Who Plays Anthony On Bridgerton?

When "Bridgerton" premiered in December of 2020, it became an instant hit. Based on the novels by Julia Quinn, "Bridgerton" is set in Regency-era London, with each season set to follow one of eight Bridgerton siblings as they search for their spouse. Season 1 focused on Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) as she fell for eligible bachelor Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page), the Duke of Hastings who once vowed to never marry or have children.

In the upcoming Season 2, the spotlight turns to the eldest Bridgerton sibling, Anthony (Jonathan Bailey), who, after years of enjoying bachelorhood, is now looking to find his wife at the behest of his impatient mother Lady Violet (Ruth Gemmell). When he meets the Sharma sisters, he immediately sees Edwina (Charithra Chandran) as his perfect match — only to find himself falling for elder sister Kate (Simone Ashley) instead.

With Anthony stepping into the leading man role, fans may be wondering more about the actor who plays him — so who is Jonathan Bailey?

While "Bridgerton" may have been many viewers' introduction to Jonathan Bailey, he has actually been working as an actor since 1997 when he made an appearance in one episode of "Bramwell" (via IMDb). A few years later, in 2001, he took on a more significant role and appeared in 12 out of 14 episodes of the TV series, "Baddiel's Syndrome."

Beginning in 2009, Bailey had significant arcs in a string of shows, including "Off the Hook," "Campus," "Me and Mrs. Jones," "Leonardo" and "Groove High." In a more high-profile role, Bailey played the supporting character of Olly Stevens on the crime drama "Broadchurch," starring David Tennant and Olivia Colman, from 2013 to 2015. He then worked with "Fleabag" creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge on the first show she created and wrote, "Crashing," in 2016 in the scene-stealing, hilarious role of frosted-tipped Sam. Before "Bridgerton" began, Bailey appeared in a couple of films, 2018's "The Mercy" and 2021's "Best Birthday Ever." "Bridgerton" is his most recent credit, and by far his biggest role to date. 

Speaking to Collider, Bailey described the easy decision to sign on for "Bridgerton." The actor said, "I think the idea of signing on to a sort of very commercial show and a show that is as expansive as this, that potentially could run and run, was something that I'd been wary of before, but reading 'Bridgerton,' it was a no brainer. Not only is Anthony just the most convoluted and brilliant and multi-faceted character, but you know, every single character is written in such a way that there's so much to play."