We've been here before. It seems that every time a dashing British or Irish male lead makes an impact on screen, he is tipped to become the next James Bond.
Just look at Normal People's Paul Mescal, Superman Henry Cavill, Peaky Blinders' Cillian Murphy and, of course, Idris Elba, who has been long-followed by Bond casting rumours.
It's been fewer than two weeks since Bridgerton hit Netflix on Christmas Day, and its leading man, Rege-Jean Page, is already being given the Daniel Craig-replacement rumour mill treatment. Right on cue.
The star of the Regency-era drama has won over fans as Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, with his dashing good looks, brooding pauses and athletic prowess in his boxing scenes. Three Bond-appropriate character traits if ever there were any.
It seems Page pre-empted the Bond hype, captioning a mid-December Bridgerton promotional video on Twitter: "Regency, royalty. Shaken and stirred." A not-so-thinly-veiled reference to Bond's "shaken, not stirred" catchphrase.
"Just found you [on] Twitter right after I told a friend you should be the next James Bond," one fan replied on December 31. "Are you the next 007? I actually live under a rock, so I may have missed something."
But who is Rege-Jean Page?
He grew up in Zimbabwe
Page was born in London, England in 1990 to an English father and Zimbabwean mother. He spent his early childhood in Harare, Zimbabwe and moved back to London at the age of 14, when he took up acting at the National Youth Theatre as a hobby.
Speaking about Zimbabwe to London magazine Square Mile, he said: "[It's] hot. Beautiful. Dry. Very wet when it's wet ... It's the most beautiful place in the world. Everyone says this about their own country, but it's objectively beautiful. And because it was so young I think there's a genuine generosity in people from Zimbabwe, which is slowly being chipped away at, as we hit our terrible teens and realise the world is a harsh, cold, difficult place that one must be strong enough to survive."
He is vocal about black representation on screen
In December, Page spoke to InStyle about the importance of seeing black joy on screen, particularly in the historical fiction genre.
"What happens in culture often is, you go back in time and only white folks are happy," he said. "And you know what? We've all known how to smile since the beginning of time. We've all gotten married since the beginning of time. We've all had romance, glamour and splendour. Representing that is incredibly important, because period drama for people who aren't white shouldn't mean only spotlighting trauma."
He added: "If we've endured white Jesus for this long, then folks can endure a black duke."
He was in 'Harry Potter'
Page is a British actor in his early 30s, so it makes sense that he made up at least a small part in the franchise's sizeable ensemble cast.
The role is not listed on his IMDb, but his Wikipedia lists it as an "unnamed role" in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
In one scene, Page appears in a number of shots at Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour's wedding. He is most noticeable when standing beside Emma Watson's Hermione Granger when Kingsley Shacklebolt’s sends his Patronus to announce that Voldemort had taken over the Ministry of Magic.
Watch out for him around the 26-second and four-minute marks here:
He is musically talented
Page is the second youngest of four siblings and is part of a musical duo with his brother, Tose Page, called Tunya.
Tunya's website explains of the pair: "Having written together and featured in various bands since their teens, the pair now independently produce their own music and collaborations."
You can hear Tunya's work and Rege-Jean singing in Don't Wait, a short film directed and choreographed by Lanre Malaolu. Rege-Jean stars opposite Joshua Nash in the piece.
He has starred in a number of UK TV shows
Roles listed on Page's IMDb include bit-parts in UK hospital dramas Casualty and Casualty @ Holby City; a recurring role in secondary school soap, Waterloo Road; and a two-episode stint in Fresh Meat.
Of his role in 10-series drama Waterloo Road, he told Digital Spy in 2015: "It was a bit strange to jump on board with a show that people have invested in for so long. There have been so many series before this, so to know that you're going to close that book is quite a big responsibility but also really exciting. It was loads of fun to be part of it.
"This job was also a huge learning experience for me, because it was the longest I've worked on anything on television. Being away for so long, going to work every day and having to deliver is quite a big deal. But it's the same as any other job – the more you do it, the better you are at it."
He has broken into American TV and films
We know he has made it in America, given that he stars in the Netflix and Shondaland-produced Bridgerton, but before starring as Simon Basset, he made his mark on the US screen.
In 2016 he starred in Roots, the four-part TV adaption of Alex Haley's 1976 novel, Roots: The Saga of an American Family, which also starred Forest Whitaker, Anna Paquin, Laurence Fishburne, Anika Noni Rose and TI.
The mini-series tells the story of a family in the American South in the late 1700s into the 1800s, beginning in Gambia in 1760, when warrior Kunta Kinte (Malachi Kirby) is sold as a slave.
Page has criticised the label "slave drama" given to the mini-series, tweeting in March 2017: "While I'm here though, there is one thing still bugs me a little. The 'slave drama' thing. I don't think that's a genre. Roots is a 'slave drama' the same way Sense & Sensibility's a 'victims of the misogynist patriarchal trap' drama.
"I mean yeah, I get it, that’s a pretty big part of it, it’s y’know, in there. But it’s not what it’s about."
He concludes: "It’s about extraordinary, wonderful people and how they best their oppressive circumstances with resilience, charm, integrity and guile."
In 2020, Page starred opposite Tessa Thompson and Nnamdi Asomugha as Chico Sweetney in 1950s jazz drama and love story, Sylvie's Love. The film has a 92 per cent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Company%C2%A0profile
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The%20Letter%20Writer
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The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
SEMI-FINAL
Monterrey 1
Funes Mori (14)
Liverpool 2
Keita (11), Firmino (90 1)
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.
What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
'Young girls thinking of big ideas'
Words come easy for aspiring writer Afra Al Muhairb. The business side of books, on the other hand, is entirely foreign to the 16-year-old Emirati. So, she followed her father’s advice and enroled in the Abu Dhabi Education Council’s summer entrepreneurship course at Abu Dhabi University hoping to pick up a few new skills.
“Most of us have this dream of opening a business,” said Afra, referring to her peers are “young girls thinking of big ideas.”
In the three-week class, pupils are challenged to come up with a business and develop an operational and marketing plan to support their idea. But, the learning goes far beyond sales and branding, said teacher Sonia Elhaj.
“It’s not only about starting up a business, it’s all the meta skills that goes with it -- building self confidence, communication,” said Ms Elhaj. “It’s a way to coach them and to harness ideas and to allow them to be creative. They are really hungry to do this and be heard. They are so happy to be actually doing something, to be engaged in creating something new, not only sitting and listening and getting new information and new knowledge. Now they are applying that knowledge.”
Afra’s team decided to focus their business idea on a restaurant modelled after the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Each level would have a different international cuisine and all the meat would be halal. The pupils thought of this after discussing a common problem they face when travelling abroad.
“Sometimes we find the struggle of finding halal food, so we just eat fish and cheese, so it’s hard for us to spend 20 days with fish and cheese,” said Afra. “So we made this tower so every person who comes – from Africa, from America – they will find the right food to eat.”
rpennington@thenational.ae
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
57%20Seconds
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Cry Macho
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam
Rating:**
TERMINAL HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENCE (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
The%20specs%20
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
Results:
6.30pm: Maiden | US$45,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres
Winner: Tabarak, Royston Ffrench (jockey), Rashed Bouresly (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap | $175,000 (Turf) | 3,200m
Winner: Dubhe, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
7.40pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Estihdaaf, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor
8.15pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,800m
Winner: Nordic Lights, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.50pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Group 2 | $450,000 (D) | 1,900m
Winner: North America, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
9.25pm: Handicap | $175,000 (T) | 1,200m
Winner: Mazzini, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
10pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,400m.
Winner: Mubtasim, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
Company%20profile
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
