Jonathan Bailey Is Breaking Hollywood’s Rules – and Winning

“I Love Him Even More, Now!” Yels A Young Woman to Her Friends and Anyone Else Within A 20-Foot Radius While Exiting the Bridge Theatre in London After An afternoon Showing of Richard II In Early May. The Friends Reply in Unison, “I Knowww. ”

The Group of the Hurries to the Stage Door, Whore Hope To See The Object of Their Collective Affection. But they find him there. A MONTH INTO THE SHOW’S RUN, ITS STAR HAD TO STOP GREETING AUDIENCE MEMBERS BECAUSE OF A Noise Complaint Receive by the City Council. If You’re Wondering, That Is Not A Typical Problem at A Matinee Showing of One of Shakespeare’s More Esoteric Historical Plays.

But this impassored and predominantly female Crowd assembled is not Really Here for Richard II. They have come for the man’s playing him: Jonathan Bailey, One of Entertainment’s Hottest Rising Stars.

Working at a steady pace since he was a kid, primearily in theater, the 37-year-right british actor broke out in Netflix’s Steamy Period Romantic Drama Bridgertonone of the platform’s most-watchad shows every, and then Last Year Made His Big-Screen Hollywood Debut in the $ 700 Million Movie Musical Extravaganza Wicked.

I been a remarkably quick rise for an actor whofies a Lot of the Convention of Wisdom About What Makes A Star: Despite Nevering One of London’s Prestige Drama Shakespeare Company (Before Richard IIthere was Otello, King Lear an King John), and he’s a proudly out actor who plays broth and gay in a bot presige and populist fare, becuoming a sex symbol to bot Women and Men.

In a business ruled by quadrants, types, lists and lanes, bailey have daken an alternative route.

“You have to unlearn a lot of narratives about yourRSelf that An Industry Tells You,“ He Says, Including, “If You’re Gay, There’s A Glass Ceiling.”

Bailey Has Already Won An Olivier for the 2018 West End Revival of Company and Earned an Emmy Nomination for the HBO Prestige Drama Fellow Travelersnot to Mentation Nabbed A Fan-Tovoted Sexiest Man Alive Readers’ Choice Honor from People in 2024. “It’s Hard to Express How Surprised I Was Everi Step of the Way,” He Says of His Sudden and Admittedly Unforeseen Mass appeal.

IT SEMS EVEN as Hollywood Remains Confounded About How to MINT NEW MOVIE STARS IN OUR MODERN AGE OF TOO MUCH CHOICE AND TOO LITTLE Attention, Audiens Still. Judging by the Instagram Accounts, Tumblrs, An Ungodly Number of Tiktok Fancams (44 Million, Per A Tally on the Platform) and Noise Complaints, Bailey Is An UNQue.

The quest looming now is some place to place him in the Hollywood Hierarchy of up-and-coming Stars, WHICH INCLUDES A STROUNG UK CONTINGENT OF JOSH O’Connor, Harris Dickinson. WHEN Asked About Bailey’s Potential, One Studio Head Texts me that «Not Sure He Can Carry A Movie on His Own Yet, But Love Him And Want To See Him in

That hope will be road-test in a matter of weeks, when he co-stars in the $ 300 Million-Plus Jurassic World RebirthThe Latest Go-Round of Universal’s Enduring Multibillion-Dollar Franchises. Sure, he will be sharing the screen with box office heavyweight scarlett Johansson and Two-Two Oscar Winner Mahorshala ALI, SO the Burden Will No Be. But The Glow of Success, and Even More So The Pall of Failure, is Always Shared. SO this is the kind of professional for an actor that’s becking all the more rare.

Jurassic World RebirthOut July 2, is Already Tracking for A Monster $ 120 Million Opening Weekend. And if Bailey Can Bring Impassioned Crowds to An ObsCure Shakespearean History (Apologies To The Bard) That Maybe It Big a Big A Stretch to Think Het Them.

