Wicked Star Jonathan Bailey Says He'll Quit Acting After Sequel

Wicked: For Good flies into theaters this November, and for one of its stars, it might double as a curtain call. Not forever, but long enough to notice.

Jonathan Bailey says he is hitting pause after Wicked: For Good

Jonathan Bailey, who plays Fiyero opposite Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, says he plans to step back from acting once the sequel lands so he can channel his energy into his nonprofit, The Shameless Fund. The charity’s goal: a world "where every LGBTQ+ person can live authentically, love freely, and thrive."

He told GQ that the break is about bandwidth and timing, not burnout. His words, set off for the record:

"I've been working solidly for about three years now, which has been amazing and mind-blowing. But with everything happening in the world right now, I'm going to stop acting for a bit next year and just focus on the Shameless Fund. Over the next few months, I'll be focusing on staffing and making sure we get all the right people in all the right places."

Translation: he is parking the set life for a minute to build out the org properly.

Why the timing is surprising

Because Bailey is, frankly, on a heater. He came up through the stage, broke wide with Bridgerton, and then stacked prestige and blockbuster gigs: Fellow Travelers, Wicked, and this year's July 4 juggernaut Jurassic World: Rebirth opposite Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali. That dino movie cruised past $800 million worldwide despite critics being split.

A follow-up to Rebirth is not locked in. There is industry chatter, and director Gareth Edwards has hinted there might be "something in there," even though he initially treated the movie as a one-off. Also worth noting: the franchise could pivot to a fresh timeline with a different cast, so even if the dinos roar again, Bailey might not be required.

The Bond rumors, because of course

Bailey has also popped up in the next-James-Bond discourse, helped along by a recent Martini campaign that set fans theorizing. If he actually took 007, it would be a marathon: one producer has said the role is a decade-plus commitment, and Daniel Craig's run stretched 16 years. So either his planned breather effectively takes him out of the running, or the right tux could pull him back in. Open question.

So what is Wicked: For Good actually covering?

This is part two of Jon M. Chu's two-film adaptation, picking up right where last year's hit left off. Elphaba has been branded an enemy of the state and bolts west, which lines up with Act 2 of the Broadway show and steers the story toward the events of The Wizard of Oz. And yes, the title nods to the Act 2 number. Inside baseball, but a good one.

• Release date: November 21, 2025 (Thanksgiving corridor)
• Director: Jon M. Chu
• Writers: Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox; based on Gregory Maguire's world
• Producer: Marc Platt
• Cast: Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba), Ariana Grande (Glinda), Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero), Ethan Slater (Boq)
• Part 1: Wicked (2024), a massive hit that set this all up

Bottom line: Bailey stepping away right as his profile peaks is unexpected, but the cause is legit. He will be on screen this fall for Wicked: For Good, and after that, if you miss him, you can blame philanthropy. Or, depending on how certain franchises shake out, maybe not for long.