Daily Times

Ruby Stokes heard your cries loud and clear. The actress was a big part of Bridgerton’s first season, playing the role of Francesca Bridgerton on the Netflix drama. But when it came time for the much-hyped season two, Ruby was barely anywhere to be found.

Her sudden absence bewildered fans of the show-who began questioning her whereabouts with tongue-in-cheek memes.

“I did see the memes people were creating, and they tickled me!” Ruby told Variety in an interview published Feb. 14. “They were funny and very joyous.” Ruby continued, “But I don’t want to delve too deep sometimes, because you can read a lot of stuff and start overthinking things. I like it to end my scrolling somewhere.”

Well, it turns out she booked a new role as Lucy Carlyle on Netflix’s Lockwood and Co. in between the first and second seasons of Bridgerton. (The first season of the detective thriller series-based on Jonathan Stroud’s book series of the same name-premiered on the streamer Jan. 27.)

“Every lesson I learned on Bridgerton was so valuable,” Ruby explained, “and it propelled me and allowed me to go on and take on a lead role on another show.” Despite the exciting new gig, Ruby insisted the choice was far from painless-but not one that she regrets. “It wasn’t an easy decision,” the 22-year-old said. “It was incredible being part of a cultural moment like Bridgerton. The versatility in acting is so joyous. There was something about Lucy that just drew me to her. I found her very exciting and being presented with that opportunity, I wanted to take it and explore it.” When it comes to the third season of Bridgerton, which is expected to premiere on Netflix later this year, the role of Francesca was re-cast entirely due to Ruby’s Lockwood and Co. commitment. In May 2022, the streamer announced that actress Hannah Dodd would replace Ruby in season three.