Alas, Lady Daphne Bridgerton, Duchess of Hastings, is breaking her silence.
Phoebe Dynevor shared her feeling about her Bridgerton co-star and on-screen husband, Regé-Jean Page, exiting the show. Fans were shocked to find out that the British actor, who portrays Simon, Duke of Hastings, was leaving the show after just one season. Dynevor, meanwhile, revealed it wasn’t a surprise to her.
“I had a bit of a heads up, so I knew,” the 26-year-old actress said during this week’s Variety Awards Circuit Podcast. “But yeah, I guess it is a spanner. But again, the show centers around the Bridgertons and there are eight books. And I think maybe the fans of the books were more aware of that happening than the fans of the show. I think the fans of the books know that every episode is about a different sibling.”
“And we’re very much passing on the baton to the lovely Jonathan [Bailey], who plays Anthony. And that will be the main storyline of season 2 and the story arc of season 2” she continued, adding, “We were all aware of that. Obviously, it’s sad to see [Page] go but I’m looking forward to being reunited with my family.”
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The first season centered around Daphne and Simon’s love story. While fans expected to see the continuation of their life as newlyweds and parents in season 2, that won’t be the case.
“I remember shooting the last scene in episode one where Regé and I have, like, our first dance together. And I remember thinking, ‘Wow, this feels kind of special,'” Dynevor recalled. “There were, like, fireworks going off behind us and it was, like, really romantic music. It felt like a really special moment, but you never know if it’s going to come out on camera and the audience is going to feel that buzz, too. It’s hard to tell.”
While the character of Simon remains part of the book series and show, season 2 of Bridgertonwill turn the focus to Daphne’s older brother, Lord Anthony Bridgerton (Bailey), as did The Viscount Who Loved Me, the second book in Julia Quinn’s series on which the show is based. Bailey previously told ET that Bridgerton’s second season would be “convoluted and sexier.”
After news of Page’s exit broke, he took to social media to thank his Bridgerton family and fans.
“Pleasure and a privilege! An honour to be a member of the family – on and off screen, cast, crew and incredible fans – the love is real and will just keep growing,” he wrote.
Executive producer Shonda Rhimes previously told Vanity Fair that Page had a one-season deal at the beginning of the project and that anything else was “extra.” She also clarified that the actor and a few other characters were invited to return for season 2 cameos, but Page ultimately turned it down.
The actor previously told Variety that he was drawn to the role because it was a “one-season arc” with a “beginning, middle, end.” He said it was always his intention to “contribute my bit and then the Bridgerton family rolls on.”
