MadameNoire
Source: Bridgerton / Netflix
After his departure from the series was announced just over a week ago, Bridgerton fans are seemingly getting more insight as to why Regé-Jean Page won’t be returning for season 2 as the Duke of Hastings (a.k.a Simon Basset) on the hit Netflix show.
As reported by Page Six earlier today through “a Hollywoods source” who shared details on why the actor wouldn’t be returning as one of the show’s most popular stars, the decision ultimately boiled down to Page and Shonda Rhimes — the show’s creator — not agreeing on how his character’s trajectory would pan out in season 2. From what is sounds like, it mostly had to do with him wanting the show’s plot to focus on his character more that what the production crew had in mind.
“Regé is not coming back to ‘Bridgerton’ because of creative differences with [executive producer] Shonda Rhimes and her team,” the source explained to the outlet. Continuing to discuss how the actor didn’t see eye-to-eye with the production team regarding his character’s development in the next season, the source added, “He wasn’t happy with what was planned for his character for Season 2, which would have kept him a player but not the focal point of the show.”
If you recall, when news broke that the actor wouldn’t be returning to the show fans were devastated. Shortly after, coverage on Page’s choice to leave the hit series became even more interesting when reports later shared that the actor turned down an offer of $50,000 an episode to rejoin the cast.
At the end of the day, the source told Page Six that even though he and Rhimes couldn’t compromise on their vision for his character, Page didn’t leave the set on bad terms. Relatedly, if your hopping to see him in another project soon, the insider also shared that “Regé has been inundated with offers for other interesting and challenging leading roles.”
