“Bridgerton” heartthrob Jonathan Bailey recently talked about some challenges he had coming out as a gay actor in Hollywood. The actor is slated to return in the second season of the Julia Quinn inspired series as Anthony Bridgerton.
In previous interviews, the actor spoke on some challenges gay men faced in Hollywood. He said that there was already a “sense of shame” hovering around gay men in the industry. This was apparently one of the reasons Bailey didn’t fully come out as gay at the beginning of his career.
Bailey recently revealed that due to a comment by someone in the acting industry, he hid his sexuality for a while, hoping to overcome the hordes gay men faced in the industry. He eventually came out to his family and friends not long after.
Jonathan Bailey Hid His Sexuality For His Acting Career
Popular “Bridgerton” star Bailey recently discussed challenges he faced before coming out gay. The 33-year-old plays Anthony Bridgerton in the Netflix hit series and became wildly popular. The much-loved series is set in the Regency era and is based on the best-selling novel series by Julia Quinn. The series gave a lot of actors their breakout role due to how successful it got.
Via GQ, Bailey talked about how at the beginning of his acting career, one of his actor friends was told to hold back information concerning their sexuality. The advice was basically, “There’s two things we don’t want to know: if you’re an alcoholic or if you’re gay.”
His friend passed on the message to Bailey, and it apparently stuck to him. The actor then withheld information about his sexuality for a time for the sake of his budding acting career.
Bailey Came Out To His Family And Friends
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When explaining his decision, the actor said that he previously thought that he had to be straight or at least appear so for him to be happy. “All it takes is for one of those people in that position to say that, and it ripples through,” Bailey said.
He continued, “So, yeah, of course, I thought that. Of course, I thought that in order to be happy, I needed to be straight.” Not long after he decided to conceal his sexuality, the “Bridgerton” actor came out to his family and close friends.
He revealed that he much preferred being public with his relationship than having to worry about getting a movie role. “I reached a point where I thought, ‘F*** this,’” the 33-year-old said. “I’d much prefer to hold my boyfriend’s hand in public or to be able to put my own face picture on Tinder and not be so concerned about that than getting a part.”
Bailey Previously Spoke On The Struggles Of Gay Men In Hollywood
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Bailey has spoken about his struggles as a member of the LGBTQIA+ and an actor several times. In an interview with Attitude, he talked about his initial hesitation about coming out and all the stigma facing gay men in the industry. He revealed that while he never lied about his sexuality, the actor never quite spoke about it.
Referencing the struggles of gay men in the industry, he said, “There’s a sense of shame, I think, that’s palpable throughout gay men within the industry.” Despite these obvious struggles, the actor still managed to star in roles where he had a freer reign on his identity.
Bailey previously starred in a reworked Sondheim play called “Company.” His role was as Jamie, a man who got cold feet when he was about to tie the knot with his boyfriend. Around the time he was promoting the play, Bailey revealed that he prepared for his role by turning to his own life and memories and seeking aid from queer literature.
‘Bridgerton’ Season Two Will Be Focused On Bailey’s Character, Anthony Bridgerton
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Bailey made quite an impression on male and female viewers with his appearance in “Bridgerton.” The second season of the series will be focused on his character’s complicated love triangle between sisters Kate and Edwina Sharma (Simone Ashley and Charithra Chandra).
This plotline of the first season revolved around Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and her blossoming romance with Simon Basset, played by Regé-Jean Page. However, Page will not be returning for the next season.
Season two will be focused entirely away from the former lead characters in favor of Anthony’s love story. The trailer of the historical romance was just released and gave a snippet of the much anticipated season. All the episodes of season two will reportedly premiere on March 25.
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