GQ South Africa — May 2017

MAY 2017 GQ.CO.ZA 103

GQ: What do you consider
the key things in modern
masculinity and your
projection of them?
GB: I think the commercial is
in some ways a more classic
deinition of what it is to be
a man that still holds true today.
To be a man of your word,
authentic, dedicated, to give
your best in everything you do,
to be courageous and stand up in
the face of adversity. Deinitions
need not all be classic examples of
heroism and masculinity but also
show that there is more going on
than that. You want to be strong
but compassionate, to win but not
at all costs.
Winning not just in your career
but also as it applies to all areas of
your life, whether it’s friendship,
family, recreation or contributing
back to the world. It becomes
a little more freeing and dynamic.

GQ: Hugo Boss has done
a really good job of
integrating classic and
contemporary with its suits.
What’s your view on the way
suiting has changed?
GB: What I’ve noticed in my time
is that there has been a deinite
shift. I think suits used to be worn
stily as a uniform and perhaps
less for expression. Nowadays
there is more lexibility in how
you wear a suit and you can
make more of a statement

GQ: Have you picked up any
style tips from working with
Hugo Boss?
GB: Well, the most important
thing to me is how they tailor-
make my suits. I’ve learnt the
importance of tailoring a suit and
the diference that it makes – that
2mm adjustment makes the world
of diference. he other thing is
how you stand in a suit. I really
enjoy the feeling of actually
wearing a suit, of standing up
holding my shoulders back and
enjoying the presence and
charisma you get from being
in a suit.

GQ: Do you have any other
modern man’s uniform?

GB: I never have anything that

I think every guy should own. In

fact, that’s not the type of person

I am. I feel quite strongly about the

deinition of a modern man being

able to choose whatever it is he

wants to choose. Dress how he

wants and groom how he wants.

For me personally though, I’m

all about jackets ’cause I’m from

Scotland where the weather is

rarely a temperature where you

don’t wear a jacket. Jackets have

become our way of expressing

ourselves or a style. I live in LA,

and I have all these jackets in my

cupboard and I’m like, I know I’d

be really hot today if I wore it, but

I really want to wear it.

GQ: Do you have an attitude

that made you beat your

own track?

GB: here are diferent mantras

and principles that have brought

me along the way. In some ways

the most important one was at the

very beginning. It’s very simple

and silly but my life was a bit of

a disaster back then: I was a week

away from qualifying as a lawyer

and I was ired because they knew

it wasn’t what I wanted to do, or

where my heart lay. It could have

gone two ways, I could have had

a meltdown or I could have taken

advantage of the situation. It

built this mantra of ‘Screw it, I’ve

messed it all up so why not aim for

the stars’. I allowed that mishap to

make me feel unhindered and free,

like I was able to go to wherever

I wanted instead of being tethered

to a particular career.

W hen I irst met Larr y Moss,

who’s a great acting coach I did

one session with 15 years ago just

when I moved to LA, he said. ‘If

not you then who, so why not you?’

hat simple slogan helped me

so much because I came from

a culture that was always ‘No,

that’s not for you. No, you go

and be successful,’ and there was

always that kind of chip on your

shoulder. Allowing you to feel

almost like you’re not deserving

and like somebody else is going

to beat you there any way.

Larry’s [idea] gave me the

biggest boost of conidence. A lot

of my mantra has been about

ownership of my destiny, just

fulilling my destiny. Another one

I’ve had is everything is going to be

alright – I remember having that

in my head the irst time I arrived

in LA.

GQ: How have you chosen

your roles?

GB: I always wanted to try and

challenge myself in diferent

genres and diferent roles. I always

felt I had these parts of me that

I was still waiting to show

ever ybody and I found that

exciting. Even moving into

a musical or an animation or

a black comedy. I’ve kind of

deined them in leagues and

worked my way up that way, but it

was always subject to an amazing

script. If there was a great script, it

didn’t really matter what genre it

was because once you get that bug,

it’s hard to let go.

‘I am fascinated by that

blend of what a man is

supposed to be and the

best way to live your life’