Regé-Jean Page on Letting the Game Come To Him, and New Spy Thriller, ‘Black Bag’

Regé-Jean Page is entering a new chapter, one steeped in espionage and covert operations as layered as the star himself. It’s not the role you might assume. For years, Page has expertly navigated rumours alluding to him as the next James Bond, with everyone clamouring for a definitive “yes” or “no.” By now, Page is used to fans projecting his next role; browse his name on social media every few months and you’ll see his loyal following “fan-casting” him into an array of hypothetical projects. But for now, Page’s martini order isn’t under strict contractual constraints of “shaken-not-stirred.” Instead, the British actor joins Steven Soderbergh’s American spy thriller Black Bag alongside Michael Fassbender, Pierce Brosnan, and Cate Blanchett, once again keeping everyone (even himself) guessing as to what’s next in store for him.

The project, directed by Soderbergh and written by David Koepp, has been kept as under wraps as the affairs depicted within. At the time of our interview, even Page hasn’t been privy to a full preview of the film. But with Soderbergh at the helm and co-stars that include Blanchett, Brosnan, and Fassbender, Page says having the freedom to join these sets is what defines a successful career.

“I think we haven’t had an old-school cinematic movie like this in a while,” he says. “It’s a tense psychological spy thriller made by a master filmmaker with a true ensemble cast. But it also just so happens to include two of our greatest living actors today, between Michael [Fassbender] and Cate [Blanchett]. It’s high-level filmmaking that feels very, very special to shoot in the moment.”

As someone who’s amassed an enormous global following, it’s hard to believe that Page is still self-admittedly early in his acting career. Like Fassbender and Blanchett once did, he’s dutifully checked the boxes as an emerging young actor: small television miniseries, indie short films, an eclectic list of auditions, and an education at the esteemed Drama Centre London. But after being thrust into the global spotlight of Netflix’s regency-era sensation, Bridgerton, and graduating from the show, there has been palpable anticipation as to what Page would take on next.

Doors have opened, proverbial red carpets rolled out, and those pesky Bond rumours keep swirling. But from Page’s perspective, now marks a time of exploration and growth as an actor — a period meant for further educating himself, searching for new modes of representation, and not resting on the laurels of stardom.

“Three auditions a day, they just keep coming and you’re hopping from world to world, from character to character. I see that as really adventurous. I like living in other people’s lives. I like taking mementoes from that. I like the Indiana Jones of it all.”

Regé-Jean Page

“I’m still early in my career,” he says. “The best thing about this job is that you can do it pretty much until the day you die, and you’ll always be learning. […] I want to surround myself with the best people and take notes about how they steer a set. […] I want to go to different places. I don’t want to hang out in the same energy or the same place, physical or psychological, for too long. […] I like keeping it fresh […] and then taking the audience I have with me.”

By now, Page’s audience has reached a fever pitch, carrying over from project to project, creating a fanbase as diverse as the actor’s filmography. After leaving his leading role as the brooding Duke Simon Basset, Page pivoted to take on the role of corrupted CIA official, Denny Carmichael, in The Gray Man (2022). Alongside Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling, Page once again saw his fanbase grow to a degree few could’ve anticipated. Netflix reported that the film was streamed for a total of 88.55 million hours over its first three days, making it the most-watched film in 84 countries. Those who might have come to see the version of Page they’d grown accustomed to were undoubtedly surprised, but certainly not disappointed.

In selecting each new role, Page finds as much joy as the audience themselves. As he discusses how his career has evolved, the British actor seems entirely unfussed by the celebrity of it all. Instead, he finds pleasure in the aspects of his career that remind him of when he first began, hustling through Los Angeles from audition to audition.

“I really enjoyed the rhythm of pilot season,” he recalls. “Three auditions a day, they just keep coming and you’re hopping from world to world, from character to character. I see that as really adventurous. I like living in other people’s lives. I like taking mementoes from that. I like the Indiana Jones of it all, where you go into a world and you learn things, then you bring back these artifacts, you share those with the audience in the final piece.”

In combination with his intention to explore new worlds, Page’s recent work has largely been fuelled by the desire to work with actors of a particular pedigree. In Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023), he starred alongside Chris Pine, an actor driven by an Old-Hollywood sensibility to the work that resonates with Page.

“What Chris taught me is how much intense work goes into making a movie feel light, making the ‘fun’ seem natural,” he explains. “It’s a film that carries a lot of humour and Chris makes it come across so easily, so effortlessly. A lot of the time, it’s a far bigger challenge to make the light work seem natural compared to heavier scripts. But his knowledge of film is encyclopedic. He knows everything and he’s like a heat-seeking missile for what a scene needs. […] He’s in constant consideration of the audience.”

Although Page admits his film knowledge doesn’t quite reach Pine’s notoriously “encyclopedic” levels, his love for the craft and respect for his peers is clear. As the conversation shifts from the “industry talk” that so often clouds Hollywood’s young stars to the work on set, Page’s face lights up.

“I read the [Black Bag] script and then I knew Cate and Michael were on board and I thought to myself, ‘Oh, okay, some very high-level people are about to create some very high-level work. How can I be a part of this?’” he says. “Maybe other people don’t view it this way but, for me, I’m still so early in my career, so I want to surround myself with the best people and pick up as much as I can by osmosis.”

