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NOMADIC SPARK
BORAN KUZUM IS NOT JUST AN ACTOR; HE’S A RESTLESS CREATOR CHASING STORIES THAT REFLECT THE HIDDEN CORNERS OF THE HUMAN SOUL. FOR HIM, EACH NEW PROJECT—WHETHER PRODUCING AN EXPERIMENTAL FILM OR EXPLORING THE STREETS OF PARIS—SPARKS IDEAS FUELLED BY CURIOSITY. FREE FROM THE CONSTRAINTS OF LABELS, HE DIVES INTO EVERY CREATIVE REALM, FINDING COMFORT IN UNCHARTED EMOTIONAL TERRITORY. HE RECENTLY CO-PRODUCED THE HOUSE WITH NO ADDRESS, A DYSTOPIAN TALE THAT MIRRORS HIS FASCINATION WITH THE UNKNOWN. BETWEEN FLIGHTS, FILM SETS, AND IMPROMPTU CAFÉ CHATS, KUZUM RADIATES A SENSE OF EXCITEMENT ABOUT WHAT LIES AHEAD. HE’S NOT HERE TO DELIVER NEAT LISTS OF FAVOURITE FILMS OR RATTLE OFF TECHNICAL SPECS—HE’S DRIVEN BY THE SINGULAR SPARK OF REAL CONNECTION. IN AN INDUSTRY OFTEN BOUND BY FORMULAS, KUZUM LIVES FOR THE SPONTANEOUS MOMENTS THAT SHAPE ART. STEP INTO HIS WORLD, AND YOU’LL SEE HOW BOUNDLESS CREATIVITY CAN BE.
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Hi Boran, I heard you just wrapped Thank You, Next? What have you been up to lately?
I’ve been trying to clear my head—there was a lot on my plate, and I used this break to decompress. Travelling between shoots really helps; I like to think of it as investing in myself.
We bumped into each other at the Babygirl screening the other day but didn’t get to chat afterwards. How was it?
I enjoyed it a lot, but what really struck me was Nicole Kidman’s dedication to spotlighting fresh global talent. She’s bringing new cultures, directors, actors—new everything—into an industry that can be pretty insular. Watching Babygirl was fun, but seeing how she champions new voices was even more inspiring.
Seen anything else lately?
I’ve practically moved into the movie theatre. Nosferatu, Wicked (and I’m not usually a musical fan, but it was awesome!), Anora, and Maria all blew me away.
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Do you have a Letterboxd account?
No, no, no! Don’t get me wrong; I love reading reviews, but I think true film criticism goes beyond quick takes. I’m a total feeler when it comes to movies: even if something isn’t perfect, one memorable scene or performance can leave me speechless. That’s why I’m hesitant to pick “all-time favourites”. Some films just hit you in the gut.
So can we count Nicole Kidman as your role model?
Maybe a bit of a stretch. But I did co-produce a film last year and loved having my hands in every creative pot. Acting is still my main jam, but I’m obsessed with the whole process—from casting to production design. It’s like a new dimension of storytelling.
Right, The House With No Address was your first time producing. How did it land on your radar?
I’m all about bold, offbeat projects. Plus, it was the director’s first feature, so I wanted to be on board. I really enjoy discovering and working with young creative people. We shot mostly in a studio, split between Istanbul and Ankara, working with Atilla Çelik, who’s an absolute genius at production design. It’s a shame we often just say “art direction” here in Turkey; he does so much more.
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Right Top Alexander Wang
This project feels like a departure from your past acting roles.
The House With No Address catapults you into a dystopian reality where every tiny misstep—every moment of so-called “excess”—is met with the harshest penalty. While the film keeps much of its system under wraps, what’s clear is a singular drive to “educate” or “reform” society by any means necessary. The goal? Regulate everything from the planet’s dwindling resources to the rawest human emotions, all under one rigid code. I step into the role of a lawyer’s son—one half of a father-and-son attorney duo—whose mother is sentenced to death for crossing some arbitrary line. To make matters even darker, mourning itself is off-limits; if you can’t shove your grief aside, you’re shipped off to rehabilitation. The crux of the story, though, lies in my character’s moral spiral: How do you defend a system so devoid of compassion? Ultimately, The House With No Address isn’t just about futuristic laws. It’s a cautionary tale about the slow erosion of empathy—proof that when emotion is outlawed, our shared humanity can slip through the cracks.
When do you feel your most creative?
bk: Funny enough, just now I realized it’s probably when everything’s on the line. We locked in most of our cast at the eleventh hour, and seeing how each actor elevated the movie was a serious thrill. I love being the one who connects talent to the right project.
Left Full look Gucci
Right Full look Celine Homme
Speaking of “the house with no address,” you were born and raised in Ankara and split your time between Istanbul, and Paris. Where do you really call home?
I’m basically a nomad. Whenever someone asks for my address, I just shrug…
So, where do you call home?
A plane seat.
A plane seat?
Seriously, I sleep best on flights—something about being up in the clouds is weirdly comforting.
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Speaking of comfort… You thrive on set, but do you enjoy exploring characters who are nothing like you? Do you enjoy stepping out of your comfort zone?
Absolutely. Set life is my real comfort zone, and I’ve learned I feel even freer when the role is a complete departure from myself. It’s like putting on someone else’s lens—you get a fresh perspective.
A decade ago, people might have kept asking when you’d go global. Now Thank You, Next and Bihter are on Netflix and Prime, and Thank You, Next even hit number one in many countries. How’s that ride?
Streaming is a game-changer—it takes our craft to a bigger audience. This art form has always required an audience to come alive. Suddenly, we can reach viewers from all corners of the world. Spotting someone who isn’t Turkish watching my work on a flight? Surreal.
Do you ever get bored on set?
Not really. My projects usually have clear arcs and timelines, so there’s no time to drag. But there can be friction if I don’t fully sync with a director’s approach. Still, I’m there to serve the script, no matter what.
The show references ghosting, love bombing, and the kind of perspective on dating that Gen Z adores. Is it really tougher to connect nowadays?
I don’t think so. If anything, people crave stable, meaningful relationships even more. It’s so easy to reach anyone these days—and I like that feeling of being with someone who truly “gets” me.
Are you an emotional person?
I’m emotional, yes, but I try to balance it with logic. Without emotion, I doubt I’d do this job well.
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Doesn’t being open about your feelings make you vulnerable? Is it considered a weakness to show your emotions like that?
Vulnerable, sure, but that’s not the same as weak. I think it shows strength to communicate how you really feel.
You need that sensitivity for your characters, right?
Exactly. Starting in drama school, I realised even the most “impossible” characters need empathy. Once you understand their journey, you can’t help but put yourself in their shoes.
How do you build that empathy muscle?
Through respect for others, basically. We’re all flawed, so trying to see life through someone else’s lens is crucial. I never know when I’ll need to channel that perspective for a role.
People also link you to fashion. How does style factor into your work?
I’m all about fashion—it’s another playground for creativity in my book. Especially when I’m diving into a new role, costume design is a huge deal. What your character wears, how they wear it, and the choices they make can completely transform their entire vibe—and yes, even their posture. That’s why, whenever I’m in character-building mode, I’ll put together a personal lookbook drawn from fashion photography. It’s like adding an extra layer to my performance: once I lock down the perfect style, I’m able to slip into the character’s mindset so much more naturally.
Favourite designer?
Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent. Those shoulder pads, those fabrics... Instant mood boost.
Any piece that’s extra special to you?
I once left a Saint Laurent jacket in a Nashville hotel, and I was heartbroken. It was from a previous collection and had major sentimental value. Luckily, I got it back eventually.
Thank goodness, I expected a sad ending.
Right? That would’ve been tragic!
Interview by Aykun Tasdoner
Photography & Fashion by Hadar Pitchon
CHASING DREAMS
DESPITE HIS PASSION FOR CARTOGRAPHY AND PHOTOGRAPHY, FREDDIE DENNIS ALWAYS WANTED TO PLAY PRETEND FOR A LIVING. AFTER ATTENDING THE OXFORD SCHOOL OF DRAMA, THE RISING BRITISH ACTING TALENT EARNED NEAR-INSTANT FAME IN THE NETFLIX PERIOD DRAMA QUEEN CHARLOTTE. PLAYING THE STERN AND UPRIGHT (BUT SECRETLY TENDER) REYNOLDS, HE EMBARKED ON A LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE QUEEN’S SECRETARY, BRIMSLEY, GIVING THE BRIDGERTON UNIVERSE ITS FIRST QUEER ROMANCE. BUT EVEN WITH HIS IMPOSSIBLY GOOD LOOKS, DON’T EXPECT HIM TO BE TYPECAST AS ARM CANDY ANYTIME SOON – HE MAY BE YOUNG AND IN DEMAND, BUT HE’S READY TO PROVE HIS ACTING CHOPS, TRYING ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THAT COMES HIS WAY.
Left Coat O. Files, pants Alexander McQueen, shoes Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello
Right Full look Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello
Before we get to acting, I want to ask you about the amazing travelogue images you share on Instagram. You’re a bit of an explorer!
Yes, I’ve loved geography for as long as I can remember. At primary school, I think I had more atlases than friends! In year 7, I won the geography rap competition, which certainly didn’t help the friend situation! [Laughs] I think my fascination with maps gave me a wider curiosity about the world and I don’t think there’s any better subject than geography to satisfy that. Then, I suppose photography came when I started travelling, I found it made the experience even more enriching.
Left Coat O. Files
Right Jacket Maison Margiela, shorts Adam Jones, boots Untitlab
Do you have a favourite place you’ve captured, or a person/group you’ve met on your travels? I know it’s like choosing a favourite child.
I know it sounds cliché, but I love all the places and people I’ve photographed for different reasons. That said, I think Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are the most photogenic places I’ve been to. I took a photo of a boy fishing in a town called Arslanbob – home of the world’s largest walnut forest for fellow geographers – it did well in some competitions I submitted it to. I never thought it was my best, but I’m proud that it was recognised.
Left Full look Prada
Right Full look Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello
How did you get into photography? Who are your photographic icons?
George Steinmetz was my inspiration growing up. At 21, he dropped out of Stanford University and para-glided across Africa for two and half years – his intrepidness and willingness to chase a dream still inspire me. Everyone should look up his book African Air.
Do you think you’ll ever release your own photography book, or is filmmaking on the horizon?
Yes, I hope so, to both! I think an interesting life is one where you try your hand at lots of different things. In terms of filmmaking, my friend Ben and I are about to release a short documentary we made in 2024. It’s a series of interviews made across the country, concerning a multitude of topics - a sort of ‘State of the Nation’ piece. Who knows if it’s any good… but we’re happy to have finished it nonetheless!
Left Full look Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello
Right Full look Dior Men
How did you get into acting? What made you want to do it?
I can’t say exactly what it was that drew me to it… All I can say is that I always wanted to act. I never tried it until I left university though, for fear of sucking! I applied to drama schools during Covid and despite my lack of experience somehow got in. I thank the lack of face-to-face auditions! [Laughs] It transformed it from a dream into a reality.
Left Coat O. Files
Right Top Stefan Cooke, pants Alexander McQueen
Having lacked that confidence to pursue acting, getting your big break on a show like Queen Charlotte must have helped!
Honestly, I don’t know that it did. I do now feel much more confident, but I think the change for me came when I realised that it’s ok to be a work in progress. I’m never going to be the finished product, but I’m getting better every day and that’s enough.
You must feel proud of being part of the Bridgerton world’s first queer love story though?
I am so proud of that – it’s so important for all people to feel represented in whatever they watch on television. Though at the time, I was just terrified that someone had employed me to act!
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Right Full look Loewe
So where is your head at now? Do you feel like you’re unafraid to go in any direction and try new things in a role?
I am really excited about what this year holds. I feel ready and raring to go!
If a director came along right now and offered you a part you would go crazy for, who would the director be and what’s the role?
I feel like at this stage of my career I want to try anything and everything. It’s such a privilege just to be working and trying new things. I am about to start a film in Spanish which I am incredibly excited about, so right now I’m just grateful for where I am at.
Left Coat Dunhill, body Zimism, boots Untitlab
Right Top Samuel Slattery, pants Giorgio Armani
I could see you in a biopic, playing James Dean perhaps, or a Marvel movie, as we know you’re partial to being in costume.
James Dean was a much smaller and far better-looking man than me but thank you nonetheless! On the other hand, I’ve been told repeatedly that I look like Lady Di…
I think you missed your calling in The Crown then! Well, back to the love of travelling – once you’ve done it all and won the Oscar, where in the world would you like to retire and grow old?
A stone’s throw from the Emirates Stadium!
Left Jacket Maison Margiela, shorts Adam Jones, boots Untitlab
Right Top Stefan Cooke, pants Alexander McQueen
Interview by Kate Lawson
Photography by Lulu McArdle
Fashion by Douglas Miller
Casting by Imagemachine cs
Production by Phoebe Lascelles
Grooming by Dani Guinsberg
Movement Direction by Liam John at Dust Bunnie Agency
Photographer’s assistant Martin Eito
Stylist’s assistants Elsa Muis and Timmy Taiwo
HOLDING SPACE, TAKING POWER
ARI GRAYNOR ISN’T HERE TO PLAY BY THE RULES. SHE MOVES THROUGH THE WORLD LIKE AN ARTIST FOREVER IN MOTION—ACTING, WRITING, PHOTOGRAPHING, AND, WHEN THE INDUSTRY NOISE GETS TOO LOUD, RETREATING TO THE STILLNESS OF HER 200-YEAR-OLD FARMHOUSE IN UPSTATE NEW YORK, CLEARING OUT INVASIVE PLANTS AND BUILDING THINGS WITH HER HANDS. WHEN SHE’S ON SET, SHE DISAPPEARS INTO CHARACTERS SO FULLY THAT SAYING GOODBYE FEELS LIKE A BREAKUP. WHETHER IT’S THE BOLD UNPREDICTABILITY OF NICK & NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST, THE DARK COMEDY OF I’M DYING UP HERE, OR THE RAW INTENSITY OF MONSTERS, GRAYNOR GRAVITATES TOWARD ROLES THAT LET HER EXPLORE COMPLEX, LAYERED WOMEN. WITH THE LATTER, SHE STEPS INTO THE POWERHOUSE PRESENCE OF ATTORNEY LESLIE ABRAMSON—A CHARACTER THAT STAYED WITH HER LONG AFTER FILMING WRAPPED.
Left Full look Louis Vuitton
Right Top Petar Petrov, skirt Bottega Veneta
Where are you right now?
I’m upstate, at home in the country. I bought this 200-year-old farmhouse about six months before the pandemic—62 acres of land, a lot of trees, a lot of space. So when I’m not working, I’m usually outside dealing with something—walking, building, pulling out invasive plants, trying to figure out how to take care of things. It’s a very different rhythm from set life.
You spent months on red carpets, at photoshoots, at award shows… then suddenly, it’s over. How does that feel?
It’s kind of like Cinderella at midnight—minus the endless housework. It’s fun, it’s dress-up, but it’s not real life. I love it, but I also love coming back to my quiet world. I’m an introvert, but it took me years to realise that. I love people, I love talking, but I recharge by being alone in nature. For a long time, I thought something was wrong with me, but then I was like, “Oh, I just need alone time.” What a concept!
If you could be friends with any character you’ve played, who would it be?
I feel like acting, at its best, is kind of like falling in love. You step into someone else’s world so completely that you can’t help but feel connected to them. So in that way, I’d want to be friends with all of them. But Leslie [from Monsters] would have been an incredible friend—intense, but great. Caroline from Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist would have been fun, in a chaotic way. Katie from For a Good Time, Call... too. And Cassie from I’m Dying Up Here—though I think she might’ve scared me a little. Oh, and Brenda from Mrs. America! Funny thing is, I didn’t even know her while I was filming, but after the show aired, we ended up meeting and now she’s like an aunt to me.
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Right Full look Louis Vuitton
Do you ever miss your characters after a project wraps?
Oh, all the time. It goes back to that feeling of falling in love. When you play a character, you step so completely inside their world that they become a part of you. And often, you end up exploring pieces of yourself through them. With Leslie, I felt that most. She was hard to let go of. Playing her was such a beautiful opportunity to step into my own power and strength. She cared what people thought, but at the same time, she didn’t. She had presence, command, sharpness, and this charisma that I really loved. And getting to embody that—it stayed with me. I think sometimes, when you take on a role, it’s like practising parts of yourself that you want to bring forward in real life.
Do you still get nervous before stepping on set?
Always. I mean, even if you know a character inside and out, there’s still that moment of stepping onto a set and thinking, “Oh god, I hope I can actually do this.” When I had to do stand-up in I’m Dying Up Here, it was terrifying. I wasn’t a real stand-up comic, obviously, but I still had to get up in front of 150 people and tell jokes. That’s a different kind of vulnerability. And in Mrs. America, debating Cate Blanchett was probably the scariest day of my career. She’s not intimidating as a person—she’s actually the best—but the idea of standing next to her, holding my own in a legal debate? Terrifying.
Was she really intimidating?
She’s the most incredible woman in the world, which somehow makes it even more terrifying to stand across from her and think, “Okay, now I have to hold my ground and debate Cate Blanchett.” A legal debate, no less. She’s so sharp, so precise—so yeah, wildly intimidating. But honestly, Monsters as a whole came with a lot of fear and self-doubt for me. I had moments of wondering, “What if I get in my own way? What if I can’t do this?” And then the courtroom scenes started, and it was like, “Okay, this is where Leslie lived. This was her arena.” I just wanted to do her justice, to honour her completely. I think fear is always a good thing. It doesn’t feel comfortable—no one loves sitting in that space—but when you don’t have it, you actually miss it. It’s an engine, a sign that you’re doing something new, pushing yourself somewhere unfamiliar. It’s scary, but that’s where growth happens.
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Right Coat The Frankie Shop
How obsessed were you with the real-life Leslie before shooting?
Honestly, I didn’t know that much about her before getting the job. I knew the case, but I wasn’t super familiar with her specifically. But once I got the role, I became completely engrossed—like, full-on, year-long deep dive into everything Leslie Abramson. I watched every video, read everything I could find, and tried to go beyond what happened in the courtroom. I wanted to understand where she came from—her family, her history, her psychology. When you’re playing a real person, and especially one you have access to through footage and records, it’s like this ongoing scavenger hunt. You start collecting all these tiny details, little clues about who they were and why they operated the way they did. And then, as an actor, you get to interpret those details—like mixing paint colours to create something that feels whole, layered, alive.
Ryan Murphy always creates these incredible female characters—powerful, even in their vulnerability.
Yes, absolutely. What he’s done for women on television—giving them these full-bodied, juicy, complicated roles—is really unparalleled. Maybe unparalleled isn’t quite the word, but it’s definitely a gift. He creates these singular, richly layered women who feel real, and that’s rare. When I came on board for Monsters, I actually auditioned the day before the actors' strike and then, miraculously, got the offer the day the strike ended. But at that point, I hadn’t read any of the scripts—I only had a couple of scenes for the audition. One was Leslie’s introduction at the adoption agency, and the other was her first meeting with Erik. Even just from those few pages, I could tell how much depth was there. The way she was introduced, the way she spoke about her own life and work—it wasn’t the obvious choice, but it got straight to the heart of who she was. And that’s what Ryan, Ian Brennan, Brandon Kirby, David McMillan—our main writers—do so well. They write women with range, with contradictions, with truth. I’ve been waiting to play a woman like Leslie for a long time. Roles like hers are rare. She was rare. And to have a character like that on television? Even rarer.
