Bridgerton, Netflix's hit period blockbuster, has been one of the most-watched series in the world since its premiere in 2020. Set in early 19th-century London high society, its fourth season—released in early 2026—expanded its cast by welcoming British deaf actor Jude Powell in the role of Lord Allison.
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| Jude Powell portraying Lord Allison in the series Bridgerton (Photo: Liam Daniel/Netflix - © 2024 - Netflix) |
Who is Jude Powell?
Jude Powell was born in 2003 in Lewisham, South London, though he has lived in the countryside of Buckinghamshire since he was three years old. At 18 months of age, he contracted meningitis, which nearly cost him his life and left him completely deaf. British Sign Language (BSL) is his first language, though he also frequently uses Sign Supported English (Sign Supported English). As a child, he wore a cochlear implant in his left ear, but stopped using it at age five because it wasn't helpful, so he currently only wears a hearing aid in his right ear.
His passion for acting was born at Heathlands School, one of the largest specialist schools for deaf children aged 3–16 in the UK [one of the largest specialist schools for deaf children aged 3-16 in the UK], where he had his first acting experiences. Later, he trained at London's Deafinitely Youth Theatre—founded in 2010 as the UK’s first professional theater company founded and led by deaf people—where he particularly learned how to express emotions in performance. In addition to studying Creative Media at university, in 2025 he became the first deaf person to complete the digital membership course at the UK's prestigious National Youth Theatre.
It's so wonderful that there are many more opportunities for deaf actors now compared with six or more years ago (Jude Powell, after his television debut in The Chelsea Detective, 2025).
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| Jude Powell (left) in his television debut in the series The Chelsea Detective (photo: Acorn TV/Expectation TV/BBC) |
From a Chelsea bar to the Bridgerton court
Before arriving at Netflix, Powell made his television debut in 2025 playing a deaf bartender in the crime drama series The Chelsea Detective—not widely known outside the UK due to distribution limitations, but very popular in his home country. British star Adrian Scarborough praised his co-star Jude, defining him as an immense talent who would go very far.
After finishing a shoot, Powell received a message from his talent agent: a casting director was requesting an audition tape from him for a role named Lord Allison in a project code-named "Vauxhall." Powell didn't know that was the code name for Bridgerton, but he submitted his tape the next day anyway, and barely twenty-four hours later, he was offered the part.
His talent agency, Aston Management, celebrated Jude's inclusion in the series on Instagram with a post that read:
We’re proud to celebrate Jude Powell seen as Lord Allison in Bridgerton. Jude is a deaf actor and speaks in BSL. He brings intelligence, elegance, and a strong commanding screen presence to one of the world’s most iconic period dramas. His casting marks an important step forward for authentic representation in high-end television — and a reminder that great storytelling thrives on diverse, exceptional talent. We’re excited for what’s ahead (Aston Management, January 30, 2026)
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| Aston Management's Instagram post celebrating Jude Powell's inclusion in Bridgerton (view original post) |
How Jude Powell prepared for the role
The character of Lord Allison, played by Jude Powell, appears in a scene alongside his wife, Lady Allison, where they converse in BSL while, in the background, the so-called "maid wars" that run through the season's plot take place.
Jude explained in detail how he prepared for his character. Although he only appears in one scene, Powell asked for the full script of the episode to thoroughly understand the context, relationships, and nuances of his character before filming. Before starting, he received a document called a Passport Access Rider, so he could detail his accessibility needs for the shoot in writing. He had a BSL interpreter during costume fittings, rehearsals, and the shoot itself, as well as a BSL advisor. In addition, a crew member was responsible for giving him visual cues on set to indicate the exact moments when each signed delivery should begin. Powell highlighted the excellent treatment he received from everyone.
As a deaf actor, I’m passionate about increasing representation, showing what’s possible, and helping bridge the gap between deaf and hearing actors and audiences (Jude Powell)
Jude Powell's future projects
Powell already has two new projects underway under a nondisclosure agreement, spanning theater and advertising, and he doesn't rule out returning to Bridgerton in future seasons.
Sources:
- Alfonseca, K. (2024, June 13). 'Bridgerton' season 3 captures disability, neurodiversity in regency era. In ABC News. Online: https://abcnews.com/GMA/Culture/bridgerton-season-3-uplifts-disability-neurodiversity-explore-lgbtq/story?id=110980876
- Park, A. (2026, May 5). Deaf Awareness Week special with Bridgerton actor Jude Powell. In Signature. Online: https://www.signature.org.uk/blog/deaf-awareness-week-special-with-bridgerton-actor-jude-powell/
- Parry, L., Dealey, J. (2025, June 29). Deaf actor is huge talent, says Adrian Scarborough. In BBC. Online: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1dnpx5k4ywo
- Wikipedia (2026). Jude Powell. en.wikipedia.org
- Withey, R. A. (2026, April 14). Jude Powell: My acting experience so far and appearance in Bridgerton! (BSL). In The Limping Chicken. Online: https://limpingchicken.com/2026/04/14/jude-powell-my-acting-experience-so-far-and-appearance-in-bridgerton/
- Withey, R. A. (2025, August 11). Jude Powell tells us about his experience training as an actor and landing a TV role on The Chelsea Detective (BSL). In The Limping Chicken. Online: https://limpingchicken.com/2026/04/14/jude-powell-my-acting-experience-so-far-and-appearance-in-bridgerton/
