Entertainment TV Bridgerton's Luke Newton Jokes He Wasn’t Prepared 'for Stripping Down Naked' on Set with Nicola Coughlan (Exclusive) Newton’s on-screen love Nicola Coughlan teases "the intimacy stuff feels very real" between Penelope and Colin in season 3 of the Netflix hit By Stephanie Wenger Stephanie Wenger Stephanie Wenger is a TV Writer/Reporter at PEOPLE. She joined the brand in 2021 as a digital news writer, covering stories spanning across the site's verticals. She previously contributed E! Online, Hollywood Life and Oscar.com. People Editorial Guidelines and Dory Jackson Dory Jackson Dory Jackson is a Staff Editor for PEOPLE's TV News team. Upon joining the brand in March 2021, she has had the opportunity to interview a long list of celebrities, from Kate Hudson to Pierce Brosnan to Billy Porter. She has also helped recap popular TV shows like 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,' 'Sister Wives' and 'Vanderpump Rules.' The New York-based Maryland native graduated from Randolph-Macon College in May 2016 with a focus on Communication Studies and Journalism. She came to PEOPLE in March 2021 after working at a number of major news companies, including Newsweek and Us Weekly. People Editorial Guidelines Published on May 15, 2024 10:00AM EDT Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton in Season 3 of "Bridgerton". Photo: Liam Daniel/Netflix Luke Newton wasn’t quite ready to bare it all on the set of Bridgerton. The 31-year-old actor, who plays Colin Bridgerton on the hit Netflix series, and his on-screen love Nicola Coughlan, who portrays Penelope Featherington, opened up to PEOPLE about the intimate scenes between their characters in the upcoming third season. “The intimacy stuff feels very real,” Coughlan, 37, shares. “It feels very grounded in two people that are not trying to sort of, that they're awkward in front of one another, this and that, and all of a sudden they become like Lotharios in the bedroom and whatever, they get to be intimate together in a very real and beautiful way, and I think that's what makes it so affecting.” Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton, Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington in episode 301 of "Bridgerton". Liam Daniel/Netflix Bridgerton's Simone Ashley Shares Advice She Gave Season 3 Leads Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton While Filming (Exclusive) “In those intimate moments, they find moments to laugh and you see them figuring it out and doing it together, and I love it,” she adds. As for Newton, he knew that fans were anticipating Colin and Penelope's friends-to-love romance, which is detailed in the fourth Bridgerton book, Romancing Mister Bridgerton. “I think there's always been that underlying sort of question mark with these two characters,” he explains. “And people have obviously wanted them to get to the point that we're getting to now, so I guess it was always in the back of our minds.” Luke Newton attends the "Bridgerton" Season 3 launch on the grounds of Milton Park Country House on April 21, 2024 in Bowral, Australia. James Gourley/Getty Bridgerton Sneak Peek: Penelope Confronts Colin About His 'Cruel' Dismissal of Her as a Romantic Prospect “You kind of play that in previous seasons and in previous scenes, but you can't really prepare for stripping down naked in front of your friends,” he jokingly adds. Coughlan previously teased that things got heated during the steamy scenes between her and Newton. She shared that they broke a piece of furniture while filming a sex scene, and found the filming process "really funny." “We would be like, in between scenes, and they were like, ‘Do you wanna get up and put your clothes on?’ We're like, ‘We'll just chill here.’ Like, in under the blankets,” she recalled during an interview on SiriusXM Hits 1 in April. “But then we have the advantage of knowing each other for years.” Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The first part of Bridgerton season 3 premieres on May 16, and part 2 drops on June 13. Seasons 1 and 2 of Bridgerton — as well as its spinoff, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story — are now streaming on Netflix.