The Buccaneers Cast Talks Sisterhood, Period Pieces, and Lana Del Rey

The Buccaneers explores the journey of young American women who explode on the London season of the 1870s to secure husbands. Based off the unfinished novel by Edith Wharton, we see these friends exchange their wealth and freedom for titles and cages. Pop Culture Planet’s Kristen Maldonado spoke with Imogen Waterhouse, Aubri Ibrag, and Mia Threapleton about sisterhood, period pieces, and memorable moments on set.

It was “fun and brilliant” getting to work with this creative team, especially opposite Josie Totah, shared Mia Threapleton who plays the rigid Honoria Marable. “She's completely wonderful. I loved falling in love with her,” she told me. “It was brilliant to be able to build a character and a relationship with a character like Mabel and also with somebody like Josie. We really did become very close friends through the process. I think that really helped us to explore our characters to the fullest possibility and also to be really comfortable with each other, particularly in more hardcore, emotional moments while filming.”

Meanwhile Aubri Ibrag’s character Izzy deals with a terrifying man this season and finds her strength through it. “I felt really sorry for her. She did not deserve any of that,” said Ibrag. “The confusion and the shame that came with that experience is just overwhelming for her, but I am very proud of her. I think she maybe even needed that to grow as a person because she does change into a more independent girl who is able to […] stand up for herself whereas at the beginning she was really shy and reserved and didn't want to make much noise or bother anybody or take up any space. I think that was a beautiful journey that she went on.”

While they girls share a strong sisterhood, they also deal with competitiveness to land a husband. “These girls grew up together in Saratoga. They've known each other through it all — through all the girlhood of it all — and suddenly this is them at this moment where they're thrust into society. It’s like, now it's time to switch it on, perform. This is it. They have this really strong bond from childhood that [is] like the fabric of their relationship that really stands true and strong throughout the separate journeys they will go on. They will get lost in their own moments and I think that does happen in life, you know?” Waterhouse said when it comes to the big betrayals her character Jinny makes. “It's kind of that weird shock when you're like, we're going to be friends forever, and then suddenly everyone gets their own lives. You’re like, wait, what? But they always come back to each other in the end.”

When it comes to a period piece, there’s some pros and cons to entering that world. “It’s very different. We live in a world now where you don't have to sit still, be quiet, do as you're told, only speak when you're spoken to. Thank God we don't live in a place like that anymore,” said Threapleton, adding: “I loved all of the costumes, all of the corsets. I'm a sucker for a period costume and a corset, so I absolutely loved it. It was brilliant, brilliant fun. I am not like my character at all. I'm very much go out, get dirty knees, go climb a mountain, have fun. Honoria very much isn't like that, so it was definitely a shift for me. I did have to make sure that I stayed chilly hearted and a bit sort of plain Jane, which was a challenge for me.”

“The contradictions between the English families and the American families and the girls in the show […] just makes it so funny,” said Ibrag. “They did such a good job in getting that across. I'm sure it would have been like a thing back in the day, but the Americans clearly have more fun.”

The cast worked on the show for seven months, calling the maze the most challenging scene to film. “We got stuck in the maze for what seemed like forever. That was quite memorable,” said Waterhouse. “When we were out in nature in Scotland like in the boat or swimming in the waterfall, those were moments was like, ‘This is an amazing place to be. We're so lucky.’”

While Ibrag continued: “All the scenes where we were all together as a cast I feel like was great because it was just such a fun day on set, like the balls. It was just fun to have everybody on set at the same time just being silly and goofy and laughing and having fun.”

Two of Threapleton’s favorite scenes were in episode 5 when she has a conversation with Mabel by the bonfire and episode 7 at the New Year’s party. “They’re having a very emotional conversation together and I think both of those were very emotionally intense for both Josie and myself,” revealed Threapleton. “I will say this, thank goodness that we had such a close bond and relationship because otherwise we would not have been able to be as vulnerable as we were with each other, I will remember those ones for sure.”

Similar to Bridgerton, the series features modern music in a period piece era. “I mean, obviously Lana [Del Rey]. We were so excited when heard the Lana song playing,” shared Waterhouse about her favorite artists that soundtracked the series, with Ibag chiming in, “I think I was in tears.”

Waterhouse continued: “[It’s] in episode 7, which is one of my favorite episodes. There's alao a Gracie Abrams song in episode seven, which I really like. I mean all of it to be honest. Taylor [Swift]. You can’t go wrong.”

The entire season of The Buccaneers is streaming now on Apple TV+.