Our favorite male movie stars of the moment are flirty, fun and a much-needed breath of fresh air

CNN

a day ago

The summer celebrity forecast predicts clear skies, and an unproblematic leading man heatwave in the form of Jonathan Bailey and Pedro Pascal.
In a time marked by division – over politics and pretty much everything else – Pascal and Bailey have seemingly united the internet by abiding by a fairly simple principle: It's ok to have fun being a celebrity.
Case in point: Bailey matched wits – and clutched pearls – with one of the web's most gifted in the art of the flirt, Amelia Dimoldenberg, who on Friday welcomed the fellow Brit on her popular YouTube series 'Chicken Shop Date.' Their blush-inducing conversation ranged from Dimoldenberg calling their relationship 'tantric' (Bailey qualified that description with, 'From afar') to her asking him about the chaps he was planning to wear to Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour show that evening.
'Are they going to be with the bum, or without the bum?' she asked, to which Bailey responded, 'We'll see, maybe they'll evolve as the night goes on.'
For those who don't know him, Bailey was first introduced to most after an enchanting run on three seasons of 'Bridgerton.' He then caught our attention when he starred in 'Wicked' part one last year as the dashing Prince Fiyero.
Next up, Bailey is starring in 'Jurassic Park: Rebirth' alongside Scarlett Johansson, out this week, before he reprises his role as Fiyero in 'Wicked: For Good' in November.
What has made audiences fall in love with Bailey offscreen though, is that he can be devilishly flirty and disarmingly wholesome all in the same breath.
Further proof: The viral craze that was Bailey's so-called 'slutty little glasses,' a moniker for the eyewear that he sports in 'Jurassic Park: Rebirth' coined by internet personality Blakely Thornton. The moniker stuck after audiences saw Bailey's eyeglasses in the first trailer for the film.
Fully embracing the moment, Bailey told Entertainment Tonight at the London premiere of 'Jurassic World: Rebirth' earlier this month that he's 'thrilled that people are having a hormonal explosion linked to optical supports.'
He also saw his viral moment as an opportunity for good. Bailey and spectacle maker Cubitts recently partnered to launch a limited-edition pair of sunglasses, inspired by his eyewear worn in the film, according to WWD. A portion of the sales will benefit Bailey's charity The Shameless Fund, which he established last year in support of the LGBTQ+ community to 'live authentically.'
Bailey is also busy living out his dream of playing in the 'Jurassic' orchestra when they recorded the score for the new film at Abbey Road Studios. Bailey was able to perform the clarinet solo that played over a scene where his character interacted with a dinosaur for the first time.
'I'm sort of shaking,' Bailey said in a featurette for the film after recording his solo. 'It's a total dream come true.'
And then, of course, there's bee-swatter and Internet 'daddy' Pascal, who is literally everywhere lately.
He not only recently appeared (and absolutely broke our hearts) in the second season of HBO's 'The Last of Us,' but he also showed up in Celine Song's anti-rom-com 'The Materialists,' out now. If that weren't enough, he will also be appearing in the Ari Aster-directed drama 'Eddington' and Marvel's 'Fantastic Four,' both out later this month.
He'll also be reprising his role as the titular helmeted hero in the 'Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu' film next year.
Outside of being one of the most sought-after movie and TV stars of the time, Pascal, like Bailey, is an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ causes.
In April, Pascal set the internet abuzz when he attended Marvel's 'Thunderbolts*' premiere in London wearing a white t-shirt that read 'protect the dolls' to show support for the transgender community, including his sister, Lux Pascal, who came out as a transgender woman in 2021.
The t-shirt was designed by London-based designer Conner Ives. All profits from the shirt benefit Trans Lifeline, a charity that offers emotional and financial support to transgender people.
The Pascal craze came to a boiling point last month when a lookalike contest was held in New York City, as part of a growing trend that brings out doppelgängers of our most sought out celebs.
'It's the Pedro takeover,' Emma Stone, who stars alongside him in 'Eddington,' gushed about Pascal during an appearance on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' last week. 'He's so wonderful. He's talented, he's gorgeous, he's nice, he's funny.'
We can see it, too, Emma.
Even Robert Downey Jr., who will appear alongside Pascal in Marvel's upcoming 'Avengers: Doomsday,' can't get enough of Pascal.
'Pascal's slow trajectory to becoming a household name who is on a wildly hot streak kind of reaffirms my faith in our industry,' Downey said in a Vanity Fair interview published last week.
Pascal celebrated his milestone 50th birthday in April and spoke playfully and modestly about the renaissance he's currently having at this age.
'Stepping into my 40s felt adult and empowered,' Pascal told the publication. 'Fifty felt more vulnerable—much more vulnerable… What a silly thing for a 50-year-old man—to have all this attention!'
'Silly'? Not quite. More like superb.
CNN's Dan Heching contributed to this story.