The Rise of Jonathan Bailey: Bridgerton Noble, Prince & Paleontologist

The Rise of Jonathan Bailey: From a Bridgerton Noble to a Prince & Paleontologist

Welcome to MsMojo, and today were delving into Jonathan Baileys career route from the West End to Hollywood, covering his roles in Bridgerton, Wicked, and Jurassic World Rebirth.

Before he was Lord Anthony Bridgerton, Fiyero, or Dr. Henry Loomis, Jonathan Bailey was treading the boards on London stages. In the mid to late 90s, he was spotted during a ballet class and recruited to the Royal Shakespeare Company. He later made his West End debut as Gavroche in Les Misérables. He worked steadily through the 00s and 10s, moving between stage, film, and TV with roles in titles like Broadchurch, Chewing Gum, St. Trinians, and Heartstopper. In 2019, he won an Olivier Award for playing Jamie in Marianne Elliotts gender-swapped revival of Company. Honestly, his performance of Getting Married Today alone made him a worthy winner. Sure, hes been working since the 90s, but the 2020s have catapulted him into a whole new league of stardombeloved by fans across genres, onstage and on screen. As he told The Hollywood Reporter, Its hard to express how surprised I was every step of the way. Of course, his big breakout came in 2020, when he sent hearts racing as Lord Anthony in Bridgerton. And believe it or not, he almost passed on it.

He was deep into Company when he got the Bridgerton script and was ready for a break. He even passed it to a friend, thinking they might be a better fit. But his agent pushed him to audition anyway. Surprisingly, the part he read for was not Anthony but Simon Basset. After Company, he still took that well-earned break and headed to the West Coast, where he also met the production teamand the rest is history. He already stood out in season one, but season two is where he fully captured hearts and sent pulses racing. He gave Anthony depth, intensity, and emotional weight. His ability to show heartbreak, desire, and restraintoften just through a glancedidnt go unnoticed, plus he could still be incredibly funny. And lets just say it as it is: his sex appeal didnt hurt either. Kate wasnt the only one falling for this Viscount.

But having the world collectively swoon over him wasnt the only reason Bailey stood out as a romantic lead. When was the last time you saw an openly gay man play the straight love interest? Exactly. This was huge. He showed the industry and audiences that being part of the LGBTQIA+ community doesnt mean you should be boxed into certain roles. As Bailey has pointed out, it wasnt long ago that queer actors were dismissed as not believable in straight rolesand routinely lost out on queer ones to straight actors. The tides, finally, were shifting. In 2023, he starred in Fellow Travelers, which followed two gay men living through the turbulence of the mid to late 20th century. Bailey said that he had looked fora sweeping gay love story, but they were scarce, so when this opportunity came along, he knew he had to take it, saying, I know Ill be proud of it for the rest of my career.

Then, just a few years after becoming virtually every Netflix users boyfriend, Bailey was charming moviegoers as Fiyero, Prince of Winkie Country, in Wicked. Coming off Bridgerton, the role felt especially meaningful in a show long embraced by queer audiences for its themes of identity and otherness. His recent role in Fellow Travelers was another reason this felt all the more poignant. As a performer, Bailey proved he was anything but genuinely self-absorbed and deeply shallow (although boy could he act those qualities brilliantly!) Director Jon M. Chu praised his fearless commitment to every idea, no matter how ambitious or ridiculous. Meanwhile, audiences were drawn to his charm, cheekiness, emotional depth, and, of course, his chemistry with, well, everyone. Apparently, even casting agents and the like have noted his likeability factor as just one reason they want to work with him. No wonder theres a running joke that he could have chemistry with anyone maybe even a dinosaur. Which brings us to our next point.

Yes, Bailey broke a huge barrierand now hes doing it again, co-leading Jurassic World Rebirth alongside Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali. In fact, it was apparently Baileys gravity-defying performance in Dancing Through Life that made Universal Studios think he would be the perfect fit for the Jurassic franchise. Hes fully aware of the weight on his shoulders, but based on what weve seen so far, its clear hes more than ready to own it. When you look at the franchises past leads, Bailey might not have been the obvious pick, but honestly, hes a powerhouse talent who makes keeping audiences hooked look effortless. And his hold on them goes way past a certain pair of thirst-worthy glasses. Hes proving theres no role out of his reach, moving seamlessly from romantic lead to action adventurer. Indeed, this role is exactly that, a proving ground to show he can hold his own in Hollywood, especially since some giants in the biz are still skeptical over his ability to headline. Sharing the screen with heavyweights like Johansson and Ali, and the films predicted massive opening weekend will put his star power to the test. From where we stand, hes already shown that no matter the setting, he always gives a dino-mite performance!

What makes his rise so exciting is that its not some overnight success storyits a slow-burn turned supernova. He didnt go to drama school, didnt land a flashy debut. Instead, hes been steadily stacking credits since childhood and honing his craft on stage and screen long before most people could pick him out of a lineup. He moves seamlessly between Shakespeare, Sondheim, and Regency-era drama without breaking a sweator losing any of his trademark charm. His backstory makes his current stardom feel earned rather than manufactured.

What sets him apart even more is how deliberately hes steered his own career. As weve mentioned, Bailey has often spoken about pushing back against industry expectations, especially as a gay actor. Hes also been vocal about the work it took to avoid being boxed in, and how determined he was to resist typecasting. Hes carved out a path on his own terms and hopefully created space for others while doing it. He often points to Bridgerton as a game-changer, praising the show for giving a platform to people usually excluded from period dramas.

It seems that no matter how high his Hollywood star climbs, the theater will always be his homecoming. He recently starred in Cock in the West End, a play about a gay man experiencing a crisis of identity and desire after meeting a woman. He earned critical acclaim and drew such intense crowds that local authorities reportedly issued a noise complaint over the scenes at the stage door. He followed it up with Richard II at Londons Bridge Theatre, bringing Shakespeare to a fresh audience while still impressing the purists.

Hes not planning on stepping away from Bridgerton, either. As long as hes wanted and it fits into his schedule, hes in. Then again, he reportedly filmed Bridgerton, Fellow Travelers, and Wicked all around the same time. Bailey stays grounded, no matter the project. For him, its about how the work connects with people, on screen or on stage. Hes even spoken about how emotional he felt filming a scene opposite a makeshift dinosaur on the Jurassic set for the first time. In every role, he brings exactly what the moment calls for. That balance of sincerity, instinct, and versatility is what makes his rise feel not just well-earned but genuinely electric.

What kind of roles would you like to see Jonathan Bailey take on next? Let us know in the comments