# Jonathan Bailey
**Jonathan Bailey** (born 1988) is an English actor known for stage and screen work, most prominently as Anthony Bridgerton in the Netflix series *Bridgerton*, as Jamie in the 2018 West End revival of [Stephen Sondheim](https://www.edgepedia.org/stephen-sondheim)'s *[Company](https://www.edgepedia.org/company-musical)*, for which he won a Laurence Olivier Award, and as Fiyero in the *Wicked* films.[1](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/jonathan-bailey) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0047332)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Oxfordshire, England, 1988[1](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/jonathan-bailey) |
| Professional debut | Aged six, in the Royal Shakespeare Company's *A Christmas Carol* at the Barbican in London[1](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/jonathan-bailey) • [3](https://officiallondontheatre.com/news/introducing-jonathan-bailey-140905/) |
| Signature stage role | Jamie in Marianne Elliott's 2018 West End revival of *Company*; 2019 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0047332) |
| Breakthrough television | Olly Stevens in *Broadchurch* (2013); Anthony Bridgerton in *Bridgerton* (from 2020)[4](https://www.showtimes.com/celebrity/jonathan-bailey-66145/biography/) • [5](https://www.metacritic.com/person/jonathan-bailey/) |
| Film | Fiyero in *Wicked* (2024) and *Wicked: For Good* (2025); Henry Loomis in *Jurassic World Rebirth* (2025)[6](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/jonathan-bailey/) |
| Television honor | Critics Choice Television Award 2024, Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries, for *Fellow Travelers*[6](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/jonathan-bailey/) |
| Training | No drama school; trained on the job from childhood[7](https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/jonathan-bailey-january-2025-interview) |
## Early life and child acting
Bailey grew up in Benson, a village near Oxford, with three older sisters and his parents.[3](https://officiallondontheatre.com/news/introducing-jonathan-bailey-140905/) His entry into acting was, in his own telling, accidental: he joined a dance club in Henley, membership of which came with representation, and at the age of six was sent to audition by singing a song for a representative of the [Royal Shakespeare Company](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-shakespeare-company). About four weeks later he was performing in *A Christmas Carol* at the Barbican.[3](https://officiallondontheatre.com/news/introducing-jonathan-bailey-140905/) London Theatre's profile records that he was scouted at seven to play Child Scrooge/[Tiny Tim](https://www.edgepedia.org/tiny-tim-a-christmas-carol) in that production, and that two years later he played Gavroche in *Les Miserables* at the Palace Theatre.[1](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/jonathan-bailey)
**Working within school rules.** His parents set a condition that acting could not interfere with school, so as a child he took one job a year, fitted into the summer or Christmas holidays.[3](https://officiallondontheatre.com/news/introducing-jonathan-bailey-140905/) He never attended drama school, and has said that working with other actors from a young age gave him the training that formal study might otherwise have provided.[7](https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/jonathan-bailey-january-2025-interview) As a teenager he returned to the Royal Shakespeare Company, playing Prince Arthur in *King John*.[1](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/jonathan-bailey)
## Stage career
After finishing his A Levels, Bailey worked in regional productions including *Beautiful Thing*, *Pretend You Have Big Buildings*, and *The Mother Ship*, and made his West End debut in *Girl With a Pearl Earring* at the [Theatre Royal Haymarket](https://www.edgepedia.org/theatre-royal-haymarket) in 2008.[1](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/jonathan-bailey) In 2011 he appeared in *South Downs* at Chichester Festival Theatre, transferring with it to London in 2012.[3](https://officiallondontheatre.com/news/introducing-jonathan-bailey-140905/)
