Rege-Jean Page: Bridgerton is ‘Jane Austen meets Gossip Girl with 35 shades of gray’

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I wrote a post last week about how the fans of Bridgerton and The Bond franchise are calling for Rege-Jean “the god” Page to be the new James Bond in the upcoming franchise. The call for Rege-Jean to be Bond seems to be gaining traction. Rege was interviewed by Jimmy Fallon to discuss the success of Bridgerton. Rege commented on fans calling for him to be the next James Bond. Rege also described how some members of his family are trying to avoid watching his steamiest scenes in Bridgerton, calling them very “stimulated and caffeinated.” Below are a few quotes from the interview:

On fans calling for him to be Bond
The Internet thinks a lot of things and that’s one of the more pleasant ones. If you’re a Brit and you do something of any kind of renown that people regard well then people start saying the B word. It’s like a merit badge. You get the B word merit badge. I’m glad to have the badge [and] be in such wonderful company of people who have the badge.

On how he would describe Bridgerton to people who haven’t seen it yet
It’s kind of like Jane Austen meets Gossip Girl with 35 shades of grey.

His sex scenes embarrassed his cousin
My cousin sent me a message ‘I had to make so many tactical cups of tea during this show. Then I came back and you were still going.’ My family are very stimulated and caffeinated at this point.

They practiced the dancing a lot
We worked very hard on it. 100,000 times in rehearsal. We rehearsed it until we dropped. We spent endless hours in dance rehearsals. Neither Phoebe nor I are like championship dancers but [we were] surrounded by professional dancers. [We rehearsed on our own too.]

On what it’s like working with horses
Horses are the biggest divas on set. They’re like incredibly intelligent children with the power of a horse. You can’t say the word a-c-t-i-o-n around a horse because they know what it means. If someone lively yells “action” the horse will run.

[From The Tonight Show on YouTube]

I had to watch that interview several times because I zoned out staring at Rege-Jean (thanks Celebitchy). My inner middle-aged Thotiana behaves badly when it comes to Rege. I have also fallen down the Bridgerton fandom rabbit hole and I may hibernate down there for the rest of winter. I’d like to add in light of what I just said, I did not rewatch a single episode of Bridgerton over the weekend. I think that is the first step towards my deprogramming from the Rege-Jean “the god” Page cult, but don’t quote me on that. **Goes to watch the first season of For The People**

As for the interview, I love when Rege talked about how one of his cousins didn’t get the warning message for the show and how she said she kept making herself tactical cups of tea to avoid the sex scenes. At one point when she returned thinking the scene was over, Rege was still going. I literally hollered because that is a perfect description of episode six. Rege stating that horses are divas is accurate. I grew up with horses and as much as I love these beautiful creatures, they can be high maintenance. It was also fun to hear that all of carriage scenes were filmed in front of a green screen without horses and that the crew would step in to carry and move the buggy. I do hope that we will continue to see Rege in and out of bed, I mean Bridgerton. I hope this has truly jumpstarted Rege’s world-wide appeal. Even if Rege isn’t tapped to be the next James Bond, it would be fun seeing him in an action or spy film. I haven’t grown tired of Rege yet and that is saying something.

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45 Responses to “Rege-Jean Page: Bridgerton is ‘Jane Austen meets Gossip Girl with 35 shades of gray’”

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  1. Who ARE these people? says:

    One quick thing, Austen with an “e” not an “i.”

  2. Dem Papers says:

    Hot d@mn!

  3. Mignionette says:

    Just came in to say that whatever you may think of Netflix, they have really made huge efforts to put diversity front left and center and more so than any other network or streaming service. Further those efforts extend globally.

    I watch a lot of French Netflix and I have been amazed by the number of lead positions for black actors such as Omar Sy in shows such as Lupin. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to see my fave french black actors have this opportunity to put food on the table. Especially dark skinned actors like Omar who traditionally end up playing the banlieue gangster.

    The same can be said for UK black actors such as Adjoa Andoh whom I have watched for years struggle to get parts to now get international acclaim.

    • MF1 says:

      Agree, they are really showing their commitment to diversity. I also appreciate that they promote non-English language shows to American audiences (see: Lupin, Money Heist, various kdramas). That’s another great way to bring diversity to US viewers.

    • steph says:

      This is so true. I follow a blue ✔ on Twitter that is called something like Black Leads. It seems to be run by Netflix but I’m not sure. It’s constantly updating about shows with a mostly Black cast and there are always several. But Netflix really seems to be the giant who understands the value of the Black audience. HBO is pretty good too but something about the way they work doesn’t allow for the volume Netflix churns out.

      And on international shows, it’s one of the things I love best about Netflix. They always recommend non American or British shows that are in the same genres I usually watch and it’s great. I love seeing the different approaches to story telling.

      • Mignionette says:

        @Steph (is this steph the journo from twitter btw)?

