When Bridgerton premiered last December, Phoebe Dynevor never imagined what would happen next.
"In the first season, people were saying to me, 'You know this could be huge,' but you don't ever believe that, and you will never understand what it feels like until it happens to you," the actress, 26, recalled to Harper's Bazaar U.K. for its November issue. "It's quite out-of-the-body and weird."
What Dynevor initially thought would be "just another project" quickly became Netflix's biggest series ever, with the streaming service already renewing the sexy period drama through season four. As the show received more attention, Dynevor found herself having to navigate life in the public eye, including an eye-opening encounter with the paparazzi after the U.K. coronavirus lockdown had lifted.
"It was only when we started being able to leave the house again," the star remembered, "and there were photographers outside–which was really scary–that I realized if I went out in my pajamas, there might be someone taking pictures."
Normal People's Daisy Edgar-Jones could relate to what Dynevor was going through and reached out to her. But even with this support—and having actress mom Sally Dynevor and screenwriter dad Tim Dynevor in the industry—she couldn't anticipate the amount of public scrutiny she'd face.
"I worry about everything," she told the magazine. "I'm full of anxiety. I have a fear of failure, letting someone down, contradicting myself."
She then spoke about the pressures women in the spotlight have faced, citing the experiences of Britney Spears, Simone Biles, Kate Middleton and the late Amy Winehouse.
"You see what it is for your mental health to be in the public eye," Dynevor shared. As for how she manages her anxiety, she pointed to, "Decaf coffee! And I meditate, I have a therapist, I walk every day. There are things I do to ground myself, because it's quite hectic at the moment."
Overall, Dynevor said she tries to use her platform to champion causes close to her heart, like the environment, and tune out any "noise" that can come with fame.
"What I've started to realize about this industry is that the highs can be really high, but the lows can be really low, so it's finding that middle ground and centering oneself," she told Harper's Bazaar U.K. "It's really important for me and my sanity to work on projects that I love and develop characters that I think are really interesting–that's the excitement for me."
Dynevor is currently getting ready for the release of her first movie The Colour Room, as well as for Bridgerton season two in which she'll reprise her role as Daphne Bridgerton. While fans won't be seeing her entangled with Regé-Jean Page's character the Duke of Hastings this time around, they will continue to see her help her brother Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) navigate the social season.
"She's matured," Dynevor teased. "It's so much fun to play, because she knows herself and she's saying it how it is."
Bridgerton season two will premiere on Netflix in 2022.