Left Full look Giorgio Armani
Right Full look Loro Piana
Your character had such a serious presence, but you brought this energy that shifted things—made us feel something different.
Oh, that’s really kind of you to say. I always saw Leslie as no-nonsense and tough, but she also had incredible charisma, humour, and warmth. I mean, Joan Didion was one of her best friends—that alone tells you she wasn’t dull. Playing her, I wanted to find the balance—going deep without losing myself in it. Over the years, I’ve learned how to hold that space, but Leslie was a challenge because she had spent decades hearing the worst of humanity. As an actor, you want to absorb everything, but as a lawyer, she couldn’t. There were scenes—especially with Cooper and Nicholas—where I just wanted to break down, but my job was to hold the space, not fall apart. And weirdly, that boundary became a gift. It kept me present, kept me focused. And having such incredible scene partners helped—we’d shoot something emotionally brutal, and then Cooper would be like, “Okay, what’s for dinner?” That kind of levity saved us.
Let’s talk about the power suits.
Oh, please! Paula Bradley, our costume designer, was incredible. We had a mix of vintage and custom-made pieces—YSL, Chanel, incredible tailoring. That red suit? Vintage YSL. The green one? Vintage Chanel. The black one I wore with the family was an unreal vintage Ungaro. I usually live in… well, let’s say, very not power-suit clothing. But when you step into something like that, it changes your whole body language.
So what first introduced you to acting? Did someone lead you to it, or did you just find your own way?
It kind of just happened. My first-grade class put on a play—How Yucky Duck Became Sir John Swan. We didn’t audition, everyone was just assigned a part. But I remember getting off the bus that day, in tears of joy, because I had been cast in a play. And that was it. I was an only child, so I spent a lot of time creating worlds on my own—talking to myself, dressing up, making up characters. And my mom did some community theatre, so there was always that little window into it. She was in the chorus of Guys and Dolls and Hello, Dolly! when I was little, so I grew up around the Wellesley Players. But I think it was just one of those things where, the way some kids pick up a paintbrush or sit at a piano and just know—for me, it was acting. After I played Molly in Annie at a community theatre, I told my parents, “This is what I’m going to do.” And, unbelievably, they listened. They supported me. And from there, I just kind of found my way.
Left Top Petar Petrov, skirt Bottega Veneta
Right Dress Courrèges
Do you feel more at home on stage or in front of the camera?
It used to be the stage—just because I did so much of it for so long. But now? This is probably the longest I’ve ever gone without doing a play since I was six years old. I think it’s been about seven years, which feels wild. I was supposed to do one during COVID, but it got pushed, and then other things just didn’t line up. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately, though—I’ve been reading more plays, really feeling the pull to go back. But I’ll be honest, I also feel scared to do it again. Which is funny, because when I was younger, I never had stage fright. Auditions didn’t make me nervous, performing didn’t make me nervous. But now? I feel more anticipation, more nerves than I used to. Right now, I feel at home in front of the camera. But I’d love to get back on stage and find that feeling again, because theatre is a whole different way of being.
Why do you think people are so obsessed with murder stories?
It’s such a fascinating question. I think, psychologically, it has something to do with our shadow selves—the part of us that either fears what could happen to us or fears what we might be capable of. It’s that deep, unsettling curiosity about the darkest corners of human nature. That’s my little Dr. Freud take on it, anyway. And then, of course, there’s just the storytelling. Murder mysteries keep you on edge—you want to understand, you want to piece it together. There’s also something strangely generous in that curiosity. I think people genuinely wonder, “How does someone become that person? How do things escalate to that point?” We’re fascinated by each other’s lives, even if we don’t always know how to be curious in everyday life. True crime is just the most extreme version of that. What do you think?
When I’m stressed, I watch mysteries. They take me out of the moment.
Oh, I love that. My escape is Love Is Blind. Or The Ultimatum. I cannot get enough. I mean, I still watch The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, and there are a lot of things I don’t agree with about them—the whole idea of worshipping at the altar of marriage is ridiculous—but somehow, it’s the only thing that quiets my brain. I think I’m just fascinated by human nature on that level. We all have our thing.
Left Trench coat Lemaire, dress Gabriela Hearst, bikini Louis Vuitton
Right Dress Courrèges
Ryan Murphy builds these different worlds—American Horror Story, American Crime Story, Feud… do you ever wish you could step into one of them?
I’d love to do something with him again. He creates these incredible characters, these vivid, intricate worlds. I think I’d really love to step into a Feud project. Horror? That scares me a little more.
You don’t watch horror?
Never.
But acting in it is different, right?
I guess, but even that feels exhausting to me. It seems like your body would just be jacked up the whole time. But a very glamorous Feud? Sign me up.
Left Dress Courrèges
Right Coat Louis Vuitton
You’ve played so many period characters—Mrs. America, Winning Time, Monsters—all from the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s. Is that a world you feel drawn to?
Definitely. I feel like there’s something about my sensibility that just fits with the 20th century. I love working in those spaces. The ‘20s, ‘30s, ‘40s, ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s? That all feels right to me. But once we hit the 2000s, I’m like, I don’t know about this one. Hopefully, there’s another Ryan Murphy period piece in my future. Fingers crossed.
You also do photography, right?
Yes! It’s funny, there are many things I’ve done for years that I didn’t take seriously until later, and photography is one of them. I started in high school, but only recently did I begin seeing it as a real part of how I create. When I was working on a film I want to direct, I put together a lookbook, and that process made me realise—oh, these photos really show how I see things. The composition, the light, the intimacy, the space between people—it all connects to how I approach storytelling. I even made a website for my photography. It’s password-protected because I’m paranoid about the internet. I don’t understand how people don’t just take images and use them elsewhere. I should probably just make it public, though.
…
Interview by Aykun Tasdoner
Photography by David Roemer
Fashion by Aryeh Lappin
Casting by Imagemachine cs
Production by Jean Cabacungan-Jarvis
Production on set Nika Bregvadze
Hair by Chika F.K
Make-Up by Olivia Barad at See Management
Nails by Miki Higuchi at Art Department
Photographer’s assistant Ernesto Urdaneta
Stylist’s assistant Sulai Lopez
INDEPENDENT SPIRIT
PEYTON LIST IS NO STRANGER TO THE SPOTLIGHT; FROM CHILD MODEL SHE GAINED PROMINENCE IN THE MOVIE 27 DRESSES, AND AS HOLLY HILLS IN DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES, FOLLOWED BY A SUCCESSFUL RUN AS EMMA ROSS IN DISNEY CHANNEL'S JESSIE AND ITS SPINOFF BUNK'D.
MORE RECENTLY, SHE KICKED ASS AS THE FIERCE AND FEARLESS TORY NICHOLS, IN NETFLIX’S HIT SERIES COBRA KAI, INSPIRING A NEW GEN OF GIRL POWER MARTIAL ARTS FANS AND SPARKING COUNTLESS TIKTOK ‘HOW TO KICK LIKE TORY’ TRENDS. NOW SHE’S HAUNTING US ALL AS MADDIE, A DEAD TEEN STUCK IN LIMBO IN THE AFTERLIFE, IN PARAMOUNT+’S SUPERNATURAL DRAMA SCHOOL SPIRITS, WHICH SHE ALSO EXECUTIVE PRODUCES. HAVING COMPLETED THE SHOW’S SECOND SEASON LEAVING AUDIENCES ON A CLIFFHANGER ENDING, SHE FOUND TIME TO HOP ON A ZOOM WITH US TO DISCUSS THE POWER OF PERFORMANCE, FASHION THAT SPEAKS HER LANGUAGE AND FUTURE PLANS TO CLIMB MOUNTAINS – AND NOT JUST IN THE CAREER SENSE – LITERALLY HIKING UP BIG HILLS, HER NEWFOUND PASSION.
Full look Zadig&Voltaire
Hey Peyton, before we discuss anything else, I love the fact you’re now into hiking! First you’re climbing career mountains… and now out in nature, literally ascending big hills!
I know!! I went to Scotland to the Cairngorms to go hiking, and I screamed and cried during that hike, it was so hard, I was like “what did I get myself into?!” But it was also what made me love social media again – I now see all these backpackers doing these big hikes saying how it sucks, but you’ve just got to keep going! It’s that feeling of when you’ve started a hike, you have no choice, you can’t turn back, and it’s been the best thing for my mental health as you’re on this mountain and you’ve got keep going. It helped that the Scottish scenery is so beautiful too, it changes every 15mins, it’s so insane.
A complete mind trip in the sense of being out in all that wilderness too, having grown up and now living in the cultural beating heart that is New York. Having access to all those theatre shows around you as a child, were you ever starry eyed?
Yes definitely. My family would enter the lottery system to go and see all the Broadway shows, at least one or two a week for 20 bucks and it was so exciting for me. I wanted to go so badly and see this other bigger world outside of school, and live performance has always been so addictive and inspiring to see.
Left Full look Fendi
Right Full look Christian Dior
What about those career mountain highs then, as you’ve really showed your range since your Disney days – did those roots give you the self-confidence boost you needed?
Absolutely. I never thought I would get a Disney show, as I was either doing thriller indies in New York or guest starring as someone’s daughter on an ABC show, and it felt so different for me. It really did give me the confidence I needed, as I thought if I can get this, then I can play different characters, and it was exciting to me thinking about the many genres I could enter as an actor.
And then came your big breakout really, as Tory Nichols in Cobra Kai. After the final season, did you have a newfound appreciation for your character’s arc, in that you learned more about her and how much strength and heart she had?
I didn’t expect the writers to take the character on the journey for five seasons, and for her to have so much depth and this ability to change – I’m happy they took it in that direction. I’ve gone to Comic Cons and had teachers who work in the foster care system tell me that they’ve met girls like my character; so, to see that arc tell how change is possible is so inspiring, taking complex characters further than you expected. Of course, the show has its delightfully cheesy moments too [laughs], but to also have the heart in it I think is inspiring.
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Yes, particularly in how a new gen of young women are keen to learn martial arts, for self-defence. Did the training, working with a black-belt sensei on-set, help build your own self-confidence, and empower you?
Definitely! I had never thrown a punch before this show! [laughs]. I worked with Janelle Kauffman, a stunt coordinator, in the first couple of seasons, and she’s insanely bad ass. She taught me how to use numb chucks and learn self-defence, and I feel like every girl should learn that! I’m happy that martial arts are having another wave of popularity, and especially among girls now, it’s great to know they want to learn it in schools as well as the boys.
I’m curious to know, when you were training for the role, did that mental focus and heightened awareness you need with martial arts, enable you to discover elements of yourself you maybe haven’t accessed yet?
Without a doubt. We worked with a Sensei called Tony for the last season and he’s a fifth-generation black belt. I learned that when you step onto the mat you must bow, and respect the space you’re entering, and bow to your Sensei, your teachers, and your opponent. I think there is something powerful in respecting a person before you have a conversation or a fight, or anything, there is a value in that. To have a sense of self and feel more confident and powerful and have ownership over your body really translates and I want to keep it up and do more. I was texting with my Sensei recently, and he told me, “Remember to chamber your kicks”, and honestly, I haven’t been kicking anything for ages! [laughs]
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Well, speaking of kicks, how else do you get yours, in terms of work. You’ve done action now, what’s next, do you like challenging yourself?
I never had any idea when I got the script and joined the show (Cobra Kai), that I was doing any martial arts, and when I found out, I really wanted to learn, until I saw how difficult it was! [laughs]. I wanted a stunt person to come in and do it all instead. But that show is insane as they really want you to do everything and they push you all the way, and now I’m glad they did, as it tested me so much. I would love to do a dark indie next, with writers and filmmakers that shoot practically, something grounded where I can learn so much; I’m hungry to do something that’s gritty and fun to be part of.
Meanwhile, you’re haunting audiences in School Spirits, and that’s not the first time you’ve played a ghost, having starred in Girl Haunts Boy. Did fantasy appeal to you then?
I met with the showrunners and producer for School Spirits, and I really liked them all on a personal level, but when I read the script, I didn’t really think that Maddie was me or that I could do the part justice, so I went in with no expectations. I learned from indie directors like Max Winkler and Craig Johnson though, who both worked on different seasons, and they had done a lot of dark comedy, so working with them was brilliant. With the third season I’m going to be sitting in post-production and learning about that process too, so it’s been a great learning experience for me so far.
Left Full look Dsquared2
Right Full look Celine by Hedi Slimane
Well, let’s talk about Season 2 for now, where we see Maddie stuck in limbo with Janet in control of her body. How did you approach those scenes with your co-star Jess Gabor?
I worked with Jess whenever we could find extra time, even at weekends, and we got on so well, which helps! It was such a new challenge as I’ve never played the same character as another actress, so having to be respectful of the fact that she’s playing the character her way and I’m playing my version. I would study her tapes and try to emulate her and come up with little movements, like how she tucks her hair behind her ears, and we would talk about her triggers. We studied old movies and really studied each other too.
And for season three… will you have more input into Maddie’s story?
Well, with the first season I just let the writers run with it as I liked what they were doing with the character, but with this next season, yes, I’m asking more questions! I know they’re in the writer’s room now and I keep asking “What’s going on, what’s happening, where is she going, by the way... I’m not playing two people anymore…is this done?” [laughs]. I know they’re very open to my input and all of us that are involved with the show are more engaged in the storyline even more than before. The fact that people are really interested in the show and where the story goes has made it more exciting for us.
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Has co-producing on this series made you hungry to bring your own projects to the small and big screen too; are you writing anything now?
Absolutely. I used to have a lot of anxiety about doing things by a certain age, and doing them all when I’m young, but now I’m more relaxed than ever and I feel like I have ideas that I’m excited to make – not necessarily with me in front of the camera. There’s so many people on my dream board I want to work with, and I’m fascinated by women’s coming-of-age stories, how you’re so fragile at that age; and I’ll probably become obsessed with something else too as I age!
Which brings me perfectly to my last question about ageing, as you’re heading towards that milestone 30th birthday. I know you love style, and you’re a real influencer, so if you could choose one fashion item that expresses where you are now in your life, and how you feel heading towards the big 3-0, what would it be?
Oh, I love this question… I think a long, lacy, vintage silk robe. I saw this photo of a woman wearing one, and she was just relaxing outside and was so cool and confident, and I’ve been collecting them ever since from the Topanga flea market in California. They’re the kind of thing I want to feel comfortable enough to step into and just relax about who I am, relaxing into my body and be comfortable with ageing and growing up.
… so not a pair of hiking boots then?
Haha! I didn’t know I could choose footwear! But yes, hiking boots for sure, and you know what, I’m going to Zion National Park for my 27th birthday in April and dragging my twin with me, to go hiking. No turning back!
Full looks Zadig&Voltaire
Interview by Kate Lawson
Photography by Shane McCauley
Fashion by Oretta Corbelli
Casting by Imagemachine CS
EIC Michael Marson
Hair by Takuya Sugawara
Make-Up by Elayna Bachman
Stylist’s assistant Allegra Gargiulo
LOST IN TRANSLATION
TEO YOO IS AN ACTOR DRIVEN BY A FASCINATION WITH THE MEANING OF WORDS AND THE EMOTIONAL LAYERS THEY CARRY. GROWING UP AS A GYOPO – A TERM FOR KOREANS RAISED ABROAD – HE EXPERIENCED CULTURAL DISSONANCE, NAVIGATING HIS IDENTITY WHILE IMMERSING HIMSELF IN A GLOBAL ACTING INDUSTRY THAT WAS STILL ON THE CUSP OF EMBRACING ASIAN CONTENT ON A LARGER SCALE. YOO'S JOURNEY IS A TESTAMENT TO PERSEVERANCE, HONING HIS SKILLS THROUGH RIGOROUS TRAINING ACROSS EUROPE AND THE US. FLUENT IN THREE LANGUAGES, HE’S ALWAYS BEEN INTRIGUED BY THE INTERSECTION OF IDENTITY AND COMMUNICATION – PARTICULARLY HOW NUANCES OF EMOTION CAN BE LOST IN TRANSLATION. HIS PERFORMANCE IN PAST LIVES BROUGHT THESE THEMES TO LIFE AND MARKED A TURNING POINT IN HIS CAREER. THE ROLE TRANSFORMED HIS PERSPECTIVE BY ENCOURAGING A DEEPER INTROSPECTION AS A STORYTELLER AND THE SENSIBILITY REQUIRED TO CONVEY UNIVERSAL EMOTIONS THROUGH THE UNIQUE LENS OF HIS MULTIFACETED IDENTITY.
Shirt, top and pants Dries Van Noten, jewellery Cartier
Can you tell us about the moment you realised you wanted to pursue acting?
It was the year I turned 21 in 2002, and I planned to try acting school as an experiment, to do something outside of my career which was more in physical education. For those first few weeks in New York, on my exchange, I just wanted to work and get experience. I viewed acting from more of a street performer archetype because I grew up watching a lot of circuses and street performers back in Germany. That made me pretty happy, so I just decided to dedicate my life to the craft.
Shirt Dolce & Gabbana, jewellery Cartier
You grew up in Germany. How did you get started in the Korean entertainment industry?
It wasn't a conscious decision, more of a necessary one because I felt like there weren't a lot of opportunities back in Europe or in the US when I was looking at the auditions and the castings and what type people were looking for back then. So, I felt like I had better opportunities making the country of my parents my home.
Left Coat Junya Watanabe Man, pants Maison Margiela, shoes Christian Louboutin, shirts and turtleneck stylist’s own
Right Knitwear and pants Tod’s, Necklace Cartier
You gained significant international recognition through your role in Past Lives. How has global attention shaped your approach to acting?
I wouldn’t say it was because of the recognition that the film got. But it changed my way of approaching my craft in a profound way because, if you just look at the content of the film, it is about someone who believes in reincarnation and hoping therefore that the protagonist can find some sort of closure because something before or after is going to happen. I knew that I could only play that role and that last scene in a sympathetic way if I believed in it. So, that film changed me a lot. Now, I think about the concept of inyeon [fate] towards the roles that I play. If I get offered a role, and I believe that inyeon is in place, then I already have been living the lives of all the characters that I'm supposed to portray in the future. So, there's more of a private quest in terms of spirituality attached to it.
Vest Maison Margiela, turtleneck stylist’s own, watch and jewellery Cartier
What was your biggest challenge in the preparation for the role? And do you have any favourite memories from set?
It was more of an affirmation of my own vulnerability as a man, and I am saying specifically as a man because of the way men were educated through media growing up in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Knowing that I could be totally and fully vulnerable was really cleansing. My favourite memory was that we all knew, when we were on set in New York shooting it, that it was something insulated and special. Simply because of the context in film history that people like us wouldn't get, Greta [Lee] talks about that too. I would have never imagined myself to be the romantic lead in a film, funded and distributed by the American market because of the way East Asian men were dehumanised and desexualised throughout Hollywood history, specifically.
Left Coat Junya Watanabe Man, pants Maison Margiela, shirts and turtleneck stylist’s own
Right Full look Dior Men
How do you decide on the roles you take on?
All the way up to Past Lives, it was never my own choice, but more, a necessary decision because I needed to survive. Because I get paid to do a job whenever I go to a casting. I was just very lucky to have a very diversified CV in that sort of sense. But it was never my choice to be in all of those different films other than there was no other job that would accept me at that moment in time. With The Recruit, that was the first time I consciously decided to curate my career towards a certain goal, which was fun.
Left Vest, pants and shoes Maison Margiela, turtleneck stylist’s own, watch and jewellery Cartier
Right Shirt, top and pants Dries Van Noten, jewellery Cartier
What can we expect from your role in The Recruit?
