One of the most delightful surprises of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story was the backstory of Queen Charlotte’s (India Amarteifio) relationship with Brimsley, her ever-present and dutiful footman. So far, in the primary Bridgerton show, Brimsley has always been Queen Charlotte‘s helpful and loyal servant, but we never learned anything about his own life or background. While this was reflective of his character’s place in society, it was a nice change of pace to get to know more about this elusive man, and why he’s been so devoted to Queen Charlotte for so many years.
Spoilers ahead for Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story!
In Queen Charlotte, Brimsley has a secret romance with the King’s royal footman, Reynolds (Freddie Dennis). Their pairing is the first prominent queer relationship within Netflix’s Bridgerton world. And their affair is uniquely dependent on the Queen and King’s own relationship–as long as Charlotte and George live together, so too can Reynolds and Brimsley. Theirs is a heart wrenching love story, and just as effective as any other Bridgerton love story told so far.
But, Brimsley’s devotion to the Queen doesn’t merely stem from his own needs. He also clearly empathized with her, hoping to help her deal with the King’s illness as it began to affect their lives. It’s abundantly clear that Brimsley truly does care for the Queen; this Bridgerton prequel has done wonders for a character that up until now, had been relegated to the background. We’ll never be able to see him the same way again.
So, who plays young Brimsley in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story?
Brimsley’s role in the Bridgerton prequel turned out to be hugely vital, both emotionally and narratively. In the “present” Bridgerton narrative, Brimsley is played by actor Hugh Sachs, who has portrayed Brimsley in Bridgerton seasons 1 and 2 and as the older version of the character in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. You might recognize Sachs from one-off roles in shows like Andor, Endeavour, and Father Brown, or from his recurring role as Gavin Ramsbottom in the British comedy Benidorm, which aired from 2007-2018 on ITV in the U.K.
Brimsley’s younger counterpart in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is played by up-and-coming actor Sam Clemmett. So far, Clemmett’s role as Brimsley in the Bridgerton prequel seems to be his biggest, but given his performance across six episodes, this might not be the case for long. Before Queen Charlotte, you might have seen Clemmett in an episode of Endeavour, or the BBC’s The Musketeers. He also had a role in the 2021 Apple TV+ original film Cherry, where he played a character called Yuri alongside Tom Holland. Clemmett also appeared in the 2021 World War I film The War Below.
As Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is only meant to be a miniseries (at least, for now), it’s unlikely we’ll see Sam Clemmett in the role of Brimsley again, but his performance will certainly remain memorable.
(featured image: Netflix)
