CELEBRATING 50 ISSUES OF SORBET – THE GOLDEN ISSUE STARRING GOLDA ROSHEUVEL
Written By: William Buckley
From Guyana to London’s West End, to reigning queen of Netflix on Shonda Rhimes’ global hit show, Bridgerton, Golda Rosheuvel is the cover star of this, our 50th issue – our Golden Jubillee – with our queen in full Burberry regalia, at a gilded estate in the royal borough of Barnet (no pun intended). Come celebrate 50 issues with us, and here's to 50 more.
One might expect a queen to arrive with a lot of pomp and circumstance, punctual perhaps, perhaps not, preceded by security guards and trailed by sundry support staff. Our queen, Golda Rosheuvel, didn’t so much arrive as materialize in the doorway of a palatial estate in the royal borough of Barnet. No fanfare, no entourage, just a big smile and in a lilting London accent, “Alright! Where do you want me?”. This is Sorbet’s 50th issue – our golden jubilee – and as Golda readies to reign over a new season of Shonda Rhimes’ Netflix phenomenon, Bridgerton, who better to hold court on our Gold issue cover than Golda, dressed in festive Burberry?
The estate, with more staircases than sense, and gilding applied like a magpie might, feels like the kind of property that’s probably a little allergic to fun, all spic and span like structural OCD. We’re advised not to walk on the rugs if possible, and if realllly necessary, with shoes off. Within an hour, Golda and her queen-sized vibe had put paid to all that – she was on top of tables, under tables, and turned the hallway into a morning dance party.
Photographer Zoe McConnell had queued up an epic playlist of motown and disco classics – the energy got anarchic fast. People stopped whispering and started whooping, jumping and jiving around the reception rooms, like a palace after-party hosted by Tina Turner. And with an easy, yet queenly demeanor, Golda came to slay.
Between Burberry looks, she talked about early childhood in Guyana and moving to England with £20 in each of her parent’s pockets. When she speaks about acting – how she shifted from athletics to musical theatre to global Netflix royalty – it’s less about destiny than curiosity. “I just kept saying yes,” she says, as though that explains how you become Queen Charlotte. Maybe it does. By late afternoon, with the party still in full-swing, Zoe clicked her camera’s final click, and the room erupted into rapturous applause, and lots of hugs all round, with the knowledge we’d all witnessed something rare – the capturing of not just a good shoot, but an entire vibe. Golda had turned a grand, echoing house into a place with heartbeat and laughter.
It’s fitting for our golden jubilee issue that fifty big Sorbet books in, we found someone who doesn’t need a crown to command attention; she brings her own. And, dare we say, perhaps unlike most monarchs, Golda actually knows how to dance.
WILLIAM BUCKLEY: How are you darling?
GOLDA ROSHEUVEL: I’m all, right! Busy here… photo shoots, press. I’m going to the Ham Yard tonight because we’ve got two days of junkets coming up, and then I’m off to Madrid at the weekend, promotion, Bridgerton, some Facebook Marketplace thing that I’m doing… I’ll turn up and somebody will tell me what to do.
WB: Love that. Well, let’s dive in. Did you get the questions?
GR: I did, I looked briefly, but I prefer to be more organic.
WB: Fantastic, me too. So, you moved to the UK from Guyana when you were five. Do you remember Guyana at all?
GR: I don’t really remember; I know we left under difficult circumstances. My dad was basically kicked out the country because he preached against the government. So we were basically were told to leave with the clothes we stood in and 20 quid each. We arrived in London with 80 quid and literally the clothes we stood in. We stayed with my mother’s brother, who was house master at Charterhouse [School] down Guildford way, and they basically looked after me and my brother while my parents went out to find work. My dad got a job with a missionary society called United Society for the Proclamation of the Gospel, and basically went out and preached the gospel. And my mom got a job as a social worker for [people with] senile dementia, and that was the beginnings of our life in England.
WB: My sources say you spent time with Indigenous tribes?
GR: The story goes, my mom would slap me on her back, and my dad would go into the jungle to preach to the Indigenous tribes.
WB: Have you been back to Guyana?
GR: No. Actually Letitia Wright was here last night, and we just did a play with our director, Lynette, and all three of us are from Guyana. And the play was about a mum and her daughter going back to Guyana bury the grandmother. It’s the 60th anniversary of independence next year, and the three of us were thinking wouldn’t it be lovely to go. So we’re going to see whether we can work it out. But I haven’t been back since I left in ’75.
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WB: So, what was the journey from there to an being an actor? We’re you always performative? Drama school student vibe?
GR: Growing up, our house was full of music; full of real appreciation for the arts, poetry, storytelling – big, big storytellers my parents were, because they lived such an amazing life.
My mom’s uncle was Archbishop of Jamaica, and lived with him for many, many years. So, there were stories of all of that – Barbados and Jamaica. My mum and dad met in Barbados, singing in a choir. So, all these stories me and my brother grew up with. I remember sitting on the ground in our living room and having people around and listening to these amazing stories of life in Guyana and Barbados and Jamaica and travelling here and there, so the element of communication and passing stories backwards and forwards has always been part of my life.
