Anyone who watched the first season of Netflix’s hit series, Bridgerton, knows that Rége-Jean Page is a total star. As Simon Basset, Page portrays the Duke of Hastings with all the charm and arrogance of true nobility. During his romance with Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor), Page exudes the necessary steaminess needed to pull off some of the most heated love scenes in television history. In just eight episodes, Page proved that he can be a successful leading man, earning a nomination for Best Actor in a Drama for the 2021 Emmy Awards. So, fans were rather shocked when it was announced that Page would not be appearing in Season 2 of the series.

Page has maintained that the plan was always for him to film only the first season of the show (which is what his contract stipulated), however, some fans likened his early exit from Bridgerton to those of successful actors (like Dan Stevens from Downton Abbey), who bowed out of the shows that made them famous in the hopes of landing larger projects. Despite that, Page has already demonstrated that he shouldn’t be pigeonholed into any one type of role. If his past parts are any indication of his success going forward, Page will continue to pick projects that show off his range. Before Bridgerton, the British actor first caught the attention of audiences in a role in an ABC legal drama that aired from 2018 to 2019.

‘For the People’ Is a Solid Two-Season Drama

For the People is a series by executive producer, Shonda Rhimes (who also produced Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, and of course, Bridgerton), and follows a group of young lawyers (both prosecutors and public defenders) who are trying to make it right out of law school. The series is set in the high-stakes Southern District of New York Federal Court, which is known as The Mother Court.

The young lawyers are trying their best to learn the ropes (while keeping their moral compasses intact), and there are several older and wiser lawyers and court figures who act as mentors and guides through the legal system. These parts are played by seasoned professionals, such as Hope Davis (Your Honor), Ben Shenkman (Billions), Anna Deavere Smith (Nurse Jackie), and Vondie Curtis-Hall (Justified: City Primeval). There is a ton of tension and intrigue as the lawyers argue different cases each week, and tons of heartbreak ensues when they each face some hard-to-swallow losses in the courtroom. Of course, since this is a Shondaland show, there are also plenty of romantic attachments and interpersonal drama between the characters, but it’s these young professionals’ quest for victory that makes the show sing.

Page plays one of the young lawyers named Leonard Knox, a whip-smart Assistant U.S. Attorney who is extremely ambitious and driven. Leonard is committed to doing anything to get ahead in his career with some major mommy issues (his mother is a U.S. senator), but he doesn’t mind using her connections or his wealth when it suits him. He can be a bit smarmy and cold when he’s trying to get his way, but Page also imbues the character with a ton of magnetism and charisma. He plays well off his co-stars, who also include fellow up-and-comers such as Britt Robertson (The Rookie: Feds) and Jasmin Savoy Brown (Yellowjackets). They all accept that Leonard might not be the most empathetic person, but he sure is a damn good lawyer, absolutely unmatched in his aspirations for greatness.

Rége-Jean Page Steals Every Scene in ‘For the People’

Leonard is not a super likable character (he definitely doesn’t always showcase the qualities of a hero), but that’s because his ambition often affects his decisions in a major way. Page is able to strike an interesting balance while playing Leonard, who vacillates between being charming and arrogant (which is also on display during Page’s portrayal of the Duke in Bridgerton). Because of the nature of the ensemble cast, Page doesn’t always get a ton of screen-time in this supporting role, but the actor was able to make the most of his character.

Audiences learn that Leonard has a complicated relationship with his mother, and this vulnerability is played out in smaller moments (such as when he reveals that he was tasked as early as age 10 to appear in his mother’s campaign videos to make her more appealing to voters). Because of this, Page makes sure that his character is three-dimensional and more human than just a wealthy guy who wants to reach new levels of success.

Page steals the spotlight in many scenes in For the People, but the series never really caught on with audiences in the same way that other Shondaland shows have. The ratings never averaged more than 4 million viewers during its two-season run, but they were not an indication of the show’s quality. Although the series falls into the procedural category, a critic from Entertainment Weekly noted, “[The show] is formulaic in the best way possible, meaning it delivers exactly what you want from a Shondaland drama—and perhaps a little bit more.” Besides the low ratings, Rhimes had already committed to a contract with Netflix and wasn’t going to be bringing any new content to ABC. So, the network decided to pull the plug after the Season 2 finale in May 2019.

‘For the People’ Marked a Turning Point in Rége-Jean Page’s Career

After For the People was officially over, Page made his way over to Bridgerton. He was then quickly cast in Netflix’s film, The Gray Man in 2022, and reached an even larger audience with his role as Xenk in 2023’s Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Although the past few years haven’t seen as much of a bonanza in his career as folks anticipated, there are signs that Page’s trajectory is still on the rise.

He has started pre-production for his role as Butch Cassidy in a series called Butch & Sunshine for Amazon, and there have been some rumors that Page might even be considered fas the next James Bond. No matter where he goes next, though, fans of Page can re-watch his swoon-worthy performance in Bridgerton or catch all 20 episodes of his stellar work in For the People.

For the People is available to stream on Hulu in the US.