**Company and the Olivier Award.** The turning point in his stage reputation was Marianne Elliott's 2018 West End revival of *Company*, in which Bailey played Jamie, a panicked groom-to-be. The performance won him the 2019 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0047332) • [7](https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/jonathan-bailey-january-2025-interview)
His subsequent stage work has alternated with filming. He returned to the West End in 2022 in Mike Bartlett's *Cock* at the Ambassadors Theatre, opposite [Taron Egerton](https://www.edgepedia.org/taron-egerton) and [Phil Daniels](https://www.edgepedia.org/phil-daniels).[1](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/jonathan-bailey) Notable roles in the past decade include *King Lear*, *The York Realist*, and Cassio in Nicholas Hytner's *Othello* at the National Theatre.[7](https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/jonathan-bailey-january-2025-interview) • [6](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/jonathan-bailey/) In 2025 he took the lead in Hytner's production of Shakespeare's *Richard II* at the Bridge Theatre; the revival later won the WhatsOnStage Londonder Award for Best Play Revival.[8](https://time.com/7321415/jonathan-bailey-interview-time-100-next/) • [9](https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/jonathan-bailey-wins-first-whatsonstage-award_1714506/) He has described the theater as his personal "measure of time," returning to the stage between filmed projects.[8](https://time.com/7321415/jonathan-bailey-interview-time-100-next/) In January 2026 he and [Ariana Grande](https://www.edgepedia.org/ariana-grande) were announced to star in a new production of Sondheim's *Sunday in the Park with George* at the Barbican, directed by Marianne Elliott, with performances to begin in Summer 2027; by September 2026 both had left the production and it was canceled.[10](https://www.barbican.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/2026-01/Sunday%20in%20the%20Park%20with%20George%20announcement%20Press%20Release.pdf) • [11](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/jonathan-bailey)
## Television
Bailey's television career spans children's and comedy work, including the title role in the CBBC drama *Leonardo*, the [Channel 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/channel-4) comedy *[Crashing](https://www.edgepedia.org/crashing-british-tv-series)* as Sam, and Jack in three series of the BBC's *W1A*.[3](https://officiallondontheatre.com/news/introducing-jonathan-bailey-140905/) • [6](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/jonathan-bailey/) His profile rose with the role of Olly Stevens in the first two seasons of the crime drama *Broadchurch* beginning in 2013.[4](https://www.showtimes.com/celebrity/jonathan-bailey-66145/biography/)
**Bridgerton.** International recognition came in 2020 when he was cast as Anthony Bridgerton, the Viscount, in [Shonda Rhimes](https://www.edgepedia.org/shonda-rhimes)'s Netflix period drama *Bridgerton*, taking center stage as one half of the leading couple in the second season.[5](https://www.metacritic.com/person/jonathan-bailey/) • [8](https://time.com/7321415/jonathan-bailey-interview-time-100-next/) He has described the change in his daily life as immediate: the audience of the play he was performing in at the time "changed overnight."[8](https://time.com/7321415/jonathan-bailey-interview-time-100-next/)
**Fellow Travelers.** In 2023 he played Tim Laughlin in the Showtime series *Fellow Travelers*, a role that won him the 2024 Critics Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/[Miniseries](https://www.edgepedia.org/miniseries).[6](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/jonathan-bailey/) His other television credits include *Heartstopper* (as Jack Maddox), *Doctor Who* (as Psi), and *Jack Ryan* (as Lance Miller).[5](https://www.metacritic.com/person/jonathan-bailey/) • [6](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/jonathan-bailey/)
## Film
Bailey's film work includes Cyril in *Five Children and It* (2004), Geoffrey Thurlow in *Testament of Youth* (2014), and roles in *The Mercy* and *The Young Messiah*.[12](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jonathan_bailey) • [6](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/jonathan-bailey/) His major film breakthrough came as Prince Fiyero in [Jon M. Chu](https://www.edgepedia.org/jon-m-chu)'s adaptation of the musical *Wicked* (2024), a part he reprised in *Wicked: For Good* (2025); the Associated Press review singled out the "bang-up dance number" "Dancing Through Life," which showcases the rakish charm of his Fiyero.[6](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/jonathan-bailey/) • [13](https://apnews.com/article/784258a509b990dbd34206c4991e2c6b) In 2025 he also starred as Henry Loomis in *Jurassic World Rebirth*, which he has described as a full-circle moment, having seen the original *Jurassic Park* in a cinema with his family at the age of six.[14](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/feb/16/im-an-actor-not-a-mouthpiece-jonathan-bailey)
The two 2025 releases made him the year's highest-grossing star at the box office to that point, with *Wicked: For Good* opening to $150 million domestically and $226 million worldwide, and *Jurassic World Rebirth* already the fourth highest-grossing movie worldwide of the year.[15](https://www.anica.it/allegati/Rassegna%20Stampa%20ANICA/mar.pdf)
