For Jonathan Bailey, no salary is worth not being yourself.
The Emmy-nominated actor and star of the musical "Wicked Witch," who has become an LGBTQ sex symbol in recent years, spoke about his journey to coming out as a public figure in a new interview with Elton John.
Bailey, 38, is one of the recipients of the 2026 Elton John Impact Awards, which recognizes prominent figures who champion the LGBTQ community through their philanthropic work and "whose lifelong work has inspired change and shaped culture." The actor is being recognized for his work with The Shameless Fund, a charity dedicated to supporting the LGBTQ community.
«"I was very aware of the opportunities and limitations that queer actors have, and what that means for audiences, whether it impacts commerce, and how that plays into that," Bailey told John, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "I think in my early 20s, I definitely understood that being gay was a barrier.".
Wicked Witch star Jonathan Bailey has been named People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive, becoming the first openly gay man to earn this prestigious title. This Bridgerton hunk has won a Critics' Choice Award, been nominated for an Emmy, and is now receiving recognition for his undeniable charm. Browse the photos that earned him People magazine's top honor.
(Jeff Spicer, Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Jonathan Bailey attended the Burberry show during London Fashion Week in September 2025 in Hyde Park on September 22, 2025.
(Jeff Spicer, Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Jonathan Bailey attends the Christian Dior women's spring/summer 2026 show during Paris Fashion Week on October 1, 2025.
(Pascal Le Segretain, Getty Images for Dior)
Jonathan Bailey speaks during the TIME100 Next Event 2025 at The Current at Chelsea Piers on October 30, 2025 in New York City.
(Craig Barritt, Getty Images for TIME)
Jonathan Bailey attended the world premiere of Jurassic World: Resurgence at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on June 17, 2025 in London.
(Joe Maher, Getty Images)
Jonathan Bailey attended the Berlin premiere of Jurassic World: Resurgence at the Zoo Palast cinema on June 18, 2025 in Berlin.
(Gerald Matska, Getty Images)
Jonathan Bailey attended the Berlin premiere of the film "Jurassic World: Rebirth".
(Gerald Matska, Getty Images)
Jonathan Bailey attends the premiere of "Jurassic World: Resurgence" at Lincoln Center on June 23, 2025 in New York City.
(Jamie McCarthy, Getty Images)
Jonathan Bailey attended the premiere of Jurassic World: Resurgence on June 23, 2025, in New York City.
(Roy Rochlin, Getty Images for Universal Pictures)
Jonathan Bailey attended the premiere of the film "Jurassic World: Resurgence" in New York.
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images for Universal Pictures)
Jonathan Bailey will perform on "The Julia Cunningham Show" on SiriusXM at the JW Marriott Essex House on June 25, 2025 in New York City.
(Cindy Ord, Getty Images for SiriusXM)
Jonathan Bailey poses for a photo during a red carpet event for the film "Jurassic World: Resurgence" in Seoul on July 1, 2025.
(Jeon Young-Jae, AFP via Getty Images)
Jonathan Bailey attended the premiere of Jurassic World: Resurgence in Seoul on July 1, 2025.
(Jung Sung-joon, Getty Images)
Jonathan Bailey poses on the red carpet at the European premiere of the musical "The Wicked Witch" at the Royal Festival Hall on November 18, 2024.
(BEN STANSALL, AFP via Getty Images)
Jonathan Bailey attended the Oz Tour, which coincides with the Australian premiere of The Wicked Witch at the State Theatre, Sydney on November 3, 2024.
(SAVERIO MARFIA, Getty Images)
Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey attended the Australian premiere of the musical "The Wicked Witch," titled "A Journey Through Oz.".
(SAVERIO MARFIA, Getty Images)
Jonathan Bailey, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande pose for a photo call ahead of the Australian premiere of the musical "Wicked Witch," which will take place in Sydney on November 5, 2024.
(Brandon Thorne, Getty Images)
Jonathan Bailey poses for a photo call ahead of the Australian premiere of the musical "Wicked Witch," which will take place in Sydney on November 5, 2024.
(Brandon Thorne, Getty Images)
Jonathan Bailey attended the Los Angeles premiere of The Wicked Witch, which took place at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on November 9, 2024.
(Amy Sussman, Getty Images)
Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey and Ariana Grande attended the Los Angeles premiere of the musical "Wicked Witch.".
(Amy Sussman, Getty Images)
Jonathan Bailey has been named People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive. Check out his best photos from the red carpet.
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Wicked Witch star Jonathan Bailey has been named People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive, becoming the first openly gay man to earn this prestigious title. This Bridgerton hunk has won a Critics' Choice Award, been nominated for an Emmy, and is now receiving recognition for his undeniable charm. Browse the photos that earned him People magazine's top honor.
(Jeff Spicer, Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
After two decades working in British television and theatre, Bailey gained international recognition in 2020 for his role as Lord Anthony Bridgerton in the historical romance drama Bridgerton. He also starred in the Showtime miniseries The Hitcher, Jurassic World: Rebirth, and the Wicked Witch franchise, alongside Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
Bailey came out to his family and friends as gay in his early twenties and came out publicly in 2018.
Jonathan Bailey made history: The actor became the first gay man to be named People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive.
«"I wasn't going to refuse to hold my boyfriend's hand on the street, and that was something I felt very strongly, in a visceral way," Bailey told John of her coming out. "And, of course, if it meant it would interfere with my potential job, then I was willing to take that risk.".
Jonathan Bailey arrives on the red carpet at the TIME100 Next Awards in New York City on October 30, 2025.
In November, People magazine named Bailey its Sexiest Man Alive, making him the first gay man to hold the title.
«"In a way, I intuitively felt like I knew myself at a fairly young age, and that feeling bolstered my confidence. And then, of course, you just absorb these stories and narratives, like a web," Bailey told John.
«I think the reason I loved acting is that for the first time, in a world where you have to constantly switch between different styles of speech and be hyper-vigilant about what you say and how you present yourself, especially to others – whether they’re going to interpret your words or the way you say them as an indication of your sexual orientation,» Bailey continued, “to get a script and actually play the role and be truthful was incredibly rewarding.”.
More news about Jonathan Bailey: The star of the musical "Wicked Witch" is planning to give up her acting career amid "everything that's going on in the world.".
Despite the ongoing challenges in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality, Bailey remained optimistic about the future of queer youth.
«"I wonder if the next generation just needs to learn to harness the joy they can convey to their fans and tell their stories," Bailey said. "Because obviously, these are challenging times, and there's a real risk that things could go wrong. But that's amazing, isn't it? The intergenerational relationships and being part of a community where we're all just benefactors to those who came before us.".
Contributing: Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jonathan Bailey opens up about the challenges of coming out.