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Martin Onufrowicz
SOUL VIBRATIONS
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Hanna Pallot
HOPEFUL ESCAPISM
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Martin Onufrowicz
MAN IN THE MIRROR
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Martin Onufrowicz
A LESSON IN EMPATHY
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Martin Onufrowicz
SURVIVAL INSTINCT

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PUNK’S NOT DEAD

Rising British star, Emma Appleton plays Nancy Spungen, Sid Vicious’ ill-fated lover in “Pistol,” a new mini-series directed by Danny Boyle, based on a memoir by Steve Jones, guitarist and founder of The Sex Pistols.

The pioneering punk band simultaneously appalled and entranced British society with their angsty lyrics championing social change, which had a catalytic effect on popular music. Here the actress tells us about transforming into a groupie with an abrasive attitude.

How did you get the role in Pistol? What was the process like?

 I never anticipated that I would be involved at this stage with such an amazing project, and I have an incredible agent [Molly], and have been on this upwards trajectory, and I got this email through for an untitled Danny Boyle project, and had no clue what it was about, but if it says Danny Boyle, of course you’re like what do I have to do…learn magic? that’s fine, I’ll do it, ha! I did the tape and didn’t hear anything for months and then my agent called one day and said Danny wants to Zoom with you tomorrow for the role of Nancy Spungen, so I started frantically googling her, and the Sex Pistols, 70s England… because I was aware of these infamous legends, but didn’t know enough. I had heard of The Sex Pistols and seen all the iconic imagery, and of course I knew who Vivienne Westwood, Malcolm McLaren and Chrissie Hynde were, but I didn’t know how all of the dots joined together. But after the Zoom I got the job! 

So how did it all come together and what was it like working with Danny Boyle? 

 We had two months of rehearsals, but the boys had even longer as they had to do a band camp and learn how to play all their instruments, so it felt more like a theatre project rather than a TV show because you never get as much rehearsal time as we had. We worked through the scenes with Danny and got to play around with ideas and build the chemistry between Louis [Partridge] and I [who played Sid], and Danny wanted us to be able to just get on set on the first day and be ready and comfortable and know our characters inside out. 

Was it intimidating but also fascinating to play a character who is also a real person, how did you prepare for the role?

 There’s always a great sense of responsibility playing a real person, because I want to handle it delicately and respectfully, and it was important for me not to be an imitation of Nancy, I was very much doing an interpretation. So you need to find a balance of bringing authenticity from the source material I had like Nancy’s interviews and the book her Mother had written about her, because who else would know her better? Then weaving that into the Nancy in our script.  

Were there any scenes that were particularly difficult to shoot, like the physical and mental side effects of Sid and Nancy’s heroin addiction is depicted, were you nervous before you shot those?

 I don’t think I was ever really nervous, I did my research and we also had a drugs expert come in to talk to us so we could ask anything, and make sure those kinds of scenes were as authentic as possible, like the final scenes with Louis and I that got to the absolute tragedy of Sid and Nancy — they were quite tough. But it was such a safe space on set and we were really looked after, so we knew we could be as creative as possible, and then after shooting, we would go off and have a cup of tea and a biscuit! I think also because the role is so far away from me, I could dive into it and then dive back out very quickly. 

Nancy’s character is one of several memorable women in the series, alongside the designer Vivienne Westwood (Talulah Riley), and the punk icon Jordan (Maisie Williams) - how did you all get on, was there a real girl power between you?

 It was so easy right from the rehearsal period, we would all sit around eating lunch together and talking about our characters and sharing research, and just really hanging out as we were filming during pandemic times, so we really only had one another, and it just felt so organic.

 The pistols really informed the dress code of the punk revolution, so what was it like transforming into Nancy fashion-wise?

 It was sooooooo much fun! The costume department and Liza [Bracey] the costume designer had to make so many pieces, like all the Vivienne Westwood clothes, and I basically wore a lot of fishnets and leather, ha! Also this amazing black and white mohair jumper that the real Nancy wore back in the 70s, so it was really cool to pay homage to her in that respect too.

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All clothes Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

Interview by Kate Lawson

Photography by Gregory Derkenne

Fashion by Marco Drammis

Casting by ImagineMachine cs

Make-Up Gina Kane at Caren

Hair by Davide Barbieri at Caren

Stylist’s assistant Nathan Fox

FAST LANE

Salford-born Tom Glynn-Carney was still in drama school when Christopher Nolan cast him opposite Harry Styles in ‘Dunkirk’, which had fans sleuthing out any and all details about the upcoming actor.

Since then the 27 year-old has earned a smattering of credits to his name, including the medieval epic ‘The King’, working alongside Robert Pattinson and Timothée Chalamet - the ‘Tolkien’ biopic, and the stage play ‘The Ferryman’, a West End and Broadway transfer directed by Sam Mendes. Soon he’ll star in Tennessee Williams’, ‘The Glass Menagerie’ in London, with actress Amy Adams, and appear in SAS: Rogue Heroes for BBC1 TV, which tells the story of the early beginnings of the SAS and the bravery of some of Britain’s most ungovernable soldiers. Possessing that very British quality of being confident without basking in the pulsating glow of his own talent, here he talks to us about pinch-me acting moments, exploring new genres and maybe making music with Harry one day…(Styles that is).

Left Jacket John Lawrence Sullivan

Right All Givenchy

I read that when you were younger, you liked to imitate others and do impressions, so you obviously weren’t the shy and introverted type?

 Ha! Yes, that’s true. I didn’t have the most pleasant time at school. Bullies made me a target for a while and so I tended to use this on whoever made me feel small or threatened. It was my defence mechanism. It made people laugh and deflected the attention from me being a victim. 

My impressions of the teachers got me into a lot of trouble. Both at school and drama school, but we’ll leave that there… 

I watched people a lot, studied their movement, speech, idiosyncrasies all the elements that made them unique and often challenged myself to convince them I was the same as them. Often I would make a new friend and ally. Other times, I’d just be a nuisance.

Left Coat Loewe & pants John Lawrence Sullivan

Right All Givenchy

 So what lit the acting fire for you, is there a particular performance on screen seeing someone transform into character that was fascinating to you?

 I grew up watching the classics, one that stuck with me was Brando in ‘Street Car’. His performance made me feel like I was intruding. He was able to make time stand still, a sensation I’d seldom felt. Then there are performances like Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting, Mark Rylance in Richard II, Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, Joaquin Phoenix in The Master, Seymour Hoffman in literally everything he ever did. I wanted to have a stab at what these guys were accessing.  If I can do 50% of what these guys did, I’ll be a happy man.

Left Full look Dior Men

Right Full look Charles Jeffrey Loverboy

 What about when you were acting in your teens, was there a performance you did that really made you think about inhabiting a person and living those moments, not as yourself, but still, feel like you’re experiencing it?

 I remember playing Billy Elliot at school, and this was the first time I’d had a real chance to get stuck in with a role. I was at school, so obviously there were boundaries and distractions, but it was the closest I got to trying on a new skin at that age. It definitely gave a me a flavour of things to come and the escapism I could one day find. 

Left Full look Maison Margiela

Right Full look Celine Homme

 Did you know what you were getting into, with how competitive the industry is? Did anyone around you at the time say, “Listen, this can be really hard”?

 Oh yes, I was reminded on a daily basis of how ridiculous I was being to be pursuing a career in

acting. I guess I was just stubborn enough to ignore the “get a proper job” mantra and stay focused on the task. I had a supportive family who encouraged me to go for it.  I always felt that a plan B was pre-empting the corrosion of plan A. I was very very lucky. 

Vest and shorts Lacoste, boots Celine Homme, & bracelet Sweet Lime Juice

 So when you eventually left drama school in 2016 after being offered the part in the blockbuster Dunkirk, it must have been quite nerve-wracking on set, was everybody acquainted with each other in some way before you all got there? Or was it like a group of very different people all having to get to know each other very quickly?

 Well, Chris [Nolan] is a very clever man and knew how much the offscreen chemistry of the lads would translate onscreen. We trained together, ate together, went on nights out together, it became somewhat of a brotherhood by the end. We’re all out at sea every day, on a massive film set, most of us had never been on a set that big or any set at all, so it was a communal baptism of fire.  We looked after each other and learnt from the best. 

Vest Per Götesson

 It must have been quite a pinch-me moment, working alongside Mark Rylance in that film too, as you kind of idolised him in your teenage years right, watching endless YouTube clips of the actor’s shows at Shakespeare’s Globe?

 Mark has always been a hero of mine. He’s an actor who just get’s it. He’s a chameleon. He is fearless and will take on any challenge.  When I was cast as his son in Dunkirk I couldn’t believe it. I learned so much from him. He took me under his wing and gave me the confidence to play and explore with him. I owe a lot to Mark. We are still friends today. I can’t wait to see him as Rooster in the revival of Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem this year! 

Left Full look Dior Men

Right Vest and shorts Lacoste & bracelet Sweet Lime Juice

 So since then, do you feel like you’ve approached acting in a different way?

 Oh definitely, you learn something new on every job. I feel I have a tendency to let the work come home with me. Sometimes it can be a good thing, to sit in it, work things out, live with, and as this person for a while. I like that way of working. But also, there is a time and a place. It can get stifling and oppressive if done incorrectly and can subsequently damage the work.  I am still relatively new to it all, so naturally I am still honing my process. 

Left Full Givenchy

Right Full Maison Margiela

 What other roles would you like to explore then, different realms and themes you want to break into and challenge yourself with?

 I’ve been lucky with the roles I’ve played so far. They’ve challenged me and pushed me far outside my comfort zone. Not the roles I was told I’d play when I was younger.  I would like to explore comedy one day.  I have lots I’d love to do. I want to keep operating outside my comfort zone and collaborate with great film makers, theatre directors and likeminded creatives.  I want to play Chet Baker in his biopic. This is something I’ve always wanted. Spread the word…

 

‘I’ve been lucky with the roles I’ve played so far. They’ve challenged me and pushed me far outside my comfort zone.’

.

Nice! He’s one of my favourite jazz legends. So say you get to play Chet, how you do prepare and spend time discovering parts of a character you’re about to bring to life, do you create a little world for yourself inside of the person?

 My first area to explore is music. What music does my character listen to? Era dependent, mood dependent. I find music to be a vital part of understanding a person, place or time vividly and emotionally.  Next would be how they dress, have their hair, how they like the world to see them. I often inadvertently wear clothes that are similar to that of my character, for rehearsals or just around the house. I think it feels like this lessens the transition from me to them.

Left Sweater Etro, denim pants Emporio Armani & bracelet Sweet Lime Juice

Right Full look Givenchy

 Talking of music and fashion (idols), a certain Mr Styles starred alongside you in Dunkirk! Did you both talk music on the breaks from filming, as you’re also frontman for the band Sleep Walking Animals - planning on any collaborations together soon?

 Ha! No we didn’t. At that stage in my life I wasn’t writing music or performing. It’s a pretty recent thing for me. But I have mentioned it to him since. Obviously, it would be great to collaborate with the big man, I’m sure we’d compliment each other’s sounds. Never say never. Watch this space.

 

And for now… what else keeps you motivated and busy outside work?

 I have a beautiful Golden Retriever called Ziggy. He keeps me busy and my heart warm. Trips in my camper van, long walks in the countryside, a good plunge in some wild water. All things I like to do. 

