The Wicked casting directors just revealed why Fiyero was almost played by a completely different actor instead of Jonathan Bailey. The newly-crowned People‘s Sexiest Man Alive has had an extremely busy schedule in recent years, with projects like Bridgerton, Jurassic World Rebirth, Wicked, and Wicked: For Good taking up much of his time.
It was precisely because of that busy schedule that Bailey almost turned down Wicked. Casting directors Bernard Telsey and Tiffany Canfield told People that during the casting process for the two-part cinematic experience, the actor already had “three other jobs at the same time.”
However, Canfield refused to “take no for any reason,” even though several people kept saying the actor wasn’t available. Thus began the “hard process” of trying to cast Bailey in the role of Fiyero.
Both Telsey and Canfield were already familiar with Bailey from the 2018 West End revival of Company. He happened to be traveling to New York one day before the casting process even got officially underway and met up with the casting directors. At the end of the meeting, Telsey told Canfield, “That guy should be Fiyero, right?Check out Telsey’s comments below:
We knew who Johnny was because we saw him in Company on the West End. It’s our job to follow actors even if we don’t know him personally or we haven’t seen him on a regular basis. But he was coming through New York way before we started, and we sat down and did a general with him. And I remember (saying) ‘Tiffany, that guy should be Fiyero, right?’
The task proved extremely difficult, but neither Telsey nor Canfield was willing to “give up” on Bailey, no matter how busy his schedule was. Duncan Millership, Bailey’s manager, played a pivotal role in casting Bailey as Fiyero.
The actor submitted an audition tape, and Canfield was taken by the “cheekiness“and”mood“he brought to the character, as well as the”real humanity“and”real vulnerability.”
When (the self tape came in, we) were like, ‘That’s what we need.’ The cheekiness, the humor, but the real humanity too. The real vulnerability.
Eventually, “the clouds opened up and he’s in it,” Telsey concluded.
A lot of people told us he wasn’t available and we just wouldn’t take no for any reason. We all just kept trying and, bingo, the clouds opened up and he’s in it.
There was a recent example that proved how busy the actor really is. Bailey was absent during most of the NBC special Wicked: One Wonderful Night because he was in London for a different job. Wicked co-star and Saturday Night Live cast member Bowen Yang filled in for him on “Dancing Through Life.” Bailey was present for the pre-taped conversations with the cast that were interspersed throughout the special, though.
Jonathan Bailey’s movie and TV career catapulted into the stratosphere over the past few years due to the huge success of Bridgerton, Jurassic World Rebirthand the two Wicked films. He recently revealed he’ll be stepping back from acting for a little bit in 2026 to focus on his LGBTQ+ organization, The Shameless Fund.
Fans will still be able to see Bailey on their screens in early 2026, as he’s returning to the role of Lord Anthony Bridgerton in Bridgerton season 4, which premieres January 29 on Netflix.
The natural charisma and confidence that Bailey brought to Fiyero, and his ability to hold his own opposite the likes of Ariana Grande-Butera and Cynthia Erivo, proved the Wicked casting directors right in their determination to hire him. It’s also possible that he wouldn’t have become the Sexiest Man Alive without Telsey and Canfield.
- Created by
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Gregory Maguire, Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman
- Movie(s)
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Wicked, Wicked: Part Two
- Character(s)
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Elphaba, Glinda, Fiyero, The Wizard, Madame Morrible, Nessarose, Boq
The Wicked franchise is based on the 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. It explores the untold story of Elphaba, the misunderstood green-skinned girl who would later become known as the Wicked Witch of the West, and her complicated friendship with Glinda, the Good Witch. The franchise began as a highly successful Broadway musical and has since expanded into global stage productions, a forthcoming two-part film adaptation, and various other media.
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