Overview
- Bailey becomes the first openly gay honoree since People began the special issue in 1985.
- On Fallon’s show, he called the title a great honor and joked it felt completely absurd.
- The cover story features an ocean photo shoot and his dog, Benson, with images teased ahead of the Nov. 17 issue.
- The 37-year-old learned of the selection earlier this year while performing Richard II in London and kept it quiet.
- The nod tracks his rising profile from Bridgerton to Jurassic World: Rebirth, with Wicked: For Good scheduled to open Nov. 21, and highlights his LGBTQ+ advocacy through The Shameless Fund founded in 2024.