NEED TO KNOW
Jonathan Bailey knows everything is awesome.
Chatting with PEOPLE at the New York City premiere of Wicked: For Good on Monday, Nov. 17, the actor, 37, who was crowned PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive earlier this month, was presented with his own Lego mini-figure, which matched his look on the magazine cover.
“That is so good,” Bailey said with a grin. “Oh my goodness me.”
Bailey added that he felt so “cold and emotional” at the chilly New York premiere that in about “an hour’s time,” he will be as “soggy” as he appears on the magazine cover.
Speaking to PEOPLE for his cover story, Bailey shared his love for Legos, telling us that building a Lego set was one of his perfect date ideas. He also included “doesn’t like Lego” among his list of “deal-breakers.”
In addition to his fan-favorite role as Bridgerton’s Lord Anthony Bridgerton, Bailey is perhaps best known for his role as Fiyero in the Wicked franchise. Fiyero is a prince involved in a love triangle with Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Elphaba, a.k.a. the Wicked Witch of the West (Cynthia Erivo) — a triangle that will conclude in the sequel, which picks up in the aftermath of last year’s Jon M. Chu-directed film.
“Elphaba, now demonized as The Wicked Witch of the West, lives in exile, hidden within the Ozian forest while continuing her fight for the freedom of Oz’s silenced Animals and desperately trying to expose the truth she knows about The Wizard,” reads a synopsis for the sequel, in part.
“Glinda, meanwhile, has become the glamorous symbol of Goodness for all of Oz, living at the palace in Emerald City and reveling in the perks of fame and popularity,” the synopsis continues. “Under the instruction of Madame Morrible, Glinda is deployed to serve as an effervescent comfort to Oz, reassuring the masses that all is well under the rule of The Wizard.”
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Ahead of the highly anticipated sequel, Bailey was crowned PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive — a title the leading man was happy to accept.
“It’s a huge honor. Obviously I’m incredibly flattered. And it’s completely absurd,” he previously said with a laugh. “It’s been a secret, so I’m quite excited for some friends and family to find out.”
After his Wicked pals found out about the title, they had plenty to say.
Grande, 32, reposted his PEOPLE cover shoot, while Erivo, 38, wrote in part, “Now the world knows what I’ve known all along.” The actresses also joined the rest of the Wicked cast in a video congratulating Bailey on the coveted honor.
Along with Marissa Bode (Nessarose), Jeff Goldblum (The Wizard), Ethan Slater (Boq), Bowen Yang (Pfannee) and director Chu, the stars united to give Bailey their stamp of approval in a compilation video.
The group sang his praises while rocking sweatshirts printed with his Sexiest Man Alive photos — including one that led Yang to dole out the “looks best in a singlet while doing gymnastics” award.
People Magazine
For more, including cast interviews and exclusive behind-the-scenes photos, pick up PEOPLE’s new special edition all about Wicked: For Good, available now.
Though Bailey’s star is rising due to his roles in the Wicked films and this year’s Jurassic World Rebirth, the actor revealed in September that he is taking a break to focus on running his charity, The Shameless Fund.
Wicked: For Good is in theaters Nov. 21.