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Interview by Kate Lawson

Photography by Emilia Staugaard

Fashion by Steven Huang

Casting by IMAGEMACHINE cs

Production by FERN

Hair by Josh Knight at Caren Agency using MoroccanOil

Stylist’s assistant Nathan Fox

The photographer is represented by FERN

ITINERANT COWBOY

How do you go about playing an iconic American outlaw and frontier horseback gunslinger? For Tom Blyth, the star of Epix series “Billy the Kid”, the first step was learning how to ride a horse. Since graduating from the prestigious Juilliard School, the 27 year-old British-born, New York based actor, has appeared in the 2021 film “Benediction”, HBO’s “The Gilded Age”, and is set to take on the role of young Coriolanus Snow, in the movie prequel to “The Hunger Games; The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”.

We called him via Zoom to ask about Wild West things, not expecting that the conversation would include beef-related injuries and end with a good old British cup of tea.

Were you a fan of Westerns growing up, and did you know much about Billy the Kid and the American West before taking this role?

 I was aware that I was taking on an American legend, especially as a Brit, so I wanted to make sure I was doing justice to someone who was a folklore hero. I felt quite vindicated though, because I did have quite a big connection to Westerns when I was growing up, as I really loved Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and my Mum and I used to watch John Wayne movies when I was off sick from School! So I was connected to the genre, even though I grew up a long way away in both Yorkshire and Nottingham, it still felt like the genre still had a big place in my heart and my imagination.

 

He’s an enigmatic legend really, a fearless survivor - but it must have been quite challenging to get into character, as it’s not like you could disappear down a YouTube rabbit hole and watch hours of video footage of him, as there is none, or recordings of his voice. So how did you prepare for the role?

 There’s a certain pressure when you portray someone who has lived, to correctly do them justice, but with Billy, who lived over 200 years-ago, there were lots of books with accounts of him which I read, but there was no footage or radio. I think that gives you more freedom to play a little more and find your own version of him, and for me that meant trying to understand his physicality - this is someone who rides horses and lassoes cows every other day, and can handle himself in a fight with a gun, and also, growing up on the trail out to the West, with dust blowing in your face and your horse and wagon capsizing in the water - how does that all affect the way you walk and talk?

So I took a road trip out to New Mexico for six days, to his old stomping ground, and went to all the frontier towns that he lived in, and fought and died in, and eventually ended up at his grave site. It was a pilgrimage to pay homage to Billy, but also to start feeling it in my body, and to get a feel for who he was and the landscape he grew up in.

 Did you have to learn to ride horses and shoot empty bean cans, or did you have stunt-doubles?

 I didn’t ride before going into the process, I’ve ridden twice in my life and both were not great experiences! I love animals but I’ve never really had a chance to be around horses that much. So I have a friend who taught me to ride in upstate New York, and then when we went to Calgary in Canada to shoot, which is a very cowboy-centric place, we had a two-week cowboy bootcamp where we were taught to handle and be safe with guns, and we rode every day with the local cowboys, and ranchers — it eventually became second nature to me, so I was able to do about 90 percent of my stunts, which was awesome.

 

So do you feel like a horse whisperer now?

 I do! I was trained very well by actual horse whisperers who endowed me with their wisdom, and Billy rides four or five different horses in this first season, so halfway through filming, one wrangler told me that when most people first begin riding, they learn on one or two horses and get used to their style. I learned to ride six different horses, each with its own distinct personality, like in the way it cantors or gallops, so I felt really immersed in it, and I was living and breathing it for the whole Summer.

 

Did you have any other secrets for getting into character? For example, chewing tobacco or squinting into the sun, too perfect your inner outlaw?

 Ha! I kept a picture of Billy on my fridge in my air bnb, and would stare at it every morning before my pick up time, because he’s so magnetic and almost an oddball, he’s like an every man but also completely unique, in his quirks. I used to look at it and try and absorb his aura. I did try chewing tobacco and almost threw up! I also thought about Billy growing up on the plains with dust blowing in his face all the time, and how that would affect his voice, and imagined it would make it quite tight and gravely, so I built that into my character work.

There’s also a scene where the gang is all sat around a table ripping pieces off this big leg of beef and chewing, and I ripped a piece off and took a big bite and started to deliver my line, and I felt my jaw pop out! So I had lockjaw for the last four weeks of production! It was actually the only real injury anyone sustained on the show throughout filming, and it was beef-related and not horse related!

 What has been the biggest difference between shooting the first and last episodes, have you really come into your own now, and do you think the second season will be harder, if there is one?

 In terms of coming into my own, I got to grow with Billy as he grew, I came into the show in episode two which is where I took over from the young Billy, and we get to see him expand and watch and learn as the season unfolds. So it felt like I found the character organically in those first few episodes, and then when we hit episode four and five into six, I really found my stride and you can see me grow in confidence as Billy does. I think Season Two might take a bit of a turn, as he’s now willing to do whatever it takes, to do what he thinks is right, and he’s going to be less unsure and take the lead more, even if his decision might not always be the right one.

 

As we approach the season finale, do you have a favourite memory or moment that stands out to you?

 There are so many, and there was a real camaraderie within the whole cast and crew, and we all became really close like a big family making this show over five months in Canada. The one moment that really stands out though is the first big day of riding, when myself and Daniel Webber [who plays Jesse Evans], spent seven or eight hours on horseback, rounding up cows while the sun was coming up, and it just felt so authentic, with 200 longhorn cattle riding in a stampede, and we had to round them up, and we felt like real cowboys! We both looked at each other, and thought wow, we get to live out our childhood dreams and get paid for them, and being a fan of Westerns growing up, it just felt a bit like destiny manifesting itself in a little way.

 

Westerns are having a bit of a resurgence in Hollywood, why do you think that is?

 I think it’s partly to do with nostalgia for old Hollywood, which began with Westerns and that original storytelling. I also think there’s a nostalgia for the freedom of the genre, with these people going out into the world looking for a better life, which speaks to a lot of people now post-Covid, after almost three years of having our personal freedoms restricted. Now that things are opening up again, there is a wanderlust for life, which is very present in the Western genre. 

Next up for you is the role of Coriolanus Snow, in the prequel of 'The Hunger Games', ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ - that role is quite similar to Billy the Kid, in that it’s another multi-layered character. What do you look for when you’re picking a role?

 I’m always looking for multi-layered characters to play, I’m not interested in playing someone who is one kind of cliché, I became an actor to get a flavour for all parts of life.

The character of Coriolanus doesn’t start off bad, he’s quite a well intentioned young man who then loses his way and does some incredibly evil and maleficent things towards the end of his life.  I’m interested in looking at how people go wrong and the psychology behind it, so I’m always looking for parts that subvert your expectations and surprise you, because I want to be surprised when I’m watching something.

 

So who are you acting idols?

 I’ve been a big fan of Michael Fassbender for a long time, and would love to work with him, he just works with extreme specificity and class, and also Daniel Day-Lewis, although sadly he’s now retired, but he would’ve been great to work with.

 

You’ve often credited your late father, Gavin, who was a TV producer, for inspiring your interest in acting…

 My parents were divorced, so it was such a big part of my childhood, travelling up to Leeds where he lived to see him every weekend and we spent most of the time watching movies, like ‘The Great Escape’. My Dad passed away when I was 14 years-old, so we never got to work together, as I was not acting then, but it’s definitely a motivator that keeps me passionate about it, as it’s been such a big cornerstone in my life since I was very young. I think there’s an aspect of carrying the mantel a little bit, as he was so passionate about this form of storytelling and endowed me with that.

 He also produced one of British culture’s television institutions, Coronation Street! Did you get to go on set and meet Corrie’s acting legends?

 I did yes! He introduced me to the cast and they were all great, and it’s funny when I think back, because the soap world is very different to the kind of TV I’m making now like Billy the Kid, so it’s interesting how the path diverged — but ultimately being on those sets was where I saw it was possible to do the thing you love for work.

 

Talking of all things British, let’s discuss tea. You played Archie Baldwin in The Gilded Age, and from what I’ve seen of it, they share a lot of secrets over tea. Now you’re based in NYC, do you miss a good old cuppa?

 I do! I actually have a friend visiting at the moment and I asked them to bring me some tea, so I’ve just stocked up on a big batch of Yorkshire Tea, and I’m talking to you with a cup of it in front of me right now.

 

Let's have a proper brew as they say in Yorkshire. Where everything's done proper!

 Keepin’ it real!

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Interview by Kate Lawson

Photography by Julian Ungano

Fashion by Dolly Pratt

Grooming by Joanna Ford

SETTING SAIL

Lucas Lynggard Tønnesen is coming into his own. Already a household name in his native Denmark, after making his acting debut as the imaginative kid, Buster, in the 2009 production of the “Cirkus Summarum” - the Danish Musical & Circus for kids - he broke through in 2018 with his portrayal of Rasmus in the Scandi dystopian drama “The Rain”. This year he’ll appear in Danish political drama “Borgen – Power & Glory,” and stars as part of the stacked cast of Netflix’s new epic multilingual period mystery-horror series set at sea, “1899”. On a phone call from a little cafe in Copenhagen close to where he lives, the 21-year-old tells us about loving the 80s, crying at sad films and being able to do a backflip, I mean I don’t know about you, but that’s a dating bio keeper right there… and he’s single too.

Sweater Celine Homme

When did you know that acting was going to be your career path, what lit the fire for you?

I think when I was young and in Cirkus Summarum really, as I was singing and dancing as well as acting. I had so much energy when I was a child, so to have a place like that to go and really be able to express myself and use all that energy, it was what really made me feel I want to get into acting.

Did you go to the movies a lot as a kid, what was the film you knew from start to finish, or the lead actor you wanted to be?

My Father and Uncle used to really love The Goonies and we would watch that when I was younger and I loved that cast. I really liked the ‘Hey You Guys’, actor, John Matuszak, who played the disfigured sloth, I couldn’t believe that was actually an actor playing the guy who was made up, I thought that was pretty cool.

Left Full look Prada & jewelry Slim Barrett

Right Full look Celine Homme

So tell me about your latest projects?

Well “Borgen” is coming out, and also I’m going to look very different in “1899”, as I’m wearing prosthetics for the character I play. It was really hard because I had to wake up at 3am every day to get into 3 and a half hours of make up! Thankfully I had a great relationship with the Special FX artists, and being in that chair getting ready really gave me the time to focus myself and concentrate on getting into character.

Do you get nervous before you start filming a new role?

You know, I remember doing three seasons of “The Rain”, and getting into the second and third season, I really took that time as an opportunity to home-school myself, and learn more, and understand about making mistakes, and trying things out, so I can be much more confident, and I can proclaim the things that I do much more.

I felt more confident working on the show “Borgen”, while also shooting “1899” simultaneously, and I really gave them both my all, and I think getting closer with the director and cast mates has really helped my whole working process.

What kind of roles do you want to play, perhaps a comedy - or are you attracted more to darker material?

I think a mixture, but there is something with dark characters that just compels me, maybe because I’m such a positive guy myself, so playing the opposite of myself brings out something in me that I didn’t know was there, and I always like to search for those kind of parts. Although I have this sense or feeling in me that I also really want to do a romantic film, I think maybe I have something in my heart that I need to get out there!

Left Coat Emporio Armani

Right T-shirt Dior & pants Dunhill

Oh really, so any ideas who might play your love interest on screen?

Hmm, I think whoever could serve the character well I guess, I mean I think Meryl Streep is great, but come on, it doesn’t have to be a romance story, it could be a love-based relationship, like a story about how I really love my Grandmother Meryl, ha ha!

