The British actor, who gained global fame with the hit Netflix Regency-era series, took ballet lessons as a youngster and began his career as a child actor in theatre productions.
“(The role) reminded me of two things in the sort of purest version of who I am. I loved dancing and I loved singing. And to be able to return to that, it all sort of feels full circle,” he said in an interview.
‘Wicked’ is based on Stephen Schwartz’s musical of the same name, which itself is an adaptation of the 1995 book by Gregory Maguire. It tells the story of a green-skinned young woman Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) who goes on to become the Wicked Witch of the West from the classic children’s novel ‘The Wizard of Oz’.
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Jonathan Bailey was filming ‘Fellow Travelers in Toronto and ‘Bridgerton’ in London when rehearsals for ‘Wicked’ began and had to get creative to prepare for the film’s elaborate song-and-dance sequences. This meant practicing his steps on a long-haul flight and doing high leg kicks while eating his meals, the actor, 36, said.
Bailey said his ‘Bridgerton’ experience helped him approach the highly anticipated production.
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“I feel like I have had good training for it,” he said.
“I think ‘Bridgerton’ was an adaptation that was so successful, brilliant, and genius and many people loved the books, but I feel the imagery in ‘Wicked’ is so iconic, so it is slightly different, said Bailey, adding “It’s exciting to share another fandom.”
The first chapter of the two-part ‘Wicked’ film series is out in UK and US cinemas on Friday.
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