‘Bridgerton’ Cast React to Rege-Jean Page’s Exit: ‘Passing the Baton’

Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

'Bridgerton' Cast React to Rege-Jean Page’s Exit: 'Passing the Baton'

Farewell, sir! Regé-Jean Page was easily the breakout star of Netflix's Bridgerton — making it that much tougher for fans to wrap their heads around the fact that he wouldn't be returning for another season. Netflix announced the news in April, nearly four months after the series debuted and quickly became the most-streamed original show. The drama has been renewed for three more seasons. “Dear Readers, while all eyes turn to Lord Anthony Bridgerton quest to find a Viscountess, we bid adieu to Regé-Jean Page, who so triumphantly played the Duke of Hastings. We’ll miss Simon’s presence onscreen, but he will always be a part of the Bridgerton family,” the statement, written in Lady Whistledown's voice, read. “Daphne will remain a devoted wife and sister, helping her brother navigate the upcoming social season and what it has to offer – more intrigue and romance than my readers may be able to bear. Yours truly, Lady Whistledown.” [jwplayer NGDIqmy0] Shortly after the announcement, Page, 31, spoke out via Twitter. “Pleasure and a privilege! An honour to be a member of the family — on and off screen, cast, crew and incredible fans — the love is real and will just keep growing,” the For the People alum wrote. Bridgerton is based on Julia Quinn's novels, with each book following the love story of a different family member. While season 1 followed Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) as she fell in love with Page's Simon Bassett, the next season will focus on Jonathan Bailey's Anthony Bridgerton and his search for love. "It’s a one-season arc. It’s going to have a beginning, middle, end – give us a year,” the actor told Variety in April of his discussions with producers before he signed on. “One of the things that is different about this [romance] genre is that the audience knows the arc completes. They come in knowing that, so you can tie people in emotional knots because they have that reassurance that we’re going to come out and we’re going to have the marriage and the baby." Scroll through the gallery below for the cast's reactions to Page's exit. [podcast_block]

Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

'Bridgerton' Cast React to Rege-Jean Page’s Exit: 'Passing the Baton'

Farewell, sir! Regé-Jean Page was easily the breakout star of Netflix's Bridgerton — making it that much tougher for fans to wrap their heads around the fact that he wouldn't be returning for another season. Netflix announced the news in April, nearly four months after the series debuted and quickly became the most-streamed original show. The drama has been renewed for three more seasons. “Dear Readers, while all eyes turn to Lord Anthony Bridgerton quest to find a Viscountess, we bid adieu to Regé-Jean Page, who so triumphantly played the Duke of Hastings. We’ll miss Simon’s presence onscreen, but he will always be a part of the Bridgerton family,” the statement, written in Lady Whistledown's voice, read. “Daphne will remain a devoted wife and sister, helping her brother navigate the upcoming social season and what it has to offer – more intrigue and romance than my readers may be able to bear. Yours truly, Lady Whistledown.” [jwplayer NGDIqmy0] Shortly after the announcement, Page, 31, spoke out via Twitter. “Pleasure and a privilege! An honour to be a member of the family — on and off screen, cast, crew and incredible fans — the love is real and will just keep growing,” the For the People alum wrote. Bridgerton is based on Julia Quinn's novels, with each book following the love story of a different family member. While season 1 followed Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) as she fell in love with Page's Simon Bassett, the next season will focus on Jonathan Bailey's Anthony Bridgerton and his search for love. "It’s a one-season arc. It’s going to have a beginning, middle, end – give us a year,” the actor told Variety in April of his discussions with producers before he signed on. “One of the things that is different about this [romance] genre is that the audience knows the arc completes. They come in knowing that, so you can tie people in emotional knots because they have that reassurance that we’re going to come out and we’re going to have the marriage and the baby." Scroll through the gallery below for the cast's reactions to Page's exit. [podcast_block]

Credit: David Fisher/Shutterstock for BAFTA

Phoebe Dynevor

“I had a bit of a heads up, so I knew,” Dynevor said on the "Variety Awards Circuit Podcast” in May. “But yeah, I guess it is a spanner. But again, the show centers around the Bridgertons, and there are eight books. And I think maybe the fans of the books were more aware of that happening than the fans of the show. Because I think the fans of the books know that every episode is about a different sibling. And we’re very much passing on the baton to the lovely [Jonathan Bailey], who plays Anthony, and that will be the main storyline of season 2 and the story arc of season 2.”

Credit: Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock

Shonda Rhimes

“I don’t think I fully expected or understood what releasing all eight episodes around the globe at once was going to do,” the executive producer told The Hollywood Reporter in May. “I was like, ‘I’ve killed many a man that people adore.’ I’m so surprised that everybody is [losing it over a character we’ve watched] for eight episodes leaving.”

She added that Page is "an amazing actor and he did an amazing thing" on the show. "I also was surprised because the nature of this series is simply, this year it’s this couple, this year it’s [that] couple,” Rhimes noted. "I was just excited about the idea of being able to tell a complete romantic tale that has an end, where you’re not finding 14 other reasons why the couple can’t be together or frankly having Regé stand in the background of somebody else’s romance. That doesn’t make sense."

Credit: Dan Wooller/Shutterstock

Adjoa Andoh

“We all love Regé and we’re all going to miss Regé but it’s not a huge surprise,” Adjoa, who portrayed Lady Danbury on the series, said on E!’s Daily Pop in April. "We’re following the overriding framework of Julia Quinn‘s beautiful novels. There are eight Bridgerton children: one down, seven to go. Season two it’s Anthony Bridgerton so there you are. That’s the arc of the show."

She noted she'll miss "the way he loves to have a good argument [and] discuss and ruminate about things … We both share a love of punk. He’s a lovely man and he’ll be my friend for life."