Nicely swerved Lucas! Ok, what about being a Superhero?

I feel like I’ve done my superhero time already, so I would rather play a villain to be honest, unless they decide to recast Spiderman, then obviously I’m always available.

Maybe a movie musical, harking back to your circus singing days?

Well I also went to singing school when I was younger for six years before I performed in the circus show, and so I would love to maybe bring back what I think I still have, which has been hidden away, for a long time! I’m not sure though, but I wouldn’t say it’s completely out of the question. Maybe a singing villain!

Jacket, knitwear, pants Givenchy & boots Dr. Martens

Or perhaps a real person, like an iconic legend we all know, who would you totally love to portray on screen?

There’s a really cool poet in Denmark I think you might know, Hans Christian Andersen, and I would love to play him, in his early days in his 20s.

Well of course he wrote the iconic folktale Emperor's New Clothes, who spent all his money on being well dressed. Are you into fashion yourself?

Yes I guess, I like what I like, and my attitude is really based around wear whatever you want. I like doing photo shoots when I can choose what pieces are really “me” and which aren’t, and finding out what kind of style I can really challenge myself with.

I don’t like asking the who’s-your-favourite-actor question all the time, so I’ll frame it like this: Is there an actor’s career out there that you would model yourself on, follow in the footsteps of?

Paul Dano and also Robert Pattinson, I’m a huge fan. You know he started out in Twilight and Harry Potter and then progressed to become one of the coolest indie actors from all his arthouse films, and now he’s fucking Batman! You know, it’s just so amazing to see his progress.

Left Leather jacket and boots Celine Homme, shirt Paul Smith & jeans AMI

Right Shirt Loewe

You know he studied a vampire bat to prep for his role as Batman! How do you prep when you’re getting ready for a role. Do you ever listen to music to help inform a character you’re about to play?

I like to get into the vibe of the project and I often create a playlist to help me focus and get into that mood and have a feeling of what I’m going into, and who I’m going to be.

I’m imagining something dark and deep going by your roles so far, so not Britney Spears?

Ha ha, definitely not Britney! I love 80s music, that was the real primetime of music bangers I think.

Full look Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

So outside of work, what do you do in your spare time, I heard you like Chess, did you watch The Queens Gambit?

I really love Chess, and I only saw the first two episodes of that show, so I didn’t really give it my full attention, but I’ve heard from my friends that play, that it’s a good show paying enough respect to the game so people who don’t really know Chess can follow along. I like to play Paddle Tennis too, it’s a really cool sport.

I also read that you spent some of lockdown interior designing your apartment in Copenhagen. Have you seen the Interior and Films Instagram account, which basically shows every cool film set interior ever seen - if you could match your home with any set, what would it be?

Ex Machina, clean clean clean, I like really minimal interiors!

Well that’s typically Scandi chic of you! So would you swap minimalist Copenhagen for maximalist Hollywood, move there if the movie roles start flooding in?

It depends on the project, but if it’s cool and I like the character, then I wouldn’t say no, but it’s not really where my focus is right now.

Blazer, polo, shorts Fendi, boots Dr. Martens & broach Slim Barrett

Ok, let’s have some fun, tell me one surprising thing we don’t yet know about you?

I can do a backflip!

Guilty Pleasure….

I tend to cry at every film I see! Any moment where you’re meant to cry in a film, I always do! I’m a very emotional guy.

Oh so you’re the romantic, are you that guy who always buys flowers too?

For sure, big time.

Are you in a relationship right now?

No, nobody to give the flowers to at the moment, but that’s ok, as I’m focusing on myself right now.

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Interview by Kate Lawson

Photography by Emilia Staugaard 

Fashion by Nathan Henry

Production by FERN 

Grooming by Kasper Andersen 

Stylist’s assistant Livia Gheli

FAMILY BUSINESS

Sofia Hublitz is on a call to us from a house deep in the woods of Virginia in the US where she grew up. Despite a really bad phone signal causing weird delays, and the almost mesmerising sounds of wind chimes in the background, the 22-year-old actress tells us all about being part of the hit Netflix crime drama, Ozark, in which she played Charlotte Byrde - a misguided moody teen-turned-serious extortionist. As the finale of the fourth-season series bids a tearful goodbye to audiences, Hublitz reveals she’s actually quite a funny person in real life; doesn’t know what all the fuss about pistachio ice-cream is, and totally obsesses about 90s style icon, Carolyn Bessette. Join the club right?

Top & pants Loewe, necklaces Versace & Tiffany & Co, earring Tiffany & Co, rings Versace & Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

Are you living out a childhood dream now, did you always want to be an actor? 

 No, I was a really ‘in the moment’ kind of kid, I had a lot going on, my parents were both very free thinkers and carved out life their own way and were very successful. My Mom is a Chef and has owned many restaurants and and neither went to college - so they taught me everything I know about art and music and film. My Mom raised me on her own too, and she taught me a lot about independence and self-wealth and getting what you want in this world. I never really thought I would be an actor, you know when you’re a child, everything is so fantastical and out of reach, and I didn’t get my first job until I was 15, so I feel very removed from the child actor aspect of it all.

 As your breakthrough TV role, what was it like playing Charlotte, how did you prepare for it?

 I think just being in Atlanta, making friends with everyone I was shooting with and just throwing myself into it and getting to know the story in advance, that all helped to build the chemistry and familial aspect of it all. But one physically demanding pre-cursor was that I took swimming lessons every weekend with the coach of the swim team at Emory University, as they have a really big swim team there in Atlanta, and the coach John was really patient with me, because I didn’t know how to swim like a professional swimmer! So he really helped me to make it look real, and you know, they’re pretty useful life skills to have, not drowning and all that, ha ha!

Left Top Rui, shorts Tod’s, shoes Dior, socks Pantherella, necklaces Versace & Tiffany & Co, earring Tiffany & Co, ring Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

Right Dress Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, necklaces Versace & Tiffany & Co, earring Tiffany & Co, rings Repossi & Tiffany & Co

 And you got to work with amazing actors, like Jason Bateman and Laura Linney who play your parents in the series. Was it nerve-wracking working with actors of that calibre and of a different generation?

 Jason and Laura are lovely people and from the moment we met, they always included us -  meaning Skylar Gaertner, who plays my brother in the show - in all of the conversations that were going on, as if we were their peers - everything was always a collaboration.

 And as an only child in real life, how did you find it having to manufacture that whole sibling love and rivalry thing between you and Jonah (Skylar), where did you pull your experiences from?

 Just getting to spend time with him really, pretty much eighty percent of my scenes were with him, and so getting to know Skylar over the years, it manifested as a kind of sibling dynamic, and building that fondness and kinship you feel with someone younger than you.

Left Top Givenchy, necklaces Versace & Tiffany & Co, earring Tiffany & Co

Right Top Rui, shorts Tod’s, shoes Dior, socks Pantherella, necklaces Versace & Tiffany & Co, earring Tiffany & Co, ring Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

 Do you all still keep in touch and hang out now that the show has ended?

 Well Charlie (Tahan) and Julia (Garner) are like Brother and Sister to me, and we’re are still really close because every year of filming, we made a point to always live together in the same building, so I saw them the most outside of work every day, going out for dinner or visiting museums. We’re kind of inseparable, even though the thread that tied us together is no longer there, them along with other crew members and of course Jason and Laura, we’ll all be in each others lives forever. We can’t erase that bond we all had just because the show is over.

Jacket Acne Studios, top Rui, shorts Zadig & Voltaire, necklaces Versace & Tiffany & Co, earring Tiffany & Co, ring Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

 So I read that you’re really into reading and writing, are you working on anything yourself now, perhaps writing a script?

 I’m always reading, like three two or three books at a time, and with writing, in Atlanta I actually started writing a lot, during the sporadic time I was away from home filming and my boyfriend and family weren’t with me. Charlie (Tahan) and I actually started developing a TV show when we there, and it’s about three best friends who are really wild people kind of going in and out of reality, while trying to make it in Hollywood. It’s been really fun to make up a completely made-up world and put all the humour you want into it, and it might hopefully be visualised into something one day, who knows, but at the moment it’s this dreamscape project really.

I love the freedom of creating your own world and having characters that make choices and it’s a sort of pick your own adventure, so I’m currently also working on polishing a few shorts that I’ve written.

Left Dress & belt Schiaparelli, shoes Dr. Marten’s, necklaces Versace & Tiffany & Co, earring Tiffany & Co, rings Repossi & Tiffany & Co

Right Top Celine by Hedi Slimane, shorts and shoes Dior, necklaces Versace & Tiffany & Co, earring Tiffany & Co, rings Repossi & Tiffany & Co

 What about future roles for yourself, is there any particular genre you would like to explore, or fave filmmaker that influences you?

 I love Michael Haneke and Paul Thomas Anderson, and I think I would love to do a raucous comedy, I love comedy, and I think I’m pretty funny in life I guess. I was always being told at high school that I was funny, although I didn’t spend much time there, I was always skipping school, I wish I had gone more often!

Left Top & shoes Celine by Hedi Slimane, jacket The Academy New York, necklaces Versace & Tiffany & Co, earring Tiffany & Co, ring Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

Right Top Celine by Hedi Slimane, shorts and shoes Dior, necklaces Versace & Tiffany & Co, earring Tiffany & Co, rings Repossi & Tiffany & Co

 What about writing for stand-up comedians?

 I love stand-up and can admire it from afar, but I’m a pretty bad joke writer, I’m pretty good at situational comedy, but writing jokes, no, I’m terrible at it, actually my boyfriend and Mom are always laughing at the terrible jokes I make!

 

Ok, so aside from comedy, if you could play an iconic person on the big screen, any ideas who you would choose? 

 Well I hear Ryan Murphy is developing a project about Carolyn Bessette and JFK Junior, and I don’t think I bear any physical resemblance to her at all, but I would be really curious to hear more, as I’m obsessed with Carolyn.

 

Me too! It’s that 90s style vibe that’s transcended time right. Do you follow the many Carolyn Insta-Fan accounts?

 I do! I follow two of them on my secret private Instagram that I have! I think she and JFK Jnr. are still so fascinating because they lived before the dot.com boom, and it’s admirable that even to this day, 23-years after her death, there’s so much mystique about her, and there’s only like one or two clips on YouTube when you can even hear her voice at all. 

Left Top Givenchy, pants Rui, shoes Versace, necklaces Versace & Tiffany & Co, earring Tiffany & Co

Right Jacket Acne Studios, top Rui, shorts Zadig & Voltaire, necklaces Versace & Tiffany & Co, earring Tiffany & Co, ring Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

Talking of mystique, what’s happening with your public Instagram account, did you delete or deactivate it, do you not feel you’re losing something professionally, like in a FOMO-ishly way?

 It’s been two years now, and yes there is a little bit of a feeling that maybe I’m missing out on something, but it’s just not my favoured medium to connect with people, and I think it’s kind of stripped a lot of people’s mystery away, and that kind of mystique that used to surround actors lives. Not having it is also pretty thought-provoking itself though right, I mean you’re asking about it, so it starts a conversation?

 

Yes because it makes my job a little easier if I can find you on Instagram and see what you’ve been up to, aside from reading all the press stuff I get sent?

 So then you have to work a little bit harder to fill in the blanks!

 

Ha ha, fair enough! So let’s rewind a little, as I wanted to ask about your days on Masterchef Junior, were you actually able to cook as a kid, I guess that must have come from your Mum right?

 Yes she taught me what good food is and how to cook, but you know, I was 12 years-old and I thought it would be fun to do the audition after school, and I didn’t even think I would make it on the show.  