WB: So were your folks supportive of the acting thing?
GR: You know, it happened quite naturally. There was a careers days at school, I remember me and my mum and dad arriving at the school hall, and my mom going, “So what do you what do you fancy doing for the rest of your life?” And there was this lone man sitting at a table, and it said ‘drama’, and he was all on his own. And I was like, “I think I’m interested in doing that.” So, we went over and we chatted, and he was from Hertford Regional College in Broxbourne, down Turnford way, and I got in. I auditioned with one of my dad’s songs, because he wrote songs – it was a two-day audition, and I got in. Then it was London Studio Centre in Kings Cross, and I got into that. And my first job was doing the musical Hair around Europe. We’d travel in this bus, and we’d perform in these mad, crazy places. And that was my first job out of school.
WB: What a first job to get! Incredible.
GR: Yeah! I performed on Potsdamer Platz, just after the Wall had come down in Berlin. In a tent.
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WB: Unreal. And then from musical theater to TV. Did you always want to do TV?
GR: I think it’s a natural progression; it was definitely a natural progression for me. I never really went, “Right. That’s my I want.” My career has been more that things come to me, and I make the decision to do them, or not. I’m not the kind of person like, “I wanna be in a Marvel movie, let’s go.” I mean, I do want to be in a Marvel movie, and if it comes, then, amazing. But I’m not seeking it out, I’ve always been a great believer in what’s meant for you will come to you. Having said that, there have been a couple of times in my career where I’ve sat back and had a look at what was going on and gone, “It needs to shift. And I need to shift that.” So, for example, there was a moment where I’d been doing television very successfully – the Bills, the Casualtys, the Holby Citys, all of that stuff – doing little bits and pieces. But it was the same roles – it was the nurse, it was the lawyer, the police woman, the mum with wayward child from Peckham – you know, those archetypal Black roles. And it’s great, I’m loving it, but I want the nurse, the policeman, the mum with wayward child from Peckham to be the storyline. I understood that was my casting demographic. It was the status; it was the storylines. I wanted the nurse to be the storyline, not the nurse that was following the white male doctor around. And that’s when I made the decision to step back and say no to those roles. And then things started to shift. And then, literally a year or so later, Bridgerton came.
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WB: And how did that come?
GR: Well, it was an audition. My agent called me, and said this thing’s come along, Shonda Rhimes is writing it. And I auditioned for Lady Danbury first, but that didn’t go very well.
WB: Why not?
GR: It was one of those situations – and every actor will have a story like this – where it just didn’t happen in the room. I knew the scene inside and out. And once I got in the room in front of Kelly [Hendry, casting director], with the lights, and the cameras, it just fell apart. It didn’t happen. But then an hour later, my agent calls and says, “You didn’t get that role, but there’s this other role as the queen – would you do a self tape?” And I said, fine, fine. It was Christmas time, and I was going away to the south of France with some mates, and I said, “Oh, let’s just do this thing, it’ll take half an hour.” They sent me a couple of scenes, I did the thing literally in half an hour. We got it down, I sent it off, and I caught the plane to south of France. And in that weird week between Christmas and New Year I got a call from my agent saying the director loves your tape, and it’s gone to Shonda Rhimes. We got back after New Year, and they called to say I got the part.
WB: Did you expect it to be the phenomenon that it is?
GR: We had no idea what we were filming. No idea. As far as I was concerned, we were filming a show about a single mum who had eight children. And at the core of it, that is the show we’re doing: Violet has her eight children, and she needs to marry them off – it just happens to be in this amazing, lavish, glorious period drama, but we had no idea what was really going on or what we were doing or how it was going to be received. And so, they give us the shows before they go out. And I remember Hugh [Sachs], who plays Brimsley, my manservant, coming over. It was the height of the pandemic and he was in my bubble. I said, I’ve got the stuff, should we watch it? And we did, with tea, and I baked scones. And we watched the first two episodes. And after the first episode, we looked at each other, and we were like, “This might be quite fucking good, you know?” But also like, “Did we film that?” This is amazing. We had barely any recollection of filming any of the scenes that had occurred. It was like Shonda had taken all the scenes we’d filmed and just sprinkled her magic dust on it all, and wow. She really has the Midas touch; she’s so brilliant. We couldn’t believe it.
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WB: And then, when it got released and it was about the biggest buzziest TV show on the planet, how was that?
GR: Well, it was the pandemic. And actually, it was very, very strange. We were doing interviews online and stuff. And if I’m honest, I didn’t deal with it very well. It was odd for me, and I struggled a bit, because you would do these interviews, and everybody’s online, and then I’d press the leave button, and I’d be sitting here all on my own, right? And I found that tough, because it was all happening out there. Part of me wanted to be out there, but part of me was also a bit fearful of it. So, it wasn’t until season two came out and we had an actual premiere that I physically felt the impact of it, because I was in the room with all the fans.
WB: And how has life changed since?
GR: Hmm… well, you could say my life has got smaller.
WB: How so?