I play a Korean NIS agent who is smart and cunning and goes head-to-head with Owen Hendricks, played by Noah Centineo. And you quickly realise that my character is willing to risk everything that he believes in.
Knitwear and pants Tod’s, Necklace Cartier
Are there any particular types of stories you’d like to explore next?
I like westerns. I try to frequently go to Texas and work on a ranch with horses and cattle. I go through cattle trailing, separating the cows from the babies and just doing the old-fashioned cowboy work. I also love the sci-fi genre, like the Black Mirror series, for example. Then to be more specific, I love the subject of the rise of Korean cult leaders in the United States. For me, that's an interesting topic with many cultural layers that can be explored in storytelling.
Interview by Gabrielle Valda Colas
Photography by Jen Kang
Fashion by Kukseon Hyun
Casting and Production by Dj Lee
Hair by Hyejin Lee
Make-Up by Seyeong Ahn
SCREAM KING
CO-WRITER, CO-DIRECTOR, ONE OF THE LEADING ACTORS: BILLY BRYK DOES IT ALL IN HIS LATEST SLASHER COMEDY, HELL OF A SUMMER. CREATED IN TANDEM WITH ACTOR (AND NOW FELLOW FILMMAKER!) FINN WOLFHARD, THEIR DEBUT FEATURE PLAYS AROUND WITH FAMILIAR TROPES OF THE CLASSIC SLASHER GENRE, MAKING IT A FRESH EXPLORATION OF THE MODERN COMING-OF-AGE EXPERIENCE. TAKING PLACE AT A SUMMER CAMP IN THE WOODS, THE STORY FOLLOWS A GROUP OF TEENAGE COUNCILLORS FACING A MASKED KILLER (OR TWO) CAUSING TOTAL HAVOC AND A FAIR SHARE OF LAUGHS FOR THE AUDIENCE. FOR BTB DIGITAL, THE YOUNG CANADIAN TALENT TALKS TO US ABOUT MEETING WOLFHARD ON THE STREETS OF TORONTO, THEIR SHARED COMEDIC SENSIBILITIES, AND THE ENDEARING NATURE OF HIS CHARACTER, BOBBY.
Left Coat MM6 Maison Margiela, top Dries Van Noten
Right Top worn underneath, denim & jackets Études Studio, shoes Diesel
Hi Billy! Congratulations on Hell of a Summer – I got to watch it over the weekend. How did this project come about? Were you and Finn [Wolfhard] friends before getting to work on it?
We became friends first. I actually had met Finn very briefly on the streets of Toronto years and years ago, just as a fan. I had seen him posting online about a lot of the films and comedians that he loved that I also really liked, and I just had a sense that we would get along because our sensibilities were so similar. So when I bumped into him on the street, we just started chatting about movies and comedy. We spoke for like five minutes, I didn’t want to bother him. And then a little bit over a year later, I’d started acting, and I got a small part in the Ghostbusters movie, which he was the star of. I sat beside him at lunch, and he was like, “Do I know you from somewhere?” And I said, “Not really, we met for two minutes once.” But he remembered our interaction! So the friendship has really just started because we have the same sense of humour. Also, we both knew that we wanted to be directors from a very young age, so it was great talking to somebody who had the same goals in mind.
Top Ouer, denim MM6 Maison Margiela, shoes Dior Men
With this being your first feature, what did you find most daunting about the process of conceptualizing and executing a film?
I had written so many half-script and several short films before this one. Like a lot of young writers and filmmakers, I had started writing a number of features, but at some point, you hit a wall because it’s a very isolating and exhausting experience. The thing that I found so helpful about working with Finn on this one is that while we were writing the first draft together, we were doing it so quickly because we weren’t second guessing ourselves in any way – we were trying to make each other laugh and pushing each other to finish that first draft. So, getting over that initial hurdle was a huge relief for me. And then after that, we spent the next three years refining the script and getting it to a place of feeling confident about it.
From the production standpoint, it was really just obstacle after obstacle after obstacle, which I think is often the case with indie films. We filmed it in 19 days. It was a very hectic, short shoot. I had to do a lot of stuff that I think normally director wouldn’t have to do, but it was just the nature of the situation we were in and the resources that we had. The whole thing was a tremendous learning experience for me, and I’m so glad that I was so hands-on in so many different departments.
Top & pants Aubero
Left Tops Fendi
Right Top Dries Van Noten, pants & jacket Sacai
What attracted you guys to the slasher genre?
We felt that the genre would really elevate the comedy. We had set out to write a teen ensemble coming-of-age comedy that was set in the realm of a slasher movie – we wanted for both of those parts to be happening simultaneously. The idea was to take this cast of petty and insecure characters, then throw a killer into the mix, and instead of having all of their petty problems disappear once the killer spree began, we wanted to have them amplified. Every character can’t help but be themselves, and to me, the funniest moments in the script are born out of how they are reacting in this really awful situation.
Shirt Hermès, pants Bluemarble, tie Fendi, jacket Isabel Marant
Did you write with specific people in mind? Did you know that you wanted to play Bobby from the get-go?
Yeah, I knew that I was going to play Bobby and Finn was going to play Chris. Other than that, no, we didn’t really write with specific actors in mind – we based the characters off of people in our own lives or certain dynamics that we had.
There are elements of me in Bobby, for sure. And I don’t say that in a proud way. I’d like to think that I’m more self-aware than him, but also, he was a lot of fun to write and tap into. It’s the type of character that I would always do to annoy my friends.
Left Tops Fendi
Right Top & pants Aubero
Is there anything that you find charming about him?
I think he’s a very loyal friend, and that’s something that’s admirable about him. It sounds funny to be discussing it in such a serious way, but I always saw him as a character who didn’t have any positive role models growing up. He looked to all these action heroes and celebrities in search of this idea of what a man should be or should act like. He’s trying so hard to be like that, and he’s failing so spectacularly that I think there’s something endearing about him being such a coward in so many ways but wanting to be perceived as brave and cool. But he does mean well, and you can’t help but root for him in some ways, or at least that’s how I feel.
Top Dries Van Noten, pants & jacket Sacai, sneakers Dior Men
Left Shirt Hermès, pants Bluemarble, tie Fendi, jacket Isabel Marant, boots MM6 Maison Margiela
Right Shirt & tie Hermès, pants Aubero, coat Ouer
You talked earlier about sharing similar sensibilities with Finn when it comes to your favourite movies. What films did you guys look at while working on this one?
That’s a great question! We talked a lot about films like Superbad, The Graduate, or the early Wes Anderson stuff. We looked at a lot of films that were written by younger people about younger people. And then, from more of a horror perspective, we bonded over our mutual love for John Carpenter’s movies, specifically his earlier work. The original Halloween is a perfect slasher – there’s something so pure about it that is just brilliant.
I was actually very afraid of horror films as a kid. I didn’t watch that many of them until the end of high school, and I fell in love with the slasher genre through slasher comedies like Scream or Idle Hands. The last one I’ll mention was Shaun of the Dead – for us, it was the perfect example of a character-driven comedy set within the backdrop of a horror movie. It tells the story of a guy who’s trying to save his relationship, and it’s set within a zombie movie. And we wanted to do that with Hell of a Summer. It’s a movie about a guy who's coming of age and having to leave his childhood behind and step out into adulthood, but we’re using the backdrop of a slasher comedy and having this slasher spree be the thing that informs this massive change in his life.
Left Top Dries Van Noten, jacket Sacai
Right Jacket & boots MM6 Maison Margiela, pants Études Studio
Interview by Martin Onufrowicz
Photography by Gabe Araujo
Fashion by Sam Knoll
Casting by Imagemachine CS
EIC Michael Marson
Grooming by Mark Alan
Stylist’s assistants Daviel Castañeda & Alice Almeida
BRINGING FANTASY TO LIFE
Take one buff warrior with a chiselled jaw and striking golden locks, and put him in Prime Video’s blockbuster series, The Wheel of Time, and all your fantasies have come true, thank you TAYLOR NAPIER.
As the show nears its season three finale, the US actor who plays Maksim, the fierce, and dependable warder, has gained a new fanbase, and not just for his off-screen thirst trap Instagram posts, but for his trailblazing depiction of his character’s queerness. In a genre noted for its lack of LGBTQIA+ representation, the series’ groundbreaking portrayal of polyamory and male bisexuality has spoken to the eyes and ears of millions of audience members and reflected the true fabric of our society. Over zoom we spoke to Taylor about fantasy vs reality, being recognised on the tube and why he’ll never be the last one to leave a party.
Left Top & cardigan Wales Bonner
Right Jumpsuit, boots & belt Isabel Marant, glasses Cutler and Gross x The Great Frog
At the time of this interview, we’re nearing the end of S3, and I’m curious to know if during filming you felt like this season is the one where everything came together for you? You know, you’ve been filming for so long, and everyone kind of knows everyone on set, you’re like one big family and you know the world your character is part of.
We’ve been filming on and off for almost 6 years now, so in many ways the characters and stories are now landing and for the audience they’re getting to experience what we experienced when we first read the scripts all those years ago! You know we film and then we all go our separate ways for a while and then it’s like a reunion when we all come together again – certainly with this season it’s been great, and it feels like we’ve tied up a lot of things.
Top & cardigan Wales Bonner, boxer stylist’s own
Is the show’s success bringing new opportunities and fans for you, like, is going through the airport a lot harder now, trying not to be recognised or are you fully embracing your new cult status?
Haha, I wish!! It’s brought new opportunities for me though, and yes, I get noticed more.
I was on the tube yesterday and this guy was like, “Oh my god, I know you, my wife loves you!!”, and these things happen quite often all over the world, as I’ve been lucky enough to travel the past few years. I was in India visiting a castmate and we went to a random coffee shop, and it was hard to walk down the street without someone coming up to us. With these things you can play it cool as an actor and say you don’t really notice it, but it’s fun!
Left Full look Dsquared2
Right Full look Emporio Armani
‘One of the benefits of being in this fantasy world is that it’s our world and you’re able to make this reality of people just loving who they love.’
Well, let’s talk about the character you play, Maksim – can you describe some aspects of him that make him a joy and a challenge to play. What have you learned from him, especially as he goes on a pretty big journey of growth in this season?
I think Maksim has been an interesting character to play, as he’s on this journey, and he’s grown up a lot, but there’s still a naivety to him, to all of his outlook on the world; falling in love, joining the military out of love which is a big choice, and then being shocked by the realities of the world getting darker and more complicated as the seasons progress. With this season he’s trying to navigate this massive loss at the beginning, and he’s forced to go through the growing pains period and come out stronger on the other side. It’s weird, because he’s not always the most likeable character, he’s not a villain, but it’s been interesting to find a way to play his grief, anger and petulance and make sure it’s rooted so the audience knows where it’s coming from and be authentic to that, while recognising that maybe he is a bit whiny sometimes! [laughs].
Left Jacket & pants Denzil Patrick, shoes Wales Bonner, socks Falke
Right Hat Wales Bonner, scarf stylist’s own
I’m impressed by his posh British accent, a bit public schoolboy via Shoreditch.
Haha! Well, my idea for his accent was that he was a guy who went to Eton and then moved to Shoreditch and opened a yoga studio! [laughs]. There’s a specific kind of vibe to him; he comes from a place of privilege that he’s constantly running from and that trips him up a lot.
Full look Emporio Armani
He’s also in a polyamorous relationship. How does it feel to be bringing that and bisexual male visibility to the high fantasy genre?
There’s a lot of queer and non-traditional relationships that are mentioned in the books, but they’re kind of underplayed as they came out 40 years ago and it was a different time then. In the show they’re being drawn out and have more of a focal point on screen. One of the benefits of being in this fantasy world is that it’s our world and you’re able to make this reality of people just loving who they love. There are a lot of TV shows with queer characters but a lot of the time it’s ‘a thing’; if you have a gay character the story must be about them being gay, but with this show, we made a conscious effort not to do that, they just are. That’s how it should be and is for myself as a queer person and my queer friends; I just wish sometimes I could live in that world, where you can walk into a room without the baggage that I’ve put upon myself in this world.
Coat Miu Miu, boxer stylist’s own
Do you feel a deeper connection to the queer community since being in the show, and how have they connected to you, what’s the response been like?
Yes, without a doubt, and the queer community always take to the fantasy genre, so having this representation on screen in the genre they love is so important. I get tonnes of messages from people, even someone messaged me today about having a similar storyline to the one on the show, and watching the series had helped them through their own situation. That’s what you really want to get from fans, to here that you’ve touched them and brought something to their life.
Full look Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello
As has the "Snack Warder” as you’ve been nicknamed! We can’t get away from Maksim’s total hunk status, and all the action stuff was another level this season, using every weapon imaginable…. you must have been swinging swords in your sleep.
When I was reading the scripts, I was like, “can’t we just pick one that he’s really good at?!”, you know, but warders are meant to be good at everything! I train and workout a lot so it’s a part of my daily routine, but I had to do so much more for this role. It can get tiring to be on a diet of grilled chicken and rice for that long when all you want to do is eat pizza, and after a long day filming all these actions scenes you just want a nap!!
Left Top & cardigan Wales Bonner
Right Full look Paul Smith
So outside of action and sci-fi, is there a world or genre you would like to dive into? What would that look like?
I would love to do something a little more intimate, maybe an Indie film. Wheel of Time is a machine, it’s so vast, so it would be nice to work on something where you get to hone in and work with the director organically on the character and figure out the story with the team and be part of the discussion. I would also love to do a comedy or a spy film too.
Is that James Bond I hear calling you in the distance…?
Haha! Yes, the first James Bond with an American accent!!
Left Full look Emporio Armani
Right Full look Sacai
Well, you do a pretty good Brit accent to be fair... and maybe the first queer Bond... imagine that!
Yes, imagine that... I can’t wait to read those reviews, haha!
You’re passionate about writing too, having written the screenplay and produced your own short film Atacama…
I’ve written and produced a few things, and Atacama is a thriller and it’s a sexy, fun little 15-minute piece and I hope to expand that idea more, maybe into a series. There’s something nice about writing as I get to play all the characters in my head, and since I’m doing that, I also don’t have to eat the grilled chicken diet non-stop! [laughs]
Left Full look Blue Blue, glasses Cutler and Gross x The Great Frog
Right Full look N21
Well, exactly! And what about travel, you seem to like jetting off around the world…. is that a passion?
Atacama came from a travel experience in the Chilean desert, and I think there are so many beautiful things about travelling; being immersed in a world that’s not your own and having to adapt. I like seeing the word through different eyes, it’s like playing a character, finding out a different history and understanding it and diving into it. As an actor I like travelling solo too, when you can land somewhere and be whoever you want to be for a day or a week, it’s good to step out of yourself and the culture you grew up in.
I also like cooking and going to bed early, my other passions!
That’s the second time in this interview you’ve mentioned how much you like a good nap! Is that why your Insta bio reads, “30ish on the outside, 80ish on the inside.”
Haha, yes! I wish I had a story about something crazy or interesting that I do, but I really like going to bed by 9.30pm. There’s a running joke among my friends that if we’re at a party or go somewhere and it’s getting late, you’ll always find me in a corner somewhere, fast asleep, so just wake me up and take me home! I worry that people may think I’m rude or think they’re boring, but it’s just that I can only focus on one or two people talking at a time and then if there’s lots of noise, I lose focus and want a nap!
Thanks goodness it’s only me and you on this zoom then… and I’ve not seen you stifle a yawn yet…
Haha! Give me another 10 mins… and you know, maybe…
Left Jacquet Miu Miu
Right Jumpsuit, boots & belt Isabel Marant, glasses Cutler and Gross x The Great Frog
We’re at the end anyway, so you can take a nap soon, after you’ve told me what’s coming up for you?
I have an iHeartRadio drama in the US about Apollo 11 and I play one of the astronauts, and I’ve also done a guest spot on the show Ride or Die with Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer, Hannah’s playing a spy, and I was told that I was her first ‘Bond boy’, so that was fun.
There’s Bond again, see, it’s written in the stars, 007 is calling to you… so long as this Bond has a good nap instead of a Martini.
Exactly!
Interview by Kate Lawson
Photography by Dean Ryan McDaid
Fashion by Steven Huang
Casting by Imagemachine CS
Grooming by Nadia Altinbas using Oribe & Sisley
Set Designer by Archie Lorch at Lorch Studios
Stylist’assistant Harley Thompson
EASY ACCESS?
BRANDON SKLENAR WANTS TO THROW HIS PHONE OUT THE WINDOW. THE AMERICAN ACTOR, WHO FIRST GAINED WIDE RECOGNITION WITH HIS APPEARANCE IN LAST YEAR’S IT ENDS WITH US (A FILM THAT STAYS IN THE HEADLINES UNTIL TODAY), SAYS THAT HE FEELS WARY OF THE CONSTANT ACCESSIBILITY THAT THE DEVICE PROVIDES TO HIM AND CHOOSES TO PRIORITISE LIVING IRL. WORRYING ABOUT THE DESTRUCTIVE POWERS OF AN IPHONE MIGHT BE A RESULT OF HIS LATEST ROLE IN DROP – A THRILLER IN WHICH HIS CO-STAR MEGHANN FAHY PORTRAYS A WIDOWED MOTHER WHO’S BEING HARASSED BY THREATENING MESSAGES THAT ARE FORCING HER TO MURDER HER DATE (PLAYED BY SKLENAR) IN ORDER TO SAVE HER SON’S LIFE. FOR BTB, THE ACTOR CATCHES UP WITH US ABOUT THE FILM’S PREMIERE IN AUSTIN DURING SXSW, PUTTING BACK ON HIS COWBOY BOOTS FOR THE RETURN OF THE WESTERN SERIES 1923, AND HIS LOVE FOR CALAMARI.
Left Shirt Brunello Cucinelli, denim and belt Celine Homme, bracelets Peyote Bird
Right Jacket Stan
You have just premiered your new film Drop at SXSW to rave reviews. What can you tell me about your experience there and how the film has been received by the festival’s audience?
I love Austin. I shot season two of 1923 there. The audiences at SXSW are very kind and full blooded film lovers. That was the most vocal audience I had ever seen – they were shouting and cheering. It took me by surprise. I hadn’t heard an audience that vocal since I saw Rocky Horror at a midnight showing in New Jersey years ago.
Jacket Frame, tank top Calvin Klein, denim Levi’s, belt Artemas Quibble, jewellery David Yurman
The film depicts an avalanche of things that go very wrong on a first date. What’s your worst first-date experience? Does thinking about it still give you anxiety?
It’s been many years, so I honestly couldn’t tell you…
Left Shirt Todd Snyder, tank top CDLP, jewellery David Yurman, sunglasses Moscot
Right Vest Dior Men, tank top Calvin Klein, belt Artemas Quibble, denim Levi’s, jewellery Peyote Bird
Your scene partner in the movie is Meghann Fahy. What did you enjoy the most about getting to work with her on this film?
Meghann is a great friend, an absolute ace of a human being, and the best scene partner any actor could dream of having.
Which of the scenes in the film have been the most fun acting experiences for you?
Probably the scene where I order calamari. I love calamari.
Shirt Brunello Cucinelli, denim and belt Celine Homme, bracelets Peyote Bird
I read that during the premiere, you were asked about your relationship with your phone following this project and answered that it’s getting worse by the day. What is an app that you’re addicted to? Do you want to break this addiction?
It’s not so much a specific app, it’s the phone in general. Accessibility annoys me at times – how accessible we all are. Work is 24/7 because you can always be reached. Emails, texts, Zoom meetings, etc.. I try to make a conscious effort to literally separate my body from my phone. My screen time meter hits a certain point, and I wanna throw this thing out of a moving vehicle (I’m doing this interview on it right now).
