Bridgerton’s romantic lead Regé-Jean Page has another Netflix fave: The Queen’s Gambit. Bridgerton is the latest smash hit from the streamer, recently revealed as the fifth-biggest launch for an original series. Page stars as Simon Bassett, aka the Duke of Hastings, who pretends to court Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) until their very real feelings get in the way. Meanwhile, the mysterious (and Gossip Girl-esque) Lady Whistledown drums up drama for Daphne’s family, their neighbors the Featheringtons, and even the Queen (Golda Rosheuvel) herself.
The Queen’s Gambit, which debuted in October, set its own record at Netflix, becoming the platform’s most viewed limited series of all time. The show followed Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy), an orphaned chess prodigy with a pill addiction. Beth battles her way to becoming the rare female chess champion while battling her personal demons at the same time.
The star of one Netflix juggernaut tipped his hat to another in an interview with Netflix Queue. Page told the outlet the chess-focused show was the last he’d watched, calling the series a "comfy pair of slippers." He joked about getting into tranquilizers in order to pull off Beth’s technique of imagining a chessboard on the ceiling, before saying, "Actually, you know what? Maybe I shouldn’t. I’ll stick with coffee."
While Beth’s tranquilizers may have enhanced her performance as a chess champion (definitely don’t try it at home), they probably wouldn’t be helpful for an actor. (Maybe Page’s version of the chessboard on the ceiling would be visualizing his character’s reactions in a scene?) However, Page did reveal his own trick for embodying Simon, which includes a very specific playlist. He revealed that "rhythm and tempo" help to find the similarities and differences between actor and character, naming disparate artists such as Deftones, Vivaldi, and Nina Simone as examples.
Though Page was just one of the many millions of viewers of The Queen’s Gambit, new content front the show likely won’t be forthcoming as it was conceived as a miniseries. Bridgerton, on the other hand, while not yet renewed, has much better chances for a second season. Both shows happen to be adapted from books, but The Queen’s Gambit novel was a standalone. Meanwhile, the Bridgerton series includes nine novels, so the television show has plenty of drama to draw from. In any case, both shows are likely to enjoy plenty more success - and perhaps even awards attention - in the months to come.
Source: Netflix Queue