Imagine if Netflix’s Regency-era, bodice ripping, ballgowns to die for, thirsty pearl-clutching hit show, Bridgerton, had a spin-off… well it does! Queen Charlotte, created by Shonda Rhimes, is a love story for the ages, whisking us back to the very start of the young Queen's rise to power and her marriage to King George, revealing the sparks, the secrets of the past and how their betrothal caused a societal shift.

British actor Corey Mylchreest plays the dishy young King George in this latest genre-busting period romance, set against a backdrop of decadent sets, lavish locations and misty landscapes to captivate us, just like the world of the Ton. We caught up with Mylchreest, who previously featured in 2021's short drama Mars and appeared as Adonis in Netflix’s The Sandman in 2022, to chat about dancing in stockings and heels in one of the hottest shows of the season, which will surely crown him as the next leading man we’ll be swooning over.

Left Sweater **Givenchy**, pants **MSGM**, necklace **Sweetlimejuice** & shoes **Versace**
Right Full look **Hermès**

Let’s first say, dishy young George is receiving quite a bit of attention in all the hysteria around this new series, Queen Charlotte. No pressure then?

I know!! Although that pressure came pretty late doors to be honest, as Bridgerton had passed me by somehow, I never watched it. But when I did realise how behemoth the universe of Bridgerton is, I was already on the job with this series, so it was a bit of a wakeup call!

It’s a love story at its heart, and we get a rare insight into the lives of Ton’s super elite regal lovers. You and India Amarteifio, [who plays the young Queen Charlotte] did a chemistry read before filming. Any sizzling secrets on how to build that on-screen spark?

Well, the intimacy coordinators on the show, (Lucy Fennell and Lizzy Talbot) made sure the intimacy scenes were choreographed so beautifully and so safely, and there were as few people on set as could be. Yet still, I remember feeling completely out of body, and so vulnerable, because it’s embarrassing getting your kit off in front of people you don’t know. But by the time we did the last intimate scene, India and I trusted each other so much, because not only had we done these semi-awkward scenes, but by then we had also cried in front of each other, and filmed incredibly vulnerable moments, and also talked about the stresses of the job off-camera. So, I think trust is the most important thing, and friendship definitely helps too.

We must talk obviously about the many pearl-clutching moments in Bridgerton. Will this prequel deliver the same thirsty moments for fans?

Yes! But I would say what’s beautiful about this series is that there’s not one intimate scene where it feels like it’s just thrown in. They all reveal something about the character, either George or Charlotte, or about the story, or their reaction to something that’s happened. I think it’s always progressing the story onwards and it’s like that in terms of a fight scene, or dance choreography, it’s always a duologue without any dialogue. This series goes deeper into character and a deeper landscape.

Left Hoodie **Bluemarble**, jacket **Solid Men**
Right Vest **AMI Pari**s, shirt **Miu Miu**, pants **Ferragamo** & shoes **Versace**

That depth of narrative is crucial because we don’t really know much about King George from the original Bridgerton series, aside from his illness, which is well documented in history. Can you tease us with a taste of what’s to come for the young monarch?

I guess very simply, George is a very private person, but he’s also a loving, caring and gentle person, with hobbies that he dives into, whether it’s science or agriculture or farming, anything he can get his hands on and be physical with that escapes this duty to the crown. You see the crippling beginnings of this affliction that he’s victim to, and he suffers daily from this crushing despair at the hands of what he’s dealing with. What we see in the show, is when you have those inner demons, and you love someone utterly, it forces you to look in the mirror and see what you’ve been hiding from, and fight them head on, to open up and let someone in entirely. Through that overcoming, we start to see the love story between George and Charlotte really flourish.

Left Hoodie **Bluemarble**, jacket **Solid Men**, beanies **Dior Men**
Right Full look **Dior Men**

So how did you draw inspiration and prepare for the role?

I started with research and dove straight into the book by Andrew Roberts about George, which is the first biography to be published after 2015, when the Royal libraires in the UK released 20,000 pages of George III’s personal journals and letters. They were a revelation in terms of finding out about the man that he was, and I listened to lots of podcasts and watched some of the other depictions. I would say the script is also a brilliant help because it was clear we were not making a historical documentary, and I really fell in love with the guy that I was reading about, and I wanted to honour him in moments that I could. As an actor it’s also about imaginative placement and putting yourself in that person’s shoes, and spending a day in that life, and finding a grounding of understanding within myself and then imaginatively pushing that boundary until I feel like I’m his shoes.

Left Sweater **Givenchy** & necklace **Sweetlimejuice**
Right Coat **Andersson Bel**l, shirt **Wood Wood**, pants **Ferragamo** & shoes **AMI Paris**

It helps working alongside such a great ensemble cast too. What’s been your favourite thing about that experience?

