Dashing duke is ‘finer than fiction’

FINER than fiction! That is how acclaimed Bridgerton producer Shonda Rhimes described Regé-Jean Page, the dashing Duke of Hastings, as she bobbed a touching curtsy to the actor on his 2021 Time100 Next debut this week.

“You might dream of him, the one we call the Duke of Hastings,” Rhimes cooed, “But in reality, Regé-Jean Page is finer than fiction and better than any dream.”

The TV doyen went on to say: “His disappearance into character builds a vibrant world for us to enter, making it impossible to imagine any other actor playing the role.”

Page was set to host Saturday Night Live last night and Rhimes was quick to point out that he is one of “the very few actors who steal our attention so quickly”, something everyone noticed when Bridgerton was released on Netflix on Christmas Day.

“Regé is a singular talent whose prospects are limitless. Today, he may be our duke, by tomorrow… not even I can dream big enough to imagine.”

The actor and his Bridgerton co-star Phoebe Dynevor skyrocketed to fame following the debut of the period drama, so much so that many fans hoped the pair would start a real-life romance.

However, the 31-year-old was photographed outside his home in North London last week, embracing a woman who was identified by the Daily Mail as Emily Brown.

The tabloid said she’s a writer and soccer player who works with Football Beyond Borders, a project that helps young people from disadvantaged backgrounds get engaged in sport.