Much of the internet was in mourning on Saturday over the news that Regé-Jean Page, the breakaway of Netflix’s Bridgerton, will not be returning for season two.
The producers of the hit series posted the news about Page’s departure on social media and the style of Lady Whistledown, the gossipy narrator of the series, who plays in Regency England, and quickly gained notoriety for his steamy sex scenes, which regularly featured Page appear.
‘While all eyes are on Lord Anthony Bridgerton’s quest to find a Viscountess,’ says the letter, ‘we pray for Réne-Jean Page, who played the Duke of Hastings so triumphantly. We will miss Simon’s presence on screen. ”
It was a reference to Page’s character, Simon Basset.
Heartbreaking emojis filled the comments below the post. Celebrities were under the sadness.
“Wait !!! WHAT ???? “said Kim Kardashian.
Shonda Rhimes, whose production company Shondaland Bridgerton created, paid tribute to Page and reminded fans: “He’s just waiting to see it again.”
Page played a central role in Bridgerton as his heartbreaker. In December last year, he told the Guardian it was a “glamorous, ambitious Cinderella fantasy of love and romance” and he greeted the color-blind cast.
“We see this Regency romance through a feminist lens,” he added, “and explore what masculinity means to a broken antihero like my character and how he can then allow it to change and be loved.”
This week, Page told Variety that he knew the time of the program would be short-lived. His character was always meant to experience a ‘one-season arc’, he said, adding: ‘It felt like a limited series. I come in, I can make my contribution and then the Bridgerton family rolls in. ”
Netflix reported that Bridgerton is the most-watched series ever, with 82 million households watching it within 28 days of release.
The Duke of Hastings was Page’s breakthrough role. He then hosted Saturday Night Live and appeared in a Netflix spy thriller, The Gray Man, starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans. He also plans to take a lead role in an adaptation of the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.