Jonathan Bailey was named People's Sexiest Man Alive the night of November 3, less than three weeks before hitting the big screen once again in Wicked: For Good. The sequel to last year's box office and cultural juggernaut that was Wicked will see him reprise the role of Fiyero and deal with his complicated feelings for both Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) while being thrust into the role of Captain of the Wizard's Guard (if all of this was a spoiler, the musical does exist).
The English actor, 37, told the publication: "It's a huge honor. Obviously I'm incredibly flattered. And it's completely absurd. It's been a secret, so I'm quite excited for some friends and family to find out," joking: "They'll be furious that I haven't told them. And then they'll just squeal with delight. They've seen me grow up. Behind the mask of being identified as a sexy man are other truths that they know and they've witnessed. They know the secrets."
Jonathan's career began as a child actor on the stage before finding initial success on TV and stage in his early 20s. "When I was really young, I was very confident about who I was, and maybe I lost that as I grew up," he shared. "We're all sort of trying to get back to the origin, aren't we?"
Watch the moment Jonathan Bailey was named the 40th ever "Sexiest Man Alive" on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon below…
In honor of his title, we're looking back at some unrecognizable photos of the actor from some of his early years in the spotlight, before breaking into the mainstream as Anthony Bridgerton or Fiyero or Dr. Henry Loomis, walk with us…