Left Shirt Todd Snyder, tank top CDLP, jewellery David Yurman, sunglasses Moscot
Right Shirt Brunello Cucinelli, denim and belt Celine Homme, bracelets Peyote Bird
You’re also back with the second season of 1923. What do you find fascinating about your character, Spencer Dutton? What can we expect from his arc this time around?
Spencer is a very interesting and noble human being. He’s a WWI hero, he’s a prolific big game hunter, he's a cowboy, he’s a man of principles which are guided by his love for his family and wife. Fans can expect him to not “ go quietly into that dark night.”
Left Vest Dior Men, tank top Calvin Klein, belt Artemas Quibble, denim Levi’s, jewellery Peyote Bird
Right Jacket Stan
What do you find most helpful when it comes to tapping into the period in which the series takes place?
I love doing period pieces. It’s not very difficult once you’ve got the clothes on and see the set design and production design. It all just makes it very easy to play pretend when you’re immersed in the environment.
Shirt Lucchese, denim Levi’s, belt Artemas Quibble, jewellery Peyote Bird
Were you a fan of Westerns growing up? If so, which ones were your favourites?
Both of my grandfathers loved Westerns. I grew up on them. Once Upon a Time in the West is up there. The Man with No Name series from Sergio Leone. That’s a clear topper. Searchers. High Plains Drifter. Can’t really argue with Clint’s impact on the genre and what he embodied in those films.
Jacket Frame, tank top Calvin Klein, denim Levi’s, belt Artemas Quibble, jewellery David Yurman, shoes Lucchese x Nick Fouquet
Your film It Ends with Us has been a hot topic ever since it came out last year. What do you hope fans take away from watching it?
A staggering number of women I know have experienced some form of abuse from a man. Whether it be emotional or physical. That film is for all of those women. It’s meant for those who watch it to feel heard, seen and validated, and in that validation, give them courage, strength and hope.
Shirt John Varvatos, denim Brunello Cucinelli, belt Artemas Quibble, bracelets Peyote Bird, sunglasses Moscot
Up next, you will be starring in Paul Feig’s new movie, The Housemaid. Why did you want to work with him? What about the way that he approaches humour speaks to you, both as an actor and an audience member?
Paul is a wonderful human, and I have genuinely loved the films he’s made over the years. He’s responsible for some of the most iconic films and TV shows in the last 20 years. The Housemaid, however, is not a comedy. It would be a pretty dark one if it were… I’m really excited for people to see it.
Interview by Martin Onufrowicz
Photography by Shane McCauley
Fashion by Seppe Tirabassi
Grooming by Kristen Shaw
EIC Michael Marson
Casting by Imagemachine CS
FOLLOW THE LEADER
SUBTLETIES CAN BE RESOUNDING. ON THE PERIPHERY OF OUR CONVERSATION, MARCUS RUTHERFORD SOFTLY, YET STEADFASTLY, PRAISES AS MANY FELLOW THE WHEEL OF TIME ACTORS AS POSSIBLE. BEFORE HE EVEN MENTIONS THE TRIUMPH OF HIS CHARACTER, PERRIN AYBARA’S FOCUS EPISODE THIS SEASON, HE HIGHLIGHTS TWO CORE CAST MEMBERS WHOSE SEASON-TWO SPOTLIGHT EPISODES WERE NOT PROPERLY CELEBRATED DUE TO THE 2023 SAG-AFTRA STRIKE. HE SPEAKS OF HIS OWN LEADERSHIP WHILE FILMING, BUT NOT WITHOUT ALSO PRAISING ANOTHER CASTMATE’S LONG-STANDING LEADERSHIP, SENSITIVELY NOTING HIS DOING SO IN HIS SECOND LANGUAGE, A CONSIDERATION HE SAYS, “PEOPLE DON’T [OFTEN] REALISE.” MUCH OF OUR CONVERSATION CENTRES AROUND LEADERSHIP THAT IS STILL AND SYMPATHETIC; HE REFERENCES VIGGO MORTENSEN’S ARAGORN AS THE “PINNACLE” EXAMPLE. AS WE EXPLORE MORE OF PERRIN’S ARC THROUGH PRIME VIDEO’S THIRD SEASON, WE FIND A LEADER NOT UNLIKE ARAGORN WHO UNITES THROUGH HUMILITY AND EMPATHY…AND BECOMES LESS OF A “SAD BOY” TO MARCUS’ RELIEF. LIKE PERRIN, THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARCUS THAT MAKES YOU WANT TO FOLLOW.
Left Full look Dior Men
Right Jacket LGN Louis Gabriel Nouchi, shirt Denzil Patrick, pants Brioni, shoes Manolo Blahnik
Hi Marcus! I was already a fan of The Wheel of Time, but season three is insane!
I always think it takes so long to come out, and [once it did] I was like, “People still remember!” It's been a really nice response so far.
It has been so long since you filmed that I imagine you could almost forget about the outcome. How does it feel now that you get to see the result?
So much changes [between filming and release], and you don't know what the appetite will be for certain things. The landscape of TV shifts quite quickly, and you wonder if people still want to be watching fantasy. There are so many different storylines as well. Some people didn't film in places like South Africa, where the Aiel Waste and Rand’s storyline is. Some people were just in Prague. You're kind of watching the episodes like, “Where the fuck was that? Where is all this being shot?” So it's quite nice to see that the characters have gone completely different places, and when those episodes come out, I’m like, “Oh, okay, that's what they were up to!” [Laughs]
It must also be odd because when season one was released, it was during COVID, and then season two was released during the SAG-AFTRA strike. This is the first season where you've been able to experience a bit more of an uninterrupted reaction.
Yeah, for sure. It was really weird with COVID. We had a premiere, but you could only have a certain number of people. It was quite hard with people isolating. You couldn’t celebrate anything. And then for season two, you couldn't share trailers and all the behind-the-scenes images. It was really sad, particularly with Zoë [Robins] and Maddy’s [Madeleine Madden] characters, because they had standout moments in season two. The people who saw it loved it, but there wasn’t a push there. I think it's really hard for the crew as well and the production team when you feel as though it's such a long process, and then it's just out on Amazon, but you haven't had a real physical moment to celebrate it. Social media is quite weird, but it is good for those things. You can start to get people to make noise. If you have a show like The Wheel of Time, where it's so international, you all start posting and sharing stuff, and just create a nice energy for the fans. For season three, we did a little fan screening in London. It’s been nice to celebrate it.
You mentioned it being particularly hard for people who had standout moments in season two, and obviously, you have a spotlight this season in episode seven. Your character, Perrin, goes back home to the Two Rivers. Before we get into Perrin, as Marcus, what do you think of first when you think of home?
I think there's an idea of comfort. There's a protection. I think that's actually why Perrin decides to go back home in the show. He steps away from the duty of everything that he's been thrust into in seasons one and two. I think there's something in knowing your identity in going home. You feel connected. It’s weird; I've got family in Jamaica, and I didn't grow up there, but if I go there, I feel connected. I think there was something about the character going back, but also myself as an actor, going back to that same 2019 set. We had different cast members, and it was pre-COVID. There were so many things that happened in the world since then. People on the show have since gotten married or had kids. There was a sort of mirroring of my experience and Perrin’s. I didn't think I'd changed, but I realised I had when I came back to the set. I think Perrin doesn't think he’s so different, but he is this worldly guy now who's been travelling. When he returns to his village, people look to him now as someone who's seen and done other things.
Blazer, shirt and pants Giorgio Armani, scarf N°21, shoes Grenson Shoes
The parallel is interesting, especially in that you didn’t think you had changed but realised you had. Do you remember the first vivid thought or feeling you had going back to the Two Rivers set?
There’s an episode where we all walk back into the village, and I remember walking onto that set. I remember knowing it. I knew quite a lot of the crew, and I knew how the cameras were going to work and the placement of things like, “Oh okay, we've got a smoke machine there,” or “There are animals there.” In 2019, there were just so many people. It was the pilot episode, and you had people from Sony and Amazon there just making sure everything went well. This time, it almost felt quieter and still, even though a lot is going on in the storyline. When I was twenty-four, I remember thinking there was just so much going on and so much to act. There were a thousand people behind the monitor, watching the performance. It felt a lot more intimate this time because of the different storylines throughout the season. It felt like we'd gone back to this quiet little village, and there was crazy stuff happening elsewhere.
Something so interesting about The Wheel of Time in terms of that intimate nature is the internal monologue that you get from a lot of the characters. Do you remember a very prominent inner dialogue of your own that you had while filming a particular scene?
There's a scene in episode three where the villagers want to go back to their farm. Perrin says, “You’ll die if you go,” and they're not really listening to him. I think it required a different vocal tone and physicality. Until then, I hadn’t really raised my voice to that extent. I remember one of the young lads — Wil [al’Seen] played by Iman [Marson], says, “What do we do?” And there's this moment where Perrin has a load of people looking to him. I think it mirrored that conversation with Rand in episode one, where he's like, “I can't do that. I can’t have people looking at me and asking what to do and what's next. I just don't have that in me,” but he does have that in him. I think that's what's quite nice when he meets Faile. She sees that there's something in him that he can't see in himself.
There was always this inner monologue of leadership. I didn't want him to be this big king, warrior-type leader all of a sudden. There’s something amazing about leadership that can be quiet and subtle. I've always loved Viggo Mortensen’s performance of Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings; it’s the pinnacle. I think he's the ultimate leader, but there's something so still and calm about it, which almost demands more respect. Perrin has also been quite uncertain about himself, and now there's a bit of certainty in how he looks and how he acts, and his eyes have changed. There's something a bit more complete about him. He's not like, “What am I?” or “Where are we going?” or “What are we doing?”
I like that you mentioned the leadership part. What specifically about Perrin would make you want to follow him as Marcus?
There were moments when I asked myself if he should have these massive rallying speeches or if he should shout more. There are moments when it happens, but I think what's so lovely about him is that he just knows what to say to everyone. I think that is the ultimate kind of leadership. There’s versatility in being able to talk to Alanna and Marin and Loial and have these nice conversations. There's such strength in being able to adjust yourself and to talk to people on their level. That's a social skill in life that is incredible. Perrin can make these little kids not scared anymore, or make Loial feel seen, or make the boys feel proud to be from the Two Rivers, or help them know that the Thuatha’an philosophy does make sense even if their people are dying. I’d be drawn to that.
Left Jacket Kenzo, shirt Denzil Patrick
Right Shirt, sweater and tie Fendi, pants Filippa K, shoes Jimmy Choo
This is earlier in this season, but I think his conversation with Alanna is particularly striking when they talk about grief. How would you describe the way Perrin’s relationship with grief changes this season?
That’s one of the scenes that a lot of people have reached out to me about. I think it was really beautiful because I hadn't filmed much with Priyanka [Bose] before, but there's something really exciting about different characters crossing paths. You've got someone like Alanna who is very fiery and flirty and fun, and Perrin’s quite different, but there's something really beautiful about their dynamic. Perrin has been carrying around such weight and guilt around his grief. There's something quite cyclical and symbolic and cathartic about actually returning home. He visits his wife’s grave and places the ring in the burial ground. Through previous seasons, I was initially quite worried that he’d meet Faile too quickly because he just buried his ring, but then you realise he’s been grieving for so long.
We had a joke on set that Isabella [Bucceri] is so small that when she’s standing, she’s the same height as I am sitting down. [Laughs] There’s a scene where she says a line, and Perrin is eating dinner and just looks up at her. I think that’s a very changing moment. He’s no longer this head-down, grief-stricken, guilty dude. Faile comes in, and it reminds me of when Aviendha came and had a bit of a flirt with Perrin, but his brain doesn’t really process what’s happening. He's just not there yet. I remember talking to Justine [Juel Gillmer] and Rafe [Judkins] about Perrin meeting Aviendha, and we knew I was going to play it awkward, but I didn’t know if Perrin should throw some [flirtiness] back. We decided not to, which was kind of risky because we didn’t know if we’d get another season. I remember thinking, “If we get to the point that Faile comes in, that’s probably the time when he’s ready to throw flirty jabs back.” So yeah, I think that grief has been a whole cycle. It was quite a debilitating thing in him not wanting to hurt anyone or even pick up a weapon. I think that affects his leadership as well. He hasn't felt like he deserves to smile or be confident or enjoy himself. Faile slaps that out of him, which is quite nice.
Absolutely, and he gets to a place that he probably would not have expected given his fear. Is there anything this season that you did as an actor that season one Marcus would not have expected?
It’s funny, I think actors like to pretend that they’re really different from their characters, but there’s something about this show where each actor is very much like their character. Some things are different, like Josha [Stradowski] can be quiet, and I can be a bit of a joker. This season, there were a lot of actors just thrust into a big role mid-season, like Rina [Mahoney], who plays Marin al’Vere. She is exceptional in the show. A lot of younger kids came in too, and of course, Isabella as Faile comes in. I think I looked after everyone in a way, at least I hope I did. If I look back at myself in season one, starting a show, I think I was probably a bit overwhelmed. I don't think I had someone to look to or turn to. Everyone was probably focused on not getting fired. [Laughs] There was a lot of pressure at the start, but you didn't really know how to talk about things like your hair or if you should need a wig or costume fittings or stunt riding. I’d think, “I might need more horse riding lessons,” or “The fans are trolling me online. What do I do about it?” No one was really there for that aspect because we were all so new. When someone new comes in now, I've tried to be the person I would have liked to have at the start. I tried to be there and help as much as possible, really. Without trying to create too much of a comparison [Laughs], that is similar to Perrin’s leadership. It’s also something I would not have been able to do in season one.
Coat N°21, pants Filippa K, shoes Grenson Shoes
That is something I was thinking about while watching the episode, in that you have a lot on your shoulders as both an actor and a character when you have a spotlight episode. Rand’s Rhuidean episode just came out, which is incredible. I actually had an interview with Josha recently, and he was saying that he felt like he had to push himself really far for episode four. Did you feel similarly about your episode?
Definitely. I think Josha came on set one day because there was one sequence that was filmed in the Two Rivers in the revolving camera sequence in episode four. We didn't really cross much, but he went up to Hammed [Animashaun], who plays Loial, and he goes, “I don't know how you do it with these prosthetics,” because Josha had to play so many characters — Hammed is an absolute trooper. I think Josha had an emotional leadership role, but if I'm honest, I think he probably won't say it, but he's been doing that since season one. He's had big moments. When some of us were finding our feet, he was leading the show in a second language — his English is obviously amazing, but there’s a difference in how you communicate or humour, so he was working double time.
Episode seven did push me. If someone had said in that first episode of season one, “You’re going to have an episode that doesn’t have Rosamund [Pike], Daniel [Henney], Madeleine [Madden], Zoë [Robins], and so forth, I wouldn’t have believed it. I know the character warrants it, and so does the storyline, but I just felt like there was such weight from the other characters in the show. I thought, “How are we going to get this character who’s got a slower development and is nuanced and doesn’t speak as much to hold his own episode?” When you have a character who doesn't say as much and there are a lot of storylines, you can kind of chop bits around them or take things out. But I think what was quite nice about episodes like mine and Josha’s this season, or Maddy and Zoë’s episodes in season two, is that you don’t have to jump to another storyline. You can just let them breathe and allow for a few extra bits like the villagers preparing to fight, and scenes with Faile or Loial. When you’ve got three, four, or five storylines going, you might have to sacrifice because it's not specifically plot-driven. You might lose nice moments about friendship, love, grief, or fear, even if they’re the best-written scenes. It was quite nice having an episode where I knew Perrin’s story was going to be allowed to breathe, and that we could show his friendship and his funny side, or his leadership side. It was scary, but so nice.
It really did develop Perrin in such a beautiful way. Before we go, I also want to talk about September 5. It's so different, but there’s also something to it where there's a quiet intensity that adds a lot of tension. Is that tension something that you felt very conscious of while filming?
Yeah, we shot it all inside a few rooms; the set was built like that. If you walked out of that main control room, there was a proper editing suite with all the old machines from that time, or a recording studio. It was all set in that '70s decor. There was a tray that had sandwiches and coffee from that time. It kind of felt like a play. Tim [Fehlbaum] and Moritz [Binder] — the writers and directors — did something amazing. I’m trying to do my own short film at the moment, so to see them execute it so well was incredible. Even some of us on the set were a little bit like, “Is this going to be a bit slow?” But they treated the archive footage like a character, in a sense. When I went to the screening, I was like, “Oh my God, this is intense! This is a high-paced drama.” I think given that, plus having to learn to do everything manually, like put film into cameras, creates the tension because it's not like everyone can go out and live record, you know what I mean? There’s the physical aspect of putting the logo on and cutting the film, and getting it back out. I think trying to operate in the time frame that people do now with news, where you have to quickly get the story out, but in that analog setting, makes it very tense to watch.
Left Blazer, shirt and pants Giorgio Armani, scarf N°21
Right Coat N°21, pants Filippa K
When I was watching, I was so interested in the analog setting and those details. I hadn’t even thought about you essentially having to learn that!
It was crazy, from recording the sounds to soldering wires to hooking up the walkie-talkies; it took real skills. The idea of getting something live had just made it so much harder. The task of all those jobs probably supersedes their ethical judgment of what they're doing. They have to get the film and shoot, and physically pull the camera out, which is really heavy. You can see the ethical questions of, “Have we thought about their families?” or “What happens if someone gets hurt?” or “Whose story is this?” It’s quite interesting because I think that's what happens now. Today, it’s just about being the first person to have the story, or getting the most likes or tweets, or traction. Having the story kind of supersedes the investigative journalistic aspects of it nowadays. I think the film does really well at showing that.
Yeah, there is this weird dissonance between such an awful outcome and an objectively huge achievement in process. It made me think on a smaller, not-so-ethically-questionable scale: is it sometimes hard not to judge the process in hindsight by the outcome in acting?
Yeah, it’s really interesting. Before The Wheel of Time, I was doing a lot of indie films where I would be very close to the director, and they had their director’s edit and cut. It was a lot of passion projects. Most of the stuff you did would be there and untouched — maybe the timing or chronology of it would change, but that’s it. With The Wheel of Time, you can shoot something on a mountain in Slovenia, and it would be your best shot ever or best performance, and two years later, you’re watching the screening, and it’s just not there. [Laughs] The editor doesn’t know you had that little smile there or said this little line. You might be referencing something from another season. That is a long process that I wasn’t used to. One director might edit it like a handheld movie, and another might do it like a sci-fi genre. You have to have some sort of cohesive look. I think it’s been tricky, but a really big learning process. That’s why I think episode seven is really special. Some things obviously still got cut out of the edit because of the writer’s strike; they couldn’t rewrite stuff, so they just had to film differently. A few things changed, but I know what the episode looked like for the most part. Like I said before, there was that level of pressure, maybe that Josha was referring to, that it's not like they could just put in a Dónal [Finn] scene or something. It is mostly just you. So if you’re thinking, “This thing doesn’t really work,” it still has to be in there. [Laughs] It really does make you lift your performance. I think Perrin has always been the one for the quiet and serious stuff, whereas in episode seven, he's kind of carrying the emotional beats or romantic beats.
Left Jacket LGN Louis Gabriel Nouchi, shirt Denzil Patrick, pants Brioni
Right Shirt, sweater and tie Fendi
I know I've said this, but you truly did such a great job, especially with the range of emotions.
