This article is published in number 7 of Vanity Fair on newsstands until February 16, 2021
The length of Jonathan Bailey’s sideburns bodes well for good news. To step into the role of a nineteenth-century lord, he not only let them grow freely, but he treated them as if they were “a bonsai” (his words). Efforts largely paid off: the project in question, Bridgerton, has just taken the all-time record for the most viewed series in Netflix history, with 82 million users. And the best – he promises – is yet to come: the second season, which will begin shooting in the spring, focuses entirely on his character, Anthony, the eldest son of one of the most illustrious noble families in England. The new episodes are taken from the novel The viscount who loved me by Julia Quinn (published in Italy by Mondadori), which continues the saga on the eight main brothers, to whom an entire book is dedicated for each.
Ballet dancer since the age of 11, winner of the Laurence Olivier award for stage merit, the actor – who increased his Instagram followers tenfold in the first month of the series’ airing – now uses popularity to support the LGBTQ + community. of which it belongs. In love with Prince Eric’s as a child Sirenetta, today raises funds for The Albert Kennedy Trust, an organization that gives hospitality to young people thrown out of their homes after coming out, preventing them from becoming homeless.
He then recalled, in a recent chat with Sir Ian McKellen for the magazine Attitude, to have suffered “The most conservative conversations” on the topic by homosexual colleagues in the entertainment world: they advised him not to speak openly about his sexual identity to avoid collecting only gay roles or ruining his career. He didn’t listen to them. And he wanted to break what he considers a vicious circle “that includes shame and embarrassment” by talking about love without labels. So much courage has paid off in the inclusive environment, as well as based on diversity, promoted by Shonda Rhimes (creator of Grey’s Anatomy and here the producer), a real creative microcosm capable of changing the rules of the game.
“Telling the period of the English Regency from an American perspective was also quite daring, I admit,” explains Jonathan, 32, former TV face of Broadchurch e Crashing (signed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge before Fleabag). “At first the set seemed like a video game where you keep leveling up, a version of Pride and Prejudice almost blockbuster, an intriguing cultural collaboration. Only later did I understand that it was the frame of a mirror in front of society, a way to relive its past in a modern way ». This ambitious adaptation expertly doses all the ingredients of “guilty pleasure”, with an obsessive attention to detail.
Less than three minutes into the pilot episode, Anthony is seen with his pants down while having sex, in broad daylight, against a tree in a public park, with the opera singer Siena (Sabrina Bartlett). During that first day of shooting, Jonathan Bailey found himself a diligent assistant to make-up artist Marc Pilcher retouching his backside. No contouring, mind you: it only lightened the tan lines, definitely anachronistic for the habits of the time. He jokes about it, saying that in every project sooner or later he always finds himself showing the B side, but this time one detail made the difference: he always had an “intimacy coordinator”, Lizzy Talbot, beside him to watch over safety. of the cast. «The whole process», she says, «was quite methodical: before shooting I did some sessions alone with her, who asked me to talk about my experiences and my boundaries. Then we rehearsed the sex scenes together and only then did I go to the set. With Sabrina I talked at length about what it means for us human beings to make love, a moment that says so much about a relationship and brings up dynamics of power and delicate balances. At first Anthony has the situation in hand, but later it is Siena who understands what she wants, in fact when they go to bed together the last time she is totally in control, not only emotionally, but physically, when she gets on top of her. he”.
Live – or rather via Zoom, to be precise – the actor’s eyes shine, even in the rare moments when he doesn’t smile, in short, a nice novelty compared to the serious and gruff image he built on the screen: “The family dynamics to which I’m used to it », he explains,« I’m the opposite of what happens at home Bridgerton: As a small home, I studied my three older sisters quite a long time to understand life, and their experience taught me a lot. But I don’t know anything about a father’s responsibility or the mistakes an older brother can make, that’s why I auditioned for the role of the Duke of Hastings (later played by Regé-Jean Page, ed). On the other hand, when I got the part of Anthony, I had to observe him closely, gradually more and more ready to take over the decision-making reins of the affections, even if he does not succeed completely ».
The initial eight episodes in fact revolve around the debut in society of the younger sister Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor), «A crucial occasion to start a social debate on toxic masculinity. And in the second book we understand even better why we ask ourselves about patriarchy. It’s true, Bridgerton it is a story at times shameless, uninhibited and sexy, but also a powerful family cross-section that speaks of mourning. When the father dies, Anthony becomes the reference figure, but he does not feel ready and does not know how to do it, also because the men of the time are not encouraged to talk about their feelings and the women know nothing about physical intimacy. “.
What he already defines as “a story about identity and sexuality with all the necessary negotiations” heralds further reflections on the theme of masculinity and femininity. His Anthony must choose a bride as soon as possible to ensure a lineage to the family and honor the title he was invested with, but so far he has never wanted to commit, not so much for fear of love itself but for the terror of having to leave the house. companion of a life. He saw it happen to his parent, who passed away in a tragic accident when his wife, Lady Violet (Ruth Gemmell), was pregnant with her last child. “Anthony tries to live up to the duties that society places on the shoulders of the male of the house and heir. Lineage and status dictate a public identity that he struggles to get used to. What’s more current than having to conform to external standards that do not belong to us? who Bridgerton it goes way beyond romanticism, it doesn’t just show embroideries and corsets, and fans know that well. I understand them and, as an avid reader of various sagas, starting with Harry Potter, I know what it means to take characters seriously ».
Only one detail could make her happiness more complete: having Rihanna on set. After meeting her at a party, Bailey has a certain feeling and swears she would be perfect by his side as future Viscountess Bridgerton.
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