dress. SELF-PORTRAIT
shoes. Prada
opposite
full look. Ami Paris
earrings. Kate Spade
While the esteemed viewers of Bridgerton, Season Three could be forgiven for being preoccupied with the will-they-won’t-they relationship of Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton, it’s arguably the bond of female friendship that takes centre stage in the latest instalment of the racy Regency drama. Rather unexpectedly, at the heart of this tale is the mean girl of yester-season, Cressida Cowper, played by Jessica Madsen, who’s unlikely friendship with Eloise Bridgerton reveals the power of female companionship. As she navigates the expectations faced by women in Mayfair’s 19th century ton, Madsen’s performance conveys the complexities and intricacies of Cressida’s desperation, presenting a character you can’t help but root for.
As with any mean girl, glimpses into Cressida’s life behind the manicured closed doors of her family’s townhouse offered Madsen a chance to explore the nuances of her character in more depth. She considers, “It’s important for us to see a different side to her and understand why she is the way that she is. You see a softness to her. But it does shift, she armours back up as she’s really in a place of desperation… She wants to live a life that will bring her happiness which she’s learnt is possible through her friendship with Eloise… So, she makes some questionable choices. But it’s the naivety that we see. I do like to think that if there was another option, she would have taken a less cruel way of going about things.”
dress. Critter
earrings. Giovanni Raspi
opposite
full look. Ami Paris
shoes. Jimmy Choo
earrings. Kate Spade
And while her character is more than happy to throw Colin and Penelope’s happy-ever-after into freefall, Madsen fought the urge to go full-on villain. “It wasn’t right to do that,” she muses. “It was important to stick with the fact that this is a girl who is desperate. She is limited in what she can and can’t do. And she’s running on a real hope that her life can be different. She doesn’t want to carry that pain. She wants to free herself. And so, I think it was important to honour that… I just had to trust my gut and know that there was a safety net around me.
But that didn’t mean Madsen didn’t wrestle with her character’s choices. She contemplates, “Cressida is a bird in a cage just trying to find a way out the best way she can. It’s heart breaking that she has to revert back to the cruelty that we’re used to seeing… She ends up numbing herself towards the end. I’m like, gosh, dammit, why did we have to do that? You were making progress!”
corset + skirt. Agent Provocateur
hat. Lock & Co
earrings. Under Her Eyes
opposite
dress. SELF-PORTRAIT
Over the previous two seasons, viewers have enjoyed all the trials and tribulations that come in the throes of passion and love, but Season Three gives increasing weight to the value of love in family and platonic relationships. For Madsen, the celebration of friendship has been an evolution. “We see the dynamic between mothers and daughters develop and grow, along with friendships too… I think it deepens each season. That’s why these relationships become more evident, because every season before, enriches the current season.” And it’s these relationships which Madsen was keen to champion. She considers, “I think it’s a really beautiful thing that this show highlights the importance of friendships, and female friendships in particular. It shows that they are timeless.”
Along with Bridgerton’s showrunner, Jess Brownell, Madsen was keen to honour Cressida’s own bourgeoning friendship with Eloise. “From the script, it was very clear that this feels like a really genuine and beautiful connection she’s made with Eloise. There’s no ulterior motives or manipulations… It was important that we got to see that side of her. It shows that anyone who’s given some kindness and love has the ability to open up when it’s safe to do so. And Eloise really provides that safe space for Cressida… And so for me, it was about committing to the scene and the writing, and then exploring that with Claudia (who plays Eloise) on set.”
full look. Versace
opposite
dress. Critter
earrings. Giovanni Raspini
Period dramas often hold a powerful mirror up to modern society, highlighting just how detrimental archaic views around gender and sexuality can be. The show’s female characters are constantly having to make trade-offs when it comes to finding love and following their own ambitions. But Season Three provides some hope that women can have both. Madsen considers, “For Cressida, it’s about freeing herself and finding her independence. She’s okay with the fact that no one will want to marry her now. She’s like, if I can actually get myself out of this home situation and explore the world a bit more, I’m down for that.”
While fans will likely have to wait a couple more years for the next instalment to see whether Lady Whistledown puts quill to parchment once more, Cressida’s fate also remains uncertain. For Madsen, she hopes the time away from the ton will give her character a chance to repair. She contemplates, “I hope she comes back and repents for everything she’s done. But most of all, I hope she finds herself and happiness.” A modern tale indeed.
dress. Critter
shoes. Jimmy Choo
earrings. Giovanni Raspini
Bridgerton is streaming now on Netflix.
photography. David Reiss
fashion. Emily Tighe @ Carol Hayes Management
talent. Jessica Madsen
hair. Davide Barbieri @ A Frame
make up. Emma Miles @ Caren using Augustinus Bader
nails. Chiara Ballasai @ The Only Agency
photography assistant. Gabor Herczegfalvi
fashion assistant. Alfred Humphries
interview. Katie Shuff