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Perhaps is all as Simple as Jonathan Bailey is a good hang.

WHEN MEETING FOR The FIRST TIME About the Possibility of Bailey Joering Jurassic World RebirthDirector Gareth Edwards Remembers Spending Two Hours Talking About Pretty Much Everything Aside from The Movie, or His Potential Role in Said Movie. Nary A Dinosaur Was Named.

“The Producers Called Going, ‘How Was It? How Was He? What Did HE THINK OF THE ROLE? DID HE LIKE The IDEA?’ And i just had to sort of like half ly, ‘yeah he was was super excited!’ “Recalls the Director.

Despite Both Working Regularly in Theater and Even Appearing in the Same Television Series – Michala Coel’s Chewing gum – Cynthia erivo didn’t meet bailey unil rehearsals for Wickedin WHICH they play Onscreen Love Interes. “I KEEP MAKING THE MISTAKE AND SAYING THAT HENT TO [Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]”Says Erivo.“ In My Head, I Feel I’V KNOWN HIM FOR SUCH A Long TIME THAT IN MY HEAD WEAD WET TO THE SAME SCHOOL. One day, he was like ‘cyn, you keep telling people that we dent to rada together, but i didn’t go to rada.’ “

Sure, Many Charismatic, Hungry Young Stars Know How To Turn on Wen Who Need to, Especlamally for Their Fellow Hollywood Travelers or The Press. But Bailey Has Had the Designation of Being The Best Man for a Half-Dozen Weddings. If that’s fakery, it’s also Masochistic.

In Fact, One of the Interviews for this Story Happened While Bailey Set Up for a Bachelor Party – This One For the Close Friends Inflatable Zebra for the Pool. “Have you Seen the Whitney Houston Challenge?” he asks. For the Ill-Informed, Bailey Explans That You Tru to Nail The Iconic Drum Hit That Comes Before The Key Change in “I Will Always Love You.” For the Bachelor Party, It’s Been Co-Pledged As A Drinking Game; Bailey Also Has Timed The Song to Enseure His Own Success. He Laughs, “Everyone Else Is Going to Be Absolutely Smashed.”

See: Good Hang. And it’s someting that audiences pick up on.

As richard, a Sociopathic Monarch Who (in this Staging) Snorts Coke While Calling for Higher Taxes on The CommonFolk and Luxurites on the Hospital Bed that His Uncle and Abandon that, by the end of the shoin richard is in a body bag, the audience, despite all better Judgment, Thinks, “Maybe he wasn’t so bad after all.”

“He’s Just Instantly Likable,” Assesses Edwards. “I DON’T KNOW IF HATES PEOPLE SAYING THAT ABOUT HIM, But IS SUCH A GREAT Trait Because the Biggest Problem A Filmmmaker Has WHEN CASTING OR Writing A Film Is Film. Within the First Scene, While Hardly Saying Anything, You Go, ‘and Like This Guy,’ It’s Worth Its Weight in Gold. ”

Part of Bailey’s Appeal Is That Even When He’s Playing Highbrow, He Sems Somehow Rooted – and that Much is true. WHEN Richard II Started ReHearsals, Bailey, Who Lives in the English Coastal Region of Sussex, Planned to Stay at A Central London Hotel. But the scaredule of hotel to theater to home, Rinse repeat, Left Him Drained, He Says: “I FELT LIKE The FISH IN Blackfish. My Dorsal Fin, Well and Truly, Started to Fall to The Left. ” SO HE STARTED CRASHING WITH CHILDHDHOODS – HE MAINTAINS MANY – AND CYCLING MILES TO Theater.