Left Dress Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, necklaces Versace & Tiffany & Co, earring Tiffany & Co, rings Repossi & Tiffany & Co

Right Dress Schiaparelli, necklaces Versace & Tiffany & Co, earring Tiffany & Co

Ok so let’s fast-forward now, you’re hosting a dinner party and cooking for 5 people, who are your ultimate guests?

 Joan Crawford, Adam Sandler, Philip Baker Hall, Joaquin Phoenix and Denzel Washington, because that seems kind of a chaotic mix, and I would like to watch that all unfold.

 

Joan, she’s such a strong female icon, are there any other women you really admire?

 Cate Blanchett, I loved her in the movie I'm Not There, and I was listening to an interview with her and she said she did 3 or 4 plays a year, and she and her husband were co-artistic directors at the Sydney Theatre Company. She’s just really admirable in how much she loves the craft.

 

Ok, so one last question, and the fans of Ozark will really get this - do you have more of an appreciation for organic pistachio ice cream now?

 You know it’s so funny, people always ask me about that! I never thought people would grasp on to that! Like when you’re shooting something, you never think on the day like that will be meme-worthy eventually. I’ll have to ask Chris Mundy (Producer, Ozark), what that all signifies?! Ha ha!

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Interview by Kate Lawson

Photography by Marie Tomanova

Fashion by Alicia Lombardini

Hair by Erol Karadag

Make-Up by Lisa Aharon at The Wall Group

Nails by Julie Kandalec

Casting by IMAGEMACHINE cs

Stylists’s assistant Cyrenae Tademy

WILD WEST

There’s no denying that Imogen Poots is prolific. The 32-year-old actress has starred in over 40 films since her breakout role at 17. Perennially busy and cheerfully versatile, she’s gone from playing teenage survivor Tammy in 2007 post-apocalyptic horror 28 Weeks Later to a primary school teacher forced to raise a creepy child in suburban hell for 2019 sci-fi thriller Vivarium. But her latest project might just be her most mysterious yet. In Outer Range (out now on Prime) she plays Autumn, a curious backpacker who shows up on a ranch one day around the same time that a strange void appears. The western sci-fi thriller asks big questions about time, philosophy and the unknown. Mysteries unravel but some questions are left unanswered. It was this complexity that drew Poots to the role. Here, she discusses playing unpredictable female characters, being a woman in Hollywood and taking risks. 

Full look Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

Outer Range is a twisty mysterious sci-fi western in which you play eccentric backpacker Autumn. What initially drew you to the project? How did you feel when you first read the script?

 I couldn't immediately understand it. When the script came in, we only had the synopsis and the first episode. Reading it through, it felt like a western and I’d always been really obsessed with that genre of literature and movies but had yet to get a chance to be in that world. At the beginning, it was such a huge leap of faith, but I trusted in it. 

 

When you read the script, you said you weren't sure whether your character Autumn is a good or bad person. Was it that complexity that drew you to the role?

 There was a lot of room to go either way with her. It was fun to lean into the fact that I didn’t know. There were days where her goals were more obvious and other times, she seems to obfuscate on purpose just to confuse people. I really enjoyed that about her. I was also aware that because of her container being a 30-something blonde actress there would be an energy that’s expected from her, and it was fun trying to subvert that.

Full look Celine by Hedi Slimane

 What kind of energy would be expected from her?

 That her main goal would be to be like a siren and manipulate every single person there and use her feminine wiles to get what she wants. She is a woman, and the writers deliberately made her a woman, but I was more interested in thinking about what it would be like if she wasn’t. What if she was a beast or a creature or something other. It was nice to try and lean away from cliches. 

 

Do you try to avoid playing tropey or cliche female characters?

 Yeah, of course. Obviously, no one would want to play those parts but, on the other hand, I also feel that there's a rhetoric that goes around about girlfriend parts that they only exist in order to further the story for the man, and I think that's quite harsh. There are so many incredible female performances where they haven't been the lead. Amy Ryan in Jack Goes Boating or Michelle Williams in Brokeback Mountain. There are so many women in these roles who are doing extraordinary work. I believe that every role is a real person. I think people are starting to change a little bit. You don't see those character descriptions as much in scripts anymore where it's like "she's hot, but she doesn't know it!"

Full look Miu Miu

 How did you prepare for the role? What research did you do to get into the role of Autumn?

 We were given a breakdown of books and music and movies. Autumn is a character at that age where you first come across writers that you love, and you almost lose all sense of who you are and what you actually think. You just adopt their modes of thinking. I think she’s still in that danger zone. 

 

Autumn can be quite reckless and impulsive. Do you relate to that?

 I became quite impulsive when I was playing her and I didn't realise it at the time. It doesn't normally happen to me, but I did notice by the end of the show I felt like I was pushing myself outside my comfort zone socially in terms of saying what I actually felt and thought. I think that came from an understanding that I wanted to shed a skin. What follows impulse is sometimes risk and it's unknown how that will land. I lived in comfortable discomfort for a bit. I finished the job and came back home and it felt nice to be grounded again but I actually found it quite hard at the end of the job to adapt back. I haven't had that before.

Jacket Fendi

You've starred in over 40 films of such a wide range of genres. Did you make a conscious decision to not be pigeonholed?

 It's so easy with hindsight to say that I did make that decision but absolutely not. I really love what I do and it's important to try and not care too much about what other people think about that. Early on I was just really drawn to working with actors because I didn't train and I didn't go to college so I would jump at the chance to work with people. That's what led me through. Then in my mid-20s I decided to step back and take more risks and just do roles that came my way with an unknown first time director, for example, and lean into that more. I knew what I didn't want to do and I still feel the same about that. I think it's very easy to fall into a different kind of career just because it's really hard to know. Anyone who claims that they had some kind of grand control of it all is probably very lucky. I don't know how often that works out.

 

You mentioned that you didn't have any acting training. When did you realise that acting was something you wanted to pursue?

 There was no light bulb moment. I always felt quite shy as a kid and very happy in my own head. I did this theatre group when I was a teenager. It was based in Hammersmith every weekend and I really felt at home there. There was a looseness to the whole thing that was really intriguing. You couldn't embarrass yourself. It seemed limitless in that way. I thought that was really cool. People respected each other for trying stuff even if it didn't work. I really loved it and I loved the sort of people it attracted. I really love being around actors. I worked on a couple of indie films and probably got spoilt because they were in New York, so I thought it was a great job. Then from there it carried on.

Top Christopher Kane, Skirt Celine by Hedi Slimane, dress Zadig&Voltaire, bag and earrings Cartier

 You have spoken before about being a woman in Hollywood in the context of Me Too. Do you think the industry has improved in recent years and what do you think still needs to be done?

 I think that on paper it has. I've noticed that myself when it's a sex scene or a nude scene and there's an intimacy coordinator if you want one. I've been spoilt with working with incredible actors where I've never felt uncomfortable with them. It's quite the opposite, but that's not the case for a lot of people. I think having that is huge. I think people are far more vigilant. We're also seeing a change in the wider picture. There are more female directors. Ten years ago, there weren't very many at all. You could probably count the main ones or the new ones on one hand. It's really exciting. The types of movies that Mia Hansen-Love and Celine Sciamma are making are really cool. People want to embrace women's stories and women's perspectives on a story more than ever. What I still find interesting is there's this insidious mentality that I have experienced myself as a young actress where your brain vacillates back and forth between being present for a meeting and protective of yourself. There are all these different acrobatics that are going on inside that I don't imagine a male actor would go through to the same extent at that point.

Dress N°21, necklace and earrings Cartier

 You didn't have a public Instagram account until 2020. Why did you avoid it? What is your relationship with social media like now?

 I avoided it before because I look back on my feelings about being an actor in my 20s and I wanted to be very private and unknowable. Then as I've got older, I realised you can actually control more with social media than without it in terms of the accuracy of what you want to say and what you believe in. That's something I didn't realise until I had it. The world's changed a lot. When I was 19 Instagram wasn't around. I think Facebook was, but I never had it. Social media isn't just influencers talking about lipstick. There's a lot more going on and it's really important. If I think about friends of mine who are artists, it's so amazing that they can put their work on there and have an electronic exhibition. It's brilliant. 

Full look Louis Vuitton

You live in London now but are hoping to buy an apartment in New York. What do you like about New York as opposed to London and vice versa?

 I feel my most formative years were spent in New York. I came out here at 19 and ended up shifting back to London around 29. We had a house in London and we're getting an apartment here. It feels like home here in a different way to London. Obviously, I grew up in London and went to school there and everything, but I associate New York more with my independent life. It just so happened that some of my first few jobs were out here and I ended up meeting friends out here and I stayed. I think both cities are incredible places to be as an artist if you can afford it. There is a real appetite for what you want to say. It's really cool to be able to live in those cities. Not having that freedom must be absolutely horrible.

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Interview by Sophie Lou Wilson

Photography by Jaime Cano

Fashion by Marco Drammis

Casting by IMAGEMACHINE cs

Hair by Ben Talbott at The Wall Group

Make-Up by Lisa Houghton at NYLON Artists

Manicurist by Nadia Blanco using Chanel Le Vernis in Organdi and Chanel La Crème Main"

Stylist’s assistant Dominik Radomski

A SAFE SPACE

Kit Connor, star of the new queer coming-of-age Netflix series ‘Heartstopper’, says that while playing his character Nick, it was vital for him to express the complexity of feelings that come with discovering your sexual identity. ‘Bisexuality, and especially male bisexuality, is not actually something that is explored often in mainstream media, so it was important to approach this topic with depth,’ says the British actor. ‘We go very much into the details of Nick’s struggles and everything that’s going on in his head.’ We spoke to Kit about the show’s refreshing take on LGBTQ+ representation and what it’s like to have Olivia Colman play your mom.

Left Full look Valentino

Right Full look Louis Vuitton

When did you first come across Alice Oseman’s novels that the show is based on and what did you love about this story?

 I knew about Alice’s books before I was auditioning for the role – my sister had one of the volumes from the series. Then, when I first got an email about the audition, I read through the first volume and I thought that it was such a fresh take on being a queer teen. A lot of the teen LGBTQ+ representation these days is often dark and gritty, so it was really refreshing to read a story that focuses on the positives. In the show, we still very much talk about issues that queer teens have to deal with such as homophobia, but with a much more positive angle – the message of the show is ‘Things are gonna be fine, everything will be alright.’ I thought that the show would be very important to a lot of people. The ‘Heartstopper’ fanbase is really passionate because it’s changed a lot of their lives – it’s a safe space for them and it helped them understand their own sexual identities.

The ‘Heartstopper’ fanbase is really passionate because the comics changed a lot of their lives – it’s a safe space for them and it helped them understand their own sexual identities.

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 Throughout the course of the show, your character Nick discovers his bisexuality. What do you like about the way in which the show creators explored this arc?

 Bisexuality, and especially male bisexuality, is not actually something that is explored often in mainstream media, so it was important to approach this topic with depth - we go very much into the details of Nick’s struggles and everything that’s going on in his head. It’s an extremely difficult time for him as a character because when we meet him for the first time in the beginning of the series, he’s seemingly confident in himself and his sexuality, but then he meets Charlie, and everything turns on its head - he doesn’t understand at first what’s going on and how he feels. I think that the series is offering a very refreshing and detailed take on his journey that hasn’t really been seen much before.

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Your mom on the show is played by the acting legend, Olivia Colman! What was it like to work with her?

