Netflix viewers have been gossiping as much as Lady Whistledown with the streaming platform’s latest regency-era offering – and the majority of that gossip has been about the leading role of the Duke of Hastings. While more about the Duke’s past (and present) has come to light during the show, it’s made many viewers wanting more regarding the man behind the costume, Regé-Jean Page.
Here are 41 things you need to know about the actor.
1. He Was In Harry Potter
You may be wondering how on earth you missed this, but despite the Duke’s domineering presence in every Bridgerton scene, Page’s appearance in Harry Potter was very blink-and-you’ll-miss-it. He appeared in Deathly Hallows Part One, and can be seen standing next to Hermione at the wedding scene!
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Image Source: Daily Mail
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I think it’s time to rewatch Deathly Hallows…
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2. He Loves His Coffee
It takes hard work and energy to give such a great performance, so it’s no surprise that such work is fuelled by caffeine. Page has admitted that coffee is his one true vice, and he’s not entirely unhappy about that…
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Image Source: Daily Mail
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Coffee addicts unite.
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3. He’s In A Band Called TUNYA
Yes, the already-talented actor can also sing! He forms a musical duo with his brother, Tose Page, and together they write and perform their own songs.
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Image Source: WhoWhatWear
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Will we see Simon serenading Daphne in the next season of Bridgerton, perhaps?
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4. Page And His Co-Star Phoebe (Daphne) Became Better Connected Through Dance
It’s always going to be awkward when you first meet a fellow actor who you need to have amazing chemistry with – and there’s no denying that Regé-Jean and Daphne have incredible chemistry. Well, apparently that’s down to dance.
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Image Source: Bustle
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Regé-Jean and Daphne spent hours and hours of dance practice to build intimacy around each other. Not a bad way to spend your time.
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5. He’s A Romantic At Heart
Although the Duke of Hastings is initially taciturn regarding romance, it soon becomes clear that he – to use his own words – burns for Daphne (swoon), and it turns out that Regé-Jean is no less a romantic in real life.
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Image Source: The Fall
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He’s openly admitted that he believes romance to be a wonderful thing. Hoorah!
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6. … But That Doesn’t Mean He’s Very Public About His Love Life
Page keeps his social media clean from any evidence of romantic attachment (to save you the bother of stalking his pages) and tends to keep his romantic life private.
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Image Source: Nicki Swift
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And when such a whirlwind romance is portrayed on screen with his character, who can blame him?
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7. And He’s Currently Single
Regé-Jean doesn’t appear to be currently dating anyone, despite rumours linking him to his co-star Phoebe (which he has denied).
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Image Source: Eonline
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Either that, or he’s very good at hiding it.
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8. He Cares About Portraying Black People Historically On Screen
Black people have known an extreme amount of suffering in history, and often it’s only this suffering which is portrayed on screen. The actor, however, wants to portray more of ‘Black joy’ by showing that people of colour can enjoy romance and happiness on screen, too.
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Image Source: Elite Daily
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Well, he certainly achieved that in the regency era of Bridgerton.
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9. He Relocated To Pursue Acting
It’s a story familiar to many actors, but Page moved from England to Los Angeles in his twenties in order to pursue his acting dream.
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Image Source: Interview Magazine
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And we’re very glad he did.
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10. He Previously Worked On Another Shondaland Show
Shondaland, as we know, has had other great success, like the hit medical drama Grey’s Anatomy. Page previously starred on ABC drama For the People.
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Image Source: TV Guide
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Unfortunately, the show only lasted two seasons before it was cancelled.
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11. He’s 5 ft 11
It’s always great to know how tall your fave actor is in real life to see how you measure up in comparison, and he certainly looks tall in Bridgerton.
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Image Source: brooklin pictures
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Page stands at 5 ft 11 inches.
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12. He Also Starred in Roots
If you thought he already looked familiar, but never saw For the People before it was cancelled, that’s because the actor also had a role in 2016’s miniseries Roots.
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Image Source: Screen Rant
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Page played Chicken George in the hit show.
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13. He Loves The Outdoors
When the actor isn’t busy dominating the screen, he likes to spend his downtime out in nature. Page finds being outdoors is the best (and most relaxing) opportunity to organize his thoughts.
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Image Source: InStyle
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Luckily, his Bridgerton character also has the opportunity for a good ol’ promenade.
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14. He Also Loves To Read
Unlike the Duke’s favorite bedtime pastime, Page is instead a fan of curling up with a good book before he hits the hay, admitting that there’s nothing like escaping into someone else’s thoughts to lull you off to sleep.
