Hollywood is still obsessed with why Regé-Jean Page – the breakthrough star of Netflix’s most watched series ever, “Bridgerton” – walked out after just one season.
The Hollywood Reporter wrote in its last postmortem on Tuesday that the actor had signed a one-year contract, but then “ got the chance to return as a guest star in three to five episodes of season two – at a rate. of $ 50,000 per episode – but declined. ”
Page had already said he was attracted to his role because it only had a “one season arc.” He told Variety: “I can come in, I can do my bit and then the ‘Bridgerton’ family will roll on.”
THR further reported on Tuesday that “Sources say almost everyone around the show knew Page only had a one-year contract,” and that Page was “laser-focused on his burgeoning film career.”
His agents are apparently “inundated with movie offers” and there is even a fanatical zeal for him to take over the role of James Bond. He’s already filming a role in an upcoming “Dungeons and Dragons” movie and has had a role in a big Netflix movie from “Avengers: Endgame” gurus the Russo Brothers.
Perhaps adding to the obsession with Page’s departure from the Shonda Rhimes show is the industry’s history of once budding stars leaving TV hits for greener pastures, with varying degrees of success – from David Caruso’s infamous exit from NYPD Blue until the departure of Dan Stevens from “Downton Abbey.”
Season 2 of “Bridgerton” is filming, and another breakout still stars, Phoebe Dynevor, who also made headlines by quietly dating “SNL” star Pete Davidson.