Thank you! Through a lot of seasons, there are times when you just want to play something bigger, more confident, or have fun, especially if that's the only thing you'll have for like twelve months. [Laughs] For example, in the scene with Aviendha that I mentioned before, I thought, “I could play that a little bit more cheeky” or “I could make him a bit tougher or confident there.” So you get a lot of payoff with the focus episodes because it's all been brewing underneath. I was talking with someone yesterday, and just saying that the landscape of TV is tricky now. If we didn't get season three, I’d have just played someone who's been a sad boy for two seasons [Laughs], so it's nice to have that character arc. It’s five or six years in the making to get there. I really appreciate that so much, and I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Interview by Tessa Swantek
Photography by Sylvain Homo
Fashion by Steven Huang
Make-Up by Lachlan Wignall at Stella Creative Artists using Olaplex and Elemis
Video by Paul Leimonas
Stylist’s assistant Olly Cook
IMAGINARY WORLDS
WITH AN OTHERWORLDLY AND MESMERISING LEAD TURN AS DANNY IN C4’S SOMEWHERE BOY, ALONGSIDE HIS TAKE ON COMPLEX TEENS IN THE TV DRAMAS DEADWATER FELL, SHETLAND AND GENERATION Z – ACCLAIMED YOUNG SCOTTISH ACTOR LEWIS GRIBBEN HAS HAD EVERYONE TALKING FOR A WHILE NOW.
AHEAD OF UPCOMING ROLES IN BLADE RUNNER 2099 (A TV SPIN-OFF OF THE ICONIC SCI-FI FILM), AND THE NEXT SEASON OF CULT ANTHOLOGY SERIES, BLACK MIRROR, WE CAUGHT UP WITH THE GLASGOW-NATIVE TO TALK IMAGINARY WORLDS, DREAMS OF PLAYING A BADDIE AND WHY HE’LL ALWAYS STAY GROUNDED.
Left Full look Miu Miu
Right Full look Fendi
Hi Lewis, you’re in Glasgow, is that still home for you? Aside from family and friends, what do you love most about it?
I love the prices, it’s cheaper than London! I like the culture; I think we’ve got a good art culture. I think the people are very grounded, and you need that. I think sometimes when you’re an ‘artist’ you can get carried away in your own grandiosity. In Glasgow, obviously we appreciate art, but we don’t keep going on and on about it like we don’t want to be too big for our boots, kind of thing. It’s a very nice place, with lovely hills, walks, castles. And yeah, we’ve just got a good sense of culture and art, and we’re quite funny!
Well, I read that when you were younger growing up there, you used to enjoy playing fantasy games and being in your own imaginary worlds, like all of us! Did you like storytelling, and do you think that’s where your love of acting began?
Yes, I really like storytelling, the idea of the infinite possibilities of all these worlds of video games, or stories or movies I read, watched, or played and I got enveloped in all of that. I think there’s a part of me that wanted to be a part of those imaginative worlds that are created through all forms of media. I think I had a sort of desperation to be a part of something that’s not the ordinary, which I think influenced my direction towards acting. I loved stories and how detailed and rich they could be, and I felt that I would love somehow to be a part of that, and acting was the way to do that.
Left Full look Paul Smith
Right Full look Prada
Were there performances on screen or in theatre you remember growing up that really moved you?
I’d say a performance that really moved me was ‘Boo’ in Monsters, Inc. She was such a sweet, innocent little child, and she evoked such a great emotional reaction out of me when I watched it at 7 or 8. I had never seen such vulnerability played so effectively like that in a film before, and it evoked a kind of longing for that friendship she had with ‘Sully’, and I felt really connected to that desire and longing for a friendship.
I also remember watching The Pianist at about 15, and how Adrien Brody’s character went through such devastation and loss, and the persecution of the holocaust and how he transforms throughout the course of the film. I found it so moving, and it's always stuck with me, and each time I think of a ‘memorable performance’ I think of that. Everything he did in that film really encapsulated for me what it is to be an actor.
So, how did you then get into theatre and drama, was there a teacher or parent who encouraged you; and once you began, what was it like being able to connect and relate to other kids like yourself who enjoyed playing pretend?
As I kid, I was very animated and active in the imaginary world, speaking in difference voices, and acting out different characters, but I wouldn’t really interact with other children in primary school. My Mum saw in me that I was imaginative but quite shy with other kids. So, she just decided that “well he likes to pretend so I’ll put him into theatre classes!”. I joined the youth theatre programme at the Citizen’s Theatre in Glasgow, and I just fell in love with it from there. My Mum thought it would be a good outlet for my shyness and to help me grow in confidence and connect with other kids who also had active imaginations, and it worked!
What I loved about connecting with the other kids, was that it was a gateway to opening up friendships for me and realising there were others who were also into the idea of pretend. Imagining these worlds, the idea of devising scenes and making our own stories and organising them into scripts with our teachers. I felt like I found a tribe I could belong to.
Left Full look Paul Smith
Right Full look MM6
Your breakout role as Danny in Somewhere Boy, was also the point we learned how that character helped you identify and bring authenticity to the part of someone feeling like they’re an outsider – you were diagnosed with Autism and Asperger’s and have spoken of how it can make you feel on the periphery. How have you navigated your diagnosis in terms of your life and career?
The thing with having Autism and Aspergers, is obviously sometimes it's tricky to fully identify something that’s foreign to you, or that you don’t fully understand in a character or in a world. When you are trying to give your own interpretations of these worlds, sometimes it’s a bit more difficult to get a full insight into how to play something you have never been before. But it does allow me to see the human elements of someone who is different or unusual. I think for most people, including myself, who have Autism and Aspergers, it gives you a uniqueness to something, it adds a sense of charm, or otherworldliness in ‘Danny’s’ case, and it can help make that feel grounded in our world. More abstract and ‘weirder’ characters don’t feel as difficult for me to gain an insight into, in how to play them or how they will be. I think it’s the characters who are more charming and rogue-ish, that take a lot more work for me to capture. What it does help me realise is that I can add that twist and give it more authenticity, and it adds an emotional clarity for roles that works quite well.
How was it moving onto Masters of the Air, after filming Somewhere Boy, playing a World War Two bomber pilot – going from something mentally so immersive into this historic drama with lots of imaginary blue screen on a giant soundstage?
It was a very weird transition, because I finished Somewhere Boy in October 2021 and I had spent 4.5 months doing that show, and prepping, keeping in the accent, and allowing myself to blend all the emotional vulnerabilities of my own life and lending them to the character. So, it was a bit of a draining process, and I didn’t really know who I was for a while after that part, and being a kind of weird mix of me and ‘Danny’ for a while.
Going into Masters of the Air, even though it was a small part, was fun and weird with this giant Apple show with an all-star cast! It was a part of the industry I hadn’t had the chance to see before and gave me a great insight into how those bigger sets are run. It was a great exercise in imagination, because I’m firing a German airplane that doesn’t exist, and it’s only on this big projected screen. The two projects couldn’t have been further apart but in a way, it took me out of the mourning I felt from Somewhere Boy and gave me something fun to do.
Full look Prada
Well, you’ve now done horror, comedy, drama, history and next up is fantasy, with the epic Blade Runner 2099! What are you allowed to tell us about your character and what we can expect from the series?
Very little but being a part of Blade Runner is something I never expected to happen. It’s a mad, unreal, and very otherworldly experience that I think will be very entertaining for fans!
You’re also in the long-awaited next season of Black Mirror. Any teasers?
I can’t say too much, but getting to be a part of the series was incredible as I’ve been such a huge fan since the beginning and really wanted to be a part of it!
Jina Jay, the casting director had seen me originally for the first revival season, and then again in 2022 for season 6. I was gutted not to get the roles, so when the opportunity came around again in 2023, I was thrilled to get another chance to be a part of it. My character is quite like me, so I felt like I really understood him right away.
Full look Loewe
How did you feel on set for Black Mirror, and is it always different, again in the way you transform through the preparation and process?
Initially I was nervous as I am such a big fan of the show, and I didn’t want to mess it up and be crucified online, but I had to let that go and be the best version of myself I could give to the team I was working with. With my character, it's about exposing vulnerabilities, finding something that he cares for that he wants to keep at all costs. There are a lot of similarities to past characters, so it wasn’t very hard to draw from those and my own experiences.
In terms of your process with acting, is it instinctual, you’re finding your own flow, it’s not rigid? Do you make playlists, look for the scent of a person, read and research?
I try and keep it as instinctual as possible as I don’t want it to feel bogged down in research or too rigid. I want it to be as free flowing and, in the moment, as possible. I try to keep it as playful and authentic as humanly possible, within a scene, like when I was still a child, play acting. Sometimes I do write down objectives for a scene so as not to stray off course but mostly I try to give my own interpretation of the character.
Full look Emporio Armani
What about next roles – what drives you when it comes to choosing parts?
I think for the next stage of my career; I would like to try and do things I haven’t done before. I am trying to actively look for parts that have a sense of danger to them, I’d like to play someone who is not a very nice person if I could. But at the same time, it comes down to the story and the script, and if the script is very interesting and grabs me, then I will want to do it. I’m trying to push myself to do roles that, even if I want to run away from them, I try to go for them to challenge myself. Ultimately, I would love to play someone who is just evil, and a bit shitty, something I haven’t seen me do yet.
Well, it’s a new year, 2025, there’s a lot of new energy. Do you feel that way? Who are you in this moment right now as opposed to one year ago today?
I am a spaceman going through the unknown realms of possibility. I’m having my weird artist moment of two crossroads and trying to pick the right one. I think there's an energy of having done nice bigger scale jobs in Blade Runner and Black Mirror, and I feel a bit more confident about hopefully doing it again one day. I’m not about trying to big myself up into getting the next big part, the next big thing that will make me more famous or make me more money. I think for me; it’s about picking something that artistically speaks to me regardless of role or size. A year ago, I never would’ve believed this could happen, my hope is that it will happen again, but I’m not going to put any time pressure on it. My process is to be an artist and grab what I get, be it ‘Soldier One’ or the face on the poster.
Left Sweater and shorts N°21
Right Full look David Koma
Interview by Kate Lawson
Photography by Oliver Webb
Fashion by Steven Huang
Casting by Imagemachine cs
Grooming by Bari Khalique at The Wall Group
Stylist’s assistant Dominik Radomski
POWER RISING
As the third season of the hit HBO anthology show The White Lotus comes to a sure-to-be dramatic end, the events in Mike White’s sun-soaked, morally tangled universe have moved to Thailand. Among the resort guest is Kate Bohr, played by Leslie Bibb, who takes a seemingly innocent girls’ trip abroad to reconnect with her childhood best friends, before true colours are revealed. With such an immersive storyline, it was an experience for Bibb that defied all her expectations — she tells us all about it in the latest BTB Digital story!
Full look Marc Jacobs, necklace Boucheron
How did acting come about, did it find you while you were modelling, or did you find it?
I suppose I found acting because of a commercial I booked for Lee Jeans. The whole commercial was improvised, and the concept was “Lee Jeans will make you look like a model but not think like one.” Oh god, that is so mean. Jesus, but anyway, that was the concept. I was a model, living in NYC, as I had taken a year’s sabbatical from UVA, the university I had just started, and I got the commercial 5 months into my year off.
After it aired, I started getting calls for auditions for movies and television, and I had also started to hang out with young actors in New York and I suddenly felt like “Oh, this is where I belong!” I knew I wanted to explore acting and knew I had some natural ability, but wanted to study and have a foundation, a craft. So, I applied and got into William Esper’s 2-year programme. I studied with Maggie Flanigan, and it changed my life, so, thanks Lee Jeans!
Dress Tod’s, shoes Diesel
Oprah helped to launch your modelling career too.
Well, I won a modelling contest on the Oprah Winfrey show, and it blew the doors off my life and opened my eyes to a whole new world of art, theatre, food, and possibility — NYC has that effect. I was only a model for a few years. I liken it to my bartending or waitressing job to pay for acting school. It was wonderful in that sense and gave me a great work ethic. It taught me how to be responsible and professional so that when I was making my living as a full-time actor, which I was so very fortunate to have happened very quickly, I knew how to show up on a set, on time and ready.
You say it blew the doors off your life. Did it all change overnight?
No, my life didn’t change overnight exactly, but it changed the trajectory of my life. The scope of my life expanded exponentially I believe the moment I went to NYC. I will never forget the taxi ride from LaGuardia into Manhattan and coming across the bridge and driving down Houston St and seeing the buildings and I remember thinking; my life will be forever changed. I just knew what I thought was possible for my future was going to be different and to fasten my seatbelt. So, not overnight, but profoundly changed long term.
Left Full look Christian Dior
Right Full look Acne Studios
So, from commercials and magazine covers to film and TV, most notably now The White Lotus – it’s one of the most revered shows. What was your first thought when you found out you got this role?
My real debut in Popular (the teen comedy-drama series), was a big deal for me as an actor, and Talladega Nights, Iron Man and Palm Royale were all important stepping-stones to The White Lotus. I feel like they were major avenues of expansion for me, but, honestly, every job makes you grow artistically. My first thought when I got The White Lotus … I was in Savannah shooting a Clint Eastwood movie, and I was in bed in my hotel room (I think I had worked late because I was still in bed, as I’m usually an early riser), and my agents called, and I screamed. I threw the covers over my head and screamed with joy!
You play Kate, on a girlie holiday to reconnect with old childhood friends. Did Mike White give you a character description right off, or did he let you figure out who your character is?
Mike and I had a Zoom where we talked about Kate. We talked about her perfectionism. We talked about a lot of things, but I really remember that part of the conversation, and it ignited something in me as I began to build Kate. I think that was the cornerstone of creating her for me. It’s a process and it’s a never-ending journey. You never know everything. It’s a constant exploration. You’ve got to stay curious and seeking when crafting a character.
Full look Balenciaga, Necklace Boucheron
Were you able to read the script before joining?
Once you get cast and you sign on, you get to read all the episodes for the season, which is a guarded 8 episodes. You join the cast before you read all 8. Those scripts are protected, and no one can just access them, so you sign onto the season without that full knowledge of your character’s arc. But it’s a no-brainer with this show and with Mike White, because he does extraordinary things with this show, so I knew I wanted to be a part of it in any capacity. When I read all 8 episodes, I remember thinking, “Wow, this season is swinging for the fences in a bigger, deeper way than past seasons.” Mike is a fucking genius. I hate it when people use that word because I think it’s overly used, but he really is. It’s an appropriate use of the word when it comes to him. I loved the story of these three women and their friendship.
Yes, the girls' trip is such an interesting storyline, with their evolving dynamics, and that interplay of how they’ve all been conditioned to compare themselves to each other and judge themselves. It’s a story played out amongst women every day in real life, and one we’re all trying to change.
The storyline of the women feels universal. This competition, this comparative nature of “my life vs your life”. I feel like both men and women can understand the pressure of keeping up. I wonder what would have happened if all three of these women had just come in and been honest about where they were in their lives. If they risked being vulnerable about their feelings, views, or just what is happening in their lives at that moment. I think it’s part of the human condition, to compare. Especially in this world of Instagram and Facebook and this “look at my glossy life”, this filtered life. We aren’t seeing the edges, the cracks. Mike White loves those edges and fissures and leans into those and blows them up.
Full look Celine by Hedi Slimane, shoes Maison Margiela
Did you take anything away from being part of the storyline, did anything resonate with you personally?
I think this storyline has stayed with me and reminded me that it’s okay to feel like maybe I don’t have it all under control. It’s quite freeing to admit when I am feeling overwhelmed or insecure and lean into my friends. And, anyway, do we ever have anything “under control?” It feels like a false sense of security. Like a little lie we tell ourselves as a protection to the truth that maybe it can’t all fit neatly into this box and in fact, we are all just doing our best, day by day. I think that is part of Kate’s perfectionism. It’s about control, which makes her feel important and gives her a deeper sense of worth.
How did you and your co-stars lean into each other, in how you play these women, finding their dynamic?
Michelle and Carrie and I began a text thread as soon as we all signed on and sent childhood photos of ourselves and, so we were all on the same page. We decided when we met, what age, where we were from, but, honestly, we were shot out of a canon. Our villa scenes were the first to be shot, and we were doing all those scenes for all 8 episodes the very first week of shooting. We met, as a trio, four days before we started filming. I don’t know why we had chemistry, and it worked, but it did. I go back to Mike White and his ability to cast so well. I also think all three of us have a similar work ethic and are hard workers. We all just trusted that we would show up for one another, and we did.
Full look Maison Margiela, bracelet & ring Boucheron
Was it difficult stepping into something that’s in its third season, that you haven’t been a part of, but you know that the audience is hungry for? Did you feel that pressure because you know everyone is going to watch it?
Yes, I think we all felt that pressure. There is a love of this show I have never quite experienced before, so you don’t want to drop the ball. However, that pressure isn’t conducive to good work. You are thinking about results, and you can’t do that with acting. It takes you out of the moment. I guess that’s why I said “we were shot out of a canon” because we shot those villa scenes first and were the first in Thailand. But I also feel like it allowed me time to shake out any expectations for the first two seasons. It was out of my control, just do the work, be relaxed and give Kate the grace she deserves to live her truth, and the rest will be what it will be. It was freeing. I think, though, I always feel pressure to make sure the work is good, that I have done enough, explored or mined deep enough for the characters I play. I really love what I do, and I fall in love with my characters, so I get obsessive about the work.
You’re working across the world and staying in a hotel that you’re also filming the show in. What was that experience like, all of you being together, with no distance between your personal life and your work life?
Art imitating life. You start to feel like you are literally in The White Lotus. It’s a singular experience and one I may never have again. It’s odd at first and then kind of amazing and sometimes claustrophobic and then fucking amazing. It’s like adult camp and I do think it helps the work, in a way. You are living the experience you’re portraying on screen, in a way. What looks like 6 days at a resort was 6 months for us. I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Left Full look Balenciaga, Necklace Boucheron
Right Full look Christian Dior
Did you have time to experience life outside of The White Lotus. What ended up being your favourite spot in Thailand?
I had been to Thailand before, so I knew how amazing the people were, and had explored a lot of the temples in a previous trip. But this go-a-round, I think the experience I had at an elephant sanctuary, which is truly an elephant rescue, was my favourite. I went twice. Also, I had this incredible boat trip with my girlfriend who came to visit. It was just bananas fun and an experience we will both never forget—and I also took her to the elephant sanctuary.
I’m so in awe of those rescue sanctuaries, and how elephants are considered sacred animals in Thailand, spiritually symbolic in Buddhism. Speaking of which, the theme of spirituality and karmic consequences features in this third season quite heavily. Are you a spiritual person?
I think I am a spiritual person. I know that I am in constant pursuit of looking inwardly, to be a better person, to let go of past trauma, of past narratives I have for myself, to expand versus retract, and to stay curious. Some days I really am good at that path and others I fail miserably and let my ego win, or doubt drive the bus, but I always find my way back to the path of growth and the search of whatever “personal enlightenment” means for me. I guess it also changes, too, that definition or what that looks like. I just want to stay in flow versus getting stagnate. Stagnation scares me. It feels fearful and I don’t mind being frightened of things, but I don’t want it to stop me from moving forward. Fear can lead to some awesome growth.