## Public profile and advocacy
Bailey is openly gay, and his career has been used to illustrate that LGBTQ+ actors can successfully play any role.[16](https://www.arts.kuleuven.be/diversiteit/documenten/queer-figures-2024) He has spoken about the pressure on actors to use their platform and about the visibility that came with the success of *Bridgerton* and *Wicked*.[14](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/feb/16/im-an-actor-not-a-mouthpiece-jonathan-bailey) He runs The Shameless Fund, an LGBTQ+ support foundation, which he presented at a Dior event in Paris in 2025.[17](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/jonathan-bailey-interview) In 2025, *Time* named him one of the world's most influential rising stars in its TIME100 Next list, and *[People](https://www.edgepedia.org/people-magazine)* named him Sexiest Man Alive 2025, making him the first openly gay man to receive that title since the magazine began awarding it in 1985.[8](https://time.com/7321415/jonathan-bailey-interview-time-100-next/) • [18](https://elpais.com/gente/2026-06-02/el-actor-jonathan-bailey-habla-sobre-la-barrera-invisible-que-separa-a-los-actores-lgtbiq-no-iba-a-dejar-de-coger-la-mano-de-mi-novio.html) After roughly three years of continuous work, he announced a break from acting, clarifying that he would not appear in any film or television role in 2026 while planning to return to work afterward.[19](https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/celebrity-news/jonathan-bailey-announces-break-from-acting) • [15](https://www.anica.it/allegati/Rassegna%20Stampa%20ANICA/mar.pdf)
## References
1. [Jonathan Bailey – Stars on Stage, London Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/jonathan-bailey)
2. [Jonathan Bailey – IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0047332)
3. [Introducing… Jonathan Bailey, Official London Theatre](https://officiallondontheatre.com/news/introducing-jonathan-bailey-140905/)
4. [Jonathan Bailey Biography, Showtimes](https://www.showtimes.com/celebrity/jonathan-bailey-66145/biography/)
5. [Jonathan Bailey – Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/jonathan-bailey/)
6. [Jonathan Bailey – Conway Van Gelder Grant](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/jonathan-bailey/)
7. [Truly, Madly, Jonny: Wicked's Jonathan Bailey Talks Fame, Wanting Kids And Returning To The Stage, British Vogue](https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/jonathan-bailey-january-2025-interview)
8. [How Jonathan Bailey Charmed Us All, TIME](https://time.com/7321415/jonathan-bailey-interview-time-100-next/)
9. [Jonathan Bailey wins first WhatsOnStage Award, WhatsOnStage](https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/jonathan-bailey-wins-first-whatsonstage-award_1714506/)
10. [Jonathan Bailey and Ariana Grande to star in Sunday in the Park with George at the Barbican, press release (14 January 2026)](https://www.barbican.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/2026-01/Sunday%20in%20the%20Park%20with%20George%20announcement%20Press%20Release.pdf)
11. [Jonathan Bailey – The Guardian (news index)](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/jonathan-bailey)
12. [Jonathan Bailey Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jonathan_bailey)
13. [Movie Review: 'Wicked' fans, rejoicify!, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/784258a509b990dbd34206c4991e2c6b)
14. ['I'm an actor, not a mouthpiece': Bridgerton's Jonathan Bailey on fame and the pressure to speak out, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/feb/16/im-an-actor-not-a-mouthpiece-jonathan-bailey)
15. [PEOPLE press clipping, ANICA](https://www.anica.it/allegati/Rassegna%20Stampa%20ANICA/mar.pdf)
16. [Queer Figures 2024, KU Leuven](https://www.arts.kuleuven.be/diversiteit/documenten/queer-figures-2024)
17. [Jonathan Bailey Smolders on the Outside—but Inside, He Feels "Quite Kooky", Vanity Fair](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/jonathan-bailey-interview)
18. [El actor Jonathan Bailey habla sobre la "barrera invisible" que separa a los actores LGTBIQ+, El País](https://elpais.com/gente/2026-06-02/el-actor-jonathan-bailey-habla-sobre-la-barrera-invisible-que-separa-a-los-actores-lgtbiq-no-iba-a-dejar-de-coger-la-mano-de-mi-novio.html)
19. [Why Jonathan Bailey Has Announced That He's Taking a Break From Acting, Marie Claire UK](https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/celebrity-news/jonathan-bailey-announces-break-from-acting)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › English actors: 2000s onward › Surnames A to Ba*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license