Bailey Grew Up in Rural Oxfordshire, The Youngst of Four, All Older Sisters. IT WAS IN AFTER-SCHOOL BALLET CLASS WHERE HE WAS SCCUTED AT AGE 7 by The Royal Shakespeare Company, Landing in A 1995 Production of A Christmas Carol. (“IT’s Really Easy to Spot the One Boy Out of 400 Girls,” Bailey Says with A Laugh.) HE SPENT A CHUNK OF HIS CHILDHDHDHOOD Traveling Between Home and London, Playing Gaying. Les misérables and Prince Artthur in King JohnPerforming Four Shows a Week But Never Missing Any Class.

By the Time High School CAME AROUND, BAILEY TRADED DANCE AND GYMNastics for Soccer and Rugby. HE WAS PLANNING ON ATTENDING UNIVERSITY WHEN, HE SAYS, “IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT The Day of My Last A-Level Exam, I Took Over for The Production of Beautify Thing that Andrew Garfield Had Done. ”

This is Howley Became A Learn-on-The-Job Type, with A Near Religious Reverks for Performing, If Not The Formal Higher Education of Manysth Whom He’s Shared the Stage. Outside of Theater, Those Jobs have Included A Children’s BBC Series About Leonardo Da Vinci, The Pre-Fleabag Comedy from Phoebe Waller-Bridge Crashing and The Olivia Colman-Led Broadchurch.

THEN CAME Bridgerton.

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“I Got Sent and I Nearly Didn’t Audition,” Says Bailey of the Shonda Rhimes-Powced Netflix Juggernaut. The request camera in during his Second-to-last week performing CompanyThe 2018 Gender-Swaped Revival of the Stephen Sondheim Musical. After Six Months of Shows, With Three Months of Rehearsals Before That, All Bailey Wanted To Was Disappear for A While. He Remembers, “AT THAT TIME, I WAS RELALLY DONE. I JUST NEED TO GO and Experience The World.”

After it His inbox, Bailey ForWarded the Project to a Friend Huhhht Wuld Be a Better Fit and Had No Plans of Putting Anything on Tape Himself HISAGENT, WEZH WEGENT Advised Him to Audition for Just One of the Three Parts He Was Sent. “I read for the duke,” Says Bailey of the role that would go on to be played by regé-Jan Page.

He LEFT SHORTLY AFTER FOR A California Road Trip, Traveling from San Francisco Down Pacific Coast Highway, With A Side Trip to Coachella for Good Measure. Since He Was on the West Coast, He Was Told to Stop by the Offices of Shondaland, Who Led to Him Being Cast As Anthony, The Attactiely Moody and Attactielya Attactie Elde.

By the Time the Show Debrated in 2020, Bailey Had Left London and Moved Back Home, Hanging Out with his Grandmother and, Like The Rest of the World, Not Doing Much Else. IT WAS The FIRSTMAS OF THE COVID LOCKDOWN, AND Bridgerton – “The Trinity of Shondaland, Period Drama, Netflix,” as Bailey Assessed It – Wound Be One of the Final Series That Was Able to Finish Filming Before The Pandemic. He Says, “I Remember Just Being Like, ‘Wow, This Is Going To Be Massive.’ ”

BridgertonWHICH IS KNOWN for High Drama Interspersed with Some Sexual Explicit Scenes, Was The Biggest Debut for An Original Series on The Streaming Service at the Time, and Antomny – whist. Darcy (But A Mr. Darcy Who Gives Oral) – Quickly Became a Fan Favorite. “The Show Itelf Has Such A Specific Style and Structure , and i noticed that withhin that World, Jonny Was Able to Make Bold, Interesting and Funny Choices that Gave the More Serious Scenes a Real Sense of Life, ”Luke Newton, Bailey Bridgerton Brother, Says Over Email.

As is the Hollywood Way, Actors With A Hit on Their Hands Are Advited To Capitalize On that Momentum Quickly and Plot The Next Career Move. But Bailey Already Knew What Was Next; HE WAS LOCKED INTO ACECOND Bridgerton Season WHERE Anthony’s Love Life would be the Central Story.