Left Full look Balenciaga, Necklace Boucheron
Right Dress Tod’s, shoes Diesel
Interview by Kate Lawson
Fashion by Michael Andrew Rosenberg
Photography by Jamie Ellington At Faster Faster
Casting by Imagemachine CS
Make-Up by Shayna Goldberg At The Wall Group Using Chantecaille
Hair by Ben Skervin At Walter Schupfer Management Using Rōz
Photographers’assistants Pablo Espinoza & Jose Hernandez
Stylist’s assistants Loulou Shafran & Daniel Martinez
A PERFECT MARIAGE
RED SOLES AND TABIS—TWO OF THE MOST POTENT FOOTWEAR SIGNATURES IN FASHION—ARE NOT, AT FIRST GLANCE, THE MOST OBVIOUS OF PAIRINGS. ONE, FOR DECADES, HAS BEEN THE ULTIMATE METONYM FOR HIGH-OCTANE, HIGH-GLOSS GLAMOUR. THE OTHER, A CULTISH EMBLEM OF FASHION’S AVANT-GARDE, ITS SPLIT-TOED SILHOUETTE A SILENT SYMBOL OF THOSE IN THE KNOW. AND YET, THOUGH THEY SIT AT SEEMINGLY OPPOSITE ENDS, THEY EXIST WITHIN THE SAME SPECTRUM: DESIGN CODES SO DISTINCT THAT THEY TRANSCEND THE NEED FOR BRANDING ENTIRELY. AND AS THEIR MUTUAL IYKYK STATUS REACHES A FEVER PITCH—DUPES FOR BOTH CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN’S SO KATES AND MAISON MARGIELA’S TABI FLATS ARE TOO MANY TO COUNT, AN UNFORTUNATE YET UNDENIABLE MARKER OF SUCCESS—THEIR COLLABORATION FEELS LIKE AN UNEXPECTED INEVITABILITY. TWO TOTEMS OF FOOTWEAR HISTORY, FINALLY CONVERGING.
À PROPOS OF JOHN GALLIANO’S FINAL ARTISANAL COLLECTION FOR MAISON MARGIELA, THE DESIGNER ENLISTED CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN TO AMPLIFY HIS VISION. “THIS IS A MARRIAGE, NOT A NEGOTIATION,” LOUBOUTIN RECALLS, SPEAKING OF THEIR COLLABORATION. AND INDEED, WHAT FOLLOWED WAS NOT ONE BUT TWO COLLECTIONS: ONE WHERE LOUBOUTIN REIMAGINES THE TABIS, CARVING THEIR CLEFT DEEPER, DRESSING THEM IN THE LANGUAGE OF HIS OWN FEMININITY, AND ANOTHER WHERE MARGIELA SUBVERTS THE SLEEK, HYPERSEXUAL POISE OF A LOUBOUTIN HEEL, REFRAMING IT THROUGH THE MAISON’S DECONSTRUCTIVIST LENS. IN BOTH INSTANCES, THE RESULT IS EXACTLY AS LOUBOUTIN DESCRIBES: A PERFECT MARRIAGE. PERHAPS IMPROBABLE, BUT, IN RETROSPECT, INEVITABLE.
BELOW, THE LEGENDARY FRENCH SHOEWEAR DESIGNER WALKS US THROUGH THE PROCESS OF CREATING THE HISTORIC COLLABORATION.
You and John Galliano have known each other since the beginning of your careers. What sparked this collaboration now?
John and I have known each other for years. From the moment he arrived in Paris as a fashion student, instantly at ease with the city, to the incredible designer he is today. Our collaboration was sparked quite naturally. We were having lunch with Alexis [Roche] one day, and John asked, “Would you consider doing something with me?” Without hesitation, I said yes. It wasn’t a calculated decision or a matter of checking schedules. It was an instinctive, genuine response. From that moment, ideas started flowing. It was clear this was more than just a collaboration; it was a continuation of an unspoken creative dialogue we’ve shared for years.
The last Margiela Artisanal Show was an undeniable historic moment in fashion. Could you sense the impact it would have on the industry, on culture?
We worked almost a year ahead of the show, and while I expected something extraordinary, because that’s what John does, the level of emotion it evoked was overwhelming. The construction of the clothes was astonishingly complex, layered, and precise, like nothing I’d seen before. Even knowing how impactful it would be, I wasn’t prepared for just how moving the final show would feel. The atmosphere, the rain falling softly like tears, the raw beauty of the presentation – it all created an emotional intensity that was impossible to predict. It wasn’t just a fashion moment; it was a deeply human one.
Maison Margiela and Christian Louboutin, to me, seem to sit on opposite sides of the same spectrum. Did you feel the need to compromise, or did you revel in the contrast?
We didn’t aim for compromise; that wasn’t the point. Instead, we embraced the contrast, using it as a creative spark. Margiela’s DNA, rooted in deconstruction and minimalist creativity, meeting my vision of femininity. It was like a game of creative ping-pong, with each identity pushing the other further. The goal was to let these two worlds collide and blend, not to dilute them. Finally, it looks like a collection that is a true marriage, not a negotiation.
That said, the red sole and the tabi toes share a common ground. What is your personal relationship with the role of Maison Margiela’s impact on fashion?
Maison Margiela is a brand that I have loved to wear for a long time now. Their approach to fashion is cerebral and emotional, there is a true exploration of shapes and materials. Both Tabi and the Red Sole are subtle but also very bold in terms of style, and this is the kind of statement that I like.
Maison Margiela has such an extensive archive. For this collaboration, was there a particular moment that you wanted to interpret?
The tabi shoe was an obvious touchstone, but it wasn’t about simply re-creating it. It was about distilling its essence. We took the iconic tabi split and pushed it, deepening the cut, almost erasing the excess to leave behind the purest form of the idea. It was about refining the signature until it became something new. The same went for my own elements, the Red Sole on the Martoubi, which was continued with the hand-painted red brush.
The project is also split in such an interesting way—your interpretation of Margiela and the Maison’s interpretation of your work. How much communication was there between the two teams when designing?
There was a lot of communication, but what stood out most was how instinctive it all felt. Seeing Margiela reinterpret the classic Louboutin codes, like the red sole, through their lens of minimalism and rawness was very interesting. It wasn’t about one Maison overpowering the other. It was about finding an unexpected harmony.
Again, as you said, this wasn’t a compromise, but so often, fashion collaborations can feel like one. Was there a moment in the process when you realized everything clicked?
Yes, from the very beginning, really. When John asked me to collaborate, and I immediately said yes even without knowing what he had in mind because I didn’t care; I knew that I would want to do something with him, there was an unspoken understanding between us. When we started doing the sketch, it was very interesting because it wasn’t just a Margiela shoe or a Louboutin heel – it was something entirely new, yet deeply familiar and recognizable for both.
Interview by Pedro Vasconcelos
Photography and Fashion by Gregory Derkenne
Featuring Maxime at The Claw and Mirte at Elite Amsterdam
All shoes Christian Louboutin x Maison Margiela
TRANSFORMING STORIES
YOU KNOW HIS FACE. JASON ISAACS IS THE BRITISH ACTOR WHOSE CHAMELEONIC ABILITY TO DISAPPEAR INTO ONE COMPLEX CHARACTER AFTER ANOTHER HAS BROUGHT US LUCIUS MALFOY IN THE HARRY POTTER FILMS, RUTHLESS REDCOAT COLONEL WILLIAM TAVINGTON IN THE PATRIOT, OR HOLLYWOOD ICON, CARY GRANT, IN THE TV SERIES ARCHIE. FOR HIS NEXT TURN, ISAACS PLAYS TROUBLED HOLIDAYMAKER TIMOTHY RATLIFF IN THE THIRD SEASON OF THE WHITE LOTUS – PROVING HE’S NOT ONE TO BE PIGEONHOLED, TRANSFORMING STORIES WITH HIS UNDIMMED PLEASURE IN UNEXPLORED TERRITORY.
Left Jacket and pants Dior Men, cardigan Turnbull&Asser, shoes Fendi, brooch Boucheron
Right Full look Zegna
Hi Jason, how are you today?
Wondering how the hell to talk about something without talking about it.
No spoilers here, but will this third season of The White Lotus be more of the same madcap plots and messy, outrageous characters we’re used to?
Mike White’s too clever to serve up more of anything.
Well, as the next holidaymaker to check in, what can you tell us about your character Timothy Ratliff – or is he even a guest, perhaps a local…a villain…a love interest!?
All the above. Or maybe none. Here’s the dilemma: like all my friends and all the fans who are desperate for spoilers, you don’t actually want to know. What you really want – or ought to – is to let Mike reel you in like the storytelling maestro he is until the hook’s so deep inside you that you’re thrashing around in agony and ecstasy in his twisted grasp praying for, yet dreading, the end credits of the final episode. So that’s how much I’ll tell you. You’re welcome.
Left Jacket Emporio Armani, pants and shoes Prada, jewellery Cartier
Right Blazer, pants and shoes Paul Smith, coat Brioni, jewellery Cartier, watch Omega
Thank you. What was the most challenging thing about playing your character?
Tim’s going through some monstrous things that he can’t share with anyone, so there’s a lot of acting with no words for me as his world implodes and explodes. Massive drama, but all going on between my ears and behind the eyes and did I mention no words? I love words. That, and the fact that half of the time it was so hot my fillings were melting.
Who did you feel you had the most chemistry with on the set?
I loved doing scenes with my kids. I’m a dad to Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sam Nivola and Sarah Catherine Hook in the show. Quite simply and sickeningly, adoring them on-screen was easy as we felt like a family off-screen as well. As the months went by, I transitioned from a quasi-parental role to more of an idiot friend as it dawned on them that they were the grown-ups in the relationship.
Jacket and pants Dior Men, cardigan Turnbull&Asser, shoes Fendi, brooch Boucheron
You mentioned the heat during filming in Thailand – how was it being there for such an extended period and how much did you work?
There are six meaty storylines, I think, maybe more, so I worked about a sixth of the seven months that I was there. I’ve been on location for longer – Peter Pan was 14 months, for instance – but I’ve never had that much time off. At the risk of causing mass projectile vomiting from the readers, when I first got there, I was living the real White Lotus lifestyle in an absurdly opulent private villa with a private pool and an honest-to-God butler. It was not only lonely but vacuous and obscene – like eating only desserts and caviar every day. A gilded Groundhog Day. Once I’d ticked off all the clichés – massage, yoga and massive overeating - I was desperate to get out and see what real Thailand was like and what real Thai people who weren’t in uniform and trained for hospitality were like. Luckily, we were reeling from becoming new empty nesters, so my wife Emma came out after a while and stayed, which she’d never done before, and we used the free time to see all around the country and behind the tourist curtain. Some of it is really painful to witness – the heartbreaking sex and slave trade and the grinding poverty that’s hiding in plain sight – and some of it is beautiful and simple, particularly the gentleness of the Thai people which, surprisingly, wasn’t only to be found in the hotels, but everywhere, from the wilds of the jungle to the poorest of fishing villages.
Speaking of beautiful locations; you’re playing Moth Winn in the upcoming movie The Salt Path shot around the Southwest Coast path in the UK. What did you learn about endurance, love, and the human spirit playing this real-life person?
Moth’s quite literally the most positive and life-affirming human being I’ve ever met – he’s a Staffordshire Santa. After our first Zoom, I watched it back to try and break down his unusual accent. We were roaring with laughter the whole conversation, but, listening back in the quiet, I realised that as he’d been describing the horror of losing his mind and the catalogue of humiliations that his neuro-degenerative condition had created, he didn’t want me to feel uncomfortable, so he made fun of it all. “Oh, you’re gonna laugh at this, Jason,” he’d say, guffawing, “When I go to the bathroom, sometimes, I’ll have to…” I don’t know that I ever really learn from anything, but, like Rob Reiner’s mum in When Harry Met Sally, I’ll definitely have what he’s having.
Blazer and pants Paul Smith, coat Brioni, jewellery Cartier, watch Omega
Would you agree you’ve got to tap into the humanity of each character that you play, before anything else?
Talking about acting mostly seems pointless to me. Like dancing about pensions. There are technical things you can describe – hitting marks, learning to sword fight, lens sizes maybe – but becoming another person, with their thoughts, their needs, their inner rhythms… It’s all so intangible and messily arrived at. Plus, everyone comes at every part differently every time anyway. With Tim [ Isaacs’ character in The White Lotus], I wanted to get the accent right (Durham, North Carolina…I hope!) and wanted him to look and feel and move like a fat cat – literally a man bloated with status, money and certainty. With other characters, sometimes it’s an old injury or a phrase they repeat or a fear of their old stutter resurfacing. It could be anything. The whole process of finding those anchor points depends, firstly, obviously, on the script, and then whatever sticks from a whole load of inefficient splashing around with real people in the real world – in music, books, dreams, overheard conversations or half-remembered shadows on the subway. It’s a simple job, just sometimes hard to do, be another person in another situation. Who thinks, like everybody does, that they’re right. You just have to know why they think that.
I’m interested in the physicality that you bring to a role too, like for example, having to translate the physical as well as emotional exertions of Moth’s symptoms on screen – his limp, his tremors. Is physicality something that you always consider with a character?
Not always. It’s definitely nice to find something – a walk, or a way of standing – police and military, for instance, always stand with their legs straight, symmetrically, never resting on one hip – but, for me, that’s less about what an audience will see and more about me looking for something, anything, that’s a trigger for me to trick my imagination into feeling like someone else. Moth had huge problems with his body, sure, since, at the start of our film, it was all shut down for him and caused him such pain – he couldn’t raise one of his legs or use his left arm or fingers at all, but for him, it was losing his memory and focus and ability to take control or protect his children that crippled him more. The shame. Though it was impossible to forget about the physicality – some days we’d arrive at yet another breath-taking location and they’d point and go, “You’ll be climbing up and down that today,” and we’d be at the base of a steep boulder-covered slope that I couldn’t navigate even without a heavy backpack and using my two good legs. “Are you fucking kidding me? Moth could never have got up there,” I’d say, “It’s not gonna be believable!” “But this is the actual location,” they’d say. “He did.”
I’m just thinking about the fact that you were a pro skateboarder when you were younger. Balance, concentration, fitness, creativity – that was setting you up for acting really?
It was, absolutely, but not in a physical way. I was one of the original band of skaters at the South Bank, under the Royal Festival Hall. It was a rough crowd, and I didn’t want to stick out. Similarly, when I went to university, I was suddenly in a crowd of people who lived in Chelsea and sounded like nobody I’d ever met or even seen on TV. A week later, I sounded just like them too. Skateboarding was just one more episode of code-switching that prepared me for a life of walking in other people’s shoes.
Full look Maison Margiela
You’ve said in the past that you don’t like referring to acting as a “craft”. You can make progress and improve though, so what would you say has driven you over the years? Determination? Or maybe the thought with each role that there must be an answer somewhere, and you’ve got to find it.
No idea. Not being fired on day one and never working again, I suspect. Plus, I have no other skills. Fear of failure drives a lot of powerful creativity, so I enjoy it a little more now – the energising feeling that if I don’t pull something out of the bag, I’m going to be found out. But drive? Actors have no agency – we don’t create the work until we step behind the camera and write and produce, so drive isn’t a useful quality. The most important quality to have, by far, is luck. More important than skill or drive or anything. I’ve had a few unbelievably lucky breaks in my working life that could so easily not have happened. The other thing that’s lucky, I suppose, is that I still get just as passionate and bothered and exhilarated by all of it. Just as much doing a cameo in a no-budget indie as on a studio epic. Just as much in a voiceover. It’s almost embarrassing how much I can care and obsess, but at least I’m older than most of the directors nowadays, so they think it’s quaint as opposed to irritating. I hope.
I imagine you’re given lots of choices for roles. What’s your qualification for accepting a part? Does something really need to move you, get you in the gut, and feel like something you need to pay attention to?
I wish I had a consistent test for what to do. It’s the Malcolm Gladwell thing: a gut feeling, then a process of tortured rationalisations and endless discussions with agents. But I always know straight away. Not that things will be successful, but that I’ll enjoy myself and feel challenged. I turn a lot of work down that I think is fabulous, but just can’t see myself in. Sometimes I leap at parts I really fancy in things that are never going to be seen, and don’t even have the money to finish. I can live with it all, though. I’ve loved all of them, the failures often more than the successes.
Full look Zegna
You’ve worked with so many amazing directors too, whether it’s Ridley Scott, Chris Columbus, Paul Anderson or Roland Emmerich. Is there anything that you think good directors have in common? Do you think they’re all unique or is there a common factor, at least in the best experiences you’ve had?
They’re all so different and work differently, too, with each actor. The best ones are so secure in their storytelling smarts, that they’re open to collaboration and, specifically, to happy accidents and magic that happen on the day. The worst ones think they know what the scene should be before they arrive and are trying to fit the actors into some predetermined template, they worked out in the bath the night before. Two of my favourites, Zal Batmanglij and Rodrigo Garcia, who directed me in The OA and Nine Lives respectively, both gave me the same piece of wonderful, ballsy direction on day one: just before my first take on projects they had spent years writing, in answer to a question I’d just asked about the scene, they said, “I don’t know. You know this guy better than me. You decide.” That’s such generous, smart directing – giving ownership to the actors. I saw David Yates do that with the kids, too, on the Potters, empowering them. A lovely man.
What about stories you would like to produce/direct yourself, are you working on anything?
Yep. And superstitious too.
What about the next big Bond villain… you know you want to!
That’s what they should call it. A hark back to the great double-entendre-laden Roger Moore era: “You Know You Want To!”
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Discover the full story in our upcoming SS25 Issue - release end March 25.
Interview by Kate Lawson
Photography by John Armour
Fashion by Steven Huang
Casting by Imagemachine cs
Grooming by Nohelia Reyes using Dr Loretta and Sam McKnight
Photographer’s assistant Myles Bailey
Stylist’s assistant Dominik Radomski
INNER STRENGTH
NICHOLAS PINNOCK is a man of many personas, phases, eras, iterations, He’s played everyone from Jesus Christ and a young Nelson Mandela to a wrongfully convicted inmate turned attorney and a boxer in racially segregated America. And then there’s Nicholas the poet, who sees all facets of his artistic expression as part of a larger world of influence in which he’s eager to get us thinking and talking about our mental health.
As the British theatre, TV and film actor turns complex cop in his latest role in the crime mystery, Long Bright River, we have a heart to heart with him about feeling the energy of an audience, playing the congas and finding light in the darkness.
Full look Loro Piana, watch Omega
So, let’s talk about your latest project, the series Long Bright River. You play an injured cop (Truman Dawes), who teams up with your old partner to unravel who is killing vulnerable women in a Philadelphia neighbourhood. The storyline deals with weighty material but unlike other crime dramas, there’s more of a focus on the humanity of the characters in a community dealing with substance use and mental health issues. How did you prepare for the role?
Truman is your average good cop who genuinely cares about the neighbour he’s vowed to serve and protect. He turns out to be the only man that Mickey can rely on as the other men close to her have either abandoned her or abused her to some degree. Truman is the man she’s needed all her life. He’s consistent and true. It was important that we didn’t portray all cops with the same brush as the media. Where there are sinners, there are always saints. I held on to the goodness in community and the closeness of people that I have around me to find those aspects of him as a character in that world.
The series is based on the book by Liz Moore. Had you read it beforehand? And did that help in finding the character, or was it more challenging knowing it’s a different medium and although you want to pay respect to the book, you’ve got to leave it behind, but still find that connection?
I read the book once I was offered the project and fell in love with the whole atmosphere of this place that Liz had beautifully transported me to. Then I read the scripts, and it really did help, because she was involved in writing the series too, so you could feel the heart of the book in the adaptation. There’s the ease with which we follow and root for Mickey and the fact that she’s flawed. We see Truman through Mickey’s eyes in the book and in the series, we see him as his own entity. This very resilient community that I had very little knowledge of, was transported from book to set in a way that was beneficial in helping me find what I feel we needed for Truman. It was all in the page with very little for me to do but tell my part of the story.
Does the series stay true to the twists and turns of its source material?
The series is true to what it needs to be true to. It’s also unapologetic about the fact that’s it’s an adaptation and some things were changed to add to the broader and complimentary world that television can offer in a way a novel can’t.
