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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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