Jonathan Bailey has set the record straight (well) on his recent "retirement" quote, recalled how it felt like to grow up with "shame," and dropped very interesting tidbits about Fiyero's journey in Wicked: For Good particularly as it impacts the two main characters of the story: Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande)."One thing Fiyero feels strongly is that Elphaba needs to be protected. So he leaves Glinda," Bailey told Esquire (UK). "His inability to make a decision on his own is what 'Dancing Through Life' is about, until he meets Elphaba and something is awakened in him. In the stage show it's brilliant and moving, but it's also kind of comedic and light. In this film [Wicked: For Good] it feels quite brutal and dark."The actor, who's also known for his roles in Jurassic World Rebirth, Bridgerton, and Fellow Travelers, added: "The characters in Wicked are all entirely fallible and there's no good or bad. Fiyero makes decisions that are based not just on his human relationships, but also on what he feels is right. He's so moved by Elphaba, who steps outside of a power system, who has independent thought and sees the world and communicates that clearly. And it's an interesting character arc, because once he's activated and has that sense of meaning, there's no going back."Bailey commented on how "entirely nihilistic" the lyrics of "Dancing Through Life" can be. "He [Fiyero] is like, 'We're going to die anyway, so let's create chaos wherever we go,' presumably to match the chaos in his mind. But there's a dull ache, I think, in Fiyero." Jonathan Bailey in Wicked (2024) and Wicked: For Good (2025).Universal PicturesBailey elaborated that Fiyero was deeply "yearning for something" prior to the events of the first Wicked movie. After meeting Elphaba at Shiz University, those feelings of yearning were brought to the surface. Nonetheless, the actor argued that this isn't just about Elphaba."I hope people yearn for a time when life was easier for the characters," Bailey noted. "As much as I feel like that about growing up sometimes, [these characters are] having to take responsibility and decide who they are during a time when people are controlling narratives.Jonathan Bailey clarifies his 'retirement' quote. Jonathan Bailey at a Wicked: For Good premiere event in Brazil.Mauricio Santana/Getty ImagesSo, is Bailey taking a break from acting, or even fully retiring? No, not exactly."I was at the end of Richard II [play], and I was going on the [Jurassic World Rebirth] press tour, and there were two films I could have gone on to do," the actor recalled from the time when that quote made headlines. In the first few months of 2025, Bailey notes that he had been workshopping ideas to "scale up" his organization, The Shameless Fund, back then. Thus, he "stepped away from doing those two films," but his quote was limited to just those projects.Bailey noted, "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. 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 the ripple effect was extraordinary," the actor said. "My sister, who I'm close to and lives in Australia, called me and said, 'Wow, is everything OK? You've given up?' By Monday, the headlines were 'Jonathan Bailey has quit acting.' I learnt at that moment that you can't control [narratives]."The Shameless Fund came from Bailey's own relationship with 'shame.' Jonathan Bailey and his Fellow Travelers costar, Matt Bomer, wearing 'drink your milk' T-shirts from The Shameless Fund. Instagram (@theshamelessfund/@jbayleaf); Elias Tahan Bailey argued that every person in the world has their own relationship with the concept of shame, though he acknowledged his own position in the world. "Of course, there is this huge triangle of privilege within it, and I'm fully aware that I'm right at the top of that. I'm also a massive benefactor of everyone who came before me. If, in the short time that I'm here, I can be a benefactor of the plight and the fight of a community that created a world in which I can play a Winkie prince [Fiyero in Wicked].""The truth about shame is that it can be completely debilitating, painful and dispiriting, and it can be really dangerous. It can literally be a matter of life and death," the actor observed. "But if you've felt shame in your life, my god, do you feel joy. The opposite of shame is freedom, right? For me, joy is being in the right place, with the right people, and getting to a place where you feel like, 'Yes, I'm meant to be here.' Or actually, 'I feel really awkward, I'm going to go.' Getting to that point feels good."Wicked: For Good opens November 21 in theaters. See on Instagram