Golda Rosheuvel - ‘I don’t see my dyslexia as a failure anymore’

Jan 28, 2026

Golda Rosheuvel, acclaimed stage and screen actor known for Queen Charlotte and daring theatrical roles, talks about growing up biracial, discovering she is dyslexic, and navigating casting that questioned her identity. She shares stories of failed auditions, the importance of representation, and how she learned to embrace being whole.

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INSIGHT

Representation Enables Aspiration

Golda Rosheuvel says representation matters because people need to see people who look like them to aspire higher.
She feels her role as Queen Charlotte validates and expands belonging for viewers.

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ANECDOTE

Dyslexia Identified On The Rounders Field

A junior school teacher told Golda's mother she was dyslexic because of how she swung a rounders bat.
Golda later got tested and received targeted support that changed her understanding of herself.

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ADVICE

Reframe Dyslexia As A Different Strength

Golda reframes dyslexia as a different way of seeing the world rather than a failure.
She recommends finding tools and support to navigate tasks instead of treating it as a deficit.

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Golda's early life and career highlights

03:06 • 2min

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Why Golda never expects approval

05:02 • 2min

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Fame, recognition and representation

06:39 • 2min

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Making Bridgerton and on-set life

09:03 • 2min

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First failure: discovering dyslexia

10:44 • 4min

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Tools and tactics for dyslexia

15:08 • 4min

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Passing on roles because of dyslexia

18:52 • 3min

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Bridgerton auditions and improvisation

22:00 • 2min

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Second failure: being biracial and identity

24:03 • 4min

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Finding belonging and whole identity

27:41 • 5min

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Race in casting: too exotic or not enough

32:18 • 6min

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Industry progress and Bridgerton's impact

38:40 • 2min

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Family influence on Golda's craft

40:15 • 5min

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Third failure: struggle to motivate exercise

45:41 • 5min

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Home life, viewing habits and legacy

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Best known for her role as Queen Charlotte in Bridgerton, Golda Rosheuvel is an acclaimed actor of stage and screen. Her career spans powerful theatrical roles including Romeo and Juliet, Jesus Christ Superstar and a groundbreaking lesbian interpretation of Othello. She also stars in the spin-off series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.

In this conversation, Golda speaks movingly about her childhood and family: how her mother, a white social worker, met her father, a Guyanese Anglican priest, by chance at a choir rehearsal in Jamaica. She reflects on discovering she was dyslexic, navigating rejection, experiencing racism, struggling with motivation - and even failing an early audition for Bridgerton. Plus: why representation is so important.

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Introduction

04:12 Impact of Representation and Public Recognition

08:39 Challenges with Dyslexia

21:15 Navigating Identity and Belonging

28:10 Professional Challenges and Identity

29:08 Casting and Industry Feedback

29:47 Facing Rejection and Overcoming Setbacks

30:32 Failed Auditions and Lessons Learned

31:45 Challenges of Racial Identity in Theatre

34:04 Progress in Representation and Diversity

35:35 Reflecting on Parental Influence

38:58 Navigating Personal and Professional Identity

40:36 Struggles with Exercise and Motivation

47:54 Final Thoughts and Legacy

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

‘I’m not half anything. I’m a whole... I found who I want to be.

‘I don't see [dyslexia] as a failure because it was never told to me that it was a failure... It was, “you see the world differently”. This is really exciting.’

‘Representation is important. We wanna see people who look like us, who we can relate to.’

🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:

Part one of Bridgerton season four premieres on 29th January on Netflix; part two begins streaming on 26th February

Join the How To Fail community: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content

Elizabeth’s Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/

📚 WANT MORE?

Gillian Anderson - on her failure to eat well or exercise and why she never wants to do what people tell her swap.fm/l/7NyZMzkfVOpGyDtlB6k0

Letitia Wright - on bullying, rejection, self-doubt, anxiety and depression. Plus how faith and friendship helped her turn those struggles into strength and purpose swap.fm/l/orHGF9VMU6s1FOH3bupc

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