 It was incredible! I shot with Olivia for two days and I would’ve loved to spend more time filming with her just so that I could pick up more from her and watch her work. That said, it was almost hard to learn anything from her because it just felt like she wasn’t even trying, it was just so effortless! I remember that when we did a read-through before filming a very emotional scene from the last episode, a tear rolled down her face while she was reading her parts. Normally, actors give about 50% [of their performance] during the reads, so I thought to myself, ‘Well, I need to step up my game! If this is 50% for her, then what’s it gonna be like when we’re on set?’ It was a real honour to be able to work with her and a very enlightening experience.

Left Full look Loewe

Right Full look Celine Homme

 Which scenes for you were the most memorable to shoot?

 The rugby scenes were really fun! They were also very scary in some ways because I’m not exactly a rugby player, but I had to pretend like I was good at it. One of the most challenging scenes for me was the one the day after Nick and Charlie have their first kiss. My character runs in the rain to Charlie’s house and they talk it out and have a cry - the scene is very intimate, both very intense and quiet. It was a really iconic moment from the comics and me and Joe [Locke] both wanted to get it right!

Full look Fendi

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‘Heartstopper’ is now available to watch globally on Netflix.

Interview by Martin Onufrowicz

Photography by Jack Snell

Fashion by Olivia Harding

Casting by IMAGEMACHINE CS

Grooming by Brady Lea

QUIET CONFIDENCE

Joe Locke, star of Netflix’s touching new queer show ‘Heartstopper’ (out this Friday), says that he could not think of a better role to make his screen debut. ‘I really wanted to be a part of this project because I felt like there are not many shows out there that depict the positives of growing up as a queer person - I just thought it was so great that there’s a story in which we can show younger queer kids that they deserve happiness,’ explains the up-and-coming actor. In the series based on the celebrated graphic novels by Alice Oseman, Locke plays Charlie Spring, a student at an all-boys school who falls in love with his friend, Nick. For us, Locke talks about the qualities he most admires about his character and the show’s powerful message of acceptance.

Full look Celine Homme

‘Heartstopper’ is such a sweet and uplifting show! How did the role of Charlie come about for you and why did you want to be a part of this project?

 I got the role through an open audition. Alice, the author of the graphic novels, really wanted to get as authentic casting as possible, so they did an open call and anyone could send in a self-tape. After that, I got invited to a recall, and then another recall – that was when I started to think, ‘Oh, maybe this is something that might actually happen!’ [laughs] When I first heard about the audition, I read the comics and I just saw so much of myself in Charlie and so much of what my school experience was like. I really wanted to be a part of the project because I felt like there are not many shows out there that depict the positives of growing up as a queer person - I just thought it was so great that there’s a story in which we can show younger queer kids that they deserve happiness.

Shirt, knit, pants & belt Miu Miu and shoes Christian Louboutin

 Did you do anything celebratory once you found out you got the part?

 I wish I had, but I found out about it at the height of lockdown. I went to London for the audition and when I came back to the Isle of Man, where I’m from, I had to isolate for two weeks in the house – it was just me and my dog! So once my agent rang me the next day and said I got it, I just ordered takeaway and FaceTimed with my mum to tell her the news.

Coat Christopher Kane and shirt, knit, tie, pants & belt Ernest W. Baker

  ‘Heartstopper’ is your debut on screen. What surprised you the most about being on set?

 The fact that there are just so many people who do so many different jobs that you would never think of when you are watching something – I think we sometimes forget about the amount of work and sheer manpower that goes into a show. Also, how much of a community a set becomes – we had a really great atmosphere and the whole crew did an amazing job when it comes to creating an environment where there were never any disagreements on set. Everyone got on really well!

Full look Valentino

 What are some of the qualities that you admire the most about Charlie?

 His quiet confidence. I’m a more extroverted person than Charlie, but he’s definitely more confident than me. I would have never joined a rugby team for someone I had a crush on or had the guts to ask someone if they liked me or if they wanted to kiss me!

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Full look Celine Homme

 What would you say is the overarching message of the show?

 It’s all about accepting who you are, and not who the world wants you to be. I think the series shows that you can’t change yourself to fit in with society, so you should try to surround yourself with people who love you, accept you for you, and let you grow in ways that bring those great qualities in you out.

Full look Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

 When did you realize that acting was something that you wanted to pursue?

 When I was six, I would first start auditioning for amateur productions in my local theatre, but I would get too scared and go home! Ever since then, I’ve always been interested in drama and acting, spending every hour when I wasn’t at school going to different acting lessons or doing amateur productions – but until about last year, I always considered it more of a hobby because I’m from the Isle of Man and it’s really hard to break into the industry from there. I know lots of extremely talented people who have ended up going back [to the island]  and working office jobs because they haven’t been able to get that chance. So I think it just comes down to a lot of luck – I was really lucky to be what the author and producers had in mind and I don’t ever want to take that for granted.

‘I’m a more extroverted person than Charlie, but he’s definitely more confident than me. I would have never joined a rugby team for someone I had a crush on or had the guts to ask someone if they liked me or if they wanted to kiss me!’

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Left Coat Christopher Kane and shirt, knit Ernest W. Baker

Right Full look Celine Homme

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Interview by Martin Onufrowicz

Photography by Emilia Staugaard at Fern

Fashion by Michael Miller at Stella Creative Artists

Casting IMAGEMACHINE CS

Groomer Josh Knight at Caren Agency

MELODIC FREEFALL

Singer/songwriter, August Royals, uses smooth heartthrobbery vocals to funnel personal feelings and struggles into the songs he writes. The Georgia-born, Los Angeles-based artist began carving out a self-made career by uploading a track called “Restless” to his socials back in 2019, which went Insta-viral receiving hundreds of thousands of views. 

Later a chance meeting with Kevin Abstract at a Shawn Mendes show fast-tracked him to a deal with RCA Records and a bona fide career. His debut EP, titled “Inhaler”, which includes the singles "All I Need”, "Oxygen" and "Kiss My Scars”, is a melodic freefall of non-classic pop sated with emotion and a relatable message behind it that will likely fill any teenage bedroom. What more is there to know about August? Plenty. Here, he gives us the lowdown on self-love, fame and things that make him cringe.

Shirt Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

You come from Georgia, but you now live in LA, how did both those cultural landscapes shape you musically, and how would you describe your sound?

 I always liked music growing up but there wasn’t much influence in Georgia that I was looking at. I was more interested in MTV and watching YouTube videos of award shows and concerts. LA has just allowed me to be surrounded with people more knowledgeable about pop culture, and my sound is still being found, but I’m a lot closer than when the EP started.

Jeans Dsquared2 & earring Emanuele Bicocchi

 

So what do you think it was about you or your sound (back then) that made people think, “Oh yeah, I love this” when you first started posting songs on your socials?

 I think I was trying so many different sounds that it showed I couldn’t be boxed in, and was capable of taking on different genres, which led to a versatile EP that floats around all types of different songs.

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 Great for early recognition, and then you were discovered by Kevin Abstract at a Shawn Mendes concert, how did that all happen? 

 We both had floor tickets and happened to have people talking to us taking photos, him much more than me, so I walked up and said hey, then we just became friends on the spot. I then signed to RCA towards the end of 2020.

 

You’re 23 years old now, how do you see your music evolving?

 I want to play around with more live instruments in production. I think that’s my next focus, to make a very tour-able project.

Full look Celine Homme

 So which tracks on the EP are you looking forward to performing live then?

 I’m most excited to perform Overdose with a live band. That one has a lot of energy!

 

Another track on the EP “Kiss My Scars,” is a bit of a self-love anthem - is it cathartic to translate those feelings into something public?

 I feel like my music is always changing its meaning, if it helps other people get through the day, then yes. That’s one of my main goals with music.

 

Has there been anyone whose career you’re using as a blueprint to help inspire and shape your own?

 I look at anyone who’s been in the music industry for years and just try to follow patterns. I think reinvention is one that I see the most.

Pants Acne Studios, earring Emanuele Bicocchi, boots Alessandro Vasini

 Well reinvention is definitely a staple of success and artistry. You’re still young and representing the moment now, but would you like to be someone that leaves a lasting impact, rather than just chasing the charts or the awards - do you ever struggle thinking about how to stay relevant and have longevity?

 I’m definitely about leaving an impact. As much as I want to be successful, I’m not staring at the charts praying for a hit. I’d rather make something that lasts than something that has a short moment that doesn’t mean much. And I’m always thinking of longevity, I’d say I’m not famous yet so the relevance part hasn’t really kicked in, but I do plan on being in the entertainment industry my whole life in some way or another.

 

I would say you’re definitely getting there on the fame scale though! What’s your take on it all, with everyone wanting fame for fame’s sake, and social media comes with its expectations too. How do you feel about it all? Does fame frighten you? Does it excite you?

 You have to be famous enough to make a living in this job that lasts a career, but I don’t care much for social media, I understand it’s important enough to show who’s underneath the work though.

Earring Emanuele Bicocchi

 

Have you noticed that people treat you differently? Do you still have the same friends?

 For sure, some people think when you do something in life you’re some type of hero or dislike you because of it. I don’t really get if it’s jealousy or people just don’t believe in what I’m doing. But yeah I’ve learned a couple friends I can count on is better than a lot of acquaintances. 

 

I bet you have no time to date anyone?

 Relationships have been more difficult just because of the lifestyle adjustment to my schedule.

Full look Celine Homme

 What is it about fame that really makes you cringe then?

 I don’t like anyone who looks at famous people objectively as a stair step. I think famous or not it’s important to have a private relationship that’s genuine between the two people before you post it everywhere. I don’t know I just think when some people are around fame it can make people manipulative so I keep a small circle because of that.

 

Talking of small circles, I’m interested in what the account @expandyourlungs is about, as you tag it in your Insta bio, and it’s private with not masses of followers, tell me more?

 Sometimes I’ll let people follow it randomly, it’s an account that gives heads ups of what I’m working on or clothing, really anything exclusive. It serves as a “first to know” outlet and I’d like to also evolve it into apparel.

…

Interview by Kate Lawson

Photography by Hadar Pitchon

Fashion by GorgeVillalpando

Grooming by Anna Bernabe at The WallGroup

Fashion Market by Anissa Silvas 

Stylist’s assistant Simona Williams

COREY IN PARIS

Paris, 1 March 2022

Life looks beautiful here. But I don’t really know where I am. 

They’ve been holding my hand since I arrived and I’m glad to leave my mind’s throttle on auto. Every person I pass on the street jabs me in my stabbing spot—high on the right shoulder—with a brilliant humbling serum. They’re effortlessly chic and beautiful and my self-esteem is low. Like an ant waiting to be stepped on. Thankfully, the feeling subsides as the waking hours begin to pile up in my head. Nodding towards the table, I idle blankly to preserve energy and eventually make a paradigm shift, lifting my head and my attitude. Lifting myself. I’m here. And I’m happy to be here. 

I tried the snails last night. They were amazing—pure butter and pesto. I think you would like them. I’m also thinking about their parents, and what it must’ve been like, to be separated and all. Are you tired of indulging a delirious mind? 

Hadar told me that being there on Tuesday night, in that room after his many years in the deep south, having come into himself in rural Florida, was so emotional he felt himself begin to cry. In his youth the fashion magazines were his sole lifeline to a world beyond “this,” and now we’re here. He held back the tears, a little too aware of the stoic faces around us, who blink, unbothered by the cold winter air or the theatrics of Anthony Vaccarello’s vision and SebastiAn’s score. Before me, they walked with a reserved pulse, robotic, perfectly unemotional. Yet from my view up front, I could see eyes brimming with tears and couldn’t keep my jaw from hanging agape. 

