‘Bridgerton’ Star Martins Imhangbe: ‘Fall in Love With the Process’

The following Career Dispatch was written by Martins Imhangbe, who plays Will Mondrich on ‘Bridgerton.’ The second season is now available to watch on Netflix.

I was introduced to storytelling and performance at the age of 6. I was living in Greece at the time, and the role was to play a tree in a primary school production of Little Red Riding Hood. I wore my brown gown and a green cardboard cutout to replicate the leaves and branches. I wore this with pride as my mother sat in the audience, cheering on her boy. In my mind, I was not just the main tree, but also the star of the show.

I remember particularly enjoying the process of putting together the costume—drawing the leaves and branches, then colouring everything in. Art became a passion of mine, and my creativity began to flow, from drawing pictures to assembling puzzles. I also spent a lot of time outdoors: bike-riding or skateboarding in my little neighbourhood, enjoying the freedom of expressing my imagination, which had no limits. Curiosity was my guide. 

Growing up in a Christian household, we regularly attended church. Although quite strict, the church, for me, was a fun and very expressive space, and we would immerse ourselves in praise, worship, and prayer. The pastor would lead sermons with incredible conviction and charisma, so that the congregation became engrossed in the service. The atmosphere was electric, and you couldn’t help but be affected by it. 

As the years went on, I had no clue what I wanted to become in life. The idea of a career felt alien to me, but I just remained in the present and never thought too far ahead. I enjoyed moments with friends and family that were full of laughter, food, and play.  

I loved acting up—being the class clown and unintentionally getting on the teachers’ nerves. The only outlet I felt was best for me to exert all this boisterous energy was drama. It felt like the easiest subject, because I got to just play. It was not until I decided to pursue drama in college that I began to realise that there was an actual craft to it, and becoming a jobbing actor was an actual possibility. In my head, being able to earn a living from playing and pretending to be other people seemed like the ultimate vibe. 

That was until I got to drama school and realised that acting is actually one of the most emotionally and physically demanding professions, and that it’s very important to embrace the discipline as well as the fun; otherwise, your potential is limited, and you may only go so far.  

This is why I love the saying that hard work beats talent if talent doesn’t work hard. Finding the balance has been my venture, and I would encourage my younger self to continue to embrace both sides of the coin. Fall in love with the process, because the outcome will take care of itself. The journey is the reward.