Regé-Jean Page: "I think of Bridgerton as a Happy Meal but with secret vitamins put in there"

Entertainment Weekly

The former Bridgerton star, in a Variety's Actors on Actors conversation with The Crown's Emma Corrin, explained his approach to his star-making role. "I was like, OK, cool. It's a period drama. It's Jane Austen-esque. Why are we doing this now? What does it have to contribute?" Page said, according to EW, explaining his thought process when he first read the script for the Netflix drama. "We have a couple hundred years between Jane Austen and where we're at now, which means we've got like five or six waves of feminism since. And so, in carrying the torch, we need to make some ground with it. Because Simon's an archetype that already exists. He's Darcy. He's Heathcliff. He's a tall, dark, brooding, emotionally stunted man." When Corrin shared that she thought Simon's journey was interesting "in terms of unpacking masculinity," Page took it one step further, likening the show - and the emotional journey of its heroes, both make and female - to a McDonald's hamburger. "We talk a lot with Bridgerton about it being female-centric, but also, what are men looking up to? What am I doing with this icon of masculinity? What's making this meal actually worth eating?" Page said. "I think of Bridgerton as a Happy Meal but with secret vitamins put in there. It's like a secretly healthy, organic burger."