While Regé-Jean Page and Phoebe Dynevor have become famous for their prominent roles in Bridgerton, many never knew that the pair both starred in the British school drama Waterloo Road in the very early days of their careers. Although Page and Dynevor don’t appear in every season of Bridgerton, they were the first main couple of the show, and they played a big part in it becoming such a huge success. Page and Dynevor were integral parts of the Bridgerton cast in season 1, but it wasn’t the only TV show in their filmographies that they shared.
Waterloo Road was one of the best BBC dramas ever when it aired between 2006 and 2015, which followed the various teachers and students at the titular school, and tackled all kinds of dramatic storylines, like teenage pregnancy, knife crime, and student-teacher relationships. The show was revived again in 2023, with the recent season 15 having just finished in April 2025. Although Waterloo Road’s ensemble cast changed regularly, Bridgerton’s Regé-Jean Page and Phoebe Dynevor were still remembered for their iconic characters long after they departed the show.
Phoebe Dynevor And Regé-Jean Page’s Waterloo Road Characters, Explained
Dynevor Portrayed Student Siobhan Mailey & Page Played Trainee Teacher Guy Braxton
Bridgerton actress Phoebe Dynevor was the first of the two to join the cast of Waterloo Road. Dynevor joined Waterloo Road in season 5 as student Siobhan Mailey, a stuck-up teenage girl who looked down her nose at others, but also had a deep need to fit in with her friends. Siobhan later got caught up in girl gangs, started bullying others, and even got a tattoo identical to two of her friends to try to impress them. Interestingly, Dyvenor starred in Waterloo Road opposite actress Jenna Coleman, years before she became the Doctor’s companion in Doctor Who.
Siobhan was only in season 5, so Dynevor was gone when Regé-Jean Page joined the cast in season 10. Page portrayed Guy Braxton, a trainee teacher who was hired at the titular school as part of a fast-track scheme. Guy immediately proved himself a passionate and talented educator, but he had a lack of organizational skills, and, paired with his financial struggles, he was all over the place. At one point during his time on the show, Guy was accused of touching student Carrie Norton inappropriately, but it was later revealed she was his younger sister whom he’d lost contact with.
Dyvenor & Page Had Similar Career Beginnings Before Starring In Bridgerton
From Small-Scale British Dramas To The Picturesque Streaming World Of Bridgerton
Looking back, it’s strange to realize that two of Bridgerton’s biggest stars started their careers in similar ways. Viewers outside of the UK are likely unfamiliar with the fact that Dyvenor comes from an acting family. Her mother, Sally, is famous in the UK for her decades-spanning role in the British soap opera Coronation Street, so it’s no surprise Phoebe is also a strong actress. Waterloo Road was Dyvenor’s first ever on-screen role at only 16 years old, unlike the rest of the cast, a majority of whom played students who were years younger than themselves.
Waterloo Road wasn’t Page’s first TV or movie job, but it was what really kick-started his career. Regé-Jean Page’s movies and TV shows before this mainly consisted of background and minor roles in titles like Fresh Meat and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, but Waterloo Road was the first project of his that gave him significant screen time and actual character development. While a lot of big names got their starts in Waterloo Road, it was odd that these two both ended up playing each other’s romantic interests as Daphne and Simon in Bridgerton.
Will Phoebe Dyvenor And Regé-Jean Page Ever Work Together Again?
It’s Possible, But Perhaps Not In Bridgerton
Bridgerton’s Regé-Jean Page’s careful response about returning to the show was quite clear that he has no plans to reprise his role as Simon Basset anytime soon. The actor hasn’t explicitly said no, but there definitely isn’t anything set in stone at this time. The same goes for Phoebe Dynevor, who recently confirmed she wouldn’t be coming back to Bridgerton for the second season in a row. However, never say never, especially as when Bridgerton does eventually come to an end, there could be a chance that all the show’s major characters will return for its final sendoff.
In the meantime, there are plenty of other great projects from the pair to check out. While Waterloo Road is a must, Regé-Jean Page’s Bridgerton replacement, The Count of Monte Cristo, is also on the way, and he is credited as both the titular character and as a producer. Phoebe Dynevor’s Shiver, a survival horror movie, is set to release in 2026, and she also stars in the recent espionage thriller film, Inheritance. While it’d be great to see the pair in Bridgerton together again, there’s always a chance that they’ll work together on something else.
