Jonathan Bailey is taking over Hollywood! Hot off the wildly successful second season of Bridgerton, the dashing actor is reportedly joining another incredible ensemble. Jonathan is in talks to play Fiyero in the Wicked movies alongside Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, according to Variety. Wicked is the prequel to The Wizard of Oz and centers around Elphaba, who became the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda the Good Witch. Fiyero is Elphaba’s love interest.
The film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical will be split into two films that are expected to be released in Christmas 2024 and 2025. In light of this exciting news, here’s everything you need to know about Jonathan.
1. Jonathan is known for his role in Bridgerton.
The role of Anthony Bridgerton was first introduced in the first season of Bridgerton. However, season 2 focused on the charming and enigmatic Anthony. His love story was at the center of season 2 as Anthony for the beautiful and intelligent Kate Sharma, played by Simone Ashley. Season 2 was based on the Anthony-focused book in Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton book series, The Viscount Who Loved Me. Jonathan will be returning for the show’s third season.
2. Jonathan is open about his sexuality.
The actor came out to his loved ones in his early 20s, he told GQ. Jonathan admitted that an actor friend once advised him to hide his sexuality. “All it takes is for one of those people in that position of power to say that, and it ripples through,” Jonathan was told. “So, yeah, of course, I thought that. Of course I thought that in order to be happy I needed to be straight.”
He eventually decided to not hide his sexuality from anyone. “I reached a point where I thought, F**k this, I’d much prefer to hold my boyfriend’s hand in public or be able to put my own face picture on Tinder and not be so concerned about that than getting a part,” Jonathan said. The Bridgerton star referenced a boyfriend but did not name him.
3. Jonathan is a prominent theater actor.
Jonathan has been working in the London theater scene since 1995. He starred in the 2018 West End revival of Company and won the 2019 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical. Jonathan recently starred in the London play Cock.
The Prince’s Trust and TKMaxx and Homesense Awards in May 2022. (James Veysey/Shutterstock)
4. Jonathan is from England.
Jonathan was born in the Oxfordshire village of Benson in England. He eventually went on to attend Open University. His first onscreen role was in the 1997 British TV series Bramwell.
5. Jonathan originally auditioned for a different Bridgerton part.
Jonathan initially tried out for the Duke of Hastings role, which eventually went to Regé-Jean Page. However, the casting team proposed the idea of Jonathan playing Anthony, and the rest is history. “It wasn’t until I was talking to the production company and Chris Van Dusen, the showrunner, and at the end of the meeting we’d spoken about family, and men in society, and women in society, and our own personal experiences,” Jonathan told OprahMag.com. “And they said, ‘Have you thought about Anthony? We’re gonna send you some scripts to read because we think you might be an Anthony.’”