Bridgerton Siblings' Book Descriptions vs. Their On-Screen Portrayal
In the long run, it doesn't matter, but Shonda's Bridgertons seem more colorful than Quinn's.
Shonda Rhimes changed a lot when she adapted Julia Quinn's bestselling romantic novel series for the small screen. First and foremost, she set the story in a fantasy Regency world where people of different races belong to London's high society.
This drastically changed the appearance of many of Quinn's characters. Simon Basset, Kate and Edwina Sharma, Marina Thompson and others were given a new heritage and look.
However, the changes didn't affect the titular family. The Bridgerton siblings were cast according to their book descriptions. Well, mostly.
Here is how the physical descriptions of the lead characters in the novel series compare to the actors who play them.
Anthony Bridgerton (29) vs. Jonathan Bailey (35)
Shondaland's Anthony is probably the closest to his book description. Like all of his siblings, he has dark brown eyes and chestnut brown hair, which perfectly matches Jonathan Bailey's appearance. Top-notch casting!
Benedict Bridgerton (27) vs. Luke Thompson (35)
In the books, the second son has brown eyes like his brother, as opposed to Luke Thompson's green eyes. He is also supposed to be the tallest of all the brothers, which is not the case with the Bridgerton cast.
Quinn's Benedict is said to look the most like the late Bridgerton patriarch, Edmund, and we can definitely see a resemblance between Luke Thompson and Rupert Evans.
Colin Bridgerton (21) vs. Luke Newton (30)
When it comes to the Bridgerton cast, Newton is the tallest with a height of 6 feet, while in the novels Colin is shorter than Benedict. Also, Quinn constantly emphasizes Colin's emerald greens (which, let's face it, is an unnatural eye color) and Luke Newton's eyes are sky blue.
Daphne Bridgerton (20) vs. Phoebe Dynevor (28)
The book Daphne is very different from her on-screen counterpart. The eldest daughter has chestnut brown hair and brown eyes, which, according to Quinn, is 'a fate worse than death.' In the series, Daphne is free of this curse. She has blue eyes and dirty blond hair.
Eloise Bridgerton (19) vs. Claudia Jessie (34)
While Claudia Jessie certainly has blue eyes, Eloise's eye color is not consistent in the books, ranging from green to blue to gray in different novels. Other than that, the casting seems to be spot on.
Francesca Bridgerton (17) vs. Hannah Dodd (28)
Quinn's Francesca is said to be the most beautiful sister in the books and the diamond of her season, which by the way might already be in Season 3. She has dark blue eyes and hair like all her siblings.
Ruby Strokes was closer to that description than Hannah Dodd, who has hazel eyes and is set to add another redhead to the family.
Gregory Bridgerton (13) vs. Will Tilston (16)
In the book, Gregory's eyes are hazel, while Will Tilston has a much darker shade of eyes and looks like he could be the real-life brother of Jonathan Bailey.
Hyacinth Bridgerton (11) vs. Florence Hunt (16)
Hyacinth has blue eyes like Francesca in the novels. Florence Hunt's eyes look greenish on closer inspection, but her hair seems to be the right color.