How 'Wicked' casting directors won over Jonathan Bailey: No Escape

Ahead of the record shattering opening weekend of Wicked: For Good, casting directors were looking back on their efforts to get Jonathon Bailey on board to play Prince Fiyero.

Speaking to People at the Wicked: For Good premiere in New York City on Monday, November 17, 2025, casting directors Bernard Telsey and Tiffany Canfield admitted that casting the 37-year-old English star was not an easy task.

"We knew who Johnny was because we saw him in Company on the West End," Bernard said. "It's our job to follow actors even if we don't know him personally or we haven't seen him on a regular basis. But he was coming through New York way before we started, and we sat down and did a general with him. And I remember [saying] 'Tiffany, that guy should be Fiyero, right?'"

Bernard also recalled their commitment to getting the Bridgerton star onboard, saying they "just didn't give up," despite the fact that PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive was booked and busy with three other commitments.

"A lot of people told us he was not available and we just would not take no for any reason," Tiffany reaffirmed. Bernard gave credit to Jonathan’s manager Duncan Millership for getting him to say yes to the project.

"We all just kept trying and, bingo, the clouds opened up and he's in it," he stated.

Talking about Jonathan’s self-tape, Tiffany confessed they knew they were right to choose him for the role, sharing, "When [the self tape came in, we] were like, 'That's what we need.'"

"When [the self tape came in, we] were like, 'That's what we need."