Before filming on Wicked began, Jonathan Bailey knew there was someone—or rather, some horse—that he needed to work with again.
“I went ’round to see [director] Jon Chu before we started filming, I said to him, ‘I think I know who the horse is,'” Bailey reveals in a new behind-the-scenes feature posted on Wicked‘s TikTok. Chu, confused, asked Bailey what he meant, to which Bailey replied, “It’s Jack, the horse I’d ridden in Bridgerton, who I had an amazing relationship with.”
Both his characters–Fiyero in Wicked and Anthony Bridgerton in Bridgerton—are horseback riders, and so both projects required Bailey to work closely with an animal. In this case, it was the same horse.
“People say don’t work with kids and animals, but if it’s Jack, I’d say, ‘take the job, he’s a legend,'” Bailey says. Watch the mini clip on Jonathan and Jack on Wicked‘s TikTok:
In another interview on the Popcorn Podcast, Bailey also gushed about Jack, saying that the horse “needs to have a special mention, I worked with him on Bridgerton so we’ve built a trust and a rapport. He’s incredibly focused and can deliver a very stable scene partner.”
Wicked premieres on November 22 in theaters worldwide, and Bailey—along with the rest of the cast—have been on a whirlwind press tour promoting the film. Bridgerton season four is currently in production, and while Bailey is confirmed to return, it’s likely he will play a much smaller role in the upcoming season.
“I have a couple of weeks etched out in my schedule for returning,” he shared earlier this year about the Netflix Regency romance. “The thing about Bridgerton, which is so brilliant, is that there’s so many different ways you can fall in love as humans and that’s what this show will explore. Obviously being the older brother, I’m going to be there to support the youngsters as we go.“
