Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey opened up about hiding his sexuality at the beginning of his career. Back in 2020, Bailey stole the hearts of millions with his portrayal of the handsome Viscount Anthony Bridgerton on the hit Netflix series.
But unlike his character, who’s straight in the show, the 33-year-old identifies as a gay man in real life. Although Bailey has been able to thrive as an openly gay actor, it wasn’t always an easy feat.
In a recent interview with GQ, the Broadchurch star discussed the challenges he faced early on in his career and the advice a friend received during pilot season. “There’s two things we don’t want to know: if you’re an alcoholic or if you’re gay,” he recalled.
Bailey then said he clung to that piece of “advice” and remained in the closet “in order to be happy.” “All it takes is for one of those people in that position of power to say that, and it ripples through,” he explained. “So, yeah, of course, I thought that.