before he learns that she’s the Lady in Silver,” she said. “That would’ve been a moment where he would’ve run away with her to the countryside”.
The show has already been renewed for seasons five and six. With four Bridgerton siblings still single, fans are eager to see who leads next. But for now, Benophie has their happy ending—earned through struggle, sealed with respect, and celebrated with two intimate scenes that Yerin Ha says could not be more different from each other.
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