“WHEN YOU GO AND FILM Something LIKE Bridgertonand you say goodbye to your friends, your family, it’s all-encompassing, ”Says Bailey.“ I Read An Interview with Walton Goggins WHERE HA WAS SAYING HLAD THAT THAT EVENE EVEN EVEN EVEN EVEN EVEN EVEN EVEN EVEN EVEN EVENE EVENE EVEN. White Lotus Didn’Ppen to HIM 10 YEARS Ago Because he wooldn’t have known what to do with that. And i just feel that maybe Bridgerton WAS JUST A SMIDGE QUICKER THAN I WAS PREPARED FOR, ”admits the actor.” GOING BACK TO Theater, Working with People That I Know, That Has Helped. ”

For Bailey, Getting Back OnStage is Not Only Familiar But Restorate. After HE WRAPED THE EIGHT-MONTH SHOT OF Bridgerton‘s Second Season, He Signd Up for The West End Revival of the Drama Cock. Ten Days Into The Run, Bridgerton‘S Season Season Premiered.

As Bailey Remembers It, “Suddenly People Were Just Coming. The Crowd Was Changing Every Night.” A Good Poction of the Audience Was Now Coming to See Anthony Bridgerton, As Much As They Were the Play. “IT’S DIFFERENT IF they’ve Just Been Spending Eight Hours with You On TV.”

All The Same, Bailey Says Has No Plans to Leave Bridgerton.

“I’ve Never Been Someone Who’s Like, ‘Thanks, Bye.’ I Not in My Nature, ”HE SAYS OF REMINNING ON THE SHOW, CONTENT WITH BEING A SUPPORTING PLAYER IN COMING YEARS Show. “There’s A Real Sense of Brotherly Pride I Feel in It,“ Says Bailey, Who Recently Wrapped The Show’s Fourth Season, Due Out in 2026 Likely Considering The Long Arm of the Netflix Publicity Machine: “People Know That People Get Married In Bridgerton – That’s not a Spoiler, Right? ”

While Acknowledge that there may be a Future season whon the screduling doesn’t work or the storyline May not require anthony, he’s been hapy to keep. Another However Many Years, WHEN WE’VE DONE The EIGHHTH SEASON TO SIT AROUND AND BE LIKE, ‘Look What We All Did Together.’ “

Bailey ALSO THINKS ABOUT Bridgerton from the Audience’s Perspective. “I Know How Much and Love Long-Running Series,” HE SAYS. “I Know How Important Familiarity of Character and Story and Consistency Is In TheSe Long-Running Series.”

***

In Jurassic World Rebirth, WHICH TAKS PLACE FIVE YEARS AFTER The FRANCHISE’S LAST FRILM FRONTED BY Chris Pratt, Dinosaurs Have Proved Ill-Equipped for The Modern Environment and Have Bereg, Begun. A Pharmaceutical Company Sponsors A Mission – Executed by Johansson’s Skilled Covert Operative, Ali’s Fixer and Bailey’s Paleontologist – to Collect Genetic Materials.

The First Time Bailey, As Dr. Henry Loomis, Touched a dinosaur on Set, It Was An Emocial Experience. YES, The Dinosaur Wast Just A Giant Blue Cardboard Tube With A CrewMember Named Colin Inside, But He Says It Was Emotion Nonetheless.

Edwards Took a Handheld Camera, Whispering Direction to Bailey As Hepached the Dinosaur (Colin) in a Grassy Field in Thailand while the cwile Played Orchestral Music Over. IT WAS A SMALL, IMPROVISED THAT WITHIN CAN BE The RIGID NATURE OF A BLOCKBUster Shoot. WHEN EDWARDS CALLED “CUT,” HE TURNED TO HIS FIRST Assistant Director, Who Had Tears in His Eyes.

“Isn’t what all humans are reality TRYING TO FIND IN THEIR LIFE, The Equivalent of Their Passion in Its Natural Environment?” Offers Bailey of the Outsized Emocial Impact of the Scene. “IT doesn’t get more pure than that.”

