Jonathan Bailey wanted to be an actor after seeing “Oliver” at the age of 5. A year later he auditioned and won his first professional role - Tiny Tim in Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of of “A Christmas Carol”. In 2012 he was cast in the starring role of a BBC production about Leonardo da Vinci as a teen.
Back to his stage roots, Bailey worked with Matt Smith in the musical “American Psycho” on the West End (2013) and with Ian McKellen in “King Lear” (2017).
Bailey is gay. He first met McKellen as a teenager at a 2006 Gay Pride event.
Years later, speaking with Ian McKellen, he said:
“I was coming to terms with my own sexuality, I hadn’t necessarily hidden it, but I’ve never been not honest about it. It’s just there had never been a need to talk about it. There’s a sense of shame, I think.”
Bailey won an Olivier Award (Best Actor in a Supporting Role) for the role of Jamie in the musical “Company” (2019). The role of Jamie was original written as Amy, but the character was redefined as a gay man (with permission by author Stephen Sondheim).
In his acceptance speech Bailey addressed a controversy regarding LGBT students in the UK school system:
“At a time where acknowledging the very existence of LGBT+ people in our schools is being questioned, we have been able to, as a company, show a lovely and celebratory snapshot of gay love. LGBT People really aren’t that different; we’re not that different. We’re just as anxious, and we’re just as flawed and desperate to fall in love as everyone else.”
In 2020, he reached international audiences in Netflix’s series “Bridgerton” as the Anthony Bridgerton.
Bailey is reported to be in a relationship but prefer to keep his private life out of the public eye.
“He needs to look in and to have a moment of self-reflection before he’s ready to love someone else…” - Jonathan Bailey continuing to validate how Anthony had been in love before :)
I’m hopeful about s2 and I hope I can dig kanthony, but also it’s nice to acknowledge the love that Anthony had for siena as well.
