If there's one thing we love about Bridgerton, it's its ability to surprise us. And with news about season five landing on our desks today, it's clear that the regency drama certainly hasn't lost it's edge.
Although each season is based on a book by Julia Quinn, the show has chosen to steer a slightly different course in season five, introducing a new romantic lead — and the first sapphic relationship — to the Bridgerton fold. While the novel, When He Was Wicked, sees Francesca Bridgerton fall in love with her late husband's cousin, Michael Stirling, in the show, there's been a gender swap, and the object of her affection is Michaela Stirling.
So, who is the actress about to become the new star of the Bridgerton universe? Get to know Masali Baduza, below.
She was born in East London
Baduza was born in East London, but grew up in Cape Town, and is the youngest of five children. After graduating school, she made another move – this time to the US, where she studied at the New York Film Academy, at the Los Angeles campus. She returned to South Africa to work in theatre after graduating, but is now perhaps best acquainted with the UK, where filming for Bridgerton season five is underway.
Thanks to her global upbringing, Baduza is bilingual in both Xhosa and English.
She's a Pisces
Baduza was born 12 March 1996, which makes her a Pisces. The sign is best known for being intuitive, empathetic, and perhaps a little dreamy — a fairly stark opposition to the character of Michaela Stirling, we have to say.
You might recognise her already
Although she's relatively new to Bridgerton, Baduza already has a host of on-screen credits to her name. In late 2025, she starred in the Netflix original film Love And Wine. She also had a role opposite Viola Davis in The Woman King, a historical drama which was released in 2022 about the Agojie tribe, and its all-female warrior regiment in the West African Kingdom. And around the same time, she lead the BBC drama Noughts + Crosses as Sephy Hadley. The series was set in an alternate world that has been colonised by Africa, with Baduza's character falling in love with a man from a different social class and, unsurprisingly, facing some challenges.
She's already a Bridgerton star-in-the-making
Fans were first introduced to Baduza's character, Michaela, in season four, and it seems like our love for the character is only going to grow. Speaking to Netflix, Baduza gave some insight into what we can expect from the upcoming season, saying, “Michaela … really struggles to show vulnerability to people that she doesn’t know, especially because she’s had to hide so many parts of herself. She’s used to having all these walls up. I’m excited to tear down those walls and have her let Francesca in. I'm excited for people to see her wanted so deeply and so badly … I’m excited for people to see Michaela yearn for Francesca.”