Coincidentally, Page and his co-stars — Brosnan and Fassbender — each attended Drama Centre London after years of theatre work. But while the formal training gave him the foundation to land his initial starring roles, he asserts that it’s those starring alongside him in Black Bag who offer a more practical education.

“There is this intense curiosity that both Michael and Pierce bring to set, but in very different ways,” he says. “Pierce is remarkably generous and playful. Michael can be more piercing, though. His mind works so quickly. And he’s so generous with his curiosity, which sounds abstract, but he’s so willing to share these observations that he’s having about the characters or the script. […] That’s where I get to nerd out. You know, that’s my Ivy League.”

If Fassbender and Brosnan operate on two different ends of a spectrum in terms of education for Page, where then, does two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett fall?

“Everywhere,” Page exclaims. “Cate is everything. She is overwhelming to observe as an actor and a human being. It’s very hard to put into words how impressive Cate is as an artist. […] It’s one of the most generous casts that I’ve ever worked with.”

“That idea of letting the game come to you is trusting your competence, trusting that you know what you’re doing, trusting your teammates. It’s a team sport. And the best thing about this job is, if you do it right, it’s almost never about you.”

Regé-Jean Page

For Page, the past few years have partly been about seeking out those very kinds of sets, the ones where the generosity overflows to create a space for him to grow as an actor. But what motivates him more than stretching his own abilities is the opportunity to explore ideas of representation. With such a gregarious personality and the 2023 distinction of “World’s Handsomest Man,” one wouldn’t assume Page would be accustomed to “outsider” status. Yet growing up in Zimbabwe and moving to London for secondary school, Page is cognisant of just how vital representation is when it comes to exploring these worlds.

“I think it’s more simple than it is complex,” he says in detailing his approach to new roles. “Kate Winslet in Mare of Easttown, right? [She is] representing that city to the rest of the world. […] It’s the fact that you represent that place, that culture, that socio- economic background, that historical context. You represent the world they live in. And you have to do your homework with that. […] You recognize that you’re an ambassador in the work that you’re showing. I think that’s the bar to which I hold myself.”

“You are always representing a piece of truth from the real world. From the real place. You are offering that to everyone who you expect to come into a cinema.”

Regé-Jean Page on acting.

As for what or who Page and his castmates will be representing in Soderbergh’s Black Bag, his ever-growing audience will be waiting with anticipation. All we know for certain is that the exploration will be a purposeful departure from what he’s done before, and whatever lies on the horizon will be yet another. In 2022, it was reported that Page would star in an upcoming Amazon adaptation of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, with the British actor portraying Cassidy and Glen Powell taking on the role of Sundance. If true, the role is yet another opportunity for Page to bring his audience to a new story — pivoting from the newly-constructed world of Black Bag to a world lauded by the American Film Institute as “one of the greatest American films ever made.”

“I have [an] adventurous mindset to this whole job,” Page says, detailing the process behind selecting projects. As his audience and filmography continue to grow, the method of choosing which worlds to explore next carries more weight. “Where do I want to go? […] Where do I want to take my companion with me? And my companion, in this instance, is the audience. So, what adventure do I want to go on with them? That’s basically what I ask myself when I read a script.”

Still, as his audience travels with him to each new story, the spotlight grows brighter, perhaps a bit more searing. But Page doesn’t let the outside noise influence his choices. Like he said, it’s early in his career, yet he treats these high-pressure decisions like a veteran athlete, letting the game come to him. “It’s a public job, which is nerve-wracking. Every actor you ever talk to [talks] about how the nerves never leave. And in that respect, I imagine it’s similar. […] You said it’s like letting the game come to you. It is. It’s like high-level athletics. And that idea of letting the game come to you is trusting your competence, trusting that you know what you’re doing, trusting your teammates. It’s a team sport. And the best thing about this job is, if you do it right, it’s almost never about you. […] It’s about who you’re bringing to the table as an actor, whose story you’re bringing to the table.”

When fans stop him on the street, Page is happy to reminisce on past roles. After all, as he describes, it’s a journey they’ve taken together through his own invitation. But what excites him more than the fanfare built up over a series of beloved characters is the potential to explore the roles and stories still on the horizon, whether it’s as an iconic American outlaw or as Soderbergh’s agent of influence.

“Yes, we’re playing make-believe and sometimes it’s light and sometimes it’s not,” he says. “But you are always representing a piece of truth from the real world. From the real place. You are offering that to everyone who you expect to come into a cinema. And a lot of these projects, that’s on a global scale. So, you have to think about what you are offering.”

Regardless of what the role entails, Page’s consideration for the audience is what guides his creative choices. Throughout his childhood, his parents imprinted the importance of service to a community. Years later, that idea manifests in the stories he chooses to tell. Amidst the distractions that come with being a sought-after Hollywood talent, Page grounds himself with a single goal: being in service to the audience.

“No matter how important you think your work is or how smart it is or what you want to take from your career […], all of that is in service of who it is you’re talking to. And as long as you keep that target in sight, as long as I’m entertaining people or thrilling people, or scaring people or making people feel good, it’s still about people.”

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