Rege-Jean Page
(Picture: Getty Images)Bridgerton star Rege-Jean Page is now the bookies’ favourite to be the next James Bond.
The 34-year-old British actor has beaten former frontrunners Henry Cavill and Idris Elba to claim top spot in the race to be the next 007.
Page shot to fame after starring as the Duke of Hastings in Netflix’s smash hit period drama Bridgerton in 2020.
William Hill has made him the odds-on favourite at 9-4 to play Bond in an upcoming reboot of the franchise.
It comes as ex-James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan and Bridgerton co-star Ruby Barker publicly backed Page for the role.
Barker said Page would make a “brilliant” James Bond, while Brosnan said he’d be a “wonderful” choice.
A spokesperson for William Hill said: “As the announcement draws ever closer, there’s no denying the same stars are circulating at the top of the market - with Rege-Jean Page having consistently overtaken the top spot since the launch.
“The notable silence around his next steps have not gone unnoticed, and he has the same suave quality that the production team will be looking for to continue Bond’s legacy. And while nothing’s confirmed as yet, it’s a good sign he’s returned to the top spot.”
Former favourite Tom Hardy has slumped to fourth place at odds of 5-1, while Michael Fassbender has climbed to seventh with odds of 7-1.
Page, who grew up in Harare, Zimbabwe before moving to London as a teenager, was last year confirmed as the lead in the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons film.
He’ll star alongside Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez in the movie, which will be based on the table-top fantasy game.
The 31-year-old was recently nominated for the SAG award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series for his turn as Bridgerton’s duke, marking his first major awards nod.