        StrongBlackLead is a Netflix account run specifically for that purpose.

      • steph says:

        @mignionette I do have a Twitter, but I’m not a journalist. Yes, StrongBlackLeads is the one.

    • Claudia says:

      Just started watching Lupin, the show and Omar in the lead are so great!

  4. GreenBunny says:

    My god, he is a beautiful man. I fell down the Bridgerton rabbit hole this weekend and my life is so much better for that. I’m here for it if they make him the next Bond.

    • Anna says:

      Yeah, fell down the rabbit hole this weekend, too. It makes me laugh with all the antics but also really good to just zone out and also get a little visual “action” lol

  5. Becks1 says:

    He just is so pretty. And he smolders. Sigh.

    I also did not rewatch a single episode over the weekend, so there you go Oya. We are strong and can break our Reje-jean addiction! I do want to watch For the People and that new Amazon Prime series though. So maybe not quite that strong. HA.

    I did see some behind the scenes clips where they were in front of the green screen and it kind of cracked me up, because its such a modern setting overall (the green screen, the cameras, etc) and they are all in period costume.

    Also, the dancing was REALLY good so I’m glad to hear it took lots and lots of practice lol.

    I feel like there are a lot of men in Hollywood scratching their heads over the success of things like 50 Shades, Bridgerton, heck even 365 (I had a lot of good twitter convos about why people were so “confused” over the success of that one) and its like….guess what? There’s a reason romance books have been such huge bestsellers for publishers for decades. Women like romance, and women like sex, and we like to look at attractive men on the screen, and the sooner more Hollywood producers get on board with that, the happier we will all be.

    • Noodle says:

      I wasn’t going to rewatch, but there was LITERALLY nothing else on last night while I nursed a horrible migraine. I turned the phone screen to really low light and just listened and occasionally glanced through a lot of scenes. I fast-forward the scenes that bore me, but Daphne and Simon’s early interactions and up to the wedding night, are quite comforting. No episode six though; I think that would have put me in the hospital.

    • cherriepie84 says:

      “Women like romance, and women like sex, and we like to look at attractive men on the screen, and the sooner more Hollywood producers get on board with that, the happier we will all be.”

      @ Becks, you just made my week! yes we like romance and sex, yes we like to look at attractive men on the screen!

      • Becks1 says:

        Right??? It’s not so hard to figure out. Not everything romantic has to be a rom-com. There’s a reason we could basically have an annual fight on here about the best Darcy (I think its only happened once, but IMO its something Kaiser and CB should keep in their back pockets for a slow news day, lol). We like romance and we like to see attractive men on the screen.

      • chimes@midnight says:

        Becks, how about , starting Jan. 21st, every time Trump makes a cry for attention, instead of an article covering it, we ask Kaiser and CB for a Darcy-off?

        (My vote is for Sam Riley. Sorry. It’s the coat.)

  6. LA says:

    I so agree. Aside from being both hot and genuinely beautiful, he is just an absolute delight. Can’t wait to see more of him, wherever it may be.

  7. MellyMel says:

    That smile!! He’s so gorgeous and charming. I can’t wait to see what he does next ( outside of Bridgerton).

  8. molly says:

    I will watch every interview with him. He’s soooo charming. (Although I like him much better with the beard. He’s almost too pretty without it.)

    Also: Fallon looks like hell. So bloated.

  9. molly says:

    I will watch every interview with him. He’s soooo charming. (Although I like him much better with the beard. He’s almost too pretty without it.)

    Also: Fallon looks like hell. So bloated.

  10. Amelie says:

    I finished the show last night finally (I watched it with my mom and she doesn’t binge watch and we have been alternating with Virgin River lately). And the way Rege describes the show as Jane Austen meets Gossip Girl is the exact way I’ve been describing it to people because it it such an apt description. I also figured out who Lady Whistledown was in the last few episodes–it was super obvious to me and very heavily foreshadowed, not very subtle (for those who haven’t watched yet, you find out in the very last scene of the last episode).

    I heard about the carriage thing before this interview haha, I watched an interview on Youtube of the cast on the Netflix Youtube channel and this was one of the things they mentioned that I thought was hilarious. Anyways, Rege is so distractingly good-looking and definitely one of the best parts of the show for me, not just in terms of looks but his acting.

  11. steph says:

    omg. I never watched an interview with him. I thought he was great eye candy before but now…wooosah. He is so easy to laugh and that is so damn sexy to me.

  12. Sandra says:

    ….and he’s intelligent! Just keeps getting better and better!

  13. cherriepie84 says:

    It has been a while since a series made me feel so……good! I binged watched the entire series over the weekend and loved everything about it from the diversity to the setting and costumes to the dancing and wow those sex scenes!!! I was also pleasantly surprised with the music selections what with the likes of “thank you, next” etc being played by the Orchestra.

