Who Plays Prudence Featherington? Meet Actress Bessie Carter

22 May 2024, 15:53

Get to know Bessie Carter who plays Featherington sister Prudence in Bridgerton.

Bridgerton is one Netflix's most successful shows, and rightly so with excellent writing, a flawless soundtrack and a cast of extremely talented actors, the series comes together perfectly. And one of the cast members, who is just as vital to the success of the show as her co-stars, is Bessie Carter.

Bessie plays the admittedly annoying, selfish sister Prudence Featherington who is the eldest sister of Penelope Featherington, the star of the third season. Although she plays an obnoxious character, the real Bessie is nothing of the sort.

The actress is no stranger to a period drama as she is best known for her roles in BBC's Howards End and ITV's Beecham House. She was even in the ensemble of the 2012 Les Misérables which starred the likes of Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman.

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Bessie's natural ability to slip into a period drama may be down to her famous parents, who are also in the acting industry... Here's everything you need to know about the actress from where she's from to her rumoured off-screen partner.

Who are Bessie Carter's parents?

Downton Abbey actors Imelda Staunton and Jim Carter are Bessie's mum and dad. The pair have been very successful in the industry, not only in the historical British drama, but in other projects too.

For example, Jim has starred in The Golden Compass, King Lear, the recent Wonka, as well as many other films. He even worked alongside his daughter Bessie in the 2019 thriller The Good Doctor.

Imelda is pretty much an icon in the television space, not only is she know for being Dolores Umbridge in the world of Harry Potter and Lady Maud Bagshaw in Downton Abbey, she's also stared in Nanny Mcphee, The Crown and much more.

With a legacy like that behind her, it's no wonder Bessie is as talented as she is!

Does Bessie Carter have a boyfriend or husband?

Bessie has not confirmed if she is dating anyone at the moment but she and her Bridgerton co-star Sam Phillips have sparked dating rumours.

After being pictured together on multiple red carpets, in November they both attend the Wonka premiere where Sam stood in the middle of a photo of Bessie and her parents, suggesting he may already be well aquatinted with the famous in-laws.

Neither have publicly addressed the rumours but in April 2023, Sam shared a picture with Bessie on Instagram and a someone commented, "lovely couple". Not only did Sam like the comment, he replied to it saying, "big love". Do with that information what you will...

How old is Bessie Carter?

Born the 25th October 1993, the actress is 30 years old.

Where is Bessie Carter from?

Bessie was born in Westminster, London and grew up there. Westminster is right next to Mayfair so it's no wonder Bessie has her Prudence Featherington accent down a T.

What films and TV shows has Bessie Carter been in before?

Since graduating from Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2016, Bessie has been in many productions, which include:

Films:

• Les Misérables (2012)
• Oil (2018)
• The Good Liar (2019)
• Two (2020)
• Emerge (2020)

TV shows:

• Gina's Laughing Gear (2007)
• Cranford (2007-2008)
• Doc Martin (2017)
• Howards End (2017)
• Beecham House (2017)
• Bridgerton 2020-present
• I Hate Suzie (2022)

You might also recognise Bessie from her on-stage shows such as Dear Octopus (2024) and All My Sons (2019).

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