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Image Source: Twitter
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Wonder if he reads the Bridgerton book series before bed?
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15. His First Ever Album Was Tracy Chapman
Being in a band himself, it makes sense that Page would be a fan of music – and particularly of Tracy Chapman. The first album he bought was hers, and even now he considers it a timeless album.
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Image Source: Daily Express
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And we can all agree that Fast Car is one of the best.
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16. He Studied Drama In London
Even at a young age, Page knew he wanted to pursue acting, and graduated from the Drama Centre London in 2013.
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Image Source: Esquire
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He achieved this before deciding to relocate to LA to pursue his dream.
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17. He’s 30 Years Old
Older or younger than you expected? He was born in 1990, though his actual birthday has been kept hush hush, so if he was born in January 1990 he could even be 31!
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Image Source: Hello! magazine
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Either way, this young actor has many more years to offer.
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18. He Was Born In Zimbabwe
Page was actually born in Zimbabwe, and moved to London when he was 14 years old. He’s also revealed that he has a large family all over the globe, too, including Sweden and Australia.
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Image Source: PopBuzz
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Plenty of opportunity for a family vacation, then!
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19. He Was In The 2018 Movie Mortal Engines
Page’s roles extend beyond the TV screen, as he played the role of Captain Khora in the epic movie, alongside other greats like Hugo Weaving and fan-fave Robert Sheehan.
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Image Source: PopBuzz
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Have you seen the movie yet? If not, now you have another reason to bump it up your watchlist!
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20. He’s Officially Declared How To Pronounce His Name
Admit it: even now you may be scratching your head with trying to pronounce Regé-Jean Page, but the actor has given us all a helping hand by breaking it down for us.
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Image Source: Twitter
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So there you have it! Now you can openly talk about the latest Bridgerton episode without worrying about pronouncing the actor’s name incorrectly.
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21. He’s Also Appeared In Other British TV Shows Like Casualty and Holby City
Showing his versatility with many genres of TV shows, including popular medical dramas, Page starred as Daniel Kimptom in 2005. Page appeared in episodes Crash and Burn and Teacher’s Pet, but only would have been a young teen at the time and probably unrecognisable!
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Image Source: For The People Wiki
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Casualty and Holby City have seen a host of cameos from now-big actors. This includes Kate Winslet and Orlando Bloom. These shows must have a reputation for launching many great acting careers!
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22. His Love For Music Comes From Starring In His School’s Nativity Play
Nativity plays: you either love them or hate them. And even if you love them, there’s no guarantee you’ll want to grow up to be a performer, but that’s exactly what happened with Regé-Jean Page. He developed his first love for music after a performance in his own school’s nativity.
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Image Source: theartistspartnership.co.uk
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He starred as the Little Drummer Boy in his school’s play, and little did his fellow pupils or even teachers know that he would grow up to embrace both music and acting! This simple role resulted in him going on to sing and perform.
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23. He’s Not A Fan Of Labels
Being a man of colour and acting within an industry dominated by white professionals, it’s no surprise that Regé-Jean Page is not a fan of labels in any form. It makes his role in Bridgerton even more important in showcasing people of colour within a regency setting.
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Image Source: The Guardian
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He’s clearly a fan of those roles which can allow him to express himself, no matter background or colour. Whether it’s black, white, gay, straight, Regé-Jean Page doesn’t like to label, or be labelled.
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24. He’s A Fan Of Exploring The Romance Genre
And we’re grateful for it! It’s always great to see a passionate, romantic lead in a show like Bridgerton, only to find out that the actor himself is a big ol’ romantic too. Speaking about the genre, Page has admitted that the allure of the romance genre is discovering what makes a person uniquely attractive.
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Image Source: IMDb
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He goes on to say that attraction and romance is objective, and that it’s always interesting to try and dig out the attractiveness at the heart of someone. His role as the Duke clearly reflects this in the initial friendship he has with Daphne which develops into something more as they find that deeper attraction.
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25. Page Has Had An Impressive Stage Career, Too
Many great actors appear on stage first, or at least embrace roles on stage, in TV and in film. Regé-Jean is no exception, as he began his career on stage. He appeared in The History Boys at the Sheffield Crucible. A play which focuses on British schoolboys, it went on to have stage and Broadway success.
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Image Source: Pinterest
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And is any actor really worth their salt if they haven’t dabbled in a bit of Shakespeare? When it comes to a stage career, you want at least one Shakespeare play under your belt. Page also starred alongside Jonathan Price in The Merchant of Venice at Shakespeare’s Globe.
