Mild spoilers ahead for the second season of Bridgerton.
The second season of Netflix’s hit Regency drama Bridgerton recently dropped on the streamer. While it focused on the love life of Anthony Bridgerton this time around, we still got glimpses of Daphne and her son, though without her husband Simon. Regé-Jean Page exited the series shortly after the Season 2 renewal, but just how much did he turn down?
There was hope that Page would make a cameo in the second season, even if just for an episode or two. However, according to THR and a source reportedly close to Bridgerton, the actor was offered the opportunity to guest star in 3-5 episodes of Season 2 for $50,000 per episode, but declined for a number of reasons.
Regé-Jean Page reportedly wants to focus on his growing career, which makes sense. The Bridgerton role earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, and he’s been keeping busy since his departure from the Netflix series. He’s starring in Netflix’s upcoming film The Gray Man, which comes from the Russo Brothers, and Paramount’s Dungeons and Dragons.
While Regé-Jean Page’s exit from Bridgerton was a shocker, he had nothing but great things to say about his short time on the series. In a message to fans after news broke, he mentioned the family he joined and that it was a privilege to play the Duke. Hopefully, once things slow down for him, he’ll think about appearing again with his on-screen wife, Phoebe Dynevor.
Page seems to be doing just fine post-Bridgerton, however. As Hollywood tries to find the next James Bond, he has been a top contender for a while now. While he is up against some big heavy-hitters, the rumor mill still circles back to Page. It may not be known for some time who will lead the next batch of James Bond movies, but it would be interesting to see Simon Basset as a world-renowned spy.
It's unknown whether Regé-Jean Page will ever return to Bridgerton, but since each season will focus on a different member of the wealthy family, it wouldn’t be surprising if he declines again. We did get a decent amount of Phoebe Dynevor’s Daphne and their adorable son, which fans were expecting, but it still would have been nice to see a little bit of Simon.
At least Regé-Jean Page is keeping busy for now, and Netflix fans can still find him in the first season of Bridgerton and in a recently released documentary where he isn’t seen, but you can still hear his incredibly soothing voice. Even if Page never returns to Bridgerton, there is still plenty you can watch him in and swoon over him all over again with a Netflix subscription.
