He made hearts beat faster with his charismatic lead role in the Netflix series Bridgerton, a romantic hit.
And now Regé-Jean Page is being serenaded by Shonda Rhimes for the 2021 TIME100 Next list.
The 51-year-old writer and producer almost sounded like one of his fans in love as he gushed over the 31-year-old actor, calling him ‘finer than fiction’ and ‘better than any dream’.
Praised: René-Jean Page, 31, was serenaded to the pages of the TIME100 Next list by his Bridgerton producer Shonda Rhimes, 51; Page seen in LA 2018
“You could dream of him, the one we call the Duke of Hastings,” she began. “But in reality, Regé-Jean Page is finer than fiction and better than any dream.”
The Scandal-maker went on to describe Page as a ‘rare actor, someone who adds an intensity, an intelligence and a precision to his work, giving every scene endless depth’.
She went on to write that the actor’s enveloping performances “ build a vibrant world that we can enter, making it impossible to imagine another actor playing the part. ”
Rhimes concluded the short tribute by adding that “Regé is a unique talent with unlimited prospects.”
Lavish praise: “You could dream of him, the one we call the Duke of Hastings,” Rhimes began. “But in reality Regé-Jean Page is finer than fiction and better than any dream”; seen in 2019
Star to watch: Scandal’s creator further described Page as a “rare actor, someone who adds intensity, intelligence and precision to his work and gives endless depth to every scene”; still from Bridgerton
Today he can be our duke. Tomorrow … even I can’t dream big enough to imagine it, ‘she wrote.
Page stars on Bridgerton as Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings.
Its chemistry with its costar Phoebe Dynevor, who plays Daphne Bridgerton, was critically acclaimed, and the series as a whole received 89 percent new acclaim from critics sampled by Rotten Tomatoes.
Page and Dynevor were so compelling as fictional lovers that rumors surfaced that the two must have dated while filming the Netflix series, although the actress put that chatter to bed in an interview with You Magazine earlier this week.
“I’d like to say there was really something between us. But no, it has always been strictly professional, ”she said.
“There was so much pressure on us to get it right that it was all about the job. We have a very professional working relationship, ”continued. ‘I’m actually glad about that. It would be very complicated if it went on. ‘
Perfect Matches: Page stars on Bridgerton as Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings. His chemistry with his costar Phoebe Dynevor, who plays Daphne Bridgerton, is critically acclaimed; Seen together in January in London
Rising Star: Before starring in Brigerton, Page was best known for his role in the 2016 miniseries version of Roots and ABC’s legal drama For The People; pictured in 2016 in NYC
Strangely, when asked about a possible relationship with Access Hollywood during a January interview, Page avoided a straight answer.
“I think everything you need to know is on camera,” he said, before praising the show’s “beautiful scripts”.
Before starring in Brigerton, Page was best known for his role in the Tessa Thompson drama Sylvie’s Love, along with the 2016 miniseries version of Roots and ABC’s legal drama For The People.
He will be introduced to new audiences this weekend when he hosts Saturday Night Live for the first time.
More to follow: Bridgerton is the most recent success for Rhimes, who also worked with Page on For The People. Her next series is about a Russian-born fraudster known as Anna Delvey; seen in 2018
Bridgerton is the most recent success for Rhimes, who also collaborated with Page on For The People.
She will then write and produce the series Inventing Anna for Netflix.
The show, which she also created, is based on How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People in New York Magazine, about a Russian-born woman posing as a wealthy German heiress to cheat New York socialites.