Wicked’s Jonathan Bailey reveals he was ‘hyper conscious of his sexuality’ after enjoying a straight character and says making Heartstopper made him ‘nostalgic for what may have been’

Jonathan Bailey has revealed he was very aware of his sexuality after playing a straight character in Netflix‘s smash hit Bridgerton. 

The actor, 36, who is openly gay, explained that the media attention that came with the famous show put his sexuality into the spotlight.

Jonathan added that he felt very strange after his private life became part of the publicity for the show.

The Wicked star contrasted his experience on Bridgerton with working on Heartstopper, which he said he found cathartic, as he played a gay character. 

The Crashing actor told Vanity Fair: ‘Doing Bridgerton – it’s funny what comes with doing a lot of press, and suddenly there’s a lot that people want to know about you, and there’s a lot that’s asked of you that, obviously, in any other industry, you wouldn’t have to talk about. 

‘So I was hyperaware of the complexities and nuances of how I felt about myself being a gay man, let alone a gay actor, and suddenly finding success in playing a straight part and talking about that.’

Jonathan went on to discuss how much he loved Heartstopper and the graphic novel it’s based on, revealing he ‘wedged’ himself in to the part. 

He added however that it changed his view on growing up as a gay man.

He said: ‘Heartstopper seems to allow people to feel catharsis and to feel a sort of melancholic sort of nostalgia for what could have been. I was feeling all of those things anyway.’  

Jonathan went on to say he was amazed by the cast and the way they spoke about their own experiences.

He added that he wished that had been able to discuss his feelings when he was younger and that he believed everyone over the age of 40 should watch the show. 

The Broadchurch actor’s confession comes after fans lusted over him during the Sydney premiere of the his latest film Wicked. 

He sent the internet into meltdown after he posed alongside his Wicked costars in Australia – captivating fans across the globe with his muscular legs.

The Bridgerton actor was in Sydney promoting the upcoming musical blockbuster with fellow cast members Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo on Tuesday morning when photos quickly went viral.

Dressed in tiny black shorts and a black long-sleeved shirt, Jonathan instantly drew attention to his muscled legs, while posing alongside Cynthia and Ariana who opted for green and pink gowns respectively.

And fans simply couldn’t take their eyes off Jonathan’s bulging legs and raced to voice their thirst on social media. 

Taking to X, one said: ‘I’ll tell you what’s WICKED — my thoughts about Jonathan Bailey’s legs.

‘How do you even — what workout is he doing? RIP Mike of Angelo you would have loved him.’

Another wrote: ‘I want, no NEED, Jonathan Bailey’s legs wrapped around me.’

A third added: ‘Leave it to Jonathan Bailey to create a welcome, well-timed distraction from… well, everything by posing in short shorts.’

‘Sorry all I see are Jonathan Bailey’s legs in this picture. Oh wow!!’ a fourth said.

A fifth posted: ‘Jonathan Bailey is cordially invited to wrap his legs around my neck like a python.’

Jonathan is playing Elphaba’s love interest Fiyero Tigelaar in the two-part musical prequel to the iconic Wizard of Oz. 

The epic fantasy film is based on the 1995 book by Gregory Maguire that was later turned into a three-time Tony Award winning Broadway musical in 2003.

Directed by Jon M. Chu with an eye-popping budget of $145million, Wicked is split into two feature-length films, with the final chapter slated for November 2025.

Critics are already calling Wicked: Part One a ‘masterpiece’ that ‘pops and enchants on the big screen’ as audiences are welcomed to the fantastical world of Oz.

The film’s leads Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who play witches Glinda and Elphaba, respectively, are receiving high praise for their jaw-dropping vocals and onscreen chemistry.

The movie is about an unlikely friendship that emerges between Elphaba (Cynthia) and Glinda (Ariana), two clashing witches in the magical land of Oz.

Elphaba is wrongfully cast as a wicked witch as she seeks to expose the fraudulent, corrupt Wizard who rules the land.

Wicked is the origin story of ‘a green-skinned woman who becomes the Wicked Witch Of The West’, serving as a prequel to The Wizard of Oz.

The story delves into the former friendship between the characters Elphaba and Glinda many years before Dorothy’s arrival.

The cast also includes Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James and Peter Dinklage.