Let us rejoicify! Wicked film franchise star, West End Company Olivier winner, and Bridgerton leading man Jonathan Bailey has been named the Sexiest Man Alive by People Magazine.
To celebrate, Bailey paid a visit to The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to reflect on the honor, and the "emotional victory lap" that is Wicked: For Good.
“I’m so thrilled that People’s Magazine have bestowed this honor on someone who can really cherish the value of a sexy man," Bailey laughed. After 40 years of the annual edition, Bailey is the first openly gay man to grace the Sexiest Man Alive cover. Watch Bailey's full interview below.
Tickets are on sale now for the premiere of Wicked: For Good. Starring Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the films also feature Bailey as Fiyero, SpongeBob SquarePants star Ethan Slater as Boq, Emmy winner Peter Dinklage as Dr. Dillamond, Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Goldblum as The Wizard, and Marissa Bode as Nessarose, the first wheelchair-using actor in the musical's history to take on the role.
READ: Behind the Broadway Cameos and the New Song in the Wicked Movie
Stage and screen star Keala Settle, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Aaron Teoh, and Colin Michael Carmichael are also in the cast, with Settle as Miss Coddle, Carmichael as Professor Nikidik, and Yang, James, and Teoh as Shiz students Pfannee, ShenShen, and Avaric, respectively.
The screen adaptation, which includes new songs by Stephen Schwartz, is helmed by In the Heights screen director Jon M. Chu. Wicked book writer Winnie Holzman penned the screenplay with Dana Fox, and Tony winner Paul Tazewell designed the Oscar-winning costumes.
READ: The Wicked Film Features an 80-Member Orchestra—And the Full Overture
Wicked, injecting a new backstory onto the classic tale The Wizard of Oz, debuted on Broadway in 2003 and continues to be an audience favorite at the Gershwin Theatre. Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, the musical features music and lyrics by Schwartz and a book by Holzman. The original cast included Tony winners Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. The musical is now the fourth longest-running production in Broadway history.
The show won 2004 Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical (Menzel), Best Costume Design (Susan Hilferty), and Best Scenic Design (Eugene Lee).
READ: Who Is Oscar Diggs? Inside the Wicked Movie's Most Wonderful Easter Egg
