Jonathan Bailey Sets the Record Straight on Acting Hiatus, Says ‘I’m Not Taking the Whole of 2026 Off’

Jonathan Bailey is clarifying his remarks about his planned hiatus from his acting career.

PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive, 37, told Esquire U.K. in an interview published Sunday, Nov. 9 that he does intend on returning to acting after taking time away in 2026 to tend to the charity he runs, The Shameless Fund. The Wicked: For Good star initially shared his plans to take a break from acting in a September interview with British GQ.

While speaking with Esquire U.K., Bailey said he decided to take more time to focus on running The Shameless Fund while on the press tour for this summer’s Jurassic World Rebirth. He said he “stepped away” from appearing in two upcoming movies when he decided to focus more on the charity. 

“I then did an interview with a magazine when I was cycling between Rome and Pisa on the way to a friend’s wedding, and the internet kept cutting out,” he said. “As a result, there was an unfortunate misquote that said I’d stopped acting for a bit. My intention was to say, ‘Next year I’ll be back,’ but yeah, the ripple effect was extraordinary.”

“By Monday, the headlines were ‘Jonathan Bailey has quit acting,’ ” he said. “I learnt at that moment that you can’t control it.” When asked how long his break will take, Bailey added, “I mean as it stands at the moment, I’ll definitely be back to work next year. I’m not taking the whole of 2026 off.”

The Shameless Fund raises money “to forge a world where every LGBTQ+ person can live authentically, love freely and thrive without the burdens of discrimination, oppression or shame,” according to the charity’s official website. Bailey launched the charity in June 2024, according to Vogue.

While speaking with Esquire U.K., Bailey said it is “correct” to assume he will not appear in any movie or television roles in 2026. “Currently the absolute focus is the Shameless Fund.” (The actor does appear poised to appear in Bridgerton when the Netflix series returns for its fourth season in January.) 

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Regarding Bailey’s charity efforts, the actor previously told British GQ in September that he was “focusing on staffing and making sure we get all the right people in all the right places.” While speaking with Esquire U.K., Bailey said he recently spoke about the charity at a Women in Advertising and Communications Leadership conference.

“It was such an inspiring room. It felt extraordinary talking about something that has existed in my head and something that was born out of an unease and discomfort,” he said. “It’s exposing. The aim is to scale it up, and it’s exciting. One of the metrics of success is the money we raise, but another metric is joy and activation.”

Bailey will appear on the big screen in Wicked: For Good, in theaters Nov. 21.