    Whilst I loooooove me some Rege, I’m a bit disappointed that Phoebe isn’t getting as much love. She was great in the series…so much depth and she nailed the part. I felt her joy, her pain, her bewilderment and was just captivated by how well she played being vulnerable and curious whilst being so strong-willed and determined to control her destiny.

    PS, I don’t remember the name of the actress who played the Queen but I thoroughly enjoyed all her scenes! Great crew and cast through and through.

    • Anna says:

      Omg! The Queen is *everything*!!! Her expressions! She’s so clearly the Queen, just does not give a f- or bother with anything for a second longer than she wants to. And her hair!!!! omg! For the first time, a show that has actually well-done wigs (whether for a period piece or everyday) and not this nonsense they try to pass off as Black hair on other shows. The blonde-ish afro was *amazing*! And the one with locs wrapped in a patterned beehive. Whoever is designing her wigs is going all out and I am so here for it!!! And I love how diverse the cast is just as a matter of fact. So many of our assumptions in art and history are based on white supremacist bs. (Like Vikings who had diverse societies but German historian later rewrote to fit a white nationalist agenda…I just learned about this, need to research further…)

  14. Bettyrose says:

    I really tried to watch Bridgerton but like it’s unwatchable? Admittedly I’m more into murder and suspense but I love a well done drama. Don’t get me wrong. I respect what Netflix is doing but I can’t be alone here in giving it a pass?

    • Becks1 says:

      Meh, not everything is for everyone, and that’s okay. If you are more into murder and suspense than I definitely dont think Bridgerton is for you, LOL. There are a number of series that I have started because people insist they are the BEST and they just dont click for me, and that’s fine.

    • Sandra says:

      Bettyrose, it took me three attempts to get into it and then I was hooked. The first time I only lasted about one minute and was like “oh, no, absolutely not”! The second time only a few minutes longer. The narration just really bugged me at the beginning and I didn’t understand the format. Thought that it would irritate me too much.. Then a bout a week later and 25 people telling me I HAD to watch it I tried again. By the end of the first episode I knew I was hooked.
      My favorite genre too is mystery, detective and suspense but do enjoy a lighthearted break from those and that is what Bridgerton is.

    • Wendy says:

      @ Betty – I watched all of it and found it to be entertaining and fun. I do love the soundtrack and the costuming, but I don’t get all the twitter about the sex scenes. Yes, he is a pretty man but the sex is pretty vanilla. It was fun, but I’m not breathless with anticipation for future seasons.

  15. Mina_Esq says:

    1. Tactical tea comment is hilarious. 2. What I love about Netflix is that it’s dispelling that misconception that diversity is not profitable, and that people don’t want to see a romance between a black lead and a white lead. I vaguely remember a story about Hitch, specifically how studios thought that they couldn’t cast a white or black actress as Will Smith’s love interest because it would put off audiences. So they went with a Latina as some sort of a twisted “compromise”. Meanwhile, us horny women of the world are just sitting back here, ready to watch any hot man of any color romance any lady of any color. I hope they put Rege in EVERYTHING. I want to be sick of seeing him because he will be in so many movies and shows.

    • Mignionette says:

      That myth was promoted as another tool of white supremacy to preserve their faves. The studios lost out and now the streaming services are cashing in BIG.

      Post COVID I wouldn’t be surprised to see more diverse faces on the big screen. They’re realising that it’s now the expected norm.

  16. Pamuk says:

    I read they will produce every book in the series, so hopefully more of the Duke to come 😊

  17. Gina says:

    I have “fallen down the Bridgerton fandom rabbit hole” too. Maybe not Bridgerton fandom but definitely Rege-Jean Page fandom. Sex appeal and intelligence is a killer combination for me.

  18. Babz says:

    I may be 67, but holy crap, I ain’t dead yet! That was one of the most charming interviews I have ever seen! He is absolutely mesmerizing to watch. I could repeat all the kudos everyone else has said, but all I am going to say is that this beautiful lad is going places. As Bond or not, he’s got star quality by the barrel-full. And don’t even get me started on that voice and accent. As far as I’m concerned, he should always wear turtleneck sweaters or tuxes because he definitely wears them well. Ooooh, just had a quick flash of him in a kilt! He needs to make that happen!

  19. kimberlu says:

    am I the only one that doesn’t think the show is sexy at all?Sure some of the actors are hot, but the few sex scenes throught out the season are super tame….the show is more gossip girl than anything….

    add: it’s kinda a glorified CW show….

  20. mish-mash says:

    I binge watched the entire first season …oh my he is a beautiful man

  21. tcbc says:

    Gossip Girl meets 50 shades, yes. But it’s not Austen, not everything where the characters wear empire waists is.

    It’s actually vaguely insulting to Austen to make that comparison, but I’m sure he didn’t mean it that way. Still. No one will remember this show in 5 years.