Zac Efron, Lindsay Lohan, and Robert Pattinson might be A-Listers now, but they all made a memorable first impression on-screen back in the day, announcing their arrival in Hollywood by winning the coveted golden popcorn for Breakthrough Performance at the MTV Movie & TV Awards. The last actor to win in the category was Noah Centineo in 2019 for his role in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, but on Sunday (May 16), it was time to crown a new star.
In the end, it was Bridgerton dreamboat Regé-Jean Page who took home the award for his role as Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, on the first season of the popular Netflix period piece. This year’s category was stacked, and Page beat out Antonia Gentry (Ginny & Georgia), Ashley Park (Emily in Paris), Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm), and Paul Mescal (Normal People).
Accepting the award via satellite, Page shouted out the Bridgerton cast and crew who “worked incredibly hard to give audiences stories and shows we could just feel good about.”
“We wanted everyone to know they deserve love stories, they deserve happy ever afters, no matter who they are, no matter where they’re from, no matter when they’re from,” the actor continued, clutching his bucket of popcorn. “Awards like this, voted for by you, let us know that you took those stories close to your hearts… I will hold this close to my heart.”
Page will not be returning for Bridgerton‘s second season, but last year he told MTV News how being part of the Shondaland production was such “a big deal for a lot of people that I know and love and work with.” He continued: “It was incredibly exciting… There is nothing on a higher level of ambition than this show at the moment, and it’s a real privilege to be at the center of that.”
The 2021 MTV Movie & TV Awards are airing live right now from the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. Find the complete winners list right here.
