The 31-year-old celebrity kept it casual in black trousers and a tight white T-shirt on Friday, April 2, as he made his way to a vehicle with a bag in hand. Shortly before the sighting, which was seized by the Daily Mail, Page trended on social websites when Netflix verified he would not be showcased on season 2 of the beloved series.
“Dear Readers, while all eyes turn to Lord Anthony Bridgerton’s pursuit to find a Viscountess, we bid adieu to Regé-Jean Page, who triumphantly played with the Duke of Hastings,” the streaming agency wrote in a statement in the voice of Bridgerton’s anonymous narrator, Lady Whistledown. Daphne [Phoebe Dynevor] will remain a loyal wife and sister, helping her brother navigate the upcoming social season and what it has to offer — more intrigue and romance than my readers might be able to put up with. Yours truly, Lady Whistledown.”
Page later told Variety that he never intended to go back for season 2.
“It’s a one-season arc. It’s going to have a beginning, middle, ending — give us annually,” he said on Friday, imagining that Shondaland manufacturers pitched him the show because a one-season gig. “[I thought]’That is interesting,’ because it felt like a restricted series. I get to enter, I get to contribute my little, and the Bridgerton family rolls .”
Netflix picked up Bridgerton for season 2 in January, one month after the show started streaming and became among the very popular series of all time. The sophomore season will focus on Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey).
“The ride of a lifetime time,” Page wrote on Friday via Instagram. “It has been an absolute joy and a privilege to function as Duke. Joining this family — not only on screen, but off screen too. Our exceptionally creative and generous cast, crew, outstanding fans — it has all been beyond anything I might have imagined. The love is real and will just keep growing ❤️❤️❤️.”
The cast of Bridgerton is set to return (virtually) at the 2021 SAG Awards on Sunday, April 4. In addition to their own nomination for ensemble drama cast, Page is up for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series.