Adjoa Andoh on Bridgerton, her love for SA and Invictus

Dearest gentle reader, the third season of Bridgerton is around the corner.

So, when I received a delightful invitation for a sit-down with star Adjoa Andoh on a Friday afternoon at one of Joburg’s fab boutique hotels, I dropped everything.

Upon arrival just before 12pm, I hop aboard a golf cart at the hotel lobby – cue an instrumental string cover of Hotel Lobby by Quavo and Takeoff. Off we go, I’m gently torqued to the final destination, coming up-close with Lady Danbury (Andoh). On the serene ride, surrounded by luxurious private villas, peaceful courtyard fountain and lush garden landscape my mind wonders away into the romantic carriage scenes from the Regency era show on Netflix.

When we eventually come face-to-face, I’m greeted first by an exaggerated high neckline which perfectly frames Andoh’s cool, short and shaved head. Almost immediately, I compliment her style – she politely retorts with flattering remarks for my outfit. Mesmerised by her beauty, presence and poise, I forget to take off my sunglasses and she chuckles elegantly when I joke about the room being dimly lit two minutes into the conversation – that becomes the first ice-breaker.

The second? Her off-kilter African print ensemble, which was designed by Ghanaian designer Naa Kwarley Sikanartey (her label is Red Cotton).

“She is amazing, she makes a lot of clothes for me. My dad lives in England and across, so wherever we are in Accra, I go to see Naa and she sorts me out,” she says.

The 61-year-old actor, born to an English mother and Ghanaian father, is celebrating 40 years as a performer. She notes that she was last in SA 15 years ago, when she filmed Clint Eastwood’s Invictus, depicting the real-life events before and during the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Earlier in the day, Andoh reveals that she spent her morning connecting with pupils at Morris Isaacson High School in Soweto.

“This is a powerful and influential nation for black people across the world,” she says.

“We watch what happens in South Africa, we hold our breath, we celebrate with you, we feel crossed with you and feel excited for you because you are us. I always feel humbled and proud when I come here.”

Set in the early 1800s, Bridgerton first took the world by storm on Christmas Day in 2020.

“It dropped during lockdown when everyone was feeling anxious around the world, uncertain and didn’t understand what was happening. Just a lot of people during lockdown worried about work, education, loneliness and isolation,” she says.

“Then on Christmas Day when you should be with your friends and family, but you can’t be, suddenly came this show. Like a little nugget of joy to take your mind off whatever is worrying you.”

While the romantic storylines with the younger cast immediately won hearts, the friendship between Golda Rosheuvel’s Queen Charlotte and wise-cracking Agatha, Lady Danbury captured the soul of the show. It came as no surprise when a prequel spin-off Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story was greenlit, zooming in of the duo’s backstories.

"For me, the big thing about the show is that it invites everybody in – it doesn’t matter your race, gender, sexuality or faith,” Andoh says.

“I don’t think we had watched historic drama set in British or European settings from that period, in which people of colour were present in numbers and a whole variety of levels of power and influence. 

“But also, if people aren’t interested in that and just want to see a bit of ‘will they or won’t they’, a nice frock or they want to go ‘is that quartet playing Ariana Grande?’… I liked the invitation the show made.”

The spin-off aired last year with a younger Lady Danbury portrayed by Arsema Thomas.

“I had conversations with Shonda [Rhimes, creator] and there were some elements about her African heritage that we hadn’t discussed before. Lady Danbury’s cane, I made sure that the handle on it had an African elephant under a palanquin, so whenever I hold the cane I may be in a drawing room in Regency England, but I’m holding Africa,” she says.

In 2009, Andoh starred in Invictus playing Brenda Mazibuko, a character based on Nelson Mandela’s chief of staff Barbara Masekela. Morgan Freeman played Mandela and Matt Damon slipped into character as former Springboks captain Francois Pienaar.

“It was an amazing time for me. I had never been to South Africa before and to be part of telling that particular story [was great],” Andoh says.

“My uncle played rugby for England in the 1970s. He knew Francois Pienaar and Morné du Plessis. I grew up watching rugby and the whole story for me was stuff I knew. But then the brilliance of sports and Madiba to use sports as this political strategic tool to bring the country together was just genius. I loved telling that story and being here.

“I went to Mitchells Plain, I listened to the Cape Town Philharmonic play, we went to Robben Island a couple of times and I went to the best club I’ve ever been to in Joburg – I don’t know how I got home.”