Meet Netflix's Queen Charlotte star Arséma Thomas
We are loving Netflix's brand-new period drama, Queen Charlotte. The Bridgerton spin-off series stars India Amarteifio in the titular role, a younger version of the character made famous by the brilliant Golda Rosheuvel.
The young King George, meanwhile, is played by Corey Mylchreest and fans are loving seeing their romance story played out on screen. But the brilliant cast of characters doesn't stop there – Arséma Thomas has received wide praise for her role as a young Lady Agatha Danbury, a role first played by Adjoa Andoh in the racy period drama.
We think the star is going to go on to big things after the role in the Netflix show. Get to know more about Arséma Thomas here.
Who is Arséma Thomas?
Arséma Thomas, born Arséma Angela Adeoluwayemi Hamera Thomas, is just one of the brilliantly talented cast members appearing in the new Netflix drama. The 28-year-old star was born in Atlanta, Georgia, but moved to Uganda when she was just two weeks. She's even the daughter of two diplomats, according to Cosmopolitan.
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The star might be making waves in the film and television industry, but Arséma has extremely impressive credentials behind her away from acting. In 2016, she graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania.
After her undergraduate study, she went on to land a place at the prestigious Ivy League college, Yale University, where she gained a Master's degree in Public Health. Arséma had previously planned a career within the global public health sector – she also speaks six languages.
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But it was during her degree education that she began to fall into acting by feeling "drawn" to the drama department. "Something physical happened in my body when I was next to it or even heard anything about it," she explained to Cosmopolitan, adding: "So, I started auditioning for random student films, eventually joining a community theatre."
From then, she relocated to the UK to attend acting classes at RADA and eventually landed a place at LAMDA. But when Shonda Rhimes came knocking, Arséma decided to drop out and join the cast of Queen Charlotte, and the rest is history.
Who does Arséma Thomas play in Queen Charlotte?
Arséma plays the role of Lady Agatha Danbury in Queen Charlotte – a role fans will know from Bridgerton who was played by Adjoa Andoh. In Queen Charlotte, fans see the beginnings of Lady Danbury and Queen Charlotte's bond. After they meet at a ball, it doesn't take long to become close friends and confidantes.
Speaking about the character dynamic being shown on screen, Arséma told Cosmopolitan: "This is something that's rarely done: older women being the instigators of change [Golda Rosheuvel and Adjoa Andoh's characters in Bridgerton] and then being able to have a spin-off show that's set solely about them. It's one of the most revolutionary things I've seen."
What else is there to know about Arséma Thomas?
Arséma is relatively new to the acting game, so Queen Charlotte is perhaps her most notable credit, but she had acted in other titles before. In 2021, she landed her first role on screen in an episode of One Touch. In 2022, she appeared in the film, Redeeming Love.
What is Queen Charlotte about?
After much anticipation, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is finally on Netflix. For those unaware, the show follows Queen Charlotte in the early days of her marriage to King George III.
The synopsis reads: "Centred on Queen Charlotte's rise to prominence and power, this Bridgerton-verse prequel tells the story of how the young Queen's marriage to King George sparked both a great love story and a societal shift, creating the world of the Ton inherited by the characters in Bridgerton."
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