Bridgerton's Luke Newton Changed His ‘Lifestyle’ for His Season 3 Glow Up: ‘I Wanted To Embody That Physically’

Getting the chance to play Colin Bridgerton “it’s such a gift,” says Luke Newton, 31, who played one of the central family’s heartbreaking brothers on the Netflix series for four seasons.

This year, the even-period drama saw Newton transform into a romantic lead, and he took the shine seriously. Colin “changed and became a man, and I wanted to embody that physically,” he says.

Who in the series is most similar to their character? “Most people say I. And I take that as a compliment,” says Newton. But “I’d like to think that maybe I’m less of a pushover and a little more strong-willed.”

The actor sat down with PEOPLE on set for the Royally Sexy portfolio in this year’s edition of Sexiest Man Alive to talk more about the role and how his life has changed since joining the hit series.

Dries Van Noten blazer. Auralee tank. AMI pants. Marsèll shoes. London Sock Company socks. 886 Royal Mint and Tilly Sveaas Rings.

Zoe McConnell

What’s the best thing about playing Colin? It means that we return year after year, and there was room in the story. There’s always a summer for our characters to grow and develop and go through these wild experiences. And I think probably for Colin, he had this crazy experience of traveling and finding himself, so being able to portray multiple different versions of this character was something that I really enjoyed. He was a teenager when we first met him, and seeing him now year after year, kind of a step into adulthood, was really fun to explore.

Do you feel transformed when you put on the costumes? Absolutely. I think I had a moment going into the new season where I thought, “It’s been a while. How am I going to get back into this?” But somehow I just trusted the process of knowing that it was going to change everything as soon as I put on my first costume. And it’s like that every time, no matter how many rehearsals or scenarios we do. It really just changes when you get into those costumes.

Gucci shirt and pants. Sun Spell Container. Manolo Blahnik slippers.886 Royal Mint and Tilly Sveaas rings.

Zoe McConnell

Colin’s prominent sideburns seem almost as important as his clothes. Yes, season three, we were very, very proud of them. It took us hours to really work them out, work out the exact shape, the line we wanted. As for me, I guess I took inspiration from Jonathan Bailey from the previous season, how he had these strong sideburns that looked very well styled and groomed, and I really wanted that. I don’t know, it was fun to explore. The only thing is in normal life, it didn’t really go with anything, like if I’m in a coffee shop on a Sunday morning, you can spot Bridgerton from a mile away if you see those side skirts!

What do you think you would be doing if you weren’t an actor? I feel a bit like a cop, but it has to do with the music. I like to sing. Or maybe write music and do something where I can perform. So maybe still under the bracket of art, but yes, maybe singing in some capacity.

Todd Snyder shirt and pants. Hanes tank. Marsèll shoes. Tom Wood necklace. 886 Royal Mint Ring. Tilly Sveaas rings and bracelet.

Zoe McConnell

If you really were a member of the royal family, what perks do you think you would enjoy? I guess it would be travel, being able to go to these amazing places. It would be an official duty. And the way you travel, I’m sure it’s very, very beautiful.

But also, I did read that somewhere [one of the royal family] that someone wore their shoes. I don’t know if this is true or not, but for brand new loafers, it could be very convenient. It’s a really nice perk to have someone walk around in your loafers for a few weeks, wear them, and get them nice and comfortable and ready for you.

AMI suit and tank. Saint Laurent boots. Dolce & Gabbana belt. Tom Wood necklace. 886 Royal Mint and Tilly Sveaas rings.

Zoe McConnell

What has been one of your most memorable encounters with a fan? Wow. I mean, on a press tour, we would always do a screening or an event. So, meeting the fans to such an extent that they were dressed up and literally looked like they could walk onto the set Bridgertonit was always amazing, the effort the fans put in. There was also a driver I had when I was in Paris and I shared a car with Ed McVey, who is in Crown. So we were both chatting in the back of the car and I think the driver somehow overheard our conversation.

And then at the end of the trip he dropped me off at the airport and when we got out he said, “Can you just take a picture of your wife? She loves Crown.” And I just said, “Yeah, okay,” knowing full well that I wasn’t up for it Crownand his wife will be very disappointed when she sees the picture of me and her husband. So yeah, it was a real reality check, and it was kind of nice. Bring me back to Earth.

So what keeps you grounded the best? I think maybe my family and my friends. When I see them, everything is just normal and it’s kind of nice to have some normality. But I guess even going back to my upbringing, I always thought that nothing I did was that big. I don’t know why I can never understand or appreciate scale. So I just do what I do. Work, I love my job very much. I love the possibilities it brings. And yes, I also like downtime. it’s great

Do you remember the first time you were recognized? In fact, I feel like the whole process of that crazy word, fame, was really gradual. I did a Disney show and I had fan interaction at that point in my career. And then to be part of this incredible ensemble Bridgerton the first and second seasons it seemed like I was training for it. It seems like a real slow process of gradually getting to know the fans and getting more recognition. But I think one thing about s Bridgerton the fans are always so positive and kind to the show.

How would you describe your year? It was such a wild experience coming out of the show. It changed my life and I really liked it. It’s been about six months that we’ve been traveling promoting the series. So now it’s nice to be back in London and have some sort of home comforts and some home cooked meals.

What’s left on your list? I was actually thinking about going abroad. I would really like to live somewhere, even for a few months, when the weather is really nice. Right now I enjoy traveling and being in the sun, and I feel healthy and happy when I’m there. So that’s definitely been put on my bucket list recently.

Saint Laurent coat, T-shirt, trousers and boots. Dolce & Gabbana belt. 886 Royal Mint Necklace and Rings. Tilly Sveaas ring.

Zoe McConnell

How do you imagine your life in 10 years? Maybe it goes with my list that I live in some small sunny town in Italy and eat pasta every day, and I still get to travel the world and work as an actor, but my life is very peaceful and content. I don’t know Yes, that would be fine. I’d like to be on a balcony somewhere drinking coffee in Italy, reading the script for my next project. That would be fun.

Merits

Photographer Zoe McConnell

Filmed by Phil Bradshaw and James Helyar/Once Upon a Time

Groomer Sky Cripps-Jackson / The Ordinary/ The Wall Group

Stylist Holly White / The Wall Group

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Source: HIS Education