Bridgerton creator Shonda Rhimes has revealed which of her leading men she’d choose for herself.
With several shows under her belt including Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice and Scandal, Rhimes has plenty of iconic leading men to choose from, and was asked to do exactly that during an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show.
After giving it some thought, Rhimes eventually settled on a heartthrob from Netflix’s Bridgerton by opting for Regé-Jean Page, who played Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings in the first season of the show.
“I’m going to have to say the Duke,” she told Hudson when selecting from the options (via Entertainment Weekly). “Not because they’re not all amazing, but because he was such a fantasy fulfilled kind of man.
“He was perfect, never got to have any real flaws after we got them all together,” she continued, with Hudson approving of her choice as she responded: “That’s a good choice. I love that for you.”
Page may have only appeared in the first season of Bridgerton, but the Netflix show has gone on strong since, with the third season recently premiering. The latest story depicts the relationship between Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin (Luke Newton), with Coughlan explaining that their bond mirrors the off-screen friendship between the pair.
“Penelope and Colin’s experiences of finding their way, going from friends to lovers, was like Luke and I going from scene partners doing small scenes together to our working relationship growing exponentially during filming,” she said. “What it boils down to is that no two people have had this specific experience. We had two seasons of friendship which we’re grateful for.”
“The other [couples’] stories focus on the initial meeting, which was really passionate, whereas this has been the long game of friends to lovers,” added Newton. “It was perfect timing that we did it on season three because any later would’ve been too long, and if we did it earlier, there wouldn’t be enough history between them.”
Bridgerton seasons 1-2 and the first part of season 3 are streaming on Netflix, along with Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. Season 3 part 2 premieres on June 13.
