CELEBRITY

Regé-Jean Page Stuns as a First-Time Host on NBC’s ‘Saturday Night Live’

Will Heath/NBC

Bridgerton’s leading man, Regé-Jean Page, made his debut hosting gig for NBC’s Saturday Night Live on February 20, resulting in much love and glowing reviews from fans. 

In his monologue, Page repeatedly referenced his Bridgerton role, Simon the Duke of Hastings. While claiming he is nothing like the character, Page alternated between lamenting about not escaping attention from women to heavily flirting with Saturday Night Live cast members Aidy Bryant and Ego Nwodim. 

Later on in the monologue, Page serenaded the audience (and at-home viewers) with a partial rendition of The Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody.” 

Will Heath/NBC

After Chloe Fineman interrupted his monologue dressed as the Bridgerton character, Daphne Bridgerton, Page listed his previous experience in Roots and For The People before finally turning to the audience and delivering his now-iconic like, “I burn for you.”

Page ended his monologue by thanking the fans for their support because it led him to the Saturday Night Live stage. He also commented on the lack of representation when he sent a shout-out to the “people who don’t normally get to see themselves as romantic leads in television.”

His monologue was not the actor’s only skit to get a lot of love from audiences. 

In a bar-themed skit, also starring Kenan Thompson, Beck Bennett, Pete Davidson, Alex Moffat, Mikey Day, Bowen Yang, and Kate McKinnon, Page appealed to the fans of Olivia Rodrigo’s number-one hit song, “Driver’s License.”

In the scene, each of the men took turns detailing the alleged meaning behind the song and even debated Rodrigo’s musical influences. The skit included pop culture references like Rodrigo’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series co-star Joshua Bassett, Taylor Swift’s Folklore, and Sabrina Carpenter.

Page returns to the world of Regency-London when season two of Bridgerton starts filming later this spring. Additionally, he is attached to lead the upcoming film based on the Dungeons and Dragons franchise.