Jonathan Bailey

English actor Jonathan Bailey got his start as a child performing in Royal Shakespeare Company productions. At 8 years old, he starred as Gavroche in a West End production of Les Misérables. By 15, Bailey had a talent agent and decided not to get a formal drama education at university.

In 2011, Bailey appeared on the CBBC action-adventure series Leonardo in the titular role of Leonardo da Vinci. That same year, he was nominated for Outstanding Newcomer at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards for his work in the play South Downs.

Bailey continued to balance roles on stage and screen throughout his career. In 2013, he was cast as Olly Stevens on the ITV crime drama Broadchurch and played Cassio in Othello at London’s Olivier Theatre. He went on to originate the role of Tim Price in the musical adaptation of American Psycho and nabbed a guest-starring role on Doctor Who in 2014.

Two years later, he collaborated with Phoebe Waller-Bridge on her pre-Fleabag TV show Crashing. The critically acclaimed series found a second wind when it became available to stream on Netflix.

The platform once again made an impact on Bailey’s career when Bridgerton premiered in December 2020. The Chewing Gum alum portrays the eldest Bridgerton sibling, Anthony, whose love life took the spotlight during season 2. For their work on the Shondaland series, Bailey and his costars were nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series at the 2021 SAG Awards. He was the lead in the second season and played a supporting role in the third.

Bailey scored more awards nominations, including an Emmy nod for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, following his role in the Showtime miniseries Fellow Travelers opposite Matt Bomer.

Despite his budding TV career, Bailey has always remained committed to the stage. His credits include The Last Five Years, King Lear and Company, for which he won the 2019 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical.

The actor, who publicly came out as gay in 2018, stars as Fiyero in the two-part Wicked movie musical, costarring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo and  directed by Jon M. Chu.