The Same Might Be Said of Bailey’s Own Relationship to Acting. “HE loves working. Loves it!” Says erivo. “He’s Always Searching for Something, But He’s Playful at the Same Time, So The Air Is Always Light WHEN YOU’RE YOU’RE’RE AROUND HIM.”

Wicked opened the door to Jurassic. While Edwards Was Casting His Dino Film, The Studio Was Putting The Final Touchs on the Fervently Anticipated Musical Adaptation. “DANCING THRUGH LIFE,” BAILEY’S SOLO NUMBER as The DEVIL-MAY-CARE PRINCE FIYERO, IN WHICH HE TUMBLED THRUGH A MOVING Tunnel of BookCases, Was Shaping Up. Standout Movie. Universal Suggested Bailey As A Possibility to Join Scarjo.

Edwards Wasn’t Among the Masses Who Binged Bridgerton. But his Girlfriend Was. “I Mentioned Jonathan Bailey Was Someonene Say Talking About. Her Eyes Lit Up and She Was Like, ‘That’s Fantastic! Is That For Real? Is That Going To Happen?’ ‘ ”The Filmmaker Figured This Was A Good Sign.

Bailey – Who Says The FIRST MOVIE THAT HE REMEmbers Seeing in Theaters with His Family Was Jurassic Park WHEN HE WAS 5 – WAS WITH His FAMILY WHEN HE RECEIVED THE NEWS. “IT WAS NOT REALLY An Experience i’ve Had Before, An Assistant That Goes-” Bailey Then Drops Into A Pitch-Pitch-Pitch Soutern California Accent: “” Hey, Jonny, I HALEY… ‘” Were THEN Roll-Called, from Top Studio Brass to Producers. HE PUT The Call On Speakerphone So Everione Could Listen in. IT WAS All Very Stereotypical Hollywood – Except in One Very Major Way.

Bailey have navigated his adult professional Career as an out gay actor, an Identity he haven’t shied from. His Early Press Coverage Was in Queer Publications, and Last Year He launched the Shameless Fund, A Charity Focused on LGBTQ+ Initiats. “Being An Out Gay Actor, Historically, Meant That You Wuldnn’ Be ABLE TO PLAY STRAIGHT AND THERE WINN’T WEEN’S Any Gay Parts to Play, Anyway,“ Says Bailey. “That’s Obviously Changed, Massively.” With Jurassiche is co-leading one of the Town’s MOST LUCRATIVE BLOCKBUSTER FRANCHISES, an area that’s have, unil Late, and Pretty Weak Track Record of Inclusion. IT’s A REALITY THAT’S NOT LOST ON HIM, But IS ALSO ONE HE DOESN’T WANT TO Dwell On.

“There’s Moments WHERE, YES, YOU HAV toing TO PROVER THAT YOU CAN DO IT. AND IT’S NOT LIKE I HAVEN’T FELT THAT have Changed The Way that People Sexuality. ” He adds, “Any Sort of Sense of Prejudice Against Sexuality Is Something to Fight Against, and What Better Way to Do that to go and Play any Kind of Character.”

As for what is the next Character is, Bailey Doesn’t have an immediate ANSWER. Right Now, He Is Staring Down The Barrel of One Globe-Spanning Press Tour (Jurassic), Followed Quickly by Another Globe-Spanning Press Tour (Wicked: For GoodOut Nov. 21). He Says, “I’M Sure It Won’t Last Long, But I Think The Idea of ​​A FEW MONHS [off] is Just Absolutely Dreamy. ”

OtherWise, He Just Wants to Continue Casting A Wide Net, WHICH IS WHAT GOT HIM HIM HEER IN THE FIRST PLACE: “I’V unlearned the Idea of ​​Feeling Limited.”

This Story Appeared in the June 18 Issue of the Hollywood Reporter Magazine. Click Here to Subscribe.