Jonathan Bailey Knows Scent Can Have a Soul

5 min readThere’s something mischievous about Jonathan Bailey’s face when he smiles. His eyes glint, eyebrows perk up, mouth cracks open into a wide grin. It’s not entirely surprising, then, when he tells me that he’s been “sort of a naughty cousin” in the Armani family since he first connected with them years ago and met Giorgio Armani himself in 2022. The British-born actor may be 38 with a thick stack of credits—Bridgerton, Wicked, Jurassic World: Rebirth—to his name, but it’s easy to imagine him inhabiting the role of loveable troublemaker, joking around with the Armani team backstage, maybe instigating a little light chaos.It’s May, and Bailey and I are chatting in a mind-bogglingly expansive suite at the Aman Hotel in Midtown, New York City, because after nearly half a decade, the Armani relationship has become official. Bailey is the face of Armani Beauty’s first new men’s fragrance in more than 20 years (his campaign officially debuts today).Dubbed “I Will,” the scent starts out fresh with a flash of bergamot and lavender and dries down to earthy patchouli. But the heart of it—both spiritually and in terms of the fragrance pyramid—is a heady combination of vanilla and leather. It’s a richer, deeper take on masculine fragrance that’s nicely aligned with the moment, when a younger generation of enthusiasts is looking for something that can work for both day and night and—crucially—has the staying power to last from one to the other.Courtesy of Armani BeautyBailey, 38, calls himself the “naughty cousin” of the Armani family.It’s also one of the very last projects that Mr. Armani was personally involved in before his passing last fall, and, despite that grin, Bailey takes his involvement quite seriously. “I feel entirely privileged,” he says. “It’s been the most extraordinary thing to be a part of that legacy—to be part of handing over Mr. Armani's parting gift to us all, which is sophisticated masculinity that’s about confidence, curiosity, virility, sensuality.”Bailey’s got a big 2027 ahead of him, with two new movies—the legal drama Monsanto, based on the real-life lawsuit over the cancer-causing risks of Roundup weed-killer; and Pumping Black, a psychological thriller about an aging cyclist training for the Tour de France—and a West End revival of the play Sunday in the Park with George on the docket. But before that, it’s time to talk about the strange serendipity of how his “I Will” campaign came together, whether clothes can have a soul, his upcoming projects, and more. Read on for the highlights from our conversation.This interview has been condensed and edited.On the power of scentIn this day and age, you want to be mindful of how you show up. Intention—how you arrive and how you leave—is really important. And I think nothing says that more than a scent, because you establish yourself with a kind of confidence. You establish yourself in with a group of people, in the world, in a community. Smell lingers with people. I remember my grandma, who was such a sensual being. She’d play “Spanish Eyes” and “The Blue Danube” and let me dress up; it was great. And her house smelled of rose talcum powder, so talcum powder, to me, is such a powerful memory scent.Courtesy of Armani Beauty“In this day and age, you want to be mindful of how you show up. Intention—how you arrive and how you leave—is really important. And I think nothing says that more than a scent.”On his grooming routineI’ve always been quite relaxed in terms of the day-to-day. Get sleep, drink water, SPF, and you’re sort of 90 percent there. Being on press tours, you get to be groomed and pampered a little. But usually, it’s like, I’ll go into the sea and that’ll be it. As long as I’ve got a good scent on.On getting the call about starring in the ‘I Will’ campaignIt’s a very bizarre story. I was cycling around Paris and I went to the Grande Jatte, because I wanted to visit the park where Georges Seurat painted A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, which is what Sunday in the Park with George is based on. And afterwards, I remember looking up and seeing this huge fragrance campaign and thinking, “It’s extraordinary, the power of an image, the power of a smell, the connectivity between a narrative, a product, and the person who eventually invests in that product.” I was really thinking about that as I carried on cycling, and then the phone rang. It felt very full circle, like there was sort of alignment to it, even though it’s the most ridiculous thing that you could ever imagine.Courtesy of Armani Beauty“Get sleep, drink water, SPF, and you’re sort of 90 percent there ... as long as I’ve got a good scent on.”On clothing with a storyI went into the most amazing vintage shop of my life the other day. I bought two Carhartt trousers, which at first I thought were going to be too small. They’re really tight on the ass, but really straight legged, and they’re actually a banger. I also got two rugby shirts and a quilted cardigan with woolen cuffs and a really low neckline. So I guess I’m gravitating to—oh, God, this is going to sound so earnest—but I love items of clothing that are handed down, that hold a story. When I was in my early 20s, I worked in South Africa. There was a lady named Minouche in the makeup department who gave me a vest. Her uncle, who was gay, had worn it during the riots in South Africa and it had blood spattered on it. It sounds so bleak, but there was such a story behind it. Clothes—like scents—can have a soul. So, yeah, maybe “I’m going for vintage stuff” is what I’m saying.Courtesy of Armani Beauty“I love items of clothing that are handed down, that hold a story.”On his upcoming projectsWhen I read the Monsanto script, I was thinking a lot about how you can show up with meaning and find something that takes you out of your life again. I love legal dramas, and the story itself is extraordinary. It’s got an amazing cast, and John Lee Hancock, who directed, tells the story so clearly and succinctly. Then there’s Pumping Black, with Mimi Cave, the director; Stacey Sher, who I think is one of the best producers; and Natalie Portman. I’m very excited, and I feels like it will be a massive physical challenge as well, which I love. And then I’ll be back onstage again next year, in Sundays in the Park with George. So I feel very, very excited and sort of recalibrated. It’s been a great time.