Bridgerton is welcoming new characters into the fold in season 2, and Charithra Chandran has a crucial role. The 25-year-old plays Edwina Sharma in the hit Netflix series. Charithra will be making her Bridgerton debut when season 2 drops on March 25.
So, who is Charithra Chandran? She is a star on the rise at the moment, but she is about to become a household name. From her role on Bridgerton to where she grew up, HollywoodLife has rounded up 5 key things to know about Charithra.
1. Charithra plays Edwina on ‘Bridgerton.’
Charithra stars in season 2 as Edwina Sharma, the younger half-sister of Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley). Kate and Edwina come to London looking for a suitable husband for Edwina. At the same time, Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) is looking to settle down and marry. Anthony and Edwina seem like the perfect match, but sparks begin to fly between Anthony and Kate.
Edwina is based on the character created by Julia Quinn in her second Bridgerton book, The Viscount Who Loved Me. In the book, Edwina and Kate had the last name “Sheffield” and were written as white characters. For the Netflix series, Edwina and Kate have the last name “Sharma” and are from India.
2. Charithra made her TV debut in 2021.
Charithra had her first on-screen role just a few months before the Bridgerton season 2 premiere. She played Sabina Pleasance in the second season of the IMDb series Alex Rider, which debuted in December 2021. The actress also appeared in the 2022 film Class S before Bridgerton.
3. Charithra moved around as a child.
Charithra was born in Scotland and moved to India when she was 2, according to Radio Times. Charithra and her family moved to England a few years later, and Charithra would grow up in Oxford.
4. Charithra went to college.
The British actress got her degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at New College, which is a part of the University of Oxford. During her time in college, she was featured in several school productions. This prompted her to take a gap year before starting a full-time job. During her gap year, the pandemic happened but it all worked out for Charithra.
“I was living my dream [over that period],” she told The Face. “I thought, you know what? Why don’t I just do this rather than what other people expect of me? So I cold-called people, emailed different agencies, sent off my shitty showreels and CV.” She eventually booked Alex Rider and then Bridgerton! Before pursuing acting full-time, Charithra did take a job as a research analyst at the National Policy Institute.
5. Charithra auditioned for the role of Kate first.
After auditioning for the role of Kate, Charithra was asked to read for the role of Edwina. “I was at the allotment with my mum when I got the call from my agent saying, ‘You’ve got a screen test with Johnny [Bailey] and Simone [Ashley] and it’s tomorrow. Oh – and you’re the only one they’re considering,” she revealed to Radio Times. The rest is history!