Bridgerton’s Charithra Chandran admits to feeling ‘vulnerable’ amid her overnight fame

Charithra Chandran has talked about the difficulties of becoming famous overnight at Bridgerton and talked about how she stays ‘healthy’ in the midst of the attention.

The actress, 26, quickly became a household name after starring as Edwina Sharma in the second series of the super hit Netflix period drama, which aired last year.

Now she’s spoken about how she handled the overnight fame that came with the show, admitting she felt “vulnerable” in a candid conversation with Cosmopolitan UK.

Charithra, who appeared as the star on the magazine’s June/July cover, said her Bridgerton co-stars had told her to find a therapist to help her deal with the “crazy” attention.

She said: ‘I think when someone is first exposed to this [fame] at the level I was, they read the comments, they google themselves.

“And when you read the really aggressive ones — I know this sounds dramatic — but you feel really vulnerable.”

Charithra admitted she was scared for a few months at the thought of a “crazy” fan “hunting” her before adjusting to her new life in the public eye.

She said her day-to-day life now feels very “normal” and admitted that the only thing keeping her sane is that she doesn’t have close friends her own age in the industry.

Charithra shared how she befriended her co-stars Golda Rosheuvel, 53, and Shelley Conn, 46, who starred as her mother on the show instead.

She said: “My life just feels so… normal? I think it’s because I don’t have close friends my age in the industry, that’s the main thing that makes me feel healthy.”

Charithra said she spends a lot of time with Golda, who plays Queen Charlotte, and the pair often go to shows or go out to dinner together.

She also shared how both Golda and Shelley have given her advice on how to “hold” herself in the industry and gushes that she trusts their words of wisdom.

Looking to the future, Charithra said she wants to take on roles that spark important conversations, but admitted she doesn’t want to just portray characters whose storyline is all about their Indian heritage.

Adaptation: Charithra, who appeared as the cover star of Cosmopolitan in June/July, said her Bridgerton co-stars had told her to find a therapist to help her deal with the ‘crazy’ attention

Success: The actress, 26, quickly became a household name after starring as Edwina Sharma in the second series of the super hit Netflix period drama, which aired last year

Struggle: She spoke candidly about how she handled the overnight fame that came with Bridgerton, admitting that she felt “vulnerable” at one point

Friends: She said her life now feels very ‘normal’ and said the only thing keeping her sane is that she doesn’t have close friends her own age in the industry

Mentors: Charithra shared how she befriended her co-stars Golda Rosheuvel (pictured as Queen Charlotte), 53, and Shelley Conn, 46, who starred as her mother instead

She shared how she has previously turned down roles for imposing “bad or lazy” stereotypes on Indian culture, while speaking about what’s important to her in her career.

She said, “I love representing my culture and I love playing characters that are culturally specific to me, but on the other hand I also love playing a normal person where the story isn’t only about her being Indian.

“That’s what I want for my career too: I want to do things about race that spark important conversations, and things about love and friendship: I don’t want to be a one trick pony.

The times I’ve said no [to a role] is if it perpetuates bad or lazy stereotypes, if it’s a character I’ve seen before.”

Charithra has previously spoken about how she put pressure on herself on the set of Bridgerton because she was afraid of ‘messing things up for future Indian actors’.

She shared how “there are so few opportunities when you’re tanned,” and said she went through “an extreme thought process” while filming her breakout role.

She said Thank you of her character: ‘Her life condition is one where, as an Indian, I can say many Indian women also face – who is raised to be the perfect daughter, mother, wife, sister.

Career: Charithra said she wants to take on acting roles that spark conversations, but said she doesn’t just want to portray characters whose storyline is all about their Indian heritage

Stereotypes: She shared how she has previously turned down roles for enforcing “bad or lazy” stereotypes about Indian culture as she talked about what matters to her in her career

Praised: Bridgerton has been praised for its representation and introduction of the Sharma family, with the sisters played by Charithra and Sex Education star Simone Ashley

‘All those things are of course so important, family is always number one. But that often means there is very little room for the self, for one’s own desires.

“When you’re tan, there are so few opportunities available – that changes quickly – but I was stressed that if I didn’t do well… what if I ruined it for future Indian actors?”

Bridgerton has been praised for his representation and introduction of the Sharma family, with the sisters played by Charithra and Sex Education star Simone Ashley.

The full interview with Charithra Chandran can be read in the June/July issue of Cosmopolitan UK, on ​​sale from 30 May.