Gracie McGonigal has arrived and The Ton is already taking note. The actor speaks exclusively to Kate Stevenson about all things Bridgerton, and bringing visibility to screens worldwide
There’s a moment, early on in our conversation, when Gracie McGonigal laughs and admits just how surreal the past few months have been. She’s been juggling performances, rehearsals, and the sudden, dizzying attention that comes with stepping into one of television’s most extravagant worlds. “It’s been crazy,” she says, smiling. “I don’t know how I’m still here, but we’re alive and well.”
A NOTABLE DEBUT
Alive, well, and very much at the centre of something bigger than she ever anticipated. When Gracie entered the world of Bridgerton as Hazel, she didn’t just join a global phenomenon; she made a statement.
“For me, it was hugely important,” she says, referring to bringing visible disability into the series. “Partly because Bridgerton has always had this ethos of diversity and inclusion, but also to be allowed to contribute to it.”
What’s more, there was her personal dream too: “As an actor, I really wanted to do the show,” admits Gracie. “Only later did I realise just how important it might be for other people to see me doing it physically too.”
A WARM RECEPTION
What she didn’t expect was the fan reaction: “I was a little bit nervous,” reveals Gracie, smiling. “The fan community is so big, and they really ride or die for the characters. I didn’t know if they’d like me, especially because Hazel didn’t exist in the books.”
She pauses, then breaks into a grin. “But people really, really loved it. They’ve sent me all kinds of incredible messages. I feel like my presence on the show is more meaningful than I could have envisioned early doors.”
She recalls seeing one social media video in particular. “There’s this girl watching the TV, and then she turns the camera around and shows herself with the same arm as me,” explains Gracie. “She’s just so joyful, and thrilled to see herself reflected.” She pauses, letting that sit. “I think that’s what it’s about. For someone just going about their life, finding solace in watching something like Bridgerton and seeing themselves… that feels incredible.”
AFFAIRS OF THE HEART
Whether on the small screen or theatre stage (she’s performed in panto, with the National Theatre, and in a West End musical), Gracie feels the weight of responsibility. On being a disabled actor, she says: “A lot of the time, you are the first person doing it. And that can be stressful, feeling like you’re holding a whole community behind you,” she admits. “It makes me incredibly thankful to the people before me who have worked to make sure disabled people get recognised in this way.”
That’s why, for Gracie, representation doesn’t mean creating a spectacle: it’s simply about recognition. Particularly since, for much of her own life, that recognition was absent – especially in one crucial area.
“I didn’t grow up seeing myself reflected in romance,” she says.“In my teenage years, I didn’t know if love would be an option for me.” She shakes her head with a smile. “Which is insane, because of course it is. But when you don’t see yourself reflected as someone desirable, as someone who can flirt, how do you know?”
It makes Hazel’s small, romantic moments in Bridgerton feel all the more powerful. “I loved the little flirtation,” she says. “Because of course they’re flirting. Why not?”
Why not, indeed? As Gracie puts it, disabled characters should be allowed to “exist fully”, beyond the stereotypes: “There are so many roles where every two seconds she’s talking about her disability,” she adds. “Or she’s the saddest girl in the room. That’s not something that interests me.”
INCLUSION, IF YOU PLEASE
That’s why she believes progress is real, but uneven. On the Bridgerton set, she discovered an environment where people listened. “There was an access consultant who was always checking in and would make adjustments if I needed them,” she explains.
But elsewhere? The picture is more complicated. “Many theatres are still not accessible, and that really limits who can even get in the room.”
The solution? “Open-mindedness. Tell me what I can do, and how I can help. Because I want to, and I will.”
THE NEXT CHAPTER
It’s that spirit that defines Gracie. She’s grounded, thoughtful, and quietly ambitious. She speaks about her future in terms of possibilities, not barriers.
When I ask her what she thinks Lady Whistledown would write about her at this moment in her career, she laughs and says: “Oh god! Incredibly lucky, disabled ginger girl at a crossroads decides which job she wants to navigate next?” Then she adds, almost conspiratorially: “I would love to do a proper rom-com. That’s a goal of mine.”
Whatever Gracie sets her sights on next, one thing’s for sure – her Bridgerton debut has already sent ripples through The Ton.