Home: I wish to live again in a world as epic, but for now I slice my tri-colored bell peppers and rewatch the video diary of the no dream I had just last week. The dust settles on a whirlwind, four countries in two days, and I realize this little film is the closest thing I now have to experiencing that room on a dreamy late winter night at the base of the Eiffel Tower in the City of Paris, and everything that came before and after.

c.f

Words by Corey Fogelmanis

Photophaphy by Hadar Pitchon

Corey is wearing Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

LIFE LESSONS

Brittany Snow has built a career dipping in and out of genres with the ease of a seasoned television and film veteran. Currently starring in the part erotic slasher, part dark comedy movie, “X”, the 36-year-old actress most notably has teen drama in her veins, from “John Tucker Must Die” and “Prom Night”, to “Gossip Girl” and “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” - and she can bust out a tune too, with roles in “Hairspray” and as a cappella singerChloe in the “Pitch Perfect” movie franchise. 

A philanthropist and mental health advocate, we caught up with her to talk about the emotional mindfuck of Hollywood beauty standards, and how we can all turn vulnerability into strength.

Nanushka coat, Ferragamo pants, black top and shoes

What were your favourite scenes to shoot in your new film “X”?

 My favourite scenes were in the van. We got to be with each other and play our specific character. We looked around and knew something between us was magic.

 

It’s got an element of that old school American slasher movie to it - if you could go back to any of those iconic 70s and 80s films, which female role would you play?

 Carrie!

Left Valentino full look

Right Nanushka coat, Ferragamo black top

 What about superhero movies? Would you ever consider stepping into that genre?

 I do find them interesting. I love the correlation of real life lessons and the escapism it provides. I would love to step into that genre. I’ve always wanted to play an action hero and be in fight sequences. Who doesn’t want to have a super power?

 

Talking of super powers - the sisterhood between you and your “Pitch Perfect” costars is pretty powerful, how has it endured and evolved through the years and life’s highs and lows?

 We are a family through and through. We all started Pitch Perfect in various places in life and yet, we realised we all were going to be with each other as a “group” through a wild ride. Some of these girls have been with me through the worst lows and highest highs and their friendship has never wavered. We accept each other for our flaws, celebrate our successes and also, call each other on our shit. 

Nanushka coat, Ferragamo black top

 And will there be a reunion for a “Pitch Perfect 4” maybe? Would you be down for another sequel?

 I know nothing. I am always the last to know and I mean that literally. We would all be excited for another one. We get to sing and dance with our favourite people. What is better?

Joseph blazer, Simonett skirt, Acne Studios boots

Well aside from acting, you’ve also been empowering people about the importance of mental wellbeing. You’ve spoken quite openly about your own struggles with anorexia and depression since the age of twelve. What motivated you to share so openly?

 I shared my experience for a charity website to help whomever needed to feel a connection. I didn’t realise at the time the video would be picked up and out-sourced other places. I was young and truly wanted to feel like a part of a community. I can look back now and realise how much I was completely unaware of the stigma surrounding mental health. It has been a goal of mine since then, to help expand the conversation in whatever way I can. To help open up discussions where we all feel a little less weird and more united as human beings. No one should feel shamed for going through something with their mental health. 

Left Acne Studios dress

Right Simonett trench

And now we’re all talking about mental health more than ever before. What do you think really changed that stigma of sharing our vulnerability and becoming so exposed without being labelled self-indulgent or trying to gain attention?

 More and more people realising that we all have a story. We are not worse or better. We can share without judgement. I think that’s what we try to do with September Letters, my charity I started in 2020. We want everyone to feel included and connected. By doing that, we feel like we can combat things with the confidence that we are not alone in this.

Acne Studios dress, Simonett skirt

 I was going to ask about September Letters, which is so inspiring - how did it all come about?

 When I was 15 years old I read a magazine article in a fitness publication. The woman was talking about recovering from depression and anxiety and a food related disorder. It was the first time I had ever heard my own words in someone else’s story. I didn’t even know what I had, but I immediately felt less alone. I carried around that article in my back pocket for months. It was tangible hope for me. Someone else had recovered from whatever this was. A few years later, when I was in my early 20s, I received some back lash for sharing my story (with that charity website). I wrote an article for a popular magazine which talked about my mental health journey so far. I just wanted to be honest just like that woman had written in that article when I was 15. After the article came out, I was at a coffee shop and a girl in front of me turned around, tears in her eyes and had MY article in her back pocket. It was a full circle moment and I realised I wanted to do something with that idea. That being open and honest could help someone else you may never meet. Or maybe you will. 

Left ATM t-shirt

Right Acne Studios dress

 It’s great that you’re launching a September Letters book in 2023 too, what can we expect from that?

 We have many beautiful letters from our community, all sharing different things they want to share. We also have professional experts, teachers, scientists, doctors, therapists who comment on how connection is imperative to mental health.  I’m also prepping a movie right now that I wrote. Coincidentally about mental health as well. We start filming in NYC next month. I am very excited.

Nanushka coat, Ferragamo black top

 Let’s talk about the industry you work in, because there’s always been so much pressure on women, especially in Hollywood, to look a certain way, but not so much of a focus on mental health?

 I think it is changing. Unfortunately, there always has been a standard of beauty which continues to change. For a long time, I put that standard of “beauty” before my mental health. I wanted to be a part of the club, whatever that club was, I wasn’t sure I even knew. Now, my health comes first. My mental positivity and outlook comes before what I want to look like. I had to stop caring what other people thought and I stopped subscribing to the standard.  If someone doesn’t want to hire me because of the way I look, then it wasn’t mine to begin with. I’ve basically said fuck the club.

 I think social media has also contributed to that increased anxiety we all share today about image and body positivity. You’ve talked about the importance of limiting the amount of time we spend on socials. What’s your advice about removing that magnifying glass on ourselves?

 No one has it figured out and everyone is going through something. There’s this 4 agreements chapter that I find helpful for social media. “Do not make assumptions.” Our brain loves to compartmentalise things and want to control a narrative – but the truth is, we don’t know what is really going on behind that picture or video. I say, use it as a tool and set boundaries. If it makes you feel like shit. Don’t look at it. If there’s puppies jumping over sunflowers and that video makes you happy as a clam. Watch it. 

Valentino full look

 Lizzo does that for me! I just love her energy and positivity, and she’s just being herself unlike all these Insta-influencers striving for perfection and likes which at the end of the day, really mean nothing! Who do you admire?

 All the women who have been living with confidence and vulnerability, in the spotlight or not. I think it’s great we look up to women in the spotlight but there’s so many women who have been living that truth and never get recognition for it. I love when I meet someone like that. Who knows their worth and it has nothing to do with what they do, what they look like, what they want to obtain but who they are.

 

And being kind to yourself is important too?

 It’s talking to yourself like a friend and being insanely grateful for the little things. It’s realising you aren’t in control. Life is weird, hard, ever changing and beautiful and you have to let go of thinking you can control anything. The only thing I know for sure, is being kind to myself has changed my life.

Nanushka coat, Ferragamo pants, black top and shoes

 What are your other self-care/love rituals?

 I get massages a lot. I have a really bad back and neck and even if I go into a nail salon and get a massage for 10 minutes – I feel like it helps work out those knots. I listen to music and write every morning. I make a LOT of lists and that soothes me. I try to walk my dog and not think about anything else except just the walk and that is a form of meditation for me.

 

Let’s go back to writing letters….if you were writing one to your younger self, what would you tell her now?

 Don’t be so hard on yourself kid.

…

Interview by Kate Lawson

Photography by Shane McCauley

Fashion by Carolina Orrico

Hair by Candice Birns

MU by Miriam Nichterlein

Stylist’s assistant Mariah Alcantar

ROLLERCOASTER FEELING

Actor and model Travis Grant is a fan of gripping films and he has a hat to prove it. When we meet on Zoom, he’s wearing a cap with the logo of Elara – a production company started by the Safdie brothers, who are the masters behind the highly anxiety-inducing films like ‘Uncut Gems’ or ‘Good Time’. ‘They are just so good!’ he says. ‘Watching their work gives me that crazy rollercoaster ride feeling.’

 Despite his adventurous taste in cinema, Grant seems to be chill personified - for him, an ideal day out in LA, where he lives, involves going for a hike in the Topanga Canyon and seeing a classic film at the Hollywood Forever Cemetry (and maybe some dancing after).

For us, he collaborates with photographer Hadar Pitchon on a series of intimate images and talks about his love for Batman, weirdest crushes and being comfortable in his body.

You’re based in LA. What are some of your favourite spots to hang out in?

 I spend a lot of time in Highland Park. I’m also a big fan of Topanga Canyon – it’s so beautiful and there are a lot of great hikes out there. Oh, and definitely the Hollywood Forever’s outdoor cinema during the summer. I’m kind of a hermit though, to be honest.

 When did you first realize that acting was something that you would like to do?

 I remember that when I was three, I was really into the 1960s Adam West ‘Batman’ show, and one day, when my mom was getting ready for church and putting her pantyhose on, I remember running into the room and being like, ‘I want to wear pantyhose!’ My mom then said, ‘Little boys don’t normally wear pantyhose,’ to which I replied, ‘Batman wears pantyhose and I want to be Batman!’ So I was always really into that idea of playing make-believe and getting a job where you get to do that.

 What in your view is the power of indie filmmaking?

 With indie films there are no real big stakes, so you get to have more creative freedom there. And I think that freedom makes the storytelling feel more raw and artistic.

 What’s one film you can watch over and over?

 ‘Batman Returns’, it was actually the first movie I ever saw in a theatre. I love that it focuses on three characters – Batman, Catwoman and Penguin – and how gothic and weird it is. I wish they would make more superhero movies like that now!

And what do you think are the hottest films of all time?

 ‘Closer’ is definitely one – I think it’s super sexy because of the detailed dialogues that the characters are having about the relationships with their partners. Other ones are ‘Eyes Wide Shut’, ‘Cruel Intentions’ and ‘The Dreamers’. The tortured lovers always get me! [laughs]

 What’s your weirdest crush?

 I don’t think I have any controversial crushes at the moment but when I was a kid, I always had crushes on older women and none of my friends understood that - I was super into Michelle Pfeiffer and Eva Green. I also had a huge crush on one of my high school teachers.

 What brings you the most joy?

 I love spontaneous, thoughtful, creative people. Low-key, I love working out and dancing - anything that gets my blood pumping.

 When did you become comfortable in your body?

 It took me a while to grow into my body - I was tall and lanky [when I was a teen]. I still kind of am, but I think the older I got, and thanks to modelling, I became more comfortable with it. Most paintings and sculptures [in history] are of nude figures, so I don’t think people should be ashamed of their bodies or shame others for showing their bodies. I’ll never get that.

…

Interview by Martin Onufrowicz

Photography by Hadar Pitchon

DISRUPTING STEREOTYPES

Going from ex-adult movie star to creative entrepreneur, in-demand model and on-the-radar actress, 29 year-old Jessie Andrews has well and truly mastered the art of the rebrand. As the founder of three businesses—Bagatiba, Basic Swim, and Jeu Illimite, not to mention opening Tase Gallery in Los Angeles — an immersive art and shopping space — she’s appeared alongside Timothée Chalamet in the 2018 movie Hot Summer Nights, and now she’s joined the most viral TV show of the moment, Euphoria. Are we surprised? Not really. This girl is on fire.

