(From left) Jonathan Bailey in scenes from “Bridgerton,” “Wicked,” and “Fellow Travelers.” Images: Courtesy of Netflix, Universal Pictures, Showtime
While Jonathan Bailey was stealing hearts as Fiyero Tigelaar in “Wicked,” he is finding the balance between portraying congressional staff Tim Laughlin in “Fellow Travelers” and the dashing viscount Anthony Bridgerton in “Bridgerton.”
Bailey was among the standouts in the film with his portrayal of Fiyero, a dashing prince who finds himself caught between Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda Upland (Ariana Grande).
One of his highlights was the scene, “Dancing Through Life,” which displayed his acting, singing, dancing, and performing abilities including the way he charms his co-actors which radiates onscreen.
“He was literally shooting ‘Bridgerton’ and learning the choreography on his days off… he was flying in, having a dance rehearsal, and then flying back,” Grande said of Bailey in an interview with People.
The actor also shared that he “got videos” of himself practicing on long-haul flights while balancing his schedules for “Bridgerton” in London and “Fellow Travelers” in Canada at the time. “I’ve got videos on my phone of me practicing on long-haul flights,” he was quoted as saying.
At the same time, Bailey was having the film’s associate choreographers flying in and out of his “Bridgerton” and “Fellow Travelers” set, while ensuring that he pulled off Fiyero’s character without a hitch.
But the actor doesn’t let his busy schedule get the best of him. For Bailey, he considered the overlap in filming as a romantic moment, saying he feels “butterflies in [his] stomach and clarify of thoughts.”
“I always lead with joy, and I’ve never accepted a job cynically. It goes back to this instinct—it feels like romance—where you have butterflies in your stomach and clarity of thought. I go back to the stage because I want to get better and I want to be the best I can be,” he said in a W interview.
“The best performances I’ve ever given on screen have been directly after coming off stage, where you hone your craft every single night. It’s brilliant, joyful, academic, and exhausting,” he further explained.
Bailey started his acting career as a theater actor under the helm of the Royal Shakespeare Company in England, where he portrayed Gavroche in the West End production of “Les Misérables.”
He is set to take on the lead roles in the films “Jurassic World Rebirth” and “Wicked Part Two” in 2025.