Regé-Jean Page loves “Bridgerton,” but he has no plans to return to the hit Netflix drama.
Rumors began circulating this week that Page, who played the Duke of Hastings, was coming back to the Regency-era drama, but he put the kibosh on any such chatter Tuesday, June 21 in an Instagram post.
“The boys are back in town,” he captioned a photo of him with former co-star Jonathan Bailey, who plays Lord Anthony Bridgerton.
“(No, I’m not going back to the show btw — the papers made that one up.) But we had the best, and most stylish, catch up I’ve had in a while over some truly excellent Italian coffee and sunshine.”
Page emerged as the breakout star of “Bridgerton” after it premiered in December 2020. In April of last year, Netflix announced he would not return for the second season, which dropped this past March.
“Dearest readers, While all eyes turn to Lord Anthony Bridgerton’s quest to find a Viscountess, we bid adieu to Regé-Jean Page, who so triumphantly played the Duke of Hastings,” the streaming service said in a tweet.
“We’ll miss Simon’s presence onscreen, but he will always be a part of the Bridgerton family.”
"Pleasure and a privilege!" Page tweeted in response. "An honour to be a member of the family — on and off screen, cast, crew and incredible fans — the love is real and will just keep growing."
Page’s short stay on the show may have disappointed fans, but it’s something he felt comfortable with all along.
“It’s a one-season arc. It’s going to have a beginning, middle, end—give us a year,” he told Variety in April 2021. “(I thought) ‘That’s interesting,’ because then it felt like a limited series. I get to come in, I get to contribute my bit and then the ‘Bridgerton’ family rolls on.”
Page’s star burned bright after “Bridgeton” premiered. He hosted “Saturday Night Live” and was floated as the possible heir to Daniel Craig playing James Bond.
“I think the internet thinks a lot of things, and that is one of the more pleasant ones, so I can be pleased as far as that goes,” he said about the rumors while appearing on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” in January 2021.
“But no, I think there might be an element of cultural translation to be done here. If you’re a Brit and you do something of any kind of renown that people regard well, then people start saying the B-word.”
Page called the “B-word” a “badge” that is a real honor for any actor.
“But I don’t think it’s much more than that,” he added. “I’m very, very glad to have the badge. I’m glad to be in such wonderful company of people who have the badge. But it’s a badge.”