Shonda Rhimes asked Regé-Jean Page if he would like to return on "Bridgerton " for season two.- He declined and told the executive producer that he "signed up to do this one lovely story."
Following "Bridgerton" fans' explosive reaction to news that Regé-Jean Page will not reprise his role as the Duke of Hastings on season two, Shonda Rhimes gave the British actor an opportunity to extend his one-season contract.
Page politely declined, she told Variety on Wednesday.
"Rightfully, he said, 'I signed up to do this one lovely story, this closed-ended storyline. I'm good!'" the executive producer recalled.
She continued, "And I don't blame him for that. I think that he was really smart to leave the perfection as the perfection."
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Because Simon Hastings (Page) and Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) got their happy ending at the end of season one, the narrative will move on to Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) on the show's sophomore season.
For Page, this format was part of the role's appeal, he told Variety when he announced his departure in April.
"It's a one-season arc. It's going to have a beginning, middle, end - give us a year," Page recalled Shondaland producers telling him during his early casting conversations. "It felt like a limited series. I get to come in, I get to contribute my bit and then the Bridgerton family rolls on."
Those involved with the casting process were aware that Page signed a one-season contract, but the news of his exit came as a blow to his fans, many of whom were not familiar with how Quinn's books progress.
"I was really shocked because usually, that happens when I've killed off somebody that's been around for a while. Like, we didn't kill him, he's still alive!" Rhimes said during an April interview with Vanity Fair.
She added, "I don't know that I expected this much of an explosion, given that every book [in the 'Bridgerton' series] is a different romance. What would be the ever-after of this combo? I mean, really: What would Regé-Jean do, you know what I mean? We gave them their happily ever after! And now we have this next couple coming. And so yeah, I was like, whoa!"
Some viewers have held out hope for a potential cameo from Page on future episodes, as the series has already been renewed through season four.
However, the actor reportedly turned down an offer to guest star on three to five episodes on the forthcoming season for $50,000 each, sources told The Hollywood Reporter.
His schedule is filled to the brim, nonetheless. He's landed roles in major productions such as "Dungeons & Dragons" and "The Gray Man."
Still, he didn't entirely shut down the possibility of an eventual return to "Bridgerton" when asked about a cameo during a September interview with British GQ.
"I couldn't possibly tell you!" he responded, adding, "Isn't there something wonderful about being surprised by what you weren't suspecting?"