Luke Newton is doing his homework in how to be a Bridgerton leading man.
Before season 3 — which will see his character, Colin Bridgerton, become the lover of Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) — Newton sought out his leading man predecessors, Regé-Jean Page and Jonathan Bailey, for advice.
Speaking to InStyle, Newton said that Page, who played the series’ first leading man, Simon, the Duke of Hastings, told him to go on a “big holiday before all the madness starts.”
“[Page] sort of grabbed me, gave me a big hug and was like, ‘Are you ready for this, bro?’” Newton said. Page departed Bridgerton following season 1 and has never reprised his role as Simon, husband to Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor).
Bailey had a different path. He became a mainstay and led season 2, which saw him fall in love with Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley). Newton told the outlet that Bailey has “been there kind of the whole way for me.
“We talk all the time, and it was really nice in season 2 seeing how he conducted himself on set, knowing that I’d be next,” Newton continued. “It was nice to see someone do it so well.”
Season 3 of Bridgerton premieres its first four episodes on May 14, with the second half airing June 13 on Netflix. Seasons 1 and 2, along with the spinoff, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, are now streaming on Netflix.