Phoebe Dynevor arguably rose to fame after landing one of the lead roles in the Netflix period drama Bridgerton. The British actress may have had prior experience working on various series, but her portrayal of socialite Daphne Bridgerton has been recognized by critics as her breakout performance.
In recent months, reports have emerged that the Bridgerton cast and crew are hard at work on their second season (Dynevor herself has even been spotted wearing her costume). And as fans await its premiere, many are also wondering if Phoebe received a salary bump from the show.
Updated on July 8, 2022: Phoebe Dynevor's salary and tax statements have been published since the writing of this article. It has been shared that her current net worth is approximately $1.5 million U.S. dollars. Because of the immense success of Bridgerton season two, her income received a hefty raise, effectively tripling since the release of season one. According to her tax documents, Dynevor had a surplus of £272,286 this year opposed to her £81,104 last year.
She Almost Gave Up On Acting Prior To Landing Her Bridgerton Role
Bridgerton had been a long-awaited project between Netflix and Shonda Rhimes. Back in 2019, the show was still finalizing its cast, and it was then that Dynevor came to audition. Afterward, the young actress didn’t hear back for months, and she was just about ready to give up on her Hollywood dreams altogether.
“I had been living in L.A. for about nine months, and I was kind of at that point where I was ready to go home, and sort of throw in the towel,” Dynevor recalled during an interview for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. “Then I got a call saying, 'Can you come in and read with Regé (Page) next week?' And I was like, 'Oh God, well that's annoying because I've got to move my flight,' and I was like, 'I hope it pays off.'”
The gamble did pay off, much to Dynevor’s relief. “Then the next day they were like, 'Netflix will pay for your flight back to London because you've got to be in rehearsals on Monday.'” The moment Dynevor stepped onto the set of Bridgerton, she knew right away that the show was a big deal. “I remember getting to this huge warehouse and walking through, wondering where the Bridgerton costumes were being kept,” she said while speaking with Emmy magazine. “Then I realized that the whole warehouse was just for this one show. Everything about Bridgerton is epic.”
Not to mention, the preparation was intense. “And then, as my schedule came in,” Dynevor told Harper’s Bazaar. “Horse riding on Monday and piano lessons on Tuesday and etiquette training. I was like, ‘Oh, okay. This is kind of crazy.’” Nonetheless, all this work proved to be worth it. Dynevor may have failed to score an Emmy nod, but critics definitely raved about her performance. Moreover, her ability to carry Shonda Rhimes’ latest series also got fans wondering if Dynevor received a season 2 raise.
So, How Much Is She Earning For Season 2?
Details surrounding Dynevor’s salary from the show have never been publicly disclosed. That said, it may still be possible to estimate how much the actress is being paid per episode. As fans may know, Dynevor’s co-star (and co-lead) Page has confirmed that he will not be returning to the show for its second season. This is despite the actor being offered $50,000 per episode just to guest star in the series, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Based on this, it is safe to assume that Dynevor was offered around the same rate as well for season 2. However, considering that she did not get an Emmy nod, it is more likely that her salary per episode would be slightly lower, even after any renegotiation.
It is also worth noting, however, that Netflix is willing to play ball with its actors so long as the series is a hit. For instance, the streaming giant agreed to give the cast of Stranger Things hefty raises as they renegotiated their rates prior to the show’s third season. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the child actors were only paid in the “low $20,000 range” during the first two seasons. Later on, however, the “B tier” and “C tier” actors got paid $250,000 and $150,000 per episode, respectively. Meanwhile, Millie Bobby Brown, the show’s breakout star, reportedly renegotiated on her own, and it is believed that she was paid at least $250,000 per episode during the season.
Keeping this in mind, it seems that Dynevor’s ability to earn more from the series will largely depend on how well Bridgerton does in its second season. And if you ask Dynevor herself, she doesn’t doubt that it will be a huge hit.
Here’s What Phoebe Dynevor Has Said About Bridgerton Season 2
Having delayed working on season 2 due to getting two positive COVID cases, Dynevor can openly declare that it will be nothing like the previous season. “It’s definitely different,” she explained while speaking with The Wrap. “And I’ve said it before, but I think the fans who have read the books and know the books are aware that every season will focus on a different sibling’s journey. And it might be a little bit more of a — not shock, but like a surprise for the fans that love Daphne and Simon’s story so much.” Dynevor also hinted that “no two seasons will be the same and they’ll have a different excitement.”
Regardless of what happens in the second season, Dynevor is now the show’s sole lead star, following Page’s exit. Luckily, she’s ready for it. The actress told Deadline, “By the time they were like, ‘You’re going to be number one on a call sheet of a Netflix show with Shonda [Rhimes], it wasn’t a completely overwhelming terrifying feeling because I felt like I had earned my stripes.”