Jonathan Bailey has established himself as one of the most talented and versatile actors in Hollywood. Coming from a background on the stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Bailey was able to transfer his ample theatrical skills to the screen, most notably with his swoon-worthy performance as Lord Anthony in the beloved Netflix period series Bridgerton.
Since that role made him a household name, Bailey has only gone from strength to strength, proving that he has both the power and the nuance to give comedic and deeply emotional performances. Here’s a look at some of the best Jonathan Bailey movies and TV shows, from his role as the chaotic Anthony in Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s comedy series Crashing to his latest starring role as the paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis in Jurassic World Rebirth.
Leonardo (2011–2012)
The two-season CBBC production Leonardo stars a young Jonathan Bailey as a teenage Leonardo da Vinci. Set in 15th-century Florence, the series follows the escapades of the young da Vinci and his friends, and a girl disguised as a boy named Lisa (the future inspiration for Mona Lisa). Set to a mix of Mark Russell’s original score and pop tunes of the day from groups like Blur, Gorillaz, and Arctic Monkeys, the series might seem a bit dated to today’s audience, but Bailey’s performance as the charming and rambunctious da Vinci remains a consistent highlight.
Broadchurch (2013–2017)
Broadchurch was and remains one of the UK’s most gripping crime dramas of the 21st century. Set in a picturesque small town off the coast of Dorset, the series follows the investigation into the murder of a young local boy whose body is found on the beach. The tight-knit community is torn apart, and it’s down to two detectives (played by Olivia Coleman and David Tennant) to find the person responsible. Jonathan Bailey plays the local reporter Olly, who tries to balance his ambitions with maintaining a respectful approach to covering the story.
Crashing (2016)
Just before her enormous success with Fleabag, the brilliant Phoebe Waller-Bridge released her first series, Crashing. It’s hard to believe the series only lasted one season (six episodes), because the characters have since become iconic. Crashing follows the story of six twenty-somethings living as property guardians in a decommissioned hospital in London. As they navigate various jobs and their precarious living situation, their personal lives also become entangled. While Waller-Bridge stars as the spirited protagonist Lulu, Bailey’s sex-obsessed Anthony brings an impressive amount of heartfelt chaos to the screen.
Bridgerton (2020–present)
While the first season of Bridgerton featured Jonathan Bailey’s stern older brother Anthony as a side character, he took centre stage in Season 2. During his season—which followed Anthony’s love story with Simone Ashley’s dazzling Kate Sharma—Bailey finally gets to show off his full range of emotions, and kicks up quite the thirst-storm that has since made him a household name.
Fellow Travelers (2023)
Fellow Travelers is an exquisite historical romance that follows the decades-long love story between Jonathan Bailey’s Tim and Matt Bomer’s Hawk, from their chance meeting in Washington DC in the 1950s to the 1980s. Tim is a congressional staffer, and Hawk is a World War II veteran and State Department official, and much of the series follows their behind-the-scenes flourishing romance set against the backdrop of an era of intense homophobia and the active political and personal persecution of LGBTQ+ people.
Wicked (2024)
Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s Broadway smash-hit musical Wicked was finally adapted by Jon M. Chu for the big screen in 2024. The film stars pop queen Ariana Grande and Broadway darling Cynthia Erivo as Galinda and Elphaba, the two witches at the centre of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The musical takes place in a time before Dorothy and shows how the witches respectively became the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda the Good. Jonathan Bailey plays Prince Fiyero Tigelaar, a free-spirited playboy who finds himself caught up in the drama between Elphaba and Galinda. Wicked finally allows Bailey to show off his hard-earned theatrical chops and his prowess in singing and dancing. Along with his portrayal of the character’s intense personal arc, his role in Wicked is one of his most compelling performances.
Jurassic World Rebirth (2025)
While Jurassic World Rebirth may have been met with mixed reviews from fans and critics, Jonathan Bailey’s brilliant performance (and his “little glasses") as paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis remains undisputed. Loomis heads to the remote Ile Saint-Hubert with Scarlett Johansson’s Zora Bennett and Mahershala Ali’s Duncan Kincaid, two covert ops specialists assisting in the procurement of DNA samples from the most dangerous genetically modified dinos on the island to make a drug that could save millions of lives.
Where To Watch The Best Jonathan Bailey Movies And TV Shows Online
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