GUTTER CREDIT HERE LIKEXXXS
tarting over is something Henry Golding is good at.
Be it moving to Surrey from bustling Malaysia aged
eight, or quitting his job as a hairstylist to return to Asia
and become a travel presenter at 21 – he’s not afraid to take
a leap into the unknown. Acting, though, had never been on his
to-do list. But when director Jon M Chu was struggling to cast
Nick Young, the princely lead in Crazy Rich Asians, an
accountant for the film recalled the captivating host
of an event she had attended years before. Chu
watched endearing behind-the-scenes Instagram
clips of Golding’s adventures and knew he had
found his star. Golding took longer to
convince. “Can I do this? What the hell am
I doing?” he recalls thinking, on set for
Vogue, two years later. “Why am I here?
Why have they chosen me?”
The simple answer is that, with his Cary
Grant charm and stuntman physique,
Golding was born to be a leading man. He
swerves around rumours he could be the next
James Bond: “Even to be in that conversation,
it’s an honour, but it’s out of my hands.”
The surprise of Golding’s sudden career
change meant imposter syndrome clouded
its start. It was only midway through his last
movie, Monsoon, that the mist began to clear.
Going into Last Christmas, his latest, “was
like, ‘You know what? Now I’m beginning
to enjoy it,’” he smiles. Co-written by Emma
Thompson and themed around the music
of George Michael, the film follows the
world-weary Kate, played by Emilia Clarke,
who works as a shop elf and struggles to find
direction until a chance meeting with larger-
than-life optimist Tom, played by Golding.
Filming began last November, and each
chilly morning the cast and crew would
start with warm hugs, led by Thompson.
Golding and Clarke bonded over their shared
love of garage music, belting out So Solid
Crew tracks between takes (“Emilia is much
better at lyrics than I am”).
Next up? Golding has launched Long House
Productions, to create “thinking man’s action,
sci-fi, accessible horror” with diverse
casts. “We should be normalising
that people of colour are taking
lead roles,” he says, excited for
the mission at hand. Q
Last Christmas is released
on 15 NovemberHenry Golding, Hollywood’s
accidental hero, is ready for his
next mission, says Amel Mukhtar.
Photograph by Nik Hartley.
Styling by Julia BrenardBond
ambition
MR VOGUE
Cashmere
poloneck, £535,
Michael Kors
Collection.
Wool trousers,
£405, Ralph
Lauren Purple
Label. Ring,
Henry’s own.
Grooming:
Kota SuizuDIGITAL ARTWORK: LUCIE SILVEIRA14312-19-MrVogue.indd 143 20/09/2019 10:47