43 Facts About Jonathan Bailey

Jonathan Stuart Bailey was born on 25 April 1988 and is an English actor known for his dramatic, comedic, and musical roles on stage and screen.

Jonathan Bailey's accolades include a Laurence Olivier Award and a Critics' Choice Television Award as well as a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award.

Jonathan Bailey starred in contemporary plays such as The York Realist in 2018 and Cock in 2022; in classical plays like Othello in 2013 and Richard II in 2025; as well as in musicals, namely the London revival of The Last Five Years in 2016 and the West End gender-swapped revival of Company for which he won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical in 2019.

On screen, Jonathan Bailey starred in the action-adventure series Leonardo and the musical-comedy Groove High before becoming known for the crime drama Broadchurch and the comedy Crashing.

Jonathan Bailey gained wider recognition for his roles in the Regency romance series Bridgerton and the political miniseries Fellow Travelers which won him a Critics' Choice Television Award as well as a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Jonathan Stuart Bailey was born on 25 April 1988, in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, the son of Carole, an audiologist, and Stuart Bailey, who was the managing director of Rowse Honey.

Jonathan Bailey grew up in nearby Benson and Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, and has three older sisters.

Jonathan Bailey described his upbringing as a "co-operative of four brilliant women and a dad who has an incredible work ethic".

Jonathan Bailey attended the local Church of England-affiliated Benson Primary School, then The Oratory School while taking ballet lessons.

Jonathan Bailey later had a music scholarship to Magdalen College School, Oxford where he played the piano and clarinet.

Jonathan Bailey played Little Baptiste in the RSC's 1996 production of Les Enfants du Paradis.

Jonathan Bailey has done pantomime in a production of Peter Pan at The Hexagon playing Michael Darling.

In 2001, Jonathan Bailey played Prince Arthur for the RSC's King John.

Jonathan Bailey made his feature film debut in 2004 in Five Children and It, a film adaptation of E Nesbit's fantasy novel of the same name.

Jonathan Bailey's first leading role on television was in the 2009 BBC sitcom Off the Hook about a group of first-year university students.

In 2011, Jonathan Bailey played the titular Leonardo da Vinci in the 2011 CBBC action-adventure series Leonardo, which follows a young Leonardo and his friends in 15th century Florence.

Jonathan Bailey was nominated for Outstanding Newcomer at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards for his performance in David Hare's play South Downs at Minerva Theatre in 2011, and its later transfer to Harold Pinter Theatre the following year.

In 2013, Jonathan Bailey rose to popularity for playing the local journalist Olly Stevens in the first two series of the hit crime-drama Broadchurch on ITV.

Jonathan Bailey considers this his "big break" with Hytner becoming his mentor.

Jonathan Bailey originated the role of Tim Price in Duncan Sheik's musical American Psycho directed by Rupert Goold at the Almeida Theatre.

The episode was described by The Independent as "a fast-paced caper" with Jonathan Bailey stealing the show with his compelling performance as augmented human Psi.

Jonathan Bailey had a supporting role in the period film Testament of Youth.

Jonathan Bailey returned to comedy in BBC's satirical show W1A as Jack, a role he would play for three series.

Jonathan Bailey appeared alongside Ian McKellen in the acclaimed production of King Lear at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2017.

Jonathan Bailey received rave reviews for his performance as Edgar which the Evening Standard described as "a touching study of transformation".

Jonathan Bailey made a guest appearance in series two episode two of Michaela Coel's sitcom Chewing Gum in 2017 where he played Ash, a romantic interest to Coel's character Tracey.

From February to April 2018, Jonathan Bailey starred in Donmar Warehouse-Sheffield Theatres co-production of Peter Gill's The York Realist.

Jonathan Bailey joined the 2018 West End production of Stephen Sondheim's Company directed by Marianne Elliott.

Jonathan Bailey originated the gender-swapped role of Jamie which was initially written as a female character named Amy.

Since 2020, Jonathan Bailey has starred in the Shondaland-produced Netflix series Bridgerton, an adaptation of Julia Quinn's Regency romance novels, as Anthony, 9th Viscount Bridgerton.

Jonathan Bailey's portrayal was critically acclaimed, and gained him wide recognition.

Jonathan Bailey headlined the acclaimed 2022 West End revival of Mike Bartlett's play Cock at the Ambassadors Theatre, reuniting him with his Company director Elliot.

In 2023, Jonathan Bailey starred opposite Matt Bomer in the Showtime adaptation of Fellow Travelers.

Jonathan Bailey's performance was described by The Washington Post as "sensational" and won him a Critics' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries and earned him a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

Jonathan Bailey played Fiyero in the musical fantasy film Wicked based on the musical of the same name, and will reprise his role in its second part in 2025.

Jonathan Bailey was deemed a standout by critics with The Guardian writing that he "uncorks an outrageous scene-stealer as the hetero-camp Fiyero", and ABC News noting that his performance was a "display of song, dance and acting virtuosity".

Jonathan Bailey contributed to the film's soundtrack with the song "Dancing Through Life", which debuted at number 90 on Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 86.

Jonathan Bailey's performance earned him a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, alongside another nomination for the film's cast for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

Jonathan Bailey plays the titular role of Richard II at the Bridge Theatre in Nicholas Hytner's production of Shakespeare's play of the same name until May 2025.

Three days before the composer died in 2021, Elliott told him that Jonathan Bailey would be starring in the play Cock.

Jonathan Bailey is considered one of the leading LGBTQ+ figures in the entertainment industry and has been included in several influential lists including Attitude's Trailblazers in 2020, Variety's Power of Pride list in 2022, Out's Most Impactful and Influential in 2023, and The Independent's Pride List in 2024.

Jonathan Bailey privately came out as gay to friends and family in his early 20s, but did not comment on it in public for another decade.

In 2024, Jonathan Bailey launched the charity The Shameless Fund that "aims to help members of the queer community across the world live freely and authentically" by raising money through celebrity and brand partnerships.