You’re a mental health advocate yourself and ambassador for the charity MIND. I read that you’ve struggled with depression, and wondered where your relationship with examining your mental health comes from?
It was either spiral further into the darkness of my issues with ill mental health or examine them and figure out how I could find mental wellness. When you’re faced with suicide to be your only option, but you also don’t want to die and what you really want is peace, you look for all the ways to find it because if you don’t, that one option left will be the one you take. And I strongly believe that’s the same for most people in that situation. Even the ones that choose that final option. At the end, peace is the ultimate destination for the ones who find it through the exploration or the ones who find it having explored and still couldn’t see any other path heading there. Death isn’t the goal. Peace is. And I’m very grateful that I was able to acknowledge that, act and have the love and support around me to begin a journey of healing that has led me in that direction. I still have a way to go but I know I’ll get to a more manageable place than I’ve been in the past and where I am now.
Full look Dior
So, have you found with acting, through becoming all these different people, that it’s enabled you to embrace all aspects and sides of yourself —the beauty and the ugly, the darkness—to see and live the moments of joy?
Yes. And to see and live the moments of despair and turmoil also. These characters are a gift. I get to tap into areas of myself that I’m forced to delve into or there’s no truth to play, so it can get tricky at times when you’re on set and get utterly overwhelmed with the character and the two of you are fused for a moment. But it’s important to be aware of and understand that the character’s stuff isn’t my stuff, and that it’s beneficial to remove myself from whoever the “him” is that I’m playing so I don’t end up carrying shit that doesn’t belong to me but only feels like it does. I think a lot of actors go through this vicarious trauma and don’t realise it and that specific therapy is needed for them to deal with it in a way that general talking therapy can’t fully tackle.
You also write poetry. That can be a form of self-therapy, does it help putting your feelings on paper, does it make articulating yourself easier do you think?
Absolutely. Without a doubt! And so much so that I’d like to publish a book of poetry once I find the right agent and publisher. I had always written songs, poems and short stories at school, but it was through my severe struggles with ill mental health firstly in 2006, that I really started to write and write, and write… where I couldn’t stop at times, to relive some of the dark thoughts that come with CPTSD and depression.
Last year I was in a residential mental health facility for trauma and the writing therapy that they offered during my 6 weeks stay, was highly beneficial to a point where it ignited a new evolution in my writing of poetry that I couldn’t access before. There’s an instant separation and objective viewpoint that comes with expressing yourself on the page. Like centuries of thoughts, feelings and energy from the generations before you that gets released from your fingers allowing you to hold the world around you and feel the moment, for a moment – without being again encumbered by the boxing gloves that are wrapped around them, that you’ve had for longer than you can remember, in order to fight your way through another day that resembles a whole lifetime.
Left Full look Giorgio Armani, watch Omega
Right Full look Loro Piana, watch Mont Blanc
Does music help to translate those feelings too, either through listening and connecting to specific songs, or writing / making music yourself – and how does it play out in your work too, such as preparing for a role?
A lot of actors have playlists that are projects or character specific. I’m not one of them. I tend to listen to the ambient sounds around me to capture a feel for these things. The music and melodies find me in that way. Every now and then, especially if it’s a period piece, I’ll find music that is of the time and listen to it as a touchstone, if ever I need it.
In life, music is a must for me. I play percussion, mainly the conga’s and I sing. I love live music and go to concerts as often as I can. The energy of the band. The atmosphere of the crowd. The euphoria that you’re left with after. It’s magic.
One thing I’ve often heard musicians say when I interview them, is how that connection to their audience reminds them why they love what they do. Do you feel the same? Does having audiences connect and relate to your through your performances, help drive you in the next project?
Yes. For sure. In the theatre, when you are on stage, you can feel the energy of the audience. You tap into what they bring into the theatre as a collective entity. They are almost the final character in the piece, so we tend to feed off them in many ways. I don’t believe in the fourth wall. I like to be reminded that my audience is there. Let’s face it, without them, we wouldn’t even be there. I like to see and hear them be engaged with their responses. It’s fuel for me. And when on set, the crew are my audience as well as my colleagues. Their responses are just as valuable to gage if you’re in the right area of emotion for any given scene. So, when they come up to you and tell you how moving or funny or shocking or how it made them cry or that last scene or take was for them, it keeps me going and wanting to explore all the ways of continuing to move the audience. I never take it for granted that it’s a given.
Left Full look Loro Piana, sunglasses Mont Blanc
Right Full look Giorgio Armani, watch Omega
Full look Paul Smith, watch Omega
Out of all the characters you’ve stepped into, which one in terms of the atmosphere you’ve created to live in for a short while to really feel it, had the most impact on you, made you go to places you didn’t know you could go to – or is that one still to come?
Not including what I call “my apprenticeship years”, where I was figuring out who I was as an actor and taking parts for credits and to get noticed – I’d say every role that I’ve consciously chosen to either audition for and landed or have said yes to when offered.
They’ve all offered me some area of growth and it would be hard to single out just one, but my first real lead in a play that’s had a major impact for several reasons – including having to transform physically – was the role of boxer Jay Jackson, in a play by Marco Ramirez called The Royale. Marco is a drummer and there were percussive elements that he introduced in the play that we had to incorporate in the form of claps, which forced us to be creative. I loved it and I grew as an actor on that stage, and I look forward to the opportunity of working with Marco again.
With theatre, are you drawn to roles that give you, and perhaps the audience, a new perspective on a world that we think we know?
Theatre must challenge your perception of society. It must challenge your sense of morality. It must cause your thoughts and feelings on things that seem so fixed, to be shaken and disrupted so that even if it settles back to the same spot, it still can never be the same.
What’s more appealing to you, the role that you think you’re going to be good at or the role that scares you?
The one that scares me every single time. If it doesn’t, I’m not interested in playing it. I’m not able to grow or be better than my previous efforts if I’m not challenged in some significant way. I also want the audience to be challenged by me and it’s not possible for me to do that if I keep delivering performances that they’ve seen time and time again. Sure, some characters or performances may be similar or resemble each other, but I try not to let that happen often, and to make tweaks so the experience is sufficiently different for the viewer as much as it is for me. I like to transform as much as I can. Sometimes it’s a lot. Sometimes not as much. But ultimately the pull for me is finding the challenge in the role. Hence why I say no to roles a lot.
Left Full look Giorgio Armani
Right Shirt Eton Shirt, blazer, pants, & sweater Polo Ralph Lauren
This is a clichéd question, but if someone had said to you as a kid, “you’re going to be an actor,” would you have believed it?
If someone had said that I would have replied, “Yeah, I know”! I knew from a very young age what my calling was. And it was just that. A calling. I knew I’d be a performer, just not in which discipline. So, when I started performing professionally at 12, I made sure I was more than competent in all areas, dancing, singing and acting. And I’ve done all three at various points throughout my almost 40 years of being in the industry.
Yes, and that leads perfectly into my next question, about your 40th anniversary! – does it take you by surprise when you start doing the maths of how long you’ve been doing this, what’s changed most for you, what’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?
This September I’ll be 52, and in October will be the 40th anniversary. I don’t know where the time has gone. It often feels like yesterday that I had my first day as a lead on set in 1985. I’d say one of the things that has changed the most, is that there are more vehicles for young people to really shine and that’s wonderful. But another is less risks being taken by studios and producers, on new filmmakers, new actors, screen writers, so few indie projects, so few original scripts. There are so many blockbuster franchises and so many remakes. The last few decades, there’s been a decline of these wonderful ideas that producers were brave enough to back and support. Bring back raw, edgy not-sure-it’ll-make-any-money-but-I-love-it-and-I-believe-there’s-an-audience-out-there-that-will-too-so-fuck-it! type producers and creatives, with studios that can really make something special that will last not only a generation for their bold and unapologetic filmmaking, but will last a lifetime.
Speaking of being passionate about change, what about the world we’re living in, with it being what it is right now, what’s the future for you? What are you optimistic about?
The world is in flux and seems to be in a desperate place and this is where the escapism of art in all its forms will be vital. I’m producing now with the partners in my company (Silver Milk Productions), and I’m looking to move into directing also at some point but won’t give up acting. That’s still my first love. I have my sights on writing too. I’ve recently become a founding patron of The Liam Frances Dance Company and look on broadening my reach in other areas of the arts, including opening an art gallery and doing one last dance performance before my body decides it’s too old, to name but a few.
My optimism is in the power of humanity, the necessity of kindness and the unending love and support that only community can offer and provide… whatever that community may be.
Interview by Kate Lawson
Photography by Elliott Morgan
Fashion by Steven Huang
Grooming by Charlotte Yeomans using Tom Ford Beauty
Stylist’s assistant Harley Thompson
THE FAIREST OF THEM ALL
MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL, WHO’S ANDREW BURNAP PLAYING IN DISNEY’S LIVE-ACTION REMAKE OF SNOW WHITE? WELL, AT THE TIME OF WRITING, ALL WE KNOW IS THAT THE STAGE AND SCREEN ACTOR WILL TAKE ON A NEWLY-CREATED LEADING MAN CALLED JONATHAN, WHO IS NEITHER A HUNTSMAN NOR A PRINCE. WHAT WE CAN TELL YOU IS THE MULTI-HYPHENATE WILL ALSO RETURN TO HIS STAGE ROOTS, APPEARING AS CASSIO ON BROADWAY IN OTHELLO. WE CAUGHT UP WITH HIM TO TALK FIRST LOVES, STAGE DOOR STORIES AND HOW LIFE IMITATES ART.
Tank Top Tom Ford
Hello, let’s talk Snow White! What are you allowed to tell us so far, and how will this reimagining speak to modern audiences?
Well, hello there. I’ll say this – our film is an absolute love letter to the 1937 animated original. This is the Snow White that everyone knows and loves – but, like other live-action Disney films, it contains a few fun surprises!
So, what will the CGI and live-action treatment bring to such a much-loved story? How was that experience for you?
Fans of the 1937 animated film know how groundbreaking its animation was at the time. It kind of changed filmmaking. So, I think the creative team decided to pay homage to Walt Disney’s original vision by continuing to use artistic tools like CGI to bring these characters to life. We worked with some incredible physical performers on set that led to some very special moments on screen.
Full looks Thom Browne
You’re not playing a prince or a huntsman, all we know is you’re called Jonathan! So, what kind of leading man are you and will there be romance?
Jonathan would probably say “mind your own business,” but I’ll give you a bit more and say that when we meet him, he’s a man disillusioned with the world who is secretly yearning for something to hope and fight for. And I can assure you, the romance lives!
Well, that’s a teaser right there! So, was it easy or difficult to find this character as he’s not the classic male lead we expect with this story – he comes with a twist.
It was truly a joyful and fun-filled process finding this character – we share a sense of humour about the world and a similar sense of secret hope amidst its dangers.
Shirt Vowels
The iconic costume designer Sandy Powell is on board for this version. What can you tell us about your experience with her for your character, and did you have a lot of input?
Is there any greater legend than Sandy Powell? I remember coming straight off the plane and going into a fitting with Sandy and her team, and I felt that I had finally met the coolest person in the world. Her genius knows no bounds – she was game for anything and everything and helped me find great specificity in Jonathan’s attachments to the world around him.
Left Tank Top Tom Ford
Right Full look Golden Goose
Will the remake revitalise the beloved songs from the original Snow White too? Do you get to sing?
Anyone who loves the original and all its songs will not be disappointed – as for me, I suppose you’ll just have to see it!
This live-action just shows your extraordinary range, switching between stage and screen and genre. Is that something you’ve sought in your career, to tell as many stories as possible?
Extraordinary range, mom will love that! I suppose so far in my career I’ve tried to do as many things as possible that seem challenging. If you had told me a few years ago that I would be starring in a Disney live-action musical and a Broadway musical within a year of each other, I would have giggled and told you to please shut the door on your way out. But it’s fun to do things that scare me, even though I curse myself for doing it when I’m in the trenches of the challenge. Big risk, big reward, I guess. Public failure and humiliation are extremely hard - but at least you’re taking a swing. If I had my druthers, so to speak, I would do as many different things as possible – what a gift it is to be able to do this thing that I love for a living. And I owe it to myself and to those who have helped me get here to go as far and wide as I possibly can. Even if I’m temporarily wounded by the result. I don’t think you can get there without stepping outside of your comfort zone.
Left Jacket Golden Goose, Top Tank Tom Ford, pants Vowels Tokyo, boots Balenciaga
With being on screen, are character-driven projects the ones which grab your attention, especially if you can bring your own experiences to it, to shape a role?
I think character-driven narratives are an actor’s dream! Your own experience is certainly your gold mine, but your imagination and your sense of empathy are the most fruitful tools when you’re on set or on stage inside of a thing.
Is there one film that resonates with you, that you would’ve loved to play the lead in? Or a biopic of someone you would love to play?
I would love to play Chet Baker someday – I grew up playing the trumpet and have always been deeply fascinated with his life and legacy. That voice! That face! That sound! That would be a dream come true.
Top Harley Davidson, pants The Frankie Shop, Jewelry Sophia D
Let’s talk about being on stage, is theatre your first love, the one you always return to?
There is nothing like the live experience – everyone in that audience, and on stage for that matter, is experiencing something that will never ever happen the same way again. Theatre is, in my opinion, where one learns how to act – most especially technique and craft. There is no going back, no take two, nothing but the here and now – this present moment. You’re not feeling it? Too bad. You gotta do it. My favourite actors pretty much all started in the theatre, and I tell any young actor who wants to give it a go to start there.
Full looks Golden Goose
Speaking of which, you’re playing Cassio in Othello on Broadway. What are some of your favourite moments or scenes as your character, and why?
Cassio has such an attachment to how he is perceived by others, especially by those whom he has great respect for. And in today’s world, with social media and public perception being such a major aspect of our lives, I think we can all understand the consequences of one’s reputation. I’m excited to see how these words reach today’s audiences.
Left Tank Top Tom Ford
Right Full look Golden Goose
I’m always interested in the things fans tell you at the stage door. What’s your best story or experience?
Oh, man. The thing I love about NY is that people will tell you what they really think – whether you want to hear it or not! I’ve heard things kind and unkind, hilarious and insane, but the best stories are the ones from people who have never seen a play before. There is wonder, curiosity and amazement bursting from their eyes. If I’m ever having a rough day before a show, I try my best to think of that person who is sitting there for the first time.
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Discover the full story in our upcoming SS25 Issue - release end March 25.
Interview by Kate Lawson
Photography by Gabe Araujo
Fashion by Jordan Dorso
Casting by Imagemachine cs
Grooming by Jessica Ortiz
Stylist’s assistant Drew Mac
PIECES OF SELF
LIFE IS FULL OF UNKNOWNS, WHERE EVERY STEP INTO THE FUTURE IS AN ABSOLUTE MYSTERY. WE STEP INTO AN UNCERTAIN TOMORROW, NOT KNOWING WHAT LIES AHEAD. HOWEVER, BEYOND THE QUESTIONS THAT THE FUTURE WHISPERS TO US, THE GREATEST MYSTERY LIES WITHIN OURSELVES. IN THIS CONTEXT, ACTOR LUCAS LYNGGAARD TØNNESEN PRESENTS HIMSELF AS AN EXPLORER OF THESE INNER COMPLEXITIES. THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, HE HAS PLAYED CHARACTERS THAT REFLECT INNER STRUGGLE, SELF-CONFLICT AND THE SEARCH FOR IDENTITY, THEMES THAT RESONATE DEEPLY WITH OUR OWN EXISTENCE. TODAY, HE GIVES A LOOK INTO NOT ONLY HIS CAREER AND ACHIEVEMENTS, BUT ALSO HOW HE ADDRESSES THESE MYSTERIES IN BOTH HIS WORK AND HIS PERSONAL LIFE.
Lucas, I'm really happy to talk to you. Something funny happened to me while preparing for this interview. One of your most well-known series is called The Rain, which in Spanish means La Lluvia, the title of the song I always sing at karaoke when I go with my friends. What’s your favourite song to sing at karaoke?
The pleasure is all mine! I'm really happy to be back with you guys. Fun question to start with! Well, among my friends, some have probably already witnessed my infamous performance of Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, or really, any Michael Jackson song.
You’re from Copenhagen, a city I adore. If you had to recommend some of your favourite places in the Danish capital, what would they be? Why are they special to you?
Uff, I always find it hard to name specific spots in Copenhagen because there are so many that I really love. But if I had to pick a few, these would be the ones:
PALÆBAR – You go into the kitchen of the bar yourself, grab a plate, and choose your open-faced sandwich, Smørrebrød. Then you sit down, order a beer, and play some cards with your friends afterwards.
AUTOPOUL – Probably one of my favourite spring and summer outdoor bars in Copenhagen. There’s always room for everyone, plus good wine and music. I can’t wait for it to open again this spring.
FLERE FUGLE – Breakfast and brunch, Danish pastries at their best. It also has an urban vibe – sitting and working in the sun with a coffee by your side, reading a good book while cute dogs walk around, that kind of thing.
LA VECCHIA SIGNORA – I told you there were many places haha. This place makes the best Italian sandwiches I’ve ever tasted. It’s like a little grocery store in a basement. Go there!
Your first steps in the entertainment industry were quite significant. How would you describe that transition, and what challenges did you face at the beginning of your career?
I started acting when I was quite young, and at that time, I was in middle school at a singing school. They were pretty old-fashioned in how they viewed things, and I was nearly kicked out because I spent so much time acting. It’s always interesting how creative places like that can have double standards. They loved opera or kids doing ballet, but apparently, acting wasn’t as welcome.
You have a close relationship with the fashion industry. What role does clothing play in your day-to-day life? Are you someone who carefully chooses what to wear, or do you prefer something more spontaneous?
I never know what I’m going to wear in the morning; it’s always a mystery. I share my closet with my girlfriend, Laura, so sometimes it’s a bit hard to keep track of what’s what and where that specific shirt you know you have actually is. So, definitely more spontaneous when it comes to clothing. I do like starting with the pants and then going from there.
Regarding your work in film and television, do you get involved in creating the wardrobe for your characters? How do you bring your own vision to the process of defining a role's aesthetic?
Yeah, I think it’s important to have an idea of what the character you’re playing is going to wear. Though it’s often after the costume designer shows you their ideas for the character that the real collaboration begins between the director, costume designer, and yourself. It’s also often a "you know when you know" kind of thing.
I would like to know if, as an actor, you prepare your roles in a more individual way, or do you rely on other colleagues for advice or ask for their point of view?
Some things you have to work on by yourself, but I would say that most of the time, if it’s possible and the project is ensemble-focused, doing it collaboratively with the director and other actors is incredibly rewarding. Getting to know others often allows you to explore new sides of both yourself and the character you’re creating. We did this for a new Swedish and Danish movie we shot last October called The Art Patron. We had a lot of workshops together, which helped us discover something I don’t think we would have found otherwise.
In Salmon, your performance was exceptional, and you dove into the fascinating world of haute cuisine. What was your immersion into the culinary world like?
Thank you so much, I really appreciate that! It was fun and intense shooting Salmon over four nights. I remember Mattis and Milan, the director and cinematographer, pitching the project to me a few months before shooting. They asked if I would be interested in doing it with them, and I remember saying something like, “Absolutely, but is there a script yet?” Mattis said it was on the way, but I already knew this project was going to be good. I feel like I’m pretty good in the kitchen, but on set, I realised what an everyday shift looks like for a chef. I watched a few movies that were a big inspiration for this film, and YouTube was really helpful too. I had previously visited the kitchen at The Alchemist here in Copenhagen to observe how it functions. Obviously, it’s not as intense as in our film, but the atmosphere definitely makes it clear that everyone wants to be there.
