Jonathan Bailey Biography
Jonathan Bailey is an English actor renowned for performing comedy, drama, and musical roles on stage and screen. He has won a Laurence Olivier Award and has been nominated for the Evening Standard Theatre Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards. He gained international recognition for portraying Anthony, Viscount Bridgerton, in the Netflix Regency romance drama Bridgerton.
Jonathan Bailey Age
Bailey was born on April 25, 1988, in Wallingford, United Kingdom. Jonathan therefore celebrates his birthday on the 25th of April each year. He is 36 years old as of 2024.
Jonathan Bailey Height
Bailey stands at an approximate height of 5 feet and 6 inches.
Jonathan Bailey Family
Bailey was born in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, to his parents, Stuart Bailey and his mother, an audiologist. His father is the managing director of Rowse Honey. Raised in the nearby village of Benson, Jonathan is the youngest of four siblings and the only son.
Jonathan has described his upbringing as being influenced by “a cooperative of four brilliant women and a dad with an incredible work ethic.” His aspiration to become an actor began at the age of five after his grandmother took him to see a production of Lionel Bart’s “Oliver!” in London. His first stage appearance was in a primary school production of “Noah’s Ark,” where he played a raindrop.
Jonathan Bailey Wife
Bailey privately came out as gay to his friends and family in his early 20s, and he publicly addressed it in 2018. While he is cautious about discussing his sexuality, he is dedicated to visibility and representation. He has stated, “If I can fill spaces that I didn’t have growing up, then I feel like that’s a brilliant thing” and “something I’ll always strive to do.” Jonathan has not publicly discussed his dating history.
Jonathan Bailey’s Net Worth
Bailey has an estimated net worth of $5 Million which he has earned through his successful career as an Actor.
Jonathan Bailey Education
He attended The Oratory School while also taking ballet lessons. Jonathan later studied at Magdalen College School, Oxford, on a music scholarship, where he played the piano and clarinet. After securing a talent agent at 15 and landing acting roles, he ultimately chose to decline his university acceptance and decided against attending drama school.
Jonathan Bailey Career
Bailey began his career as a child actor with the Royal Shakespeare Company and by the age of eight, he was performing as Gavroche in a West End production of Les Misérables. He achieved international fame for his critically acclaimed portrayal of Anthony, Viscount Bridgerton, in Netflix’s Bridgerton in the year 2020.
At seven years old, Bailey got alternating roles as Tiny Tim and Young Scrooge in the 1995 Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) production of A Christmas Carol at the Barbican Theatre in London through his dance club in Henley-on-Thames. For his audition, he sang “Where Is Love?” from Oliver! The following year, he made his television debut in the Victorian period drama Bramwell and played Little Baptiste in the RSC’s 1996 production of Les Enfants du Paradis. By eight, he was performing as Gavroche in Les Misérables.
In 2001, Bailey portrayed Prince Arthur in the RSC’s King John. He made his feature film debut in the 2004 adaptation of E. Nesbit’s fantasy novel Five Children and It. In 2006, immediately after his last A-level exams, he began rehearsals for a revival of the play Beautiful Thing in London, taking over the lead role from Andrew Garfield. The Telegraph praised his performance, stating Bailey “memorably lit up” the production. This was followed by guest roles in British television series like Doctors and The Bill. His first leading television role came in the 2009 BBC sitcom Off the Hook.
In 2011, Bailey played the titular role in the CBBC series Leonardo, which followed a young Leonardo da Vinci in 15th-century Florence. The show, which ran for two series, won four KidScreen Awards. That same year, he starred in the comedy Campus and was nominated for Outstanding Newcomer at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards for his performance in David Hare’s play South Downs. The Telegraph called him a future star and one of “the brightest up-and-coming actors currently starring on the West End stage.” He also starred in the Disney Channel musical-comedy Groove High from 2012 to 2013.
Bailey gained popularity for his role as journalist Olly Stevens in the first two series of ITV’s Broadchurch. On stage, he was cast as Cassio in Nicholas Hytner’s production of Othello at the Royal National Theatre in 2013, which was broadcast via National Theatre Live. His performance was praised as “likable, open-faced,” and “smoothly ambitious.”
He originated the role of Tim Price in the musical American Psycho at the Almeida Theatre. Bailey also guest-starred in a 2014 episode of Doctor Who, with The Independent highlighting his compelling performance. He had a supporting role in the 2014 film Testament of Youth and appeared in the satirical show W1A.
In 2016, Bailey starred in Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Crashing and the biblical drama film The Young Messiah. He headlined the London production of The Last Five Years, earning acclaim for his vocal performance. In 2017, he appeared alongside Ian McKellen in King Lear at Chichester Festival Theatre and guest-starred in Michaela Coel’s sitcom Chewing Gum.
Bailey starred in the 2018 co-production of Peter Gill’s The York Realist and joined the West End production of Stephen Sondheim’s Company, winning a Laurence Olivier Award for his performance.
Since 2020, Bailey has starred as Anthony, Viscount Bridgerton, in the Netflix series Bridgerton, receiving critical acclaim and international recognition. In 2022, Bailey headlined the acclaimed West End revival of Mike Bartlett’s play Cock. In 2023, he starred opposite Matt Bomer in the Showtime adaptation of Fellow Travelers, winning the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries. Bailey is set to play Fiyero in the two-part film adaptation of the musical Wicked and is in talks to star in the fourth season of the Jurassic World film series.
Jonathan Bailey Bridgerton
Since 2020, Jonathan has starred as Anthony, Viscount Bridgerton, in the Shondaland-produced Netflix series Bridgerton, an adaptation of Julia Quinn’s Regency romance novels. His performance received critical acclaim and earned him international recognition. The second season, which focused on his character, became the most-watched English-language series on Netflix at the time, with 656.16 million hours viewed in its first 28 days.
The series also debuted at number one in 92 countries on March 25, 2022. Kevin Fallon of The Daily Beast praised Bailey’s “great lead performance,” noting his exceptional ability to convey angst, pain, and guilt without dragging the show into somberness. He stares alongside other Actors and Actress who include:
- Adjoa Andoh
- Lorraine Ashbourne
- Golda Rosheuvel
- Harriet Cains
- Luke Newton
- Bessie Carter
- Simone Ashley
- Kathryn Drysdale
- Nicola Coughlan
- Ruth Gemmell
Jonathan Bailey Public image
Bailey has been portrayed by the media as a sex symbol with a diverse fan base that spans “all genders and orientations,” according to the Los Angeles Times. In 2022, TIME magazine included him in its annual class of Next Generation Leaders, highlighting his role in “redefining the ‘Hollywood Heartthrob’.” Critic Peter Travers described Bailey as “a dynamite actor equally adept at drama and musicals.” Kerensa Cadenas of The Cut noted that talking to Bailey is “a lesson in charm – he’s personable, super-handsome, and hilarious.”
Jonathan Bailey And James Ellis
Jonathan attended The Olivier Awards with James Ellis in 2019. In 2021, they were seen having dinner together in Notting Hill, which brought further dating rumors. However, neither has he confirmed a romantic relationship, so they are likely just good friends.
Jonathan Bailey Movies And TV Shows
- 2017 The Mercy
- 2020 Best Birthday Ever
- 2024 Wicked: Part One Fiyero Pre-production
- 2025 Wicked: Part Two
- 2016 Crashing
- 2016 Hooten & the Lady
- 2017 Chewing Gum A
- 2018 Jack Ryan
- 2020–present Bridgerton
- 2022 RuPaul’s Drag Race
Jonathan Bailey Social Media Platforms
He is active on his social media accounts and often posts on his Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.