Jonathan Bailey’s Unexpected Clarinet Solo Elevates Jurassic World: Rebirth Score
As if leading a blockbuster franchise isn’t enough, Jonathan Bailey found time to dust off his clarinet and crash a 105-piece orchestra session. In a June 25 appearance on Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the 37-year-old Bridgerton star admitted that amid Shakespeare’s Richard II on London’s West End, he slipped into Abbey Road Studios purely to “watch the magic.” Three days later, he was the magic—delivering a solo on Alexandre Desplat’s adaptation of John Williams’s Jurassic Park theme.
He describes the moment with all the restraint of someone surprised they can still reach high C: “The nerd in me erupted like Vesuvius.” And by erupted, he means he went from spectator to clarinetist, playing the theme of Dr. Henry Loomis, his own character. It’s a full-circle origin story that no PR team could have scripted better than a plastic clarinet gifted by a pub-winning grandad. Talk about humble beginnings.
Bailey’s orchestral cameo wasn’t just a cameo; it was a headline act. “I just wanted to play one slightly sharp note,” he confessed, delivering a performance that surely prompted orchestral purists to spit out their tea. One can only imagine the string section’s reaction—probably a polite golf clap. Even Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali would have had a hard time stealing that spotlight.
On the red carpet, Bailey continued to redefine expectations—first in flip-flops during a London photo call, provoking fans to defend his sole choices (“LEAVE MY MAN ALONE”), then switching to Maison Margiela Tabi loafers, which he self-described as “slutty little everything.” Pro tip: If you’re going to hawk dinosaur wrangling by day, why not rock footwear that confuses onlookers by night?
Between swings from Shakespeare to Spielberg, Bailey has proven he’s both a dramatic lead and an impromptu musician. Yet one wonders if the next move is a full album release—perhaps titled Jurassic Clarinet. At least we know he’s no one-trick tyrannosaur.
So there you have it: an A-list actor turned orchestra guest star, wielding a plastic clarinet that outperformed most of our childhood music lessons. Tune in next time for more misplaced ambitions and questionable encore requests.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! News, Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
