She's a standout in the second season, but who plays Charlie in Firefly Lane?
In Firefly Lane season 2, Charlotte (a.k.a. "Charlie" or "Lottie") starts out as a timid, nerdy intern at KPOC, the Seattle-based newsroom where Tully (Katherine Heigl), Kate (Sarah Chalke) and Johnny (Ben Lawson) work in the 1980s.
Charlie regularly fawns over Johnny, not realizing the romantic connection between Mr. Ryan and Ms. Mularkey, so her crush isn't taken all that seriously—until she resurfaces a few decades later as a beautiful and sophisticated reporter, giving Kate some serious competition when it comes to her ex. (Do Kate and Johnny get back together by the season's end? We've got the scoop!)
But who is the actress portraying Charlie and where have you seen her before? Here's what to know.
*Warning: spoilers for season 2 ahead*
Who plays Charlie in 'Firefly Lane'? Meet India De Beaufort
Thirty-five-year-old British actress India De Beaufort plays Charlie both in the show's 1980s period and its "present" timeline of the early 2000s. The actress's casting in Firefly Lane, alongside fellow season 2 newcomers like Ignacio Serricchio, Greg Germann and Jolene Purdy, was announced in September 2021, per Deadline.
We first meet De Beaufort's Charlie, now a reporter at The Chronicle, during the season 2 premiere when she visits Johnny in the hospital after the IED attack in that explosive Firefly Lane ending last season. (Does Johnny die in Firefly Lane? We've got the intel on the character's fate.)
She encounters Kate and Tully and reveals to them her close friendship with Johnny, how they ran into each other on his third day in Iraq and that they've been collaborating and traveling together for a while. She seems to still have romantic feelings for the Aussie producer, and Kate and Tully pick up on it. Do we smell drama?
India De Beaufort movies and TV shows
India De Beaufort started out as a singer-songwriter when she was a teenager, but segued into acting with a film role in the 2006 movie Run Fatboy Run. Acting is actually the family business: her mother is Liverpudlian actress Karen de Beaufort, known for the '80s series Sketch Pad and Dramarama.
Along with Firefly Lane, India has popped up in several popular TV series like One Tree Hill, Jane by Design, Necessary Roughness, Chicago P.D., Blood & Oil, Younger and Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. From the big screen, you may also recognize her from the 2022 Steven Soderbergh thriller Kimi or the 2022 fantasy adventure flick Slumberland.
India De Beaufort Instagram: what's her handle?
You can find the TV star on Instagram at the handle @indiadebeaufort, where she has more than 57,000 followers.
Along with behind-the-scenes snaps from her various projects—including an early sneak peek at her Firefly Lane character Charlie/Lottie—De Beaufort regularly shows off fashionable fits in her seriously envy-inducing closet. (That wallpaper!)
India De Beaufort and Todd Grinnell
De Beaufort has been married to fellow actor Todd Grinnell—who you know from the Netflix sitcom One Day at a Time and the Prime Video series With Love—since August 29, 2015. They welcomed a son named Crosby James Beaufort-Grinnell on May 25, 2018.
Catch India De Beaufort in Firefly Lane season 2, now streaming on Netflix.
