LONDON — “Bridgerton” star Jonathan Bailey says taking on the role of Fiyero, a dashing Winkie country prince, in musical movie “Wicked” allowed him to return to his roots.The British actor, who gained global fame with the hit Netflix Regency-era series, took ballet lessons as a youngster and began his career as a child actor in theatre productions.
“(The role) reminded me of two things in the sort of purest version of who I am. I loved dancing and I loved singing. And to be able to return to that, it all sort of feels full circle,” he said in an interview.
“Wicked” is based on Stephen Schwartz’s musical of the same name, which itself is an adaptation of the 1995 book by Gregory Maguire. It tells the story of a green-skinned young woman Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) who goes on to become the Wicked Witch of the West from the classic children’s novel “The Wizard of Oz.”
Pop star Ariana Grande plays the privileged and popular Glinda who meets Elphaba at Shiz University, where they also befriend Bailey’s Fiyero.
Bailey was filming “Fellow Travelers” in Toronto and “Bridgerton” in London when rehearsals for “Wicked” begun and had to get creative to prepare for the film’s elaborate song-and-dance sequences. This meant practising his steps on a long-haul flight and doing high leg kicks while eating his meals, the actor, 36, said.
Bailey said his “Bridgerton” experience helped him approach the highly anticipated production.
“I feel like I have had good training for it,” he said.
“I think ‘Bridgerton’ was an adaptation that was so successful, brilliant and genius and many people loved the books, but I feel the imagery in ‘Wicked’ is so iconic, so it is slightly different, said Bailey, adding “It’s exciting to share another fandom.”
The first chapter of the two-part “Wicked” film series is out in UK and US cinemas on Friday.
—Reporting by Hanna Rantala; editing by Jonathan Oatis
