NEED TO KNOW
The world is finally getting a glimpse of Jonathan Bailey’s self-tape audition he sent in for Wicked.
PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive Bailey, 37, appeared with his Wicked costars during NBC’s Wicked: One Wonderful Night special on Thursday, Nov. 6, where he, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Michelle Yeoh and other actors from the movie musical discussed their experience making the two-part film. Some cast members even performed songs from the movie.
At one point in the special, Bailey recalled that he sent a “crazy tape” for his first audition to play Fiyero in Wicked that he described as a “karaoke version” of his character’s song, “Dancing Through Life,” which he performed in last year’s Wicked: Part One.
“I was going to say ‘No Good Deed,’ ” he added with a laugh when Yeoh, 63, asked which song he chose for his audition tape. “I did ‘Dancing Through Life.’ But I did it at the five-minute call when I was doing a play. I’m worried about this sub-section – now we’re going to subtly cut to it.”
The special then played a video of Bailey, wearing a grin on his face and sunglasses in a dressing room, singing two of his lines from “Dancing Through Life.” As the actor mentioned, the video was filmed just minutes before he stepped on stage for an unrelated performance on London’s West End.
Bailey’s Wicked costars appeared impressed that he managed to focus on filming his audition tape directly before a separate performance.
“I can’t believe you did it on your five-minute call. How on Earth did you even have the [time]?” Erivo, 38, asked. “Well, you know, it’s such a—it’s like, you sort of go, it’s now,” Bailey responded. “Let’s play it. Let’s just do it. And I sang it, and it was the only way I was going to be able to do that tape.”
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Bailey was crowned PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive when he appeared on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to reveal his steamy cover on Tuesday, Nov. 4. His Wicked costars have proven majorly supportive since, with Grande, Erivo and Jeff Goldblum celebrating by wearing sweatshirts and T-shirts featuring photos from Bailey’s cover shoot on them.
Though Bailey’s star is rising due to his roles in the Wicked movies and this year’s Jurassic World Rebirth, the actor revealed back in September that he is taking a break from acting to focus on running his charity, The Shameless Fund. For now, though, fans can see him in Wicked: For Good when it dances its way into theaters Nov. 21.
