Something's changed for Wicked star Jonathan Bailey, and something's not quite right – he's named People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive for 2025.
The magazine's selection was announced Monday night on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Bailey takes up the mantle from The Office and Jack Ryan star John Krasinski, who was 2024 choice.
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“It’s a huge honor,” Bailey, 37, told the magazine. “Obviously I'm incredibly honored. And this is completely absurd.”
Audiences swooned over Bailey as Prince Fiyero in his 2024 big-screen debut in the hit musical Wicked, in which he proudly encourages fellow students to join him in his superficiality. The second half will hit theaters on November 21.
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He was full of charm as Lord Anthony Bridgerton in the Netflix series “Bridgertons” and received a 2024 Emmy Award nomination for his role in the Showtime series “Hitchhikers.” He most recently starred in Jurassic World Reborn, which was released in July.
Bailey told Fallon the title was “the honor of a lifetime.”
“I'm kind of thrilled that People magazine invited someone and gave this honor to someone who really appreciates the value of a sexy man,” he said.
Bailey told People magazine that he knew he wanted to be an actor since he was 5, and his grandmother took him to see a production of the musical “Oliver!” He achieved this success in two years, performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Since then he has had a variety of stage credits, including the title role in Shakespeare's Richard II in London earlier this year.
Bailey, an openly gay actor, founded The Shameless Fund, which helps support LGBTQ+ organizations.
“I know the LGBT sector is under enormous threat right now,” he said. “So it was amazing to meet people who have experience and see potential that I could only dream of.”
The first Sexiest Man Alive was Mel Gibson in 1985. Other past honorees include Brad Pitt, George Clooney, John F. Kennedy Jr., David Beckham, Michael B. Jordan, John Legend, Dwayne Johnson, Paul Rudd, Pierce Brosnan and Patrick Dempsey.
Bailey, who will be the featured story in People's issue out Friday, had to remain tight-lipped about the news. But he admitted to the magazine that he couldn't keep it a complete secret – he shared the news with his dog Benson, who will also be featured in the magazine.
