'Bridgerton' Actor Was Told Not to Come Out by Lesbian Director

At the start of her professional career, Golda Rosheuvel, the actor who plays Queen Charlotte on Bridgerton, was told not to come out -- by a lesbian director. The actor recalled the moment recently on the Just for Variety podcast and detailed how it affected her career.

“We were talking about being out and proud and representation and whether I should say I was gay in interviews,” Rosheuvel shared on the podcast. Hiding her queer identity was not a thought Rosheuvel was fond of, but her director was adamant that coming out would do more harm than good. "You absolutely shouldn’t do that. It could or it would ruin your career as an actor," she was told.

Thankfully, the advice didn't discourage her from speaking her truth. Instead, it revealed to Rosheuvel that although her director was openly gay, she was still battling with internalized homophobia. "I would rather lose a job than not be true to who I am," Rosheuvel said. "I’d rather not work in an industry that doesn’t accept me... It just wasn’t how I was raised."

Flash forward to the present moment, and Rosheuvel has not only secured two seasons of a hit Netflix show -- but her own spinoff, as well. The actor is currently in an openly queer relationship and will be honored with the Equity Award at this year's Human Rights Campaign gala.

“It’s important for me to be out and proud," she said on the podcast. "To normalize things for that one person, that one young boy or girl...  transgender or non-binary [person] to be able to say, ‘I’m not alone.’”

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