Regé-Jean Page is tired of being the talk of the ’ton.
In a red-carpet interview with Variety published on July 13, the actor known for his portrayal of Simon Bassett, the Duke of Hastings, in season one of Bridgerton quashed any rumor that he would return to the series once and for all. In fact, he wouldn't mind if they recast the role for future seasons, which could be beneficial to his main Bridgerton scene partner, Phoebe Dynevor.
“They’re free to do as they like,” Page told Variety at the premiere of Page’s new Netflix spy thriller, The Gray Man. “Shonda [Rhimes] and I had a wonderful conversation at the end of season one. We were quite happy with how we stuck the landing on that one.”
Page reiterated past statements that his character arc on Bridgerton felt complete. “We did so well on that redemptive arc that people forget that Simon was kind of horrific. He was the best example of a Regency fuckboy that any of us had come across,” Page continued. “And so, because we came around full circle so well, because we stuck that landing, you’re left with this great feeling. You really do have to be brave about ending stories like that.”
Not only does Page seem completely uninterested in reprising his role as the duke, but the actor didn't even tune into season two of the period drama to see how his character's wife, Daphne Bridgeton (Dynevor), has been faring. “I haven’t caught up with it,” Page said.
Regé-Jean Page previously shut down recent rumors that he may return to the ’ton in an Instagram post. “The boys are back in town. ❤️,” he captioned a photo with his former costar Jonathan Bailey. “(No, I’m not going back to the show btw - the papers made that one up.) But we had the best, and most stylish, catch-up I’ve had in a while over some truly excellent Italian coffee and sunshine ☕️.”