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26. Page Will Be Returning As The Duke Of Hastings
Bridgerton fans rejoice! His memorable performance won’t be the only one you’ll have to continually binge watch without a new season. It isn’t clear how many seasons of Bridgerton there might be overall, but there definitely looks to be a season 2 based on the ending of the first.
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Image Source: Reddit
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Bridgerton is based on a series of books by writer Julia Quinn, and there are 8 books in total, which means the possibility of 8 seasons! Season One was based on the first book, The Duke and I, so fingers crossed that we might get a season per book.
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27. His Mother Was A Nurse And His Father Was A Preacher
A lot of actors start out in showbiz families, with parents who are already actors (Page’s co-star Phoebe is the daughter of Coronation Street‘s Sally, in case you didn’t know!) but Page’s parents were actually a nurse and a preacher. Page obviously developed his own interest in acting and performance without any influence from his parents’ careers!
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Image Source: Popsugar UK
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Born in Zimbabwe, Regé-Jean Page also shared his childhood with three other siblings, with him being the second youngest of the four (and he went on to create a band with his little brother, too). Page seemingly had a great childhood, and has labelled Zimbabwe as a beautiful place.
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28. He Initially Started Acting As A Hobby
Getting into a youth theatre or looking to performance as an active hobby isn’t something surprising for many young people, and it can often be a great hobby without turning into any sort of career. It seems Page had the best of both though, with an interesting hobby he loved which then developed into a rewarding career.
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Image Source: WWD
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Speaking about acting as a hobby when he came to the UK, Regé-Jean Page has said that he went to Saturday school for performance as a pastime, where he would undertake dancing, acting and singing. It’s not a bad way to spend a Saturday – and especially not if it results in a great career!
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29. He’s Also Appeared In A Christmas Pantomime
Along with medical dramas and daytime TV, there’s another rite of passage for many British actors, and that includes appearing in a traditional pantomime! We British love our pantomimes as much as we loved watching Page’s performance as Simon Basset, so combining the two is a recipe for success.
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Image Source: Flaunt Magazine
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Page appeared in the 2020 pantomime Cinderella: A Comic Relief Pantomime for Christmas, appearing as non-other than Prince Charming himself. Could there be anyone more perfectly suited to that role? If you didn’t like pantomimes before, you’re sure to now!
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30. Regé-Jean Page Is Active On Social Media
Great news! You can stalk Page’s photos and updates even more by following him on social media. The actor is active on Instagram and Twitter, under the handle @regejean for both. Page isn’t a stranger to a great photogenic snap, as well as sharing great info with his fans (like how to pronounce his name properly!)
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Image Source: THE FALL
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So it’s always worth a follow! Page has also been known to share behind the scenes photos and great photoshoots for projects he’s working on, including many snaps from behind the scenes of Bridgerton. Stay tuned and he may even reveal news about any upcoming appearances of the Duke of Hastings!
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31. He Considers His Role As The Duke Of Hastings As An Important One
As viewers, it was great to see such a diverse cast in the new Netflix drama, and including a man of colour taking the lead role (which usually never happens in a period piece!). Page has been open and vocal about the importance of diversity and people of colour being included in such a genre, meaning he values his role as Simon Basset even more.
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Image Source: Bridgerton Wiki
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Speaking about his role, he has said that anybody is worthy of seeing themselves “at their highest elevation”, no matter their race, and “to see that you are worthy of love, romance, glamour and status”. And it’s clear that the Duke of Hastings (and Page) certainly prove that.
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32. He’s Already Being Tipped To Play The Next James Bond
As soon as a charming, attractive and passionate actor comes along, they’re always tipped to potentially try their hand at stepping into the shoes of 007 – and Regé-Jean Page is no different! Looking at his role as the Duke of Hastings, it’s no surprise that many can see him playing the seductive spy.
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Image Source: Digital Spy
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It’s sad to see Daniel Craig go, but it opens up speculation about the next actor, as nothing has been revealed over Craig’s replacement as of yet. Could Page have a look in? The actor has even been playfully dropping hints at the idea, referencing ‘shaken and stirred’ on his Tweets!
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33. He Was Once In A Punk Rock Band
Alongside the band he formed with his brother, TUNYA, Page apparently dabbled in punk rock too! As a huge music lover, it’s no surprise that Page would want to try a variety of genres before finding one that fit. And maybe there’s still a punk rocker in him somewhere…
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Image Source: Wonderland Magazine
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In true punk rock style, Page even dyed his hair in bold colours whilst going through this particular music faze. Although the bright hair and the punk rocker in him have faded away, he still enjoys music and we’re sure he’ll always have a special place for punk rock deep down!