GR: I can’t do as many things as I used to. You know, we were talking about this last night with Tish [Letitia Wright]. And obviously she broke with Black Panther. We both have partners who aren’t in the ‘spotlight’, you could say. My wife’s a writer and she still wants to live the life that we used to have. Like, why can’t we just pay 50 quid to hop on a flight to Ireland at Christmas? But I can’t really do economy anymore. We need to be a little bit private, partly because I get a bit of anxiety. And other things, like travelling or going out, I have to think twice about what I’m wearing, just in case somebody asks you for a selfie or whatever. So it can be quite tricky navigating that. But also fun, because I’m travelling business class, baby [laughs].
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WB: You’re like, “It’s hard now – I have to travel in business!” [laughs]
GR: Yeah, sorry, I’m heading to the lounge! [laughs] But yeah, people come up to you a lot, and it’s fantastic, it’s great, and you changed people’s lives, and that’s important. But it does need navigating.
WB: Must be rewarding?
GR: Yeah, it is rewarding, because we are representing the world that is out there. I’m so proud of that with Bridgerton, that we represent the world you see, And we’re inclusive, across the board: sexuality, race, gender, all of that stuff. They’re putting it all in the writing, and that’s how it should be. And the other thing is we don’t comment on it. It just is – the storylines are just the storylines. Yeah. We don’t say this is because x, y, z, or this is the reason why a Black person’s in this role. No, we just have a Black person in the role, and they love who they want to love, boy or a girl, and it’s great; life is being celebrated.
WB: Do you feel responsible for championing inclusivity now you’re on a show that does that?
GR: I think the role does that. And I think now I’m in a position where I can continue to take roles that fit with the core of my ethical being. That need for me as an artist is deep rooted. The play I’ve just done, for example, was at the Bush Theatre. And a few people asked me ‘Why are you at the Bush? You should be at the National or on the West End.’ And I was offered those plays; loads of plays come to my door. But they didn’t fit the same way. This little play about a mother and daughter going back to Guyana to bury their grandmother, that was the role I wanted to play.
WB: So maybe now you can be even more discerning?
GR: Yeah, definitely. Let’s be honest, Bridgerton has changed my life financially. So, then you’re in a position where you can say no, and you can search for things. There’s a freedom; you can take your time. You can sit back and go, let me have a look… who do I want to work with? I love finding people who have a good collaborative core, picking them up along the way and taking them with me. It’s not just about the plays or the shows, it’s about the people you work with, and it’s about nurturing collaborative, artistic relationships, and I think going forward and being in this position, Bridgerton has really opened that possibility up for me.
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QUICK FIRE
MORNING PERSON OR NIGHT OWL?
Oh gosh, morning. I’d love to be a night owl, but my wife wouldn’t let me.
LAST SONG YOU HAD ON REPEAT?
Oh, Relapse [from] Lily Allen’s [West End Girl] album.
FAVORITE INDULGENCE ON A SUNDAY?
Sunday roast. I’d have a chicken with all the trimmings. And then I’d probably do a crumble and custard after.
SOMETHING THAT INSTANTLY LIFTS YOUR MOOD?
My wife.
WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A BIOPIC?
Viola Davis. Or Lorraine Toussaint.
A ROLE YOU WOULD LOVE TO PLAY?
I’d love to revisit Othello. I think there’s more to understand, especially playing her as a woman.
THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?
Gail Edwards directed me in Jesus Christ Superstar. And I overheard her say to one of the other actors, “Golda can do anything. Golda can do anything she puts her mind to.” And that has stayed with me for the whole of my life.
THE WORST AUDITION YOU’VE EVER HAD?
Les Mis. It was dreadful. I was singing ‘I Dreamed a Dream’. And they were like, “Sorry, stop. This is not going to be for you.”
MOST ROYAL THING YOU DO IN REAL LIFE?
Take an Uber. Or a driver.
WHAT’S ALWAYS IN YOUR BAG?
Lip salve.
WHO MAKES YOU LAUGH THE MOST ON THE BRIDGERTON SET?
Hugh Sachs.
YOUR GO-TO KARAOKE SONG?
It’s Raining Men.
THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE.
Cool, chic, abstract.
IF YOU COULD TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF ONE THING, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Hold on, you’ll be alright.
GO-TO DISH?
Spaghetti bolognese.
WHO WOULD YOU INVITE TO YOUR FANTASY DINNER PARTY?
Viola Davis, Barack Obama, Charles Dickens, Queen Latifah, and my wife.
ANY DAILY RITUALS?
A cup of tea in the garden.
FAVORITE FLAVOR OF SORBET?
Coconut.
Wool tailored jacket and trousers, check intarsia leather gloves, etched knight print cashmere silk scarf in chestnut brown, and check umbrella, BURBERRY
Founder and Editor-in-Chief Ali Y. Khadra | Starring Golda Rosheuvel | Photographer Zoe McConnell | Videographer Joe Austin | Editorial Director William Buckley | Production & Styling Krishan Parmar | Hair Dionne Smith | Makeup Joy Adenuga | Styling Assistant Annie Royapen | Digital Technician Nick Graham | Lighting Assistant Carissa Harrod | Fashion Burberry Fall/Winter 2025-2026 | City London
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