Hannah Dodd was one of the new cast additions to the Netflix historical romance series Bridgerton. Her character, Francesca Bridgerton, is the sixth Bridgerton child who became a debutante in season 3. Although not the romantic focus of the season, Dodd’s Francesca Bridgerton was one of the show’s highlights.
Hannah Dodd was recast for the role to replace fellow English actress Ruby Stokes. Stokes exited the show due to scheduling conflicts with her new Netflix series, Lockwood & Co., where she leads the cast. Dear gentle reader, here’s everything to know about the new Francesca Bridgerton actress Hannah Dodd.
Hannah Dodd Was Born Into A Family Of Five
The actress was born Hannah Francesca Katie Dodd in Colchester, England, on May 17, 1995. Although she was born in Colchester, Dodd was raised in Leavenheath on the Essex–Suffolk border. Dodd was born as the second child, having an older sister, Alice Dodd, and a younger brother, Will Dodd. The family shares a close-knit relationship and has always been supportive of Hannah Dodd’s career choices.
She Began Dancing At Age 2
Before she had a career as an actor, Hannah Dodd had a passion for dancing. While she may look all calm and radiant in her Bridgerton costume, Dodd loves to dance. She reportedly began dancing at 2 and later went in for formal training. Dodd took a course at the Evolution Foundation College in Colchester. Years later, she became a patron at the college. Unsurprisingly, when it was time for college, Hannah Dodd studied and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Dance from the London Studio Centre. She graduated from the center in 2017.
Hannah Dodd Began Her Career As A Model
With a modeling figure and a 1.68-meter height, Hannah Dodd was scouted and signed to the Select Model Management in London. Dodd was signed as a model at age 16. Although she modeled for several notable brands, in her initial modeling career, Dodd was more concerned with raising money to fund her dance classes.
Hannah Dodd modeled for brands such as Primark, Monsoon Accessorize, Boden, and Topshop. However, she got her biggest modeling deal at age 19, when she modeled for Burberry in one of their campaigns. For the campaign, Dodd worked alongside Romeo Beckham, son of former soccer player David Beckham and fashion designer and Spice Girls member Victoria Beckham.
Hannah Dodd’s Acting Debut Was In 2018
The fast-rising English actress only made her acting debut less than a decade ago, in 2018. Debuting on television, Hannah Dodd first appeared as Dorothea “Thea” Raphael on the Hulu science-fantasy dramedy Find Me in Paris. Joining the main cast in season 1, her character was the season’s main antagonist.
She reprised the role in season 2 but only made guest appearances in the final season. In the same 2018, Dodd also played Sophia Fitzwilliam in Harlots. Her character was the incest-conceived child of Lady Isabella (Liv Tyler), who was raped by her brother. The success and popularity of both series helped launch Hannah Dodd’s acting career.
Hannah Dodd’s Other Acting Roles
Bridgerton is unarguably Hannah Dodd’s biggest project on television. However, she has starred in and made a few impressions on several other projects. Two years earlier, Dodd broke the ice playing the younger Sophie Whitehouse on the Netflix miniseries Anatomy of a Scandal. She also portrayed Corinne Foxworth in the prequel miniseries Flowers in the Attic: The Origin. However, the 2022 Netflix Enola Holmes 2 became her first international breakout role. Although not her film debut, Dodd played Sarah Chapman/Cicely in Enola Holmes 2, a character the film’s mystery plot centered around.
She Has A Welcoming Experience On The Set Of Bridgerton
Joining an already established show cast isn’t an easy thing to do, especially one with a close-knit cast as Bridgerton. However, Hannah Dodd’s fears were quickly assuaged by the welcome she received from other cast members and the production crew. Interestingly, Dodd had earlier auditioned for the role of Francesca Bridgerton before losing to Ruby Stokes. When the position opened up, Dodd was contacted about her availability.
As expected, Hannah Dodd was nervous at first on set. Dodd quickly formed a close friendship with her co-star Claudia Jessie, who plays her older sister Eloise Bridgerton. With her character being the quietest of the Bridgerton siblings, Francesca had an unmatched love for the piano. This meant Dodd had to take a few piano lessons. With her background as a ballet dancer, Dodd learned the notes as a form of choreography. While this didn’t make her perfect, it was enough to make her fingers look the part. If you enjoyed reading about Hannah Dodd, also read about her top movies and TV shows.
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