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34. One Of His Favourite Things About Acting Is The Unpredictability
It’s safe to say that a career as an actor is never predictable, as you can never know what roles you’ll be exploring next. It turns out that, for Regé-Jean Page, the unpredictability of acting is what he loves the most. He enjoys that he will never know what is going to happen next in terms of roles and stories.
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Image Source: Page Six
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He’s explained that the ‘unexpected’ is what he searches for in his career, and he likes never knowing what is going to happen next. He enjoys discovering new things when it comes to unpredictability with his roles, and growing with each role he gets to play.
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35. He Also Appeared In The Hit British TV Show Waterloo Road
Page blessed everyone’s screens yet again by appearing a British favourite, Waterloo Road. He starred as Guy Braxton, a young teacher who begins his time at the school penniless and struggling to find somewhere to sleep (even sleeping in the school itself!)
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Image Source: Digital Spy
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Page’s role in the show expressed yet again his passion for diversity and expression, as his role was a young, mixed-race teacher who was also openly gay. Page starred in the British TV show Fresh Meat, too, meaning he’s no stranger to appearing in many popular TV shows even before Bridgerton.
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36. Page Enjoys Learning New Things
Many actors presumably enjoy learning new things as part of their career, with many new skills needing to be learned for many different roles. Luckily, this is something that Page can get on board with, as he thoroughly enjoys expanding his skillset!
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Image Source: Healthy Celeb
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The actor loves learning new things, and as seen with the many talents Simon has in Bridgerton such as boxing, it’s clear that Page really does put his heart and soul into every new skill he learns. As well as having a passion for acting, he also uses this as a way to explore new opportunities and skills, too.
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37. He Wanted To Be An Explorer When He Was A Kid
Didn’t we all! There’s nothing like the allure of exploration when you’re a kid, going on adventures, making treasure maps and seeing more of the world (or creating your own in your back garden). It seems that Page was no different when he wanted to be an explorer in his childhood.
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Image Source: Square Mile magazine
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You could say that acting is the next logical step in wanting to explore the world and see everything it has to offer. He’s admitted that he turned to acting because he didn’t think he was very good at anything else, and exploration certainly has less pressure on you if you simply want to see the world!
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38. He Finds Acting Truly Freeing
In light of wanting to become an explorer, it seems that Page did indeed choose acting as the next best thing! Speaking about his career, he has said that it’s “this really freeing profession” and a great way to spend time. He’s eager to learn as much as possible about human beings.
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Which, of course, many diverse acting roles set in different time periods will allow you to do. Page has spoken about the freedom of being able to play one role one day, and a completely different role the next, undoubtedly finding it extremely liberating to play such a great number of roles in different locations!
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39. He Had To Do 5am Workouts For Bridgerton Sex Scenes
There’s no turning the lights off (or blowing out the candles) when you’re the star of a hit Netflix show which focuses on the steamy scenes between the Duke and Daphne. And once the Duke and Daphne admit their feelings for one another, there’s no shortage of romps in pretty much every room of the estate (including the grounds).
Image Source: Esquire
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So it comes as no surprise that Page felt pressure to commit to 5am workouts to keep up his strength for these scenes! He’s admitted to a “full Rocky routine” with his personal trainer every morning to deliver the goods when it came to Bridgerton‘s more intimate scenes.
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40. He Learnt A Wide Range Of New Skills For His Bridgerton Role
In preparing himself for the role of Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings, Page had to first delve into the novel the hit show is based on, to learn more about the character he’d be playing. He then had to dig into his role even further by learning a variety of new skills, all of which we see Simon a natural at in the show.
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Image Source: THE FALL
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These skills include boxing, horseback riding like a pro, and learning how to dance in the style of the era, as well as dancing in a way which would undoubtedly knock Daphne’s proverbial socks off. And it’s safe to say that he succeeded in all these skill areas!
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41. He Created His Own Favourite Snack
When you’re a busy actor learning lines and a new set of skills – not to mention painful early morning workouts – then snacks are going to be what get you through. And Page recently revealed that he created his own iconic snack he could easily enjoy at home (and presumably cheat on any strict diet he might be on).
Image Source: Harper’s Bazaar
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Page’s new favourite snack which he invented is his own version of a tasty bagel, complete with bluberries, cream cheese and cherry conserve, which he’s labelled as “so wrong and so right”. And it sounds it, too! And as a self-professed coffee addict, it sounds like this particular bagel would go perfectly with a cup of Joe.
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