5 Things to Know About Bridgerton’s Rege-Jean Page

Bridgerton has provided viewers with a new binge-worthy, guilty pleasure series — and it also introduced fans to handsome breakout star Rege-Jean Page!

On the popular Netflix show, the British-Zimbabwean actor plays Simon Bassett, Duke of Hastings. His character has expressed his disinterest in marriage, but he joins in on Daphne Bridgerton’s (Phoebe Dynevor) scheme to help her find a potential suitor after struggling to do so following her introduction to London society.

“Bridgerton is something a bit like if Jane Austen met Gossip Girl and maybe, like, 45 Shades of Grey,” he explained to Variety on December 30. “We have a lot of fun in period costumes and it is set in the Regency period in 1813. It is a romance and a fantasy and it’s a big warm Regency hug.”

The period drama, which debuted on the streamer on Christmas Day, is based on American author Julia Quinn’s best-selling book series of the same name. Set in 19th century London, the series follows the Bridgerton family siblings as they attempt to find love after being making their high society debut.

Bridgerton is the first project to be released under Shonda Rhimes’ $150 million deal with Netflix, which she inked in 2017 after leaving ABC. Page, in fact, previously starred on Rhimes’ For the People.

Following his recent success from Bridgerton, Page shared his aspirations moving forward. “I think the goals are always the same, career and otherwise. I try to keep it simple and center everything on empathy and compassion because that’s why I got into acting,” he told Who What Wear on December 29. “That’s why I got into storytelling, in general. That’s why I’m interested in culture. The most rewarding part of this job is anytime someone says that something we did made them feel less alone or made them understand the world or understand themselves in a way they didn’t before because they could relate.”

The actor continued, “So the goal is very simply that: to continue doing that better and wider for more types of people, to tell stories that challenge what you think you already know about the world, and reinforce the things we look to about the world in terms of how we like each other, how we love each other, and how we can express ourselves despite the restrictions society may put on us. It’s very wide, but also it’s deliberately wide because why wouldn’t you want to be ambitious enough to do it all?”

Scroll down to learn more about the Bridgerton breakout!

He Spent His Childhood in Zimbabwe Before Moving to London

While Page was born in London, he spent most of his childhood in Harare, Zimbabwe, before eventually moving back to the U.K. for secondary school. “Zimbabwe was still a relatively young country when I was living there and its post-apartheid society was only newly formed,” he told The Guardian on December 17. “Being a mixed-race child in that environment means that you have to think about crafting your own identity and you question why you belong in that world.”

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He Used to Be in a Punk Band

During his teen years in London, Page formed a band with his brother. “We were writing loud, angry, righteous guitar music and screaming at people with various colors in our hair,” the actor revealed to Interview magazine in 2016.

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He Attended the Same Prestigious Acting School as Pierce Brosnan, Tom Hardy and Colin Firth

Before jump-starting his professional acting career, Page graduated from the Drama Centre London in 2013. The institution also counts Michael Fassbender, Gemma Chan, Emilia Clarke, Luke Evans and Russell Brand as its alumni.

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He Worked With Shonda Rhimes Before ‘Bridgerton’

Prior to appearing on the popular Netflix series, Page starred in Shondaland's For the People. The legal drama aired for two seasons on ABC from 2018 to 2019. “I was very familiar with the people I was working with at the company and with the company’s ethos from the inside out,” he told Who What Wear. “I love the people in this company, and I trust them.”

Liam Daniel/Netflix; ;Inset: Shutterstock

Where You May Also Recognize Him From

Page previously starred in the 2018 action flick Mortal Engines, the BBC Three drama series Waterloo Road and the History Channel’s Roots miniseries. In December 2020, he appeared opposite Tessa Thompson in the romance drama Sylvie’s Love.

Courtesy of Amazon Studios