The creative stages in an artist's life vary, and what inspires you today may change tomorrow. I want to know: today, on a Friday in February, what inspires you?
This answer will probably vary from one day to another, but today, the weather definitely has a big influence on my inspiration. The sun is shining in Copenhagen right now, which is a wonder to the eye. Light, in general, can have a huge effect on my mood. A very specific kind of light can actually make me really emotional, though I don’t quite know how to explain it. The feeling of creating something, just starting, even if it’s just talking or fumbling with ideas – it doesn’t matter. Beginning a project gives me a lot of energy. For instance, this photoshoot in particular really inspired me. I’ve never done a shoot like this before. Arton Sefa, the photographer, has a way of working that I find truly inspiring. He directs you while taking photos, pushing you to explore something new, going one hundred percent into a feeling or expressing something you’ve never done before. That was quite unique. Can’t wait for the next shoot.
The way one takes risks is very important in an actor's career. Do you consider yourself to be an unbiased actor, willing to explore any idea that you find interesting? Would you say that it is important not to be afraid when one engages in art?
Going into a project with an open mind is very important, I would say. Not being locked into your own way of seeing things. I think I’ve reached a stage where I’m more willing to take risks than I was before. I’ve always loved trying out new things, but now, I can definitely feel that I’m more than ready to do it.
Interview by Juan Martí
Photography by Arton Sefa
THE COMPLEXITY WITHIN
JAMES NELSON-JOYCE HAS ONE OF THOSE FACES THAT INSTANTLY TELL A THOUSAND STORIES. WITH A SEEMINGLY HARD, NO-NONSENSE EXTERIOR, THE LIVERPOOL NATIVE HAS BEEN EXCELLING THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER IN ROLES OF BAD GUYS. BUT RATHER THAN BECOMING STRAIGHT-UP VILLAINS, HE INFUSES HIS CHARACTERS WITH AN INTRIGUING SENSE OF VULNERABILITY – MOST RECENTLY IN STEVEN KNIGHT’S DISNEY+ 1880S BOXING SERIES A THOUSAND BLOWS AND BBC’S UPCOMING MAFIA DRAMA, THIS CITY IS OURS. THOUGH A SELF-DESCRIBED SERIOUS OVERTHINKER AND CATASTROPHISER, NELSON-JOYCE HAS LEARNED ALONG THE WAY TO FEEL CONFIDENT ABOUT HIS SKILLS AS AN ACTOR. SEEING HIS TWO MOST RECENT PROJECTS, ONE CAN ONLY AGREE. HIS TAKE ON QUIET INTENSITY, BUBBLING ALL THE WAY TO THE SURFACE, IS A COMPELLING SHOWCASE OF DRAMATIC STRENGTH.
Left Full Look Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello
Right Full look Fendi
Hi James, congratulations on A Thousand Blows! The show is created by Steven Knight, who is a master of building compelling worlds. What attracted you the most to being a part of this story?
Well, first of all, I knew that the world of boxing of the 19th century was the backdrop of it, and I love boxing! Then, I started to learn more about these female organised crime groups from the 1880s who were robbing the rich, and I was like, “Wow, this is incredible!” Also, the story of Hezekiah coming over from Jamaica to be a lion tamer and ending up becoming this prolific boxer. And finally, the story of the Goodson brothers [of which I’m playing Treacle]. I just loved that the series was about real people from that time, and showed how wild London was back then. What Steven does so cleverly with his writing is showing these real people in real circumstances – he draws an audience into it straight away.
Full look Fendi
Do you train boxing in your day-to-day life? If so, how has that informed your prep for the role?
Whenever I’m home in Liverpool, I always go to this boxing gym called Rotunda ABC, which is attended by many world champions, former world champions and young prospects. Also, I would say that watching boxing is a big part of my life. But when you start doing research into boxing in the late 1800s, you realise how much the sport has evolved until now. So we had a trainer working with us on set who taught us how to move in the 1880s style. It was very stiff and very upright, and the punches were thrown a lot differently. It was really fun and I remember feeling like, “I can’t believe I’m getting paid to do this.”
Left Full Look Hermès
Right Full Look Paul Smith
Your character is making quite a fashion statement with his sideburns. What’s your stance on them? Are you a fan?
I’m definitely not a fan. [Laughs]
Full Look Paul Smith
Okay, fair enough! Let’s talk about your other upcoming series, This City is Ours. Watching the first episode, I was struck by the complex depiction of the inner conflict your character, Michael, is going through when it comes to being a part of the mafia. Is that what drew you to this role?
As soon as I read the script of the first episode, I knew that I had to play Michael. I was like a dog with a bone. I was auditioning for this role for months. I love the conflict within the character of [working in the mafia] being something that he’s always known, and then through maturity, coming to understand the dangers of it and the morality [aspect] of it. Also, his relationship with Diana and wanting to become a partner that his Mrs is proud of, and hopefully becoming a father one day. I just loved all of the complexities that came with Michael. He is definitely a thinker, maybe even an overthinker. And there was a real beauty that came with that.
Full Look Dior Men
Would you consider yourself an overthinker as well?
Yeah, massively. I’m a catastrophiser and an overthinker, that is me.
Full Look MM6
That’s me as well! What do you find helpful in overcoming these feelings?
Letting go as much steam in the gym as I can. Mental health is the biggest killer in men under the age of 40, and it’s heartbreaking. Men still seem to have this sense of pride and not being able to communicate with one another, and it shouldn’t be that way. Even going back to A Thousand Blows and the relationship between my character and his brother, the reason why it all blows up is because they’re unable to communicate. I think that’s the problem with men – we don’t get things off our chest.
Full look Hermès
How does that overthinking affect your path as an actor? Do you feel like acting is what you’re meant to be doing?
I do, but I have to pinch myself. That said, on the flip side – and I know this might sound arrogant or whatnot – I have become more confident in knowing that I am good at what I do. And there’s no shame in saying that. Art is specific and everyone can have a different opinion [on it], but I must have done something right to get to where I am, and I do have to praise myself on that. But it’s a really hard industry so I do count my lucky stars because there are actors out there who are ten times better than me, so you just have to work hard. I have a very thick skin – with the amount of rejection you face in this industry, you have to develop it really fast.
Left Full Look Paul Smith
Right Full Look MM6
You have become known for your complex depictions of darker characters. What are the challenges that you are looking for as an actor now?
I would love to show my softer side and my vulnerability. Because I play all these complex, troubled, some would say violent characters, I would love the opportunity to show the other side of the coin. I want to play someone very kind, caring and loving, and maybe do a biographical piece. But to be really honest, [I’m just really grateful] to be acting – I’m very fortunate and I know how lucky I am.
‘This City Is Ours’ launches on BBC One & BBC iPlayer on Sunday 23rd March
Interview by Martin Onufrowicz
Photography by Lee Malone
Fashion by Steven Huang
Make-Up by Richard Wynn Ellis
Photographer’s assistant Jake Milsom
Stylist’s assistant Dominik Radomski
BORN TO PERFORM
AS WE ZOOM WITH LOUIS HEALY, HE’S SITTING IN A ROOM AT HIS BROTHER’S HOUSE, TRYING TO FIND HIS LIGHT – OR TO PUT IT ANOTHER WAY, FIND A WELL-LIT POSITION INSIDE HIS FAMOUS OLDER SIBLING’S ARCHITECTURALLY DESIGNED CONCRETE CAVE, WHERE HE’S CURRENTLY LIVING. NO STRANGER TO THE SPOTLIGHT HIMSELF, THE 23-YEAR-OLD ACTOR IS CURRENTLY STARRING AS BOYISH-LOOKING MONSTER HENRY CREEL IN THE WEST END PLAY, STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW. WE CAUGHT UP WITH HIM TO TALK ABOUT WHIRLWIND WEST END FUN AND THE FAMILY COLLABORATION WE ALL WANT TO SEE.
Top Ludovic de Saint Sernin, gloves Paula Rowan
I read that as a child growing up, you had quite a wild imagination and loved having adventures and exploring, so this stage show was made for you!
It’s perfect for me; it’s a whirlwind of fun! It’s such a chaotic show and it takes you in so many directions, you never have time to think about what you’ve just seen. The audiences are on the edge of their seat from the very beginning, and it’s so exhilarating and exciting to be a part of it all, and the character that drives it. I think the TV series translates into this stage play in such an immersive and incredibly exciting way.
Screen-to-stage shows really tap into our need for immersive experiences and an opportunity for communal fandom. With this show, you get to be part of a cultural phenomenon and bring a new origin story to it – how did it feel when you landed the lead role as Henry Creel? Were you nervous? Excited?
Both! So many emotions and tears, as this is the biggest thing I’ve done workwise. I was nervous to step into such a huge franchise with such a dedicated fanbase and wanted to honour Jamie’s [Campbell Bower] work playing Henry on screen in the series. It helped that I had already seen the show twice before joining the cast, so I knew what to expect.
Full look Maison Margiela
Louis McCartney previously played your role. Were you given the freedom to play Henry your way?
It was a journey to get to that point, working on my own version of the character. Watching Louis, he was so incredible and dynamic in his movement, and there is a blueprint in the role that must remain – but once I got into the rehearsal room, I was given the freedom to figure it out for myself and explore my version of Henry. I was apprehensive at first to try anything out of the box, but the directors encouraged me to go in my own direction.
How did you find your version of him then, as he’s battling the monster of Vecna within, and we find out how his powers came to be?
Act One and Act Two of the show for Henry are so vastly different, so there was freedom in the sense of nobody having seen this character on screen before, in his origin story. He’s villainised and a baddie on screen, but I didn’t want to portray him that way in this show. I wanted to make this younger version a troubled, but endearing and ultimately shy little kid, who is fighting off this ‘thing’ he can’t control. He’s lost and just wants to be normal but obviously goes off the rails and becomes this evil person we know. I wanted the fans to find a way to love this character and have empathy for who he was before the Henry we know now.
Jacket, shirt, shorts and shoes Celine Homme, hat Harvy Santos
Is there a particular moment of the show you’re excited to share with audiences each night?
There is a scene at the end of the show which is a direct reference to a scene in the series, in terms of the costume and music, called ‘Creel Family Dinner’. I won’t give too much away for those who haven’t seen either the play or series; but in the scene, Henry is able to drop into The Void and see or listen to things in the past. Visually, it’s such a fun scene to play, and often you can hear all of the big Stranger Things fans in the audience saying, “Oh my god, I know what’s coming, I love this”, or, “I know what that song means!”.
Are there a lot of stage door stories from fans after the show when you meet them, and has it brought you a whole new fanbase?
100 percent! There are people who have told me they’ve seen the show five times over, and then there are those who are complete newcomers to theatre and the show. It’s such a rewarding experience to be a part of this franchise and for the fans to acknowledge that I’m doing it justice!
Coat and shirt Yohji Yamamoto, hat Harvy Santos
If you could have someone you really admire and want to work with, an idol or icon you look up to, see this show, who would it be?
I would love Jamie [Campbell Bower] to come and see me in it, he’s already been, but I would love to get his feedback after watching me perform! I’m also a huge fan of the writer Jesse Armstrong, so if he by chance wanted to come and watch me in the show, that would be fantastic! He’s one of my favourite writers and creators.
So, now you’re a big West End star, do you have a dressing room rider, no brown M&M’s?
Haha! Not quite yet, maybe on the next job… we’ll see!
Left Top Ludovic de Saint Sernin, gloves Paula Rowan
Right Jacket, shirt, shorts and shoes Celine Homme, hat Harvy Santos
You’re obviously a passionate creative and love storytelling, so is there a specific genre you would love to try?
I’ve always had a fascination with Westerns since I was young. My dad used to watch all the old Western films, and I would watch them in the background and then run into the garden and play at being a cowboy! [Laughs] I love horror movies too. Robert Eggers and Ari Aster are directors that I admire, and I would love to be in one of their movies. I used to like writing stories when I was a kid too and made little film spoofs when I was at college. Growing up in such a creative household, if I wasn’t reciting a scene from Billy Elliott to my dad, I would be going into my brother’s rehearsal room and ask him what the buttons on different equipment did!
Were you that little brother who gate-crashed the band’s practice sessions?
Totally! It feels like less of an age gap between my brother and me, as now we’re mates. But when I was 6 and he was 18, as they were becoming The 1975, I would also wait outside the rehearsal room, and as soon as they came out, they would get a football thrown right in their face – I loved football obviously!
Left Shirt Prada, necklace and brooch stylist’s own
Right Full look Marni
You mentioned growing up in a creative family; have they ever given you any words of advice?
Well, my dad specifically didn’t want me to go into the industry, having seen how child actors can burn out or get bored. He came from a very working-class background, where being an actor wasn’t really something you would choose as a career. He was a welder, then in the paratroopers and then in his 20s, he was a stand-up comedian in working men’s clubs. So, he’s done well for himself, but has a totally different perspective on the industry, and he’s always told me to revel in the moment and never take anything for granted. When you come from a famous family like mine, you’re never truly able to escape the “nepo baby” narrative, but that wasn’t my experience. It’s always been my dream to perform, and with my parents being in the industry, they inspired me. As I’ve got older, I realise how fortunate I’ve been.
Even with having a mum on the run as we speak [in the TV show Celebrity Hunted]! Is she hiding in your brother’s house?
Haha! I’ve not found her yet. [Laughs]
Left Jacket, shirt, shorts and shoes Celine Homme, hat Harvy Santos
Right Full look Marni
So, when you’re not working, what’s Louis doing – aside from trying to find your mum?
Sometimes on my days off from the show, I feel so exhausted that I just want to listen to my body and rot on the sofa watching TV! [Laughs] I love music too, and play guitar and piano. I also have quite a few beat-making machines around the house and all my brother’s equipment to mess around on!
And break, like his favourite guitar?
Exactly! He’s always Face Timing me saying, “Don’t touch that, you can play the other one, but not that!” [Laughs]
Any upcoming collaborations with you and your brother you want to tell us about?
Well, if we do, it wouldn’t be a musical one. He’s a great writer and director, having created all the concepts for his own videos and directed some of them. We’ve spoken before about ideas he’s got for films down the line.
Sweater Dior Men, hat Stephen Jones
So, a lead role written for you then?
Exactly, I would be annoyed if he didn’t write it for me! Or maybe he’ll compose the soundtrack for a movie I’m in one day!
Well, either way, we’ll be seeing lots more of you, which is great for all your fans, and all the fashion houses looking for a new ambassador! Any labels you love you want to shout out to?
To be perfectly honest, I’ve been getting hand-me-downs from my brother for about eight years! [Laughs] But I do love Margiela and Celine, Dior, you know… All the posh ones!
Top and pants Courrèges, gloves Paula Rowan
…
Discover the full story in our upcoming SS25 Issue - release end March 25.
Interview by Kate Lawson
Photography by John Armour
Fashion by Steven Huang
Casting by Imagemachine cs
Grooming by Sven Bayerbach at Carol Hayes Management using Daimon Barber
Stylist’s assistant Dominik Radomski
FRONT AND CENTER
JUST LIKE HIS CHARACTER JAIME REYES IN THE MOVIE BLUE BEETLE, ACTOR XOLO MARIDUEÑA WAS BESTOWED WITH AN INCREDIBLE SUIT OF ARMOUR THAT'S CAPABLE OF EXTRAORDINARY AND UNPREDICTABLE POWERS – TO ESCAPE THE FAMILIAR BOXES HOLLYWOOD PLACES YOU IN – BEING CAST AS THE FIRST LATINO SUPERHERO IN A DC FILM. PRIOR TO BREAKING THE MOULD, HE WAS BEST KNOWN FOR HIS TURNS AS MIGUEL DIAZ ON COBRA KAI AND VICTOR GRAHAM ON PARENTHOOD. AT 23, HIS WORK HAS BEEN TRANSFORMATIVE NOT JUST FOR HIS CHARACTERS, BUT FOR HIMSELF, AS HE CONTINUES TO PAVE THE WAY FOR GREATER DIVERSITY AND REPRESENTATION IN THE INDUSTRY.
Left Full look Dior Men
Right Coat Dior Men, jacket Emporio Armani, pants Ami, boots Dsquared2
The final season of Cobra Kai is like a three-course meal, temptingly delivered in its parts, and there will be a hearty ending, I’m sure! Is this going to be the best season yet?
I’ve never been good at choosing what's “best” but I can certainly say this is the season we worked the hardest on. It was so important to send off Johnny and Daniel the right way, and I can confidently say that we did!
What were your favourite scenes to shoot and was there a lot of emotion between you all on set?
The joy of filming a show with twenty characters is the moments spent as a whole. I was so glad this last season pulled all of us together, so much of what I will remember about this show are the moments laughing in between takes with my best friends.
Left Full look Dolce&Gabbana
Right Coat and pants Emporio Armani, shirt and tank top Ami, boots Dsquared2
You’re old enough to have a drink now which you weren’t when you started filming this show! Did you make a toast to all the cast and crew you grew up on set with?
Absolutelyyyy not!! My best pals Jacob and Peyton helped me make our cast and crew a yearbook with everyone's photos and memories documented over the years. I got to hand deliver our little toast to everyone; I’m not a fan of talking to large groups like that.
You mention a yearbook, and it’s been 7 years of your life, so I imagine it’s been transformative not only for your character but also for yourself. How has playing Miguel shaped you in terms of finding character-building moments for other projects like Blue Beetle, as both roles are action-based, but there’s a lot of heart to them?
Cobra Kai gave me the confidence to come into my own on Blue Beetle. Getting to explore in such great depth helped me learn to dig deep in all sorts of scenarios, and watching Ralph Macchio and William Zabka taught me what it meant to lead as an actor – they carry themselves as true gentleman and leaders.
Shirt and pants Ami, boots Dsquared2, watch Omega
Speaking of leaders; being cast as the superhero lead in Blue Beetle was a milestone for Latino representation in major franchises, and you’re a role model for Latino kids to look up to! How did that feel, being able to represent and honour your culture?
I will forever be indebted to the folks at Warner Brothers for getting the group together that made Blue Beetle. They truly understood the assignment and I pray every day that another movie like this will get made one day.
It ushered in a new era of diverse storytelling in the genre, and now you’re set to reprise the role in an animated series from DC Studios. What can you tell us about that?
As someone who has never grown out of watching animation, it’s so exciting to be contributing to this new chapter of DC! We are going to be able to tell the type of stories that live-action can’t, and the team is working hard to get it out at the right time.
Aside from acting, you’re also a musician, having released your debut single On My Way last year. It was heavily rap-based – is that the kind of stuff you were listening to growing up?
Hip-hop was a huge part of my upbringing, A Tribe Called Quest, Kendrick Lamar, and Outkast were all in rotation.
Jacket Dsquared2, tank top Calvin Klein
What’s on your playlist right now?
Well, my Top 3 songs of the last year were Megan’s Piano, Hypotheticals and Life We Live, in that order.
How have you managed to stay sane during your rise to fame, as there’s no doubt it’s been life-altering?
My friends and family without a doubt – they always remind me that I’m bad at Mario Kart and the dishes! [Laughs]
I imagine that fame has helped though in building the audience for your podcast Lone Lobos – it’s so popular. Who would be your ultimate guest?
Steve-O, he matches my partner in crime’s freak!
Jacket, vest, shorts and ring Dior Men, boots Dsquared2
Interview by Kate Lawson
Photography by Gabe Araujo
Fashion by Nicholas Mackinnon
Casting by IMAGEMACHINE cs
Hair by Tory Wells
Make-Up by Anluis
Production assistant Anthony D’alessandro
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