Something’s amiss in Bridgerton. The Netflix series created by phenomenal mastermind Shonda Rhimes shook the table with a riveting first season that had everyone watching and following every episode with exuberant commentary on social media.
Come Season 2 and there’s not been so much as a pin drop of the uproar seen in the first season, or so it seems. For many fans, it was the surprise announcement that actor Regé-Jean Page, the charismatic and handsome Duke of Hastings, Simon Basset, that swept Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) off her feet, would not be included in Season 2 that turned invested fans away.
Now, it’s officially confirmed by Page, 34, that the Duke is out of the picture for good. While promoting his new Netflix film, The Gray Man, Page shared that he is unbothered should his role be recasted.
“They’re free to do as they like,” Page told Variety in an interview. “Shonda and I had a wonderful conversation at the end of Season 1. We were quite happy with how we stuck the landing on that one.”
“We did so well on that redemptive arc that people forget that Simon was kind of horrific,” Page continued. “He was the best example of a Regency f**k boy that any of us had come across. 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.”
The Daphne And Simon Love Story Explained:
The British actor has come a long way, making his first acting debut in television on the series Gimme 6 in 2001 and appearing as a background actor in 2010’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
Historically a television series actor, Page’s future is now treading towards films. In The Gray Man, releasing on July 22, he co-stars alongside Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Billy Bob Thorton, and Alfre Woodard.
He will also be featured in Dungeons & Dragons due in 2023 and there’s rumors that Page may be up for consideration in the new James Bond, but that has yet to be confirmed.
