Jonathan Bailey thought he ‘needed to be straight’ to be happy
The 33-year-old actor is currently starring in the West End revival of Cock, with Taron Egerton.
Words: Alastair James; pictures: Matt Crockett
Cock actor, Jonathan Bailey, has opened up about reconciling his sexuality with his work saying that he once thought “in order to be happy I needed to be straight,” before realising that wasn’t the case.
The 33-year-old actor, who is currently starring opposite Taron Egerton in the West End revival of Mike Bartlett’s seminal work, is one of a growing number of prominent openly gay British actors and has held leading roles in productions such as Netflix’s regency era set drama, Bridgerton.
In the interview, Bailey remembered a friend once shared advice he’d been given by someone in the acting industry.
“I thought that in order to be happy I needed to be straight”
“At the time he [Bailey’s friend] was told, ‘There’s two things we don’t want to know: if you’re an alcoholic or if you’re gay,'” Bailey shared.
Bailey continued: “All it takes is for one of those people in that position of power to say that, and it ripples through. So, yeah, of course, I thought that. Of course I thought that in order to be happy I needed to be straight.”
But eventually, he told GQ, he realised that his own happiness was far more important.
“I reached a point where I thought, ‘Fuck this’, I’d much prefer to hold my boyfriend’s hand in public or be able to put my own face picture on Tinder and not be so concerned about that, than get a part.”
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It is also revealed that his role in Cock came about through conversations he had with the director, Marianne Elliott, who had directed him in his Olivier Award-winning turn in the West End revival of Company.
She tells the magazine: “We’d read many scripts with the specific task of finding something for Jonny Bailey.”
On being approached by producers of multiple (unnamed) projects that clash with his Bridgerton schedule and being told by said producers they were happy to wait for him, Bailey adds: “You always think they’re going to move on – and it’s only for a moment.”
Bridgerton Season 2 is due on Netflix on 25 March. Tickets for Cock are available here.
Attitude’s new-look March/April issue is out now.
