Everything You Need to Know About "Bridgerton" Star Jonathan Bailey
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Jonathan Bailey has been immersed in the world of British theater and television for over two decades, but most of us have only recently come to know him as Viscount Anthony Bridgerton in the Netflix period drama, Bridgerton.
The premiere of the series’ first season on Christmas Day 2020 led millions of viewers to long for the enchantment of Regency-era London. Although Anthony, an endearing womanizer and sideburn legend, maintained mostly a supporting role throughout season one, he finally becomes a leading man in the second season. The show’s next chapter focuses on the Viscount’s quest for marriage, and will likely propel the 33-year-old actor into superstardom.
If you’re curious to know everything about the talented Jonathan Bailey, the man behind everyone’s favorite Viscount, then scroll on.
He’s starred in several theater productions
As mentioned, Jonathan is an accomplished on-stage actor in London’s West End. For his role in the reimagining of Stephen Sondheim’s Company, he won the 2019 Olivier Award for best supporting actor in a musical. He’s also starred in performances of The Last Five Years, Certain Young Men, The York Realist, South Downs, and American Psycho. This year, he stars opposite Rocketman’s Taron Egerton in Cock, a production by British playwright Mike Bartlett.
According to his London Theater profile, Jonathan’s love for the stage started when he was a young child and first saw Oliver! He scored his first role at 7 years old, playing Tiny Tim in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of A Christmas Carol. He then went on to play Gavroche in a performance of Les Miserables, and as a teenager, starred as Prince Arthur in King John.
He said he once felt pressure to hide his sexuality for his career
In a March 2022 interview with GQ, Jonathan explained that he came out to his family and friends in his early 20s. But something his actor friend was told stuck with Jonathan and made him feel that his sexuality needed to be kept a secret: “At the time [my friend] was told, ‘There's two things we don't want to know: if you're an alcoholic or if you're gay.’”
“All it takes is for one of those people in that position of power to say that, and it ripples through,” Jonathan shared with the outlet. “So, yeah, of course, I thought that. Of course, I thought that in order to be happy I needed to be straight.”
But he recently decided that his happiness comes before anything a casting director might think: “I reached a point where I thought, Fuck 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,” he told GQ.
His relationship status is unknown
In summer 2021, tabloids spotted Jonathan having lunch with someone named James Ellis in the Notting Hill district of London. The two also shared a kiss at the 2019 Olivier Awards after Jonathan won for best supporting actor in a musical. However, Jonathan appears to keep his love life very private and has never commented publicly on his relationship status.
He grew up in South Oxfordshire, England
Jonathan was born on April 25, 1988 (a Taurus!) and grew up in Benson, a small village outside of Oxford, England. He has three older sisters and attended the Magdalen College School in Oxford, according to his interview with GQ.
Jonathan never attended drama school, telling British-based publication Last Minute Theatre Tickets in 2012, “Although I think drama school is really important, I don’t believe there’s a right or wrong way of becoming an actor.”
“If I hadn’t had the experiences of working with other actors at a young age I don’t think I would have gone to drama school as those opportunities enthused me and made me passionate about drama,” he continued.
Playing Anthony in the second season of “Bridgerton” is one of his first lead on-screen roles
Jonathan has several on-screen acting credits. He played Olly Stevens in ITV’s Broadchurch, Sam in Channel 4’s Crashing, and Ash in an episode of HBO’s Chewing Gum. But before Bridgerton, his only other major lead role was when he starred as Leonardo da Vinci in the BBC children’s show, Leonardo.
Broadway legend Patti LuPone once called him “the biggest star in the world”
Jonathan starred alongside Patti LuPone in the reimagining of the Stephen Sondheim musical Company, which ran in London’s West End from October 2018 to March 2019. In an interview Q&A with The Guardian, Patti immediately referred to Jonathan as “the biggest star in the world!,” to which he replied, “Not bigger than Patti LuPone!”
When Patti asked if the second season of Bridgerton was all about his character Anthony, Jonathan responded: “Apparently so. More about me and my bum.”
He grew those sideburns himself for season one of Bridgerton
We just feel that this is important to point out, as it was confirmed in his GQ interview that those mutton chops in season one were no fakes.
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