What’s Ahead for Regé-Jean Page Post-‘Bridgerton’

Angelique Jackson
·3 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

News that “Bridgerton” star Regé-Jean Page will not appear in the upcoming second season set the internet aflame on Friday.

“It’s a one-season arc. It’s going to have a beginning, middle, end — give us a year,” Page, who played Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, told Variety exclusively, recounting early conversations with Shondaland producers. “[I thought] ‘That’s interesting,’ because then it felt like a limited series. I get to come in, I get to contribute my bit and then the Bridgerton family rolls on.”

More from Variety

In the spirit of “rolling on,” viewers have another burning question: What’s Page doing next?

The actor has a relatively full dance card, having nabbed roles in a couple of high-profile films, including the Russo brothers’ “The Gray Man.” Page recently wrapped filming on the Netflix spy thriller starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans. Rounding out the big-budget project’s starry ensemble are Billy Bob Thornton, Alfre Woodard, Ana de Armas, Jessica Henwick, Wagner Moura, Dhanush, Eme Ikwuakor, Scott Haze and Julia Butters.

Page also landed a role in “Dungeons & Dragons,” joining a cast that includes Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez and Justice Smith. The film adaptation of the uber-popular role-playing game is written and directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley (“Spider-Man: Homecoming” and “Horrible Bosses”), based on a draft by Michael Gilio. The movie is jointly produced and financed by Hasbro/eOne and Paramount, with eOne distributing in the U.K. and Canada, and Paramount distributing across the rest of the world.

Then there’s the James Bond of it all.

Page addressed the rumors that he’s in the running to play Bond once Daniel Craig retires from the role after the upcoming film “No Time to Die.” The star (inadvertently?) teased fans with the prospect in December, tweeting a GIF of his “Bidgerton” character Simon with the caption, “Regency, royalty. Shaken and stirred.”

When asked about the prospect of playing the famous spy on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” Page said the “B-word” is something often applied to British actors once they appear in a project that takes off in the pop culture sphere.

“I think the internet thinks a lot of things, and that is one of the more pleasant ones so I can be pleased as far as that goes,” Page said of the buzz around playing the famous British spy.

“But I don’t think it’s much more than that,” he added. “I’m very, very glad to have the badge. I’m glad to be in such wonderful company of people who have the badge. But it’s a badge.”

In the meantime, audiences can also watch Page’s previous work.

Before “Bridgerton,” Page starred in the Shondaland series “For the People,” which ran for two seasons on ABC, as hotshot young Assistant U.S. Attorney Leonard Knox. Episodes of the series are available for purchase on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and iTunes.

On the same day “Bridgerton” dropped on Netflix, his most recent film, “Sylvie’s Love,” debuted on Amazon Prime Video. The 1950s-set romance, written and directed by Eugene Ashe, stars Tessa Thompson and Nnamdi Asomugha. Page plays a supporting character named Chico, the drummer in Asomugha’s jazz band. As a bonus Shondaland tie-in, the actor spends a good chunk of his screen time with a fellow TGIT alum, “How to Get Away With Murder” star Aja Naomi King.

The British-Zimbabwean actor made his U.S. debut in History’s 2016 remake of “Roots.” The young star played Chicken George in the limited series, which also featured Laurence Fishburne, Forest Whitaker, Anika Noni Rose and Malachi Kirby (as Kunta Kinte).

Or, as Shondaland boss Shonda Rhimes suggested, you can always binge the first season of Netflix’s “Bridgerton” again … and again.

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.