Jonathan Bailey is an English actor renowned for his diverse performances across stage and screen. Born on April 25, 1988, in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, England, he began his career as a child actor with the Royal Shakespeare Company. By the age of eight, Bailey was portraying Gavroche in the West End production of Les Misérables.
Throughout his career, Bailey has taken on a variety of roles, including performances in contemporary plays such as The York Realist (2018) and Cock (2022), as well as classical works like Othello (2013) and Richard II (2025).
His musical theater credits feature the London revival of The Last Five Years (2016) and a gender-swapped revival of Company, for which he won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical in 2019.
On screen, Bailey gained prominence for his role as Anthony Bridgerton in the Netflix series Bridgerton (2020–present). His portrayal earned critical acclaim, with the second season becoming the most-watched English-language television series on Netflix at the time.
He further showcased his talent in the Showtime miniseries Fellow Travelers (2023), opposite Matt Bomer, a performance that garnered him a Critics’ Choice Television Award and an Emmy nomination.
In 2024, Bailey starred as Fiyero in the film adaptation of the musical Wicked, sharing the screen with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. His performance was lauded, with critics highlighting his dynamic presence. He is set to reprise this role in the sequel, Wicked: Part Two, scheduled for release in 2025.
Bailey’s upcoming projects include playing Dr. Henry Loomis in Jurassic World Rebirth (2025), directed by Gareth Edwards. The film also stars Mahershala Ali and Scarlett Johansson.
Additionally, he continues his stage work, portraying Richard II at London’s Bridge Theatre under Nicholas Hytner’s direction until May 2025.
Beyond his acting career, Bailey is known for his advocacy within the LGBTQ+ community. He founded the Shameless Fund, supporting LGBTQ+ individuals globally. Bailey has also addressed the challenges of public interest in his personal life, emphasizing his focus on acting over being a public spokesperson.