Francesca Bridgerton, portrayed by actress Ruby Stokes, was substituted by a different face in Bridgerton season 3.
In the first and second seasons of the Bridgerton series, Ruby Stokes played the character of Francesca, the sixth child and third daughter of the Bridgerton household.
Highlights
- Ruby Stokes, who played Francesca Bridgerton in the first two seasons of “Bridgerton,” has been replaced by Hannah Dodd in season 3 due to scheduling conflicts.
- Francesca’s character had minimal screen time in the first two seasons, with her appearances becoming increasingly sporadic and unexplained by the end of season 2.
- Ruby Stokes’ departure from Bridgerton was driven by her lead role in the Netflix series Lockwood & Co., which was unfortunately canceled after one season.
The series is set in the background of the competitive Regency era and revolves around a fictional family in the 1800s.
Bridgerton, created by Chris Van Dusen, is a romantic drama about eight close-knit siblings who strive to find love and happiness in an affluent and powerful London society.
In the series, Francesca is the quiet and mysterious Bridgerton sibling who stays hidden and away from society.
Her love for piano and her romantic aspiration were the only things viewers observed through her short screen time in the first and second seasons of Bridgerton.
Initial Signs Of Ruby Stokes’ Farewell To The Bridgerton Franchise
Ruby has shown continuous on-and-off-timing throughout the series, during her first and second seasons appearances.
That sparked the viewers’ curiosity about her diminished focus and concentration as Francesca.
Each season, her screen time decreased, disappeared halfway, and reappeared by the end.
At the end of season 1, we could only see her short glimpse as she was in Bath, visiting her aunt Winnie for most of the time.
The writers did a great job concealing her unavailability here, which best matches the plot of the series.
However, at the end of season 2, her disappearance is not elucidated at all, and the writers choose to stop showing her character without any explanation.
Thus, her disappearance and reduced screen time hint that Ruby already had issues maintaining consistency in the Bridgerton series.
Ruby Stokes Chose Playing Lead Role In Another Netflix Series
Although Francesca’s character was not as developed as that of the other siblings, her absence at the beginning of season 3 couldn’t be avoided.
This was because it was important to establish her character before covering the part of her romance.
Therefore, the directors wanted her long-term commitment to the role, but she had already committed to the other series, Lockwood & Co. Thus, her full-time commitment to Bridgerton was impossible.
She played the lead role of Lucy Carlyle in Netflix’s supernatural mystery thriller Lockwood & Co.
Unfortunately, the thriller series was canceled after its first season. By that time, Hannah Dodd had already been cast as Francesca Bridgerton, and the filming of the entire third season had been completed.
Thus, actress Ruby Stokes left Bridgerton season 3 due to scheduling issues and lost her chance to enter the plot as the main character.
Additional Information
- Ruby Stokes has two younger brothers, Clement and Seth, who appeared in the ITV series Angela Black.
- Some of her upcoming projects include The Jetty, Sunny Dancer, and Butterfly Stroke. The Jetty is scheduled to be released in 2024.
- The actress’s net worth is estimated at $5 million as of [Current-year].
