After portraying Simon Basset in the first season of Bridgerton, Regé-Jean Page expressed his readiness to move on—but is his choice final?
Audiences were instantly captivated by Page and his character, the Duke of Hastings, when the Netflix drama debuted in December 2020.
His passionate onscreen romance with Phoebe Dynevor’s Daphne Bridgerton reached its conclusion when the couple resolved their conflicts and welcomed their son, Augie, in the season finale.
Although fans eagerly anticipated seeing more of Simon and Daphne in future seasons, Netflix later confirmed that Page would not be reprising his role.
Since departing from the hit series, Page has hinted at various upcoming projects, including The Gray Man and Dungeons & Dragons.
The English actor, who has also delved into voiceover work, previously disclosed that he chose to exit the Bridgerton cast’s group chat after leaving the period drama.
“I’m no longer in it,” he revealed in September 2021. “I respectfully exited. I didn’t want to put them in an awkward situation where they had to kick me out.”
Scroll down to see everything Page has shared regarding a possible Bridgerton return:
Not on His Mind
“It’s not something I thought about very much,” he told in March 2025 while filming for season 4 was underway. “I’m a bit of a racehorse. I focus intensely on what’s in front of me and then I go back to the stable and go to sleep.”
His Reasoning
Following his exit, the Harry Potter alum revealed that his role as Simon was always meant to be short-term.
“It’s a one-season arc. It’s going to have a beginning, middle, end—give us a year,” Page recalled discussing with producers in an April 2021 interview. “[I thought] ‘That’s interesting,’ because then it felt like a limited series. I get to come in, I get to contribute my bit, and then the Bridgerton family rolls on.”
He expressed excitement for the show’s continuation without him, adding, “But there is also value in completing these arcs and sticking the landing.”
No Longer the Focus
In April 2021, the Roots alum explained that his departure aligned with the structure of Julia Quinn’s book series.
“One of the things that is different about this [romance] genre is that the audience knows the arc completes,” Page told.
“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.”
Never Say Never
Ahead of season 2, Page addressed speculation that he might make a surprise appearance in future seasons.
“You know I couldn’t tell you!” he teased in GQ’s September 2021 issue. “Isn’t there something wonderful about being surprised by what you weren’t suspecting?”
A Reunion
When rumors surfaced about his possible return for season 3, Page took to social media to set the record straight.
“The boys are back in town. (No, I’m not going back to the show btw—the papers made that one up.),” he captioned an Instagram post featuring a photo of himself and Bailey in June 2022. “But we had the best, and most stylish, catch-up I’ve had in a while over some truly excellent Italian coffee and sunshine.”
Recast Reasoning
The London-born actor has made it clear that he would not be opposed to the production team recasting the Duke of Hastings.
“They’re free to do as they like,” Page told at the premiere of The Gray Man in July 2022. “Shonda and I had a wonderful conversation at the end of season 1. We were quite happy with how we stuck the landing on that one.”
The Harry Potter alum went on to acknowledge the fan admiration for his character.
“We did so well on that redemptive arc that people forget that Simon was kind of horrific. He was the best example of a Regency f—kboy that any of us had come across,” he continued.
“And so, because we came around full circle so well, because we stuck that landing, you’re left with this great feeling. You really do have to be brave about ending stories like that.”
Moving On
In July 2022, Page reflected on the enduring love fans have for his character.
“I mean, I’ll take the compliment that’s built in there. I’m so glad that they had a good time and they want more,” he shared on Good Morning America. “Shonda and I are still super proud of how we stuck that landing.”
He added: “Simon started from a very dark place. He was emotionally broken, and the fact that we had this beautiful redemption arc is what feels so good about him. He is now married, he has kids, he’s emotionally available, he’s communicating. They lived happily ever after, we’re not gonna touch that.”
