Jonathan Bailey’s big 2025 movie schedule (and year) keeps getting bigger. The Bridgerton favorite is heading into the New Year with serious momentum, with Wicked: For Good’s release and being a hit, and PEOPLE’s announcement that he is the 2025 Sexiest Man Alive. Fans were thrilled, his costars chimed in, and even Bailey’s Oz family had thoughts. I cannot get enough of Bowen Yang and his Las Culturistas co-host Matt Rogers’ Wicked related response when asked about the Duke of Hastings era standout landing the sexiest man title.
When PEOPLE caught up with Yang and Rogers, the pair delivered exactly the kind of chaotic sincerity fans expect. Their responses were funny and fully flavored by the world of Oz. Rogers led the conversation, telling the outlet:
I think he truly embodies Fiyero, and I think Fiyero would be just as excited to have that title… It is tough to argue with PEOPLE Magazine on this one.
A clear endorsement by Rogers. Bailey fits the role and fits the honor. Yang followed with pride and the kind of playful ribbing you would expect from the SNL veteran funnyman. He added:
I mean, you [PEOPLE] kind of crushed it… See what happens when you guys get it right? Everyone’s happy. Not to say you have gotten it wrong in the past. Johnny is perfect. You got photos of him in a singlet and on gymnastic rings.
As Yang put it, the British actor is someone who gets to peacock, and no one is complaining.
Interestingly, Yang revealed he had to keep this secret for more than 2 weeks, so the Wicked: For Good cast could prepare their congratulations. That included filming celebratory videos in shirts featuring Bailey, which sounds exactly like the theater kid chaos fans would hope for. When the group finally went public, the reactions rolled out fast. Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jeff Goldblum, Ethan Slater, Michelle Yeoh, and director Jon M. Chu all posted praise. The official Wicked account called him the Sexiest Man Alive with heart emojis to spare.
Goldblum took it even further. In the cast video, he announced that Bailey is the sexiest man across every planet, universe, and multiverse. Yang added his own flourish by pointing out that the UK heartthrob looks his best in that now-famous singlet. Of course, anyone with a Netflix subscription has known how swoon-worthy the Bridgerton star is long before even his Wicked cast mates started weighing in.
The Jurassic World: Rebirth lead is expected to have a much quieter 2026 movie calendar, as he recently shared that he, and his “slutty little glasses,” are taking some much-needed time off from acting after his return for Bridgerton to help tell Benedict’s story in Season 4. But until then, we can still catch Bailey and Yang in Wicked: For Good, which hit theaters on November 21. So be sure to check your local listings for show times.
And if you missed the Wicked train and want to catch up with Prince Fiyero, you can watch the first chapter of the duology streaming with an Amazon Prime video subscription.