Will 'Bridgerton' Hunk Regé-Jean Page Be the Next James Bond?
The breakout star of Netflix's latest trending series "Bridgerton" is British actor Reg�-Jean Page, who plays the sexy Duke of Hastings in the Shonda Rhimes-produced series set in early 19th century Britain.
The show is based on Julia Quinn's novels that follow the fortunes of young debutantes competing for aristocratic husbands in the court of the absent King George III. Page plays the most eligible of the bachelors, largely due to his dashing good looks and bad-boy persona.
The role has given new status to the British-Zimbabwean actor, previously seen as Chicken George in the reboot of "Roots" and a regular cast member on the ABC series "For the People." So much so that he is being considered for one of the most coveted roles in filmdom: succeeding Daniel Craig as James Bond.
"The odds of British actor Reg�-Jean Page replacing Daniel Craig as super spy James Bond have considerably shortened following the success of his hit Netflix show 'Bridgerton,' according to British betting firm Ladbrokes," reports Variety.
Page hinted at his interest in the role with a tweet last month that made a sly reference to how Bond likes his martinis: "shaken and stirred," he wrote.
His odds with the sports betting site went from 40/1 to 5/1 with the arrival of "Bridgerton."
"Tom Hardy still leads the way as favorite, with James Norton close behind in second place. But it really is all to play for in the race for 007 and RJP has a great chance if the odds are anything to go by," Ladbrokes representative Alex Apati tells Variety.
But the timing of "Bridgerton".is seen as a factor that helps Page "What strengthens RJP's chances somewhat more is that an announcement feels seemingly imminent [around] Daniel Craig's replacement, so the timing of 'Bridgerton's' success may well have worked in his favor," adds Apati.
If Netflix is to be believed, "Bridgerton" is a "smash success," writes IndieWire. "The streaming giant announced earlier this week that 'Bridgerton' is projected to reach 63 million households in its first four weeks of release, making it the fifth biggest Netflix original series launch of all time. The show has reached number one in 76 countries, including the U.S., U.K., Brazil, France, and South Africa."
The Ladbrokes' odds (according to Variety) as to whom will be the next James Bond are as follows:
Tom Hardy — 6/4
James Norton — 7/4
Idris Elba — 7/2
Reg�-Jean Page — 5/1
Sam Heughan — 6/1
Richard Madden — 6/1
Jack Lowden — 8/1
Cillian Murphy — 10/1
Check out these pics from Page's Instagram: