It's been five years since Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Andrew Scott positively demolished all of our hearts in a mere six episodes of Fleabag, via the exceptionally unlikely pairing of the show's sex-obsessed protagonist and the "hot priest" she falls for in Season 2. And while both talents have gone on to plenty of other high-profile projects in the half-decade since that heartbreaking bus stop scene, news of a potential reunion between the pair has our Fleabag-loving hearts thumping at the thought.
While promoting Ripley, his new Netflix adaptation of the classic Patricia Highsmith novel, Scott gave eager fans an update on whether he and Waller-Bridge will be collaborating again onscreen anytime soon. He happily told Vogue:
We’ve definitely got things cooking. I’d love to work with her again. She’s just a singular, wonderful person.
Prior to Fleabag, the 47-year-old Irishman was already known to fans for his BAFTA-winning turn as the villainous James Moriarty in the BBC series Sherlock, as well as memorable roles in the James Bond movie Spectre and historical films like Pride and 1917. But playing the man known simply as "Hot Priest" (like "Fleabag" herself, Scott's character actually doesn't have a name) in the Golden Globe-winning dramedy made the actor a household name among fans, earning him a Critics' Choice Award win for "Best Supporting Actor," as well as Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations.
So it's not surprising that Scott would want to see if lightning can strike twice with his former collaborator and longtime friend Phoebe, whom he met while working on the play Roaring Trade at London's Soho Theater 15 years ago. And it sounds like Waller-Bridge — who has been busy with developing that Tomb Raider TV series, starring in an Indiana Jones movie and punching up James Bond scripts — is equally keen to stage a much-anticipated reunion with the actor, calling him "an absolute pixie of mischief" in the Vogue piece. She said of her onscreen love:
I could write a novel [about him]. But I love how naughty he is. He has the magical ability to make you feel instantly present—no matter what’s going on in your life, you’re suddenly there in the moment and feeling joyful. I think that’s what it’s like to watch him as an actor too…like he can stop time with his honesty.
As for what the potential reunion could entail, Waller-Bridge hinted at what she'd want to see acting-wise from Scott next:
I’d love to see him do a fully unhinged slapstick comedy character. Someone who is outraged at everything, all of the time.
Take our money! After making us weep not only with Fleabag but also his recent film, the gorgeously sad All of Us Strangers co-starring Paul Mescal, it would be nice to see Andrew Scott get to brighten up in a comedy. (After all, we don't expect many laughs from the murderous Tom Ripley.)
While you wait to hear about Andrew Scott and Phoebe Waller-Bridge's upcoming collaboration, you can revisit their most famous one as Fleabag and Hot Priest — Fleabag is available to stream now with an Amazon Prime Video subscription.
