By Neia Balao
10:00am PDT, Mar 27, 2022
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To celebrate the highly anticipated release of "Bridgerton" season two on March 25, 2022 — in which English hunk Jonathan Bailey stars — Wonderwall.com is rounding up everything you might not know (but totally should!) about the handsome Netflix star.
Keep reading for more about Jonathan…
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Jonathan Bailey was born on April 25, 1988, in Oxfordshire, England. The youngest of four children, he fell in love with acting when he was just 5 after attending a theater production of "Oliver!"
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As for how Jonathan Bailey brought his "Bridgerton" character Anthony Bridgerton to life? According to the English actor, he sought inspiration from other fictional toxic men: Mr. Darcy from "Pride and Prejudice" and Heathcliff from "Wuthering Heights." "It's interesting to get behind these Heathcliff and Darcy characters and explore why romantic male figures are so harsh and toxic towards women," Jonathan told Radio Times.
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Jonathan Bailey plays a heterosexual rake on "Bridgerton," but in real life, he's an openly gay English actor. While he came out to his family and friends in his early 20s, he was initially less reluctant to discuss his sexuality in the public eye. "I reached a point where I thought, 'F*** 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.
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Sure, he's a major heartthrob — but did you know Jonathan Bailey is also an award winner?! In 2019, he took home the Laurence Olivier Award for best actor in a supporting role in a musical for his performance in "Company." During his acceptance speech, Jonathan spoke of the pride he felt in being part of a show that included a "celebratory snapshot of gay love."
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At a Netflix party, Jonathan Bailey was majorly starstruck when he ran into none other than… Rihanna! "I was like, 'Oh yeah, I've just been introduced to her, I'll go over and say hello.' So I went over and was like, 'Hey, it's great isn't it. How are you doing? You having a good night, yeah?' Just dancing around, and her team sort of enveloped her and made it very clear that perhaps, you know, that wasn't my little space to get down," he told Harper's Bazaar of their encounter. "So I walked back and someone went, he was sort of jaw open and just said: 'We don't do that to RiRi.' And I said, 'No you don't, I do.' And then I walked out of the party and got in a taxi and went home."
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Jonathan Bailey and his "Bridgerton" love interest, Simone Ashley (who plays Kate Sharma), aren't just co-stars — they're close friends in real life too. According to Simone, after their first day of shooting, Jonathan sent her flowers — and she returned the favor with a gift of her own. "I would always leave him his favourite snacks in his trailer," she told Glamour. "We had a very unspoken rhythm going on in that sense, leaving gifts in each other's trailers." Cute!
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If Jonathan Bailey wasn't a performing, he'd be an educator. "If I wasn't an actor I think I'd love to be a primary school teacher," he told Harper's Bazaar. "I think all teachers are basically modern day heroes and I love going to see my niece in her nativities and stuff at school, and I always think they're so sweet and lovely and generous."
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He's no stranger to the stage, so it makes total sense for Jonathan Bailey to have dreams of being cast in more major Broadway roles — like Rum Tum Tugger in "Cats," who was portrayed by Jason Derulo in the 2019 live-action film adaptation. "I think when you go towards characters you're looking for a distance between presentation and what they're actually feeling and I think in 'Cats' there's a lot going on there. And also you always want to learn a new skill," Jonathan told Harper's Bazaar.
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Jonathan Bailey handles mishaps while filming like a total champ. During a press event for "Bridgerton" season 2, HELLO! reported, the English actor recounted a particularly embarrassing moment on set. "The fencing sequence brought about its complications," he began. "But the fencing outfits were quite tight in various places and we were wearing plimsolls on quite a dewy morning on grass. Going in for my final lunge with Benedict, my crotch ripped and it was all on camera." He continued, "It's just in those moments where you suddenly realize that you're being filmed by 400 cameras and I sort of screamed, 'This is so embarrassing.'" Thanks to the magic of editing, the scene was salvaged! "There are lots of complications along the way, it's never quite as slick as you think… It's amazing what you can do in the edits."
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In addition to appearing on notable television shows including "Doctor Who," "Chewing Gum" and "Jack Ryan," Jonathan Bailey starred on the critically acclaimed British crime-drama "Broadchurch" from 2013 to 2015 as Olly Stevens.
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Like us, Jonathan Bailey isn't above having a crush on a fictional character. "My first crush was probably Anita in 'Heartbreak High,'" he revealed to Harper's Bazaar. "And if not Anita, Prince Eric from 'Little Mermaid.' With the big blue eyes, and just, the whole idea of wanting to be on shore with Prince Eric is pretty dreamy." We agree with you, Jonathan!
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While Jonathan Bailey has been known to keep his personal life on the down-low, he was previously linked to actor James Ellis. The pair, who were spotted kissing after Jonathan won his Olivier Award in 2019, were also photographed grabbing dinner together in London's Notting Hill neighborhood in July 2021.
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Despite playing an ultra-serious character on "Bridgerton," Jonathan Bailey admitted he's the most likely to break character on set. "But also, you make the the vast majority of us snicker as perfectly," Jonathan's co-star Luke Newton said during a press conference with the cast. Jonathan went on to say that "the fine line between commitment and hysteria is very, very thin, so you can find yourself giggling away."
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Ever wonder what it'd be like to go on a romantic date with Jonathan Bailey? Well, the "Bridgerton" star told Harper's Bazaar about his ideal scenario. "For me I think going on a little adventure, getting a pint, exploring, I think it's good. So maybe a ramble or a bike ride or something like that is nice. Change of scenery." Swoon!
