‘Bridgerton’ Star Regé-Jean Page Said the Final Dance in Season 1 Was ‘Physically Exhausting’
Regé-Jean Page is one of the breakout stars of Netflix’s Bridgerton. The star rose to fame in 2020 with the popular series and has since taken up several other projects after leaving Bridgerton. Page has continued to look fondly back at his time in Bridgerton and said that the final dance in season one was physically exhausting.
Regé-Jean Page said the Viennese waltz was ‘physically exhausting’
Bridgerton fans tune in for the beautiful scenery, costumes, storyline, and representation. However, the show wouldn’t be complete without its host of reimagined modern pop songs such as Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams,” “Rihanna’s “Diamonds,” and Madonna’s “Material Girl.”
One of the final dances that the season’s protagonists, Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset, dance is the Viennese waltz, and although it looked flawless to the viewers, plenty of work went into ensuring it was just that.
Page sat down with Shondaland in 2020 to break down his character and answer a few questions about the show and himself. The interviewer asked the actor about his favorite dance of the season and the one that was difficult to learn.
Page said, “There’s a dance midway through the series that we rehearsed to Plan B’s ‘Writing’s on the Wall.’ It brought so much joy and was a real moment when the characters were able to release into each other.” Page revealed that they danced to several songs from artists like Beyoncé and Stormzy to help them find the perfect numbers for their characters before adding “the orchestral stuff.”
“The final dance you’ll see in the season was actually physically exhausting,” Page said, adding, “It’s just really athletic. These people had to be fit.” A waltz is a ballroom dance characterized by a triple turn and circular and smooth motions. The dance evolved in the 18th century and grew in popularity in the 19th century, according to Brittanica.
Regé-Jean Page had brutal workout sessions while playing duke Simon Basset
Page has a svelte physique which took many workouts to achieve, according to the star. Speaking to Mirror, Page revealed that he had to put in a lot of hard work to look good for his steamy sex scenes in Bridgerton. The 32-year-old star shared that he religiously followed an intense workout regime which he compared to Rocky Balboa’s workout in the Rocky franchise.
“I was up at 5am every day, going to the gym, meeting my trainer,” the Simon portrayer said. “He was horrible to me for an hour and a half every morning before the day started. I got my strength up just from surviving him,” he joked.
Page also recently talked about his workout routine while preparing for his latest role in the film adaptation of Dungeons & Dragons. The actor expounded on his routine at this year’s Comic-Con panel, saying he had the “best ass” of his life thanks to working out, per Entertainment Weekly.
“Lots of pushups, lots of sit-ups,” he said of the training process, adding, “It was lots and lots of stunts training, so my thighs were killing me, and I had the best ass of my life.”
Regé Jean Page left ‘Bridgerton’ after one season
After gaining fame as Simon Basset, Page opted not to reprise his role for the popular show’s second season, telling Variety, “It’s a one-season arc. It’s going to have a beginning, middle, and end.” The actor continued saying, “There is value in completing these arcs and sticking the landing.”
Since his exit from his breakout role on the Netflix hit, Page has landed roles in big-budget productions. In 2022 he starred alongside Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling in the $200 million movie The Gray Man. He is also set to appear in the star-studded Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and is attached to the role of Simon Templar in a reboot of The Saint.
