Regé-Jean Page Reveals Why He Left 'Bridgerton'

By Stephen Andrew

Bridgerton fans were disappointed when Regé-Jean Page left the show after just one season, and now the actor has revealed why he exited the series. In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Page opened up about his time on the show, explaining, "I signed up to do a job and I did the job and then I did some other jobs. That's it. That's the story. I wish it was more glamorous than that."

Page went on to say, "We finished the story. The temptation would be to roll with the distractions and go, 'Oh, well, the story went really well so we can kind of change this up and make some other stuff up, I guess.' That was never what we'd signed up to do." He later added, "It's overnight for everyone else, nothing changes for me," Page noted. "When it's tough, when no one wants you in the room, when you've got to fight to bust down the door-you do the work, you turn up. It works or it doesn't. The trick is to make sure that you focus on your job as hard as you did when you were struggling to get to do your job."

Back in April 2021, it was announced that Page would not be part of Bridgerton Season 2, with producers issuing a regal announcement on social media. "Dear 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," read the statement. "We'll miss Simon's presence onscreen, but he will always be a part of the Bridgerton family. The announcement then added how "Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) will remain a devoted wife and sister, helping her brother navigate the upcoming social season and what it has to offer – more intrigue and romance than my readers may be able to bear."

Following the announcement, Bridgerton producers Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers spoke out about Page leaving the series and essentially clarified that it was never in the plan for Page to remain on the show for multiple seasons. After being asked by Vanity Fair how they reacted to the "outpouring of grief" from fans over Page's exit, Rhimes joked, "I was really shocked because, usually, that happens when I've killed off somebody that's been around for a while. Like, we didn't kill him, he's still alive!"

The uber-producer also commented on the reports that the show offered Page a significant amount of money to return. "We made a one-season deal with him at the beginning of season one. That was the plan: come and do one season as the duke," she explained. "Anything else that was extra and wasn't really the plan when we started wasn't the plan when we finished." Vanity Fair noted that "Rhimes later clarified that Page was invited to return for Season 2 cameos, along with a few other Season 1 characters outside the Bridgerton family." Seasons 1 and 2 of Bridgerton are now streaming on Netflix. The show has also been renewed for Seasons 3 and 4, and has a spinoff coming later this spring.

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