Former Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page has said that the showrunners are “free to do as they like” when it comes to recasting his role.
The actor shot to fame playing Simon Basset in the first season of the Regency-era romp, before bowing out to work on other projects such as his new Hollywood film The Gray Man. He is also rumoured to be in the running to play the next James Bond.
The actor told Variety: “They’re free to do as they like. Shonda [Rhimes, executive producer] and I had a wonderful conversation at the end of season one. We were quite happy with how we stuck the landing on that one.”
Talking about how Simon eventually marries Phoebe Dynevor’s Daphne at the end of series one, he added: “We did so well on that redemptive arc that people forget that Simon was kind of horrific. He was the best example of a Regency f***boy that any of us had come across.
“And so, because we came around full circle so well, because we stuck that landing, you’re left with this great feeling. You really do have to be brave about ending stories like that.”
Page also said he has not watched the second season.
“I haven’t caught up with it,” he admitted.
The role of Simon was not recast in season two, with his absence being explained right at the start of episode one, but that doesn’t rule out a new actor joining the show to play him in the future.
Page can next be seen in Netflix’s spy movie The Gray Man alongside Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans.
The film is out on Netflix on 22 July.