How did you end up on Euphoria?

 I ended up on the show through social media. The director and I exchanged messages and here we are!  

 

One of the things I like about the series, is that it delves to darker places, and opens up the door for us to empathise with another person’s experience - how did you get into character for the role, and did you relate at all to her in any way?

 It was quite easy. Ella was an easy character to relate to. She’s obviously in a relationship she doesn’t want to be in and a bit annoyed at everything her boyfriend does. I understood her completely. 

 So are you decisive about roles? Do you instinctively know whether it’s a woman that you want to play?

 When an opportunity comes to me I know immediately if I want to take it or not. I’m very decisive and particular. 

 

What’s the transition been like into mainstream TV and film, as when you first moved to LA you were doing adult films, and then fast forward to 2018 and you’re working alongside Timothée Chalamet in the movie Hot Summer Nights?

 It’s been very interesting going from adult films to main stream, there are so many similarities but some major differences obviously. The amount of staff that’s on a mainstream set and how well thought out production is could be the main difference, budgets are bigger, stakes are higher. I love working with actors that are completely submerged into the character, that’s exactly what Timothee does.  

 Well you’ve well and truly mastered the art of fighting stereotypes, proving that anyone can have the courage to achieve their dreams, whichever journey they take - spinning so may creative plates, are you basically a workaholic?

 Basically! I love life, having experiences and learning new things. I feel so lucky that I get to have all of these different careers but having Bagatiba has been the backbone of it all and the success has allowed me the freedom to do everything else. 

 

How important has social media been in supporting your endeavours and success, and what are the pros and cons of it for you?

 It is truly the most important. It’s power and influence, you just decide what to do with it. 

 It’s also about curating identities, some genuine, some fake! Do you think there’s ever been a time in your personal and professional journey where you felt that you didn’t really have an identity and you’re just kind of searching for it?

 I feel like I’ve known exactly who I am since I can remember. But do we really ever know ourselves completely? 

 

Well let’s get to know you, what inspires you?

 Travelling and experiences inspire me. 

And who are your heroes?

 Virgil Abloh. He was a visionary, kind, intelligent, culturally relevant, boundary pushing and most importantly a friend. There are not many people I respect and take advice from but he was at the top of my list. 

 

He was also incredibly thoughtful about life and often said how slowing down can sometimes be the best thing. So when you’re doing all these things at once, like you’re on set, or shooting, and you’re travelling and stuff, what are things that you do to keep yourself centred?

 Drinking coffee in the morning, it’s part of my ritual. Skin care, Pilates, seeing friends, really just doing things I enjoy. 

 

And do you ever look back and reflect - like if you could say something to your younger self when you were first starting out in LA, before everything happened, what would it be?

 I’d tell myself to go directly from adult films into mainstream acting. Sometimes I think I’ve waited a few years too long, but maybe that was the right thing to do. 

 

So how does the future look?

 I’m looking forward to doing more acting. I’ve just signed with Alex Kovacs at Untitled Entertainment who represent actors like Zoe Kravitz, Kate Hudson and Sam Rockwell. I will be working on more interior design projects and renovations as well as running my businesses smoothly! 

…

Interview by Kate Lawson

Photography by Cameron McCool

FEEL THE RUSH

Isaac Powell was made for the stage and loves the adrenaline that comes from being on it. “I miss that continuous experience of doing the entire story at once and getting that marathon feeling of going out there at the beginning of the show and running towards the finish line of the end.”

Recently, the American actor got to enter an equally thrilling dimension of acting – he starred as one of the leads on the latest alien-heavy season of camp horror classic American Horror Story, ‘Double Feature’. This past October, Powell also took part in the instantly-iconic Balenciaga red carpet/The Simpsons extravaganza in Paris – all without knowing that he would in fact be one of the models! “I didn’t realize that I was actually in the show until I walked into the theatre after the red carpet moment and saw that there was already a full audience watching us live! I had no idea that Anna Wintour was sitting inside watching me walk down a step and repeat.”

Full look Givenchy

What excited you the most about your role in the latest season of American Horror Story?

 Getting to work within the horror genre and being part of a story with really high stakes – it was a really fun and exciting experience to try my hand at.

 

What scene or episode was the most memorable to shoot?

 I would say that the day that I got to give birth to my alien baby was the one that I’ll remember for a long time. I’ll probably never get to do that again, so that was a fun thing to get to cross off my list. [laughs] 

Full look Gucci

What’s your favourite past season of American Horror Story?

 Probably the third one, ‘Coven’ – there are so many wonderful performances in that season! Also, I’ve always had a thing for witches and New Orleans. [laughs] Plus, there are obviously some really fabulous fashions in that season as well!

 

You’ve also been known for your performances on Broadway. What do you miss the most about acting on stage?

 I think what I miss the most is the kinetic relationship you get to have with an audience – being on stage and sharing a story with a group of people who are physically in front of you and whose energy you’re feeding off of. I miss that continuous experience of doing the entire story at once and getting that marathon feeling of going out there at the beginning of the show and running towards the finish line of the end.

Full look Prada

Necklace Givenchy

 What’s a Broadway memory that you think about most fondly?

 I would say the invited dress rehearsal for ‘West Side Story’, which was the last show I did pre-Covid [the show wasn’t able to run because of the pandemic]. It was the very first time the audience got to see what we were doing and I remember that while I was doing one of my solos, they started cheering in the middle of the song. I just remember how gratifying it felt as a performer to have such a responsive audience and it was an indication to me that the work I was doing was resonating. There’s always that fear that comes from thinking how your work will be received by the audience in front of you – and to jump off that cliff and be caught felt really wonderful. I’ll always remember that first performance.

Full look N°21

 In October, you were one of the models in the Balenciaga red carpet premiere show in Paris. How did that moment come about for you?

 Yeah, it’s a funny story! I was camping out in California when my manager called and said that Balenciaga wanted me in Paris for their show, and at the time, I interpreted that as them just wanting me to come and attend the event – I’ve never been to Paris before, so I jumped at the opportunity to go. What I didn’t understand was that the concept of the show was a Hollywood premiere and that the red carpet was in fact the runway! I’m not sure if they purposefully kept us in the dark about that or I just missed that part completely. [laughs] But yeah, I didn’t realize that I was actually in the show until I walked into the theatre after the red carpet moment and saw that there was already a full audience watching us live!

Coat, tanktop and pants Yohji Yamamoto & shoes Marsèll

That’s insane!

 Yeah, I had no idea that Anna Wintour was sitting inside watching me walk down a step and repeat. [laughs]

 

What was the most ‘I can’t believe that happened’ image that is stuck in your head from that night?

 It would have to be when Cardi B entered the theatre, pretty soon after I was already in. I remember seeing Anna Wintour looking at her with her mouth open, probably admiring the dress she was wearing, and then seeing Cardi B trying to get past Isabelle Huppert to get into her seat. The image of these three women in the front row of a Balenciaga show that I had no idea how I ended up in was one of those moments where I just had to pinch myself and laugh.

…

Interview by Martin Onufrowicz

Photography by Lorenz Schmidl

Fashion by Aryeh Lappin

Hair by Erin Hirschleb

Make-Up by Yui Ishibashi

Photographer’s assistant Mel Aydin

Stylist’s assistant Sam Knoll

LEADING MAN

We find the Bastille frontman, Dan Smith, on the cusp of an extraordinary fourth act – offering up the band’s latest album, which crafts a soundscape of electronic sci-fi cinematic quality into the music, so much so, you feel like you’ve escaped onto a future-gazing film set. Talking to Dan, (one very cold day in January), is easy - he’s witty, fun and very quick to join the page you’re on. Here we find out that he’d quite like to play Mozart on the big screen, and why you wouldn’t want him on your team in a pub quiz.

Jacket Louis Vuitton, turtleneck Johnstons of Elgin and top A Cold Wall

So you’re basically obsessed with movies, are you the film geek I need to take with me to a pub quiz?

 Despite being completely obsessed with films, I have one of the worst memories in the entire world, so unfortunately I would be no use to you whatsoever in a pub quiz! But one of my best friends Al, has an encyclopaedic memory of every film ever, so generally if he’s in your team, you’re sorted!

 Noted! And how did that passion for the big screen all begin? Were you one of those kids eager to escape the real world through your imagination?

 Massively, I always loved the escape of watching films as a kid, a bit like with reading, but maybe in less depth. They give you a window into other worlds and other lives, and coupled with beautiful aesthetics, film can introduce you to some of your favourite songs and your favourite artists, so for me they were a way to learn about life and the world, and get you outside of your own influences, I just fucking love film! 

 What films started that long term love affair then?

 When I was 11, I got weirdly into horror as I definitely wasn’t allowed to watch it, so I guess that’s why I was drawn to it, and then I took a journey through my teens into adulthood via horror into arthouse and then world cinema - via David Lynch and Kubrick - and so many other masters. I was such a film geek, and actually really wanted to be a film journalist.

 

Left Full look Prada & glasses Gentle Monster 

Right Jacket, pants and shoes Louis Vuitton, turtleneck Johnstons of Elgin, top A Cold Wall & belt Berluti

And film has also intertwined with the whole Bastille story really, particularly adding quotes and samples from movies into your songs?

 Before our first album came out, we made two mix tapes which used film soundtracks and quotes from films and a weird mix of our songs and covers. We’ve always loved making music videos too, it’s been a great opportunity to collaborate with new upcoming directors and people we meet along the way, to make these visual companion pieces to our songs. I guess for us through music videos and other things we’re building a world around our albums, and there is always a kind of visual element and this intermeshing of film and music, as there is in all cinema, so I’ve always wanted to delve more into that world, and have every intention, if and when I get the time, to do that.

 Tell me more about the process behind it?

 When I’m writing and producing it’s always quite visual in my head and using the imagery and the lyrics, and the sonics and sounds, all the different musical parts, and the production, to me that’s like trying to create an audio film almost. On our first album, with songs like Pompeii, Laura Palmer and Icarus, they were nodding towards stories I always thought were interesting or fascinating, and that’s always been a big part of what Bastille has been about from the beginning really, you know, using pop culture and stories either as metaphors, or as ways to talk about things happening in our lives.

Left Shirt Lanvin 

Right Full Look Fendi 

 And your songs have appeared on a few movie soundtracks, would you be up for composing scores for films?

 I would fucking love to do that!! There was a project we were involved in early on, where Zane Lowe the DJ, asked a load of bands and artists to re-score the film Drive, so that was a really nice experiment early on, as we were given a couple of scenes and told to write incidental music or background music, or a song, and I never think too ambitiously or too far into the future, but getting that chance in your career to try something like that was so much fun, and ever since then I’ve wanted to do as much in the film world as possible. 

I wrote a song recently for a documentary that’s produced by Leo DiCaprio, about the environment, and that was really interesting, it’s incredibly sad and moving, and I picked up a guitar, (and by the way, I don’t play guitar!), but in this instance, I picked up the guitar and wrote this song that feels very different to lots of other music we’ve put out, but I absolutely love it and it’s had a big effect on what we’re going to do in the future.  

Coat John Lawrence Sullivan, Coat (under), Jacket (under), pants and shoes Hermès

What about if you could play any musician or singer in a movie, who would it be?

