Regé-Jean Page is setting the record straight — again.
Just days after shooting down rumors that had him in the running as the next James Bond, the “Bridgerton” star tackled a different sort of rumor about him and his Regency romance co-star, Phoebe Dynevor.
The actors paid a video visit to “Access Hollywood” over the weekend and were asked about whether their steamy on-screen chemistry has spilled over to their off-screen relationship.
In other words, are Page and Dynevor as close the Duke and Daphne? Well ...
"I think that everything you need to know is on camera," Page said, hinting that the romance was limited to their characters. “All of the sparks that flew came off of the beautiful scripts that we were handed, and so I think that the sparky words, scripts and material are more than enough."
While that answer might dash the dreams of “Bridgerton” fans who've had their hearts set on news of a real-life love affair, it was just vague enough to leave a little wiggle room — which “Access Hollywood” host Kit Hoover joked about by claiming that, although Page and Dynevor were attending the interview from separate locations, it was all a ruse.
“By the way, Phoebe and Regé-Jean are together,” Hoover deadpanned. “They just put that split screen there. They’re acting like they’re not in the same (place).”
Dynevor played along, nodding and saying, “yeah,” while Page leaned back and fanned the flames of the rumors once more by saying, “We’re playing footsies over here!”
Relationship rumors are exactly the sort of thing “Bridgerton” viewers love — after all, when Page described the series in an interview with The Wrap, he said, “It’s a little bit of Jane Austen meets ‘Gossip Girl’ with maybe ’49 Shades (of Grey’).” So scandal, gossip and racy romance are a big part of the appeal.
In fact, the series, which is based on Julia Quinn’s popular "Bridgerton" books and produced by “Grey’s Anatomy” creator Shonda Rhimes, has proven to have a lot of appeal since it debuted Christmas Day on Netflix. Last week the streaming platform announced that the show is the platform’s fifth biggest original series to date.