I’m really proud of my work in this show, but to be honest, there wasn’t a day where I didn’t feel a healthy jealousy! You know, watching the others and thinking, ‘wow, you are just absolutely incredible’, and that’s now something I want to grow towards. I felt that about the friends I made, like India and Sam Clemmett (who plays young Brimsley) and Freddie Dennis, who now lives across the hall from me, who plays Reynolds. Having watched it too, Michelle Fairley is phenomenal, and I was a huge fan of hers beforehand. I was really floored by everyone’s performances on a daily basis, and it was some of the best months of my life.

Sweater **Givenchy**, panst **MSGM**, necklace **Sweetlimejuice**

What about being on those fabulous sets and locations, it must have been quite exciting to see them all. Did you have a favourite?

Absolutely, every single day, whether it was on location or one of the sets, the attention to detail and the props and the set design were just incredible. Honestly, 95% of our jobs as actors were done, because if you stick any Joe Bloggs in those brilliant sets with those props, anyone will have enough imagination to believe that they’re really there in that moment.

Towards the end of filming, we had just done a scene in a new set, and I walked past the Observatory, and it was being demolished, and it was so palpable, as I had scenes in there where I had screamed and cried and laughed, and it was like saying goodbye to a home almost. Location-wise it has to be Blenheim Palace, my first day shooting and last shots were there, and it was just beautiful.

I imagine wearing full Regency costume helped inform your performance as George too, with that physical feeling of being in his shoes.

It was amazing and at times uncomfortable too, as I’m not used to wearing heels or stockings! But then George has a very complicated relationship with duty, and there is a crushing sense of pressure there, and for him, those clothes represent that, they are a lived-in, tangible, sense of feeling of that pressure. So, if for a moment, me, as the actor, says ‘oh I feel uncomfortable’, then fricking brilliant, lean into that, and accept that feeling, because George had that relationship too.

Not just uncomfortable to wear, but also completely useless for the modern day, as there’s nowhere to put an iPhone in those high-waisters…

No there is not, ha-ha! It actually became really annoying, because I always listen to music before takes, and I would have to find somewhere to throw my headphones and phone and hope that I didn’t break it against those Regency cobbles!

What tunes were you listening to in between takes then?

The theme to Succession, ‘Adagio in C Minor’, which is a variation on a theme, without drums or piano. I remember watching the series, and in one shot which I paused, there was this frame of Jeremy Strong, who played Kendall Roy, and I just looked at him and thought, ‘that is George’. That resignation to the shame and crushing, oppressive power of duty and your bloodline and your role, and he just looked destroyed. I actually printed that picture off and put it on my character book. So, I would listen to that every day as I put on George’s ring, which is on his pinkie finger on his left hand.

Left Vest **AMI Pari**s, shirt **Miu Miu**, pants **Ferragamo**
Right Hoodie **Bluemarble**, jacket **Solid Men**, denim **Calvin Klein**

Did you have to learn any new skills for this series too, such as how to dance in stocking and heels, for one of those posh balls?

I’m not a dancer, and that’s very obvious on screen, but that’s made even more clear by how beautiful a dancer India is! Our choreographer, Jack Murphy, was brilliant though, and made sure every dance scene progressed a story, so the character had a relationship with every single moment and mood. I would say in terms of skills, the most fun thing to learn was how to make the sound that makes a horse stand up! I got to work with this horse called Mufasa, which is a pretty cool name, who in one scene, has collapsed and is tangled in rope. The horse rangers were fun to work with too. George loved horses and animals, so again, everything he loved, I really through myself into.

Left Coat **Andersson Bel**l, shirt **Wood Wood**, pants **Ferragamo** & shoes **AMI Paris**
Right Full look **Hermès**

So, you’ve gone from doing dark fantasy in The Sandman to a fancy period drama. What’s next, what would be the dream role with a dream director?

Anything with Christopher Nolan, he was a god for me growing up, and the worlds he creates really push the boundaries of our imagination. They’re not necessarily always the real world, but at the same time, in all the characters and the humanity, there’s no sacrifice of the study of the interpersonal, and the work between people and character. It’s all truth, studied and so subtle and nuanced, and yet huge and it all exists in this world which almost pushes into fantasy.

I was into fantasy and sci-fi growing up, like Star Wars, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. I’m a bit of a nerd, and as a kid, they were the things that pushed my imagination, and made me wish I was in that world. For me, Nolan activates all my childhood glee and neurological study and it’s the perfect balance.

Interview by Kate Lawson

Photography by Emilia Staugaard

Fashion by Steven Huang

Casting by Imagemachine CS

Grooming by Josh Knight at Caren using Typology for skin and Sam Mcknight for hair

Fashion assistant Amelia Cappi