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Regé-Jean Page, the up and coming British actor, is quickly becoming one to look for. Raised in Zimbabwe and schooled in the UK, Page stands out for the versatility in his work and the effortless charm in his way.
Better known for his character Chicken George in the award winning 2016 miniseries _Roots_, followed by Shonda Rhimes’ legal thriller _For The People,_ and Peter Jackson’s sci-fi blockbuster _Mortal Engines,_ Regé-Jean Page now stars in the new Netflix drama series _Bridgerton_, and supports the role of Chico in the Amazon movie _Sylvie’s Love_, out December 25th, and December 23rd, accordingly.
Never Christmassy enough though, Regé will star in _Cinderella: A Comic Relief Pantomime for Christmas_ as Prince Charming alongside Olivia Colman as the Fairy Godmother, Tom Hollander as Baron Hardup, Helena Bonham Carter as Lady Devilia, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Cinderella. Out this Christmas on BBC Two.
_Flaunt_ chatted with Regé about his start in the industry, his two upcoming projects, and his favorite role of all time.
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**How did you start acting?**
I was about 10 years old so basically from day dot. That kicked off my passion for drama school, and singing, dancing, acting, basically doing all the things in the house. I acted as a little kid, which was fine, I didn’t really take it in, but it was fun—paid for my gameboy, and then I kind of forgot about it, for a while. And then when I went to University I realized that there are a bunch of people out there that were able to work from it and have it as a job that I hadn’t seen before. Then I went from there, kept doing it, went to drama school, got out of drama school, applied for jobs, and so far it’s going alright, I think.
**Yeah, you really haven’t stopped acting since.**
\[Laughs\] It has been a while. I am just happy that it keeps allowing me to pay the rent.
**What can we expect from your new show Bridgerton?**
You can expect a period drama as you’ve never seen it before. Faster, wittier, funnier, sexier. More glamorous. It’s kind of like a big bittersweet, colorful hug. Beyond that you’ll have to watch it to find out.
**Can you describe your character the Duke?**
The Duke, Simon Basset, is a tall, dark, handsome, mysterious, clearly broken, complicated kind of man. He is a really, really broken man, and he needs to find love, essentially.
**How did you prepare for the role?**
I prepared for the role the same way I prepare for any role. It was all about the timing, the type of character he is is very much within the tradition of byronic heroes. So I looked at what had come before and what we can do to comment on it and see what we are saying about these romantic heroes and who they are in the 21st century. I put that into the story, and I kind of just took it from there.
**BOTTEGA VENETA** sweater and turtleneck, **DIOR MAN** trousers, **TOD’S** boots, **HERMÈS** scarf.
**RALPH LAUREN** coat, **LOUIS VUITTON** turtleneck, **BOTTEGA VENETA** trousers, **CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN** boots, and **AUDEMARS** **PIGUET** watch.
**Do you think Simon is a hero or a villain?**
I think there’s no such a thing, necessarily, as a hero or a villain. It kind of depends on how you look at people and what story you like. I kind of precise a character’s redemption story, like how can you redeem this person from whatever they are, how can we explore what part of our childhood let us to be like this. I think Simon in many respects is thoroughly broken and toxic, and not attractive at all, but that is on the surface level. Underneath, we have this incredibly intelligent, generous, complex man that needs to figure out all the ways that he’s broken in order to release that and come out from all this darkness, and just be a bit more human. I think that is the most important, that we are exploring a theme that is very much present in the conversation in the 21st century, and we can contribute to that conversation by looking back and seeing what was a very powerful patriarchy in the 19th century.
**The show is obviously not a 21st century show, but it touches on a lot of our current issues, like feminism, LBGTQ acceptance, and just being who you are...**
We wanted to create a show with a very 21st century energy. It’s not relevant to tell the same stories over and over again in the same way, it’s very much Jane Austen post English theory. We wanted to pick all the conversations that we had since the genre came to being and bring those back to our perspective in the genre, to refresh it, bring it back to light in a way they hadn’t before to present it to a 21st century audience.
**What’s your favorite thing about the show?**
Probably that. \[Laughs\]. But short of that, I like how warm it feels. I like how human it is. I like that I think I am going to look forward to watching it on Christmas, because I need a big, fuzzy hug at the end of this year. I think a lot of people do.
**BOTTEGA VENETA** sweater and turtleneck, **DIOR MAN** trousers, **TOD’S** boots, **HERMÈS** scarf.
**HERMÈS** jacket and joggers, **BVLGARI** necklace, and **BRUNO MAGLI** boots.
**You also have another movie coming out around Christmas, Sylvie’s Love, what can you tell us about that one?**
I do, I do. It’s going to be a very eventful Christmas. Similarly, it is very human, a gorgeous period piece from the 1960s. It’s another love story. It is another story in which we get to spotlight Black joy. It is a period piece in the media landscape that people have been working very hard to rectify. It’s just a good, old fashioned, warm love story.
**Can you tell us about your character, Chico. What are the differences and similarities between him and Simon from Bridgerton?**
Chico is a different type of gamble. Simon doesn’t know how to crack a smile, Chico doesn’t know how to stop smiling. Simon needs to learn to love himself, Chico probably loves himself a little bit too much. But they are both very charming men. Chico is a drummer in a jazz band, so he kind of dances through the time and the space with rhythm, and has no problems finding ways to enjoy himself.
**What has been your favorite character to play to this day?**
Oh no. It’s like picking your favorite children, you love them all for different reasons. It’s a toss up between probably George in Roots and Captain Khora in Mortal Engines, for very, very different reasons. George was an incredible acting journey, I got to play him from the ages of, I think, 17 till about 55. It’s kind of hard not to fall in love with a character that goes through a journey like that. And Khora was just the most fun I’ve ever had. But Chico is pretty great, and Simon is pretty great, you know. Don’t make me choose.
**Do you have any other upcoming projects?**
I couldn’t possibly say. A lady never tells.
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Photographed by [Stefano Galli](https://www.instagram.com/ste_galli/)
Styled by [Jenny Ricker](https://www.instagram.com/jennyricker/)
Groomer: [Christine Nelli](https://www.instagram.com/nellichristine/)
