If you’re reading this, chances are you were at least a little obsessed with the first season of Bridgerton when it dropped on Netflix back in 2021. A lot of that had to do with the palpable chemistry between Daphne (played by Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon (played by Regé-Jean Page).
And if you’re like a lot of people, you might want to know a little more about the first season’s leading man . Here are some interesting facts about Regé-Jean Page you may not have known.
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How do you pronounce his name?
Let’s start with the basics, since some of you might not know how to pronounce Page’s name. But Regé-Jean is pronounced like the word “Reggae” and the French name, Jean. It’s as simple as that.
Page didn’t originally want to be an actor.
As a university student, Page was originally studying sound engineering . At first, he saw acting as a hobby, but got a lot more serious about it after discovering the British National Youth Theatre.
From there, his life trajectory changed completely.
Page ended up getting accepted into the Drama Centre in London, a university that boasts a bunch of famous alumni, including Gemma Chan, Tom Hardy, Emilia Clarke, Luke Evans, and Paul Bettany. He graduated in 2013.
Page was born in London, but grew up in Zimbabwe.
Page’s mother is Zimbabwean, while his father is English. He spent most of his childhood in Harare, Zimbabwe, but returned to the U.K. to attend secondary school in London.
His birthday is… not exactly clear.
While we know that Page was born in 1988, making him 34 years old this year, some sources say that his birthday is April 27th . Other sources, though, put his birthday as January 24th . Seems like a bit of a mystery, really.
Page’s acting resume includes a lot more than just ‘Bridgerton.’
Though the actor is best known for his role as Simon Basset, this wasn’t his first professional acting job. In fact, he’s had minor roles in movies in the past, including an appearance in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010) and Mortal Engines (2018).
And he’s appeared in a few series.
Page had a supporting role in the 2016 remake of the Roots miniseries, and appeared in the ABC drama, For the People (2018-2019). He has also been in a few stage productions, including The Merchant of Venice in 2015.
‘Bridgerton’ wasn’t the star’s first time working with Shonda Rhimes.
Remember when I mentioned For the People earlier? That was a Shondaland production, of course. This was the first time they crossed paths, which I guess opened the doors for Page to star in Bridgerton .
He used to be in a band.
It’s kind of hard to believe the dashing duke we’ve all come to know was rocking it out once upon a time. He said in an interview, “We were writing loud, angry, righteous guitar music and screaming at people with various colors in our hair.”
Page didn’t appear in the second season of Bridgerton… and probably won’t be back for any future seasons.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll already have known that Simon didn’t make any appearances in Bridgerton ‘s second season. While there were rumors that he could appear in the third , Page took to Instagram to confirm that… he won’t. Sorry.
A big reason for this is because the character’s “story” is done.
Page explained how the role was presented to him in the first place: “It’s a one-season arc. It’s going to have a beginning, middle, end – give us a year. [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 .”
Are Daphne and Simon together in real life?
The kind of chemistry that Page and Dynevor share throughout Bridgerton ‘s first season is almost too good to be faked. But, no, the pair aren’t dating in real life. They’re just really good actors.
Page is seeing someone, though.
Page has been spotted around town with his girlfriend, Emily Brown, as early as February of 2021 . Not much is known about Brown, apart from the fact that she’s a freelance copywriter and soccer player.
Could Regé-Jean Page be the next James Bond?
With 2021’s No Time to Die marking Daniel Craig’s departure from the role, rumors and speculations as to who could be the next Brit to don the 007 mantle have been circulating all over the internet.
Of course, nothing’s confirmed…
But nothing has been denied , either. As it stands, oddsmakers had Page as the favorite to be the next Bond as recently as March 2022, while other notable actors including Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, and Henry Cavill are in the running, too. At least, in fans’ eyes.
