After blessing our eyes with his roles in Bridgerton and Wicked, Jonathan Bailey has officially been crowned People Magazine’s 2025 Sexiest Man Alive. In the ever-evolving world of romantic leads and heroic figures, Jonathan Bailey stands apart with his signature charm and dashing good looks. With his blend of magnetism and emotional depth, Bailey embodies the type of protagonist who can effortlessly capture both the screen and our hearts. Here are ten book characters we’d love to see him embody on the big screen!
1. Trystan Maverine — Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Rennedawn’s infamous “villain,” Trystan Maverine, is both brooding and brilliant and is a perfect mix of menace and mystery. He’s also far more complex than his fearsome reputation suggests, as beneath his sharp wit and charisma lies a man burdened by responsibility and motives that make him intimidating yet irresistible. His energy with his sunshine-hearted assistant, Evie Sage, is full of both tension and humor as her warmth melts his icy exterior. Trystan is the kind of morally gray and emotionally layered villain that Jonathan Bailey would bring to life with his signature charm and irresistible good looks.
2. Nash Morgan — Things We Hide From the Light by Lucy Score
The former golden-boy police chief of Knockemout, Nash Morgan, has learned to hide his pain behind a strained smile and forced charm. Constantly haunted by his trauma and unpredictable panic attacks, he’s a man learning how to be one again. When his new, fiercely guarded neighbor, Lina, moves in, she begins challenging all the walls he’s built around himself. Jonathan Bailey would perfectly embody Nash’s quiet torment and fierce strength, delivering a performance that captures both Nash’s southern gentleman’s broken edges and the soft yet steadfast heart beneath his rough exterior.
3. Tom Brewer — The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden
Tom Brewer is both a charming doctor and the embodiment of danger wrapped in allure — a masterclass in control, confidence, and concealed menace. On the surface, he’s every woman’s dream, but beneath his polished exterior is a man who’s far more sinister than anyone would believe. Jonathan Bailey would capture Tom’s chilling duality with unnerving accuracy, effortlessly shifting between seductive warmth and cold calculation. His ability to balance charm with unease would make Tom’s unraveling both terrifying yet irresistible to watch, turning McFadden’s The Boyfriend into the kind of psychological thriller you can’t take your eyes off of.
4. Chaol Westfall — Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Chaol Westfall is a man bound by loyalty and torn between duty, honor, and the pull of his own heart. Chaol’s world is controlled by structure and discipline, but beneath his rough exterior is a man with a deeply emotional core that he struggles to hide. His journey from soldier to healer is powerful and one that Jonathan Bailey would bring to life with his quiet intensity and flashes of vulnerability and moral courage. With Bailey in charge, Chaol’s inspiring evolution from rigid protection to a man who truly lets himself feel would be nothing short of powerful.
5. Adam Connor — To Hate Adam Connor by Ella Maise
Recently divorced, Oscar-winning actor Adam Connor is the type of infuriatingly charming leading man who makes you want to kill him and then kiss him five minutes later. He’s equal parts temptation and quiet vulnerability, with a harsh exterior that occasionally cracks into unexpected tenderness for those he loves most. Jonathan Bailey would be the perfect casting, immediately selling Adam’s glowing charisma and humorous prickliness while adding in the vulnerability that makes Adam human.
6. Jack Stapleton — The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
The leading man of The Bodyguard, Jack Stapleton, redefines what it means to be a heartthrob. Equal parts Hollywood charm and quiet, small-town earnestness, Jack — once the world’s favorite movie star — hides a tender vulnerability beneath his easy smile and sarcastic wit as he carries the weight of grief and fame with gentleness. Jonathan Bailey would bring Jack to life with warmth and emotional precision, capturing Jack’s playboy-turned-sweetheart transformation in a way that’s both authentic and enchanting. Bailey’s signature blend of sincerity and spark would make every glance from Jack feel like a love confession.
7. Bowe Huntley — Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The once-great tennis player Bowe Huntley embodies quiet resilience and redemption as he fights for his dignity and one last shot at love. But beneath his easygoing personality is a man bruised by regret and driven by the need to prove he’s more than his past. When his history with Carrie starts to crackle with tension and tenderness, their rivalry turns into a love laced with unspoken affection and shared ambition. Jonathan Bailey would be a perfect match for Bowe’s layered complexity and effortless grace, with his warmth softening the edges of a man haunted by his past mistakes. Plus, imagine Bailey shirtless playing tennis. Now that’s a movie I would pay to see!
8. Joshua Park — Pack Up the Moon by Kristan Higgins
After socially awkward scientist Joshua Park is thrown into unimaginable grief, he’s forced to navigate the world his late wife left behind. Faced with a stack of his late wife, Lauren’s, letters, he’s pushed into rediscovering connection, purpose, and the beauty of simply living again. Jonathan Bailey would be a perfect fit for Josh’s vulnerability and tenderness, with his expressive range capturing the ache of loss, the sweetness of self-discovery, and the flickers of hope that make Joshua’s story so admirably human. Bailey would turn Joshua’s raw emotional honesty and resilience into unforgettable.
9. Oliver Blackwood — Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
In case you weren’t aware, Jonathan Bailey is an openly gay man, and Oliver Blackwood is the perfect gay man for him to bring to life on the big screen. Oliver is the kind of romantic lead who radiates a calm steadiness amid chaos and is grounded by integrity and just the right amount of charm. Both polished and endearingly awkward, Oliver’s soft-spoken confidence and inspiring moral compass are the perfect match for Luc’s chaotic energy. Jonathan Bailey would channel Oliver with remarkable distinction, balancing Oliver’s composed exterior with his quick flashes of vulnerability and longing that make every stolen glance feel electrifying.
10. Charlie Lastra — Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Charlie Lastra is a brooding and sharp-tongued editor who perfectly embodies quiet passion and vulnerability. But beneath his sarcasm and intellectual poise is a man who understands Nora Stephens better than anyone else — maybe even better than she understands herself. Jonathan Bailey would perfectly encapsulate Charlie’s dry wit and smoldering restraint, blending the editor’s grumpy exterior with a surprising tenderness that sneaks up on them both. With Bailey in the role of Charlie, his slow-burning charm and emotional honesty would leap off the page and onto the screen. (Plus, he would look oh-so hot in Charlie’s glasses.)
Whether he’s making us swoon over him as a romantic lead or adding depth to already complex characters, Jonathan Bailey has proven that he can do it all — and look good doing it, too! It’s no wonder he’s People’s 2025 Sexiest Man Alive, with his looks destined for big-screen adaptations of some of our favorite book boyfriends.
Looking for more dream casts? Check out our article, Top Book Adaptations Perfect for a Matthew McConaughey Lead Role.
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