 That’s such a good question, I like that question a lot! Maybe Mozart, it would be fun to get all dressed up as one of the rock stars of a very very different era, or Sid Vicious, which would be really fun. The idea of me acting is never going to happen though, as I have very little control over my facial movements or anything! I was once asked to audition for the new series of Twin Peaks by David Lynch, and I did a tape, and fucking hell, it was terrible, I was so bad! 

 

So do you prefer being behind the camera then, as you also made your directorial debut on the video for the track No Bad Days, what was that experience like?

 I loved the planning and the writing and the pulling everything together, but I always forget with our music videos, as I always get so invested in making it all happen, that when it comes to the day of shooting, I’m like, oh bollocks, I’m in this too, I’ve got to try and act, and that moment is always a stark realisation!

 

Maybe with film it’s easier to play someone else rather than yourself, I guess the film journo in you would’ve been your worst critic then?

 Yes completely! I’m rubbish at acting, and terrible on camera, I’m much much happier behind the scenes. I imagine there’s loads about acting that’s really quite fun, but it’s also a very precise skill that I just don’t have unfortunately!

 

Ok, what about a biopic of your life / the band’s life so far instead…what would the title be?

 I don’t think we would be interesting or worthy enough for a film, maybe ‘Fear and Self Loathing in a Tour Bus’!! Biopics in general as a genre are interesting, as it’s hard not to be formulaic, there was an amazing Dylan film, where he was played by loads of different people including Cate Blanchett, and that was really interesting. It’s nice when there’s room to be experimental and reflect what the artist was really like. I’m working on a film at the moment with two others, which is about a couple of really well known figures, and part of the challenge is to be true to how they were, and make something that doesn’t follow the formula of ‘a story about a well known person’, you know.

Left Shirt Tod’s

Right Full Look Fendi 

 Interesting! So tell me more…is it coming out this year, who is it about then?

 These things take ages, so I don’t think it will be out this year, and I would fucking love to tell you who it’s about, but I can’t!

 

You mentioned earlier about creating worlds around your albums, and this new record is inspired by a sci-fi and tech dreamscape.… tell me more?

 I guess in the album we talk quite a lot in various different places about the reality of us all living through a time where the internet, and the way that we live on the internet, has seeped out into the real world, and it’s even strange saying that, because the internet is the real world, it’s where we spend a huge chunk of our waking hours. On the album we just try to present things the way they are - the idea that the reality we all live in at the moment feels like sci-fi, between the amount of time we spend on screens, and how we relate to ourselves and other people through technology. Not to mention the last couple of years, where our relationship with technology due to being at home so much, has been hugely amplified, and also the language of lockdowns and pandemics, like so much of that language is really the kind of thing we’re used to hearing in films and disaster movies, and dystopian fiction. It’s a cliché to say it, but the reality we’ve just lived through, and continue to live through, feels like a slightly mad sci-fi, because all the tropes you would associate with the genre are happening, it’s quite surreal. 

 

So if you had to describe the new album (Give Me The Future), in a movie poster tagline, what would it be?

 Well, when we were finishing the music and going into building a futurescape world around the whole album campaign, someone said, “You don’t predict the future, you imagine it”, and that’s kind of become the tagline for the whole album.

Left Coat, bottle & shoes Givenchy, shirt John Lawrence Sullivan, pants Christopher Raeburn, tie stylist’s own

Right Coat Salvatore Ferragamo, vest (worn over coat) Helmut Lang, jacket (worn under) Craig Green, hoodie Tod’s

 And you’ve included a fictional narrative of escape within the songs too, especially with the track Thelma & Louise?

 Well the first track on the album, is essentially about plugging into whatever your form of escape is, whether that be putting a head set on, literally plugging yourself in and watching a film, going into your dreams, that’s the kind of doorway into the album. So tapping into the kind of escapist narrative, that film is just this brilliant story of two really empowered women who decide to cast off the life they’re not satisfied with, and go on this escapist road trip - so the song is a love letter to that film really. It’s a short song but I wrote so many verses to it, and if you go anywhere and do anything, why wouldn’t you want to be Thelma and Louise you know?! 

 But you won’t make a video with Bastille driving off of a desert cliff?

 Ha ha! Well I think Wayne’s World 2 already got there!

 

Ok final question, what one film would you suggest we watch to mentally re-energise us all to move forward with positivity, in this post-pandemic future?

 Oh my god, that’s such a good question, I can’t think of anything! I dunno, WALL-E?! There’s hope for us yet… I think a Disney Pixar one, as they’re always so incredibly deep. 

I think ‘Inside Out’, the idea that the moral of that story, for kids, is that it’s ok to be sad sometimes, because life can be depressing, it’s such a far cry from the animated films of our childhood you know. I think something human and warm. 

…

Give Me The Future

Interview by Kate Lawson

Photography by Leonardo Veloce

Styling by Michael Miller at Stella Creative Artists

Creative direction by Rose Forde at The Wall Group

EIC Michael Marson

Hair by Roku Roppongi at Saint Luke Artists using TIGI

Grooming by Jo Frost using MZ Skin

Stylist’s assistant Abigail White

RESPONSIBILITY TO CHANGE

Jannis Niewöhner is already a household name in the German industry, but with his latest film, Netflix’s gripping production ‘Munich: The Edge of War’, his face is sure to become recognisable all around the globe. Set predominantly in the autumn of 1938 when Adolf Hitler prepares to invade Czechoslovakia, the drama tells the story behind diplomatic negotiations of Neville Chamberlain's government, which seeks to obtain a peaceful state of affairs at any cost during an emergency conference. In the film, Niewöhner plays brilliantly the complex character of Paul - a German diplomat who despite once being a supporter of Hitler’s ideas, aims to cease his growing influence after realising the barbaric dangers of his regime. For us, Niewöhner talks about researching the pre-war period, Paul’s inner conflicts, and the film’s relevance in today’s landscape.

Left T-shirt Arket & pants and blazer Bottega Veneta,

Right Top William Fan & pants and shoes by Bottega Veneta

What was the research that you did to prepare to play Paul?

 I looked into not only the pre-war period, but also the time around when my character would be growing up. He was probably born around 1910, so I questioned what that would mean for a young child: what was his background, whether his father was participating in World War I and if so, what did that do to his family? It was important to me to have this information about where he’s coming from to comprehend why he would support Hitler in the early years, and also get an understanding of what he must have felt like when things started to change and Hitler’s policies affected him personally through what happened to Lenya. Another big thing was doing the accent work – I had to grow into it and speak like someone that attended Oxford, so I had to do the lines over and over again. I really enjoyed that part of the process and I have been continuing to do the accent work since the film wrapped.

Left Coat Bottega Veneta & cardigan WOOD WOOD

Right Shirt & pants Giorgio Armani,

 Paul is a very complex character that completely transforms over the course of the film. What are the inner conflicts that appear in his mind?

 Yeah, there’s just so much going on within him. He feels responsible for what’s going on because he initially supported Hitler. He understands what the regime is capable of and that makes him uncompromising in achieving his goal to stop it. At the same time, he’s not the typical kind of hero – he doesn’t just say, ‘Okay, we have to stop Hitler and we’re going to do that.’ It’s actually quite difficult for him because he’s scared, which I think makes him human. He has the possibility to assassinate Hitler, but he can’t bring himself to do it. However, in the end, he does say, ‘But I still have to find another way to fight and stop him.’

Both Shirt CP Company, jacket Magliano & shoes VAGABOND 

 This is your second film with director Christian Schwochow. What do you like about collaborating with him?

 So many things! In Germany, you can ask literally any actor about their dream directors to work with and they would say Christian because he’s really special. Collaborating with him always gives me the opportunity to not only learn more about acting, but also through the stories he tells, about society or history. He always wants his actors to be engaged and be creators of the narrative – he wants us to know everything about the time period the action takes place in and be ready to improvise. For example, with this film, we had a special website for the whole team with all the information about the characters, the places we were shooting, old documentaries that were colourized so that we could get a better feeling of what that time felt like or voice recordings. He searches for everything that makes the time period that’s being portrayed and all the characters feel alive and I really love that about him. He’s also a great teacher – you take him as an authority and you want to listen to him, but at the same time, he makes you feel like you are an authority in the job that you do on set as well.

Both Shirt & pants Hugo Boss, coat William Fan, glasses Gentle Monster, necklace Chanel and shoes Bottega Veneta

What in your view makes the story in the film relevant today?

The story talks about the difficulties that come up if we have to deal with political actions of other countries which go against our values or seem concerning. It asks how can you have a conversation between two different points of view and when you should draw a limit, which I think has a lot to do with what we see today all around us. It also deals with the personal feeling of responsibility to change something, and I think that has a lot to do with our time.

Left Shirt & pants Hugo Boss, coat William Fan and shoes Bottega Veneta

Right Left Coat Bottega Veneta & cardigan WOOD WOOD

…

Interview by Martin Onufrowicz

Photography by Debora Brune

Fashion by Camille Naomi Franke

Production by DILLER Agency

Grooming by Victoria Reuter using Mac Cosmetics and Oribe

Photo Assistant Patrick Schardt

Styling Assistant Sarah Masche

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TAKING FLIGHT

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When Nick Hargrove moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting, it was in an attempt to realise the dream he’s had since he was a kid.  After a series of jobs that helped pay the rent, including modelling, the 29-year-old actor began to build a resume with a series of small TV parts, but his breakout role came in 2018 as Parker Caine in the reboot of hit show Charmed. 

Fast forward a few years, and now he’s about to star in the upcoming epic Korean war drama, Devotion, alongside a high-flying cast which includes a certain Jonas brother called Joe. 

I read that as a kid you liked to mimic different accents and dialects - that must serve quite invaluably as an acting tool? And also you’re bilingual as your Mum is German, so do you feel like you have different personalities when you speak? 

 I find it’s one of the most important aspects in finding a character. Finding their voice. It’s how they communicate with the world. A language, dialect, or accent, changes what part of myself comes to the surface, and changes the words that we use to navigate the world. Whether it’s because you have to get creative because a certain word doesn’t exist in a language, or if a character you’re playing just has a hard time pronouncing a certain word, it informs a huge part of you are. The musicality of different languages also changes the way others perceive the words that you are saying.  

 So who does the best fake accents in the movies? 

 Pretty much Daniel Day Lewis in any film! The way he’s able to manipulate and change his voice is crazy. The dialect / accent he does as Daniel Plainview in ‘There Will Be Blood’ is so fascinating, and one of my favourites. Also pretty entertaining to mimic. Every time I rewatch that movie I find myself running around screaming “I drink your milkshake” or “I’ve abandoned my boy!!!” in that voice. The amount of time and dedication he puts into finding the voice of his characters is definitely something I strive for. 

Let’s go back to the beginning, where did you catch the acting bug from, and what were the first auditions or roles you got? 

 Going back to accents and dialect, I think that’s what got me started. I loved the Simpsons as a kid, and would try to imitate all the characters. I didn’t realise it at the time, but impersonating those characters and trying on different accents and performing them for my family to make them laugh was my first real introduction into acting. I grew up in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia, where M. Night Shyamalan casts and shoots a lot of his films. I’m pretty sure my first ever audition was for The Sixth Sense. I must have been about 6 or 7 years old. I remember I got a callback for it, and I think that little nugget of validation at that early age gave me some hope that acting was something that I might actually be able to do. It only took 15 more years to break out of the shyness that stopped me from fully pursuing it! 

 Do you still suffer from anxiety on set or stage fright? 

 Very much so. When I started, it was crippling. Sometimes it can still feel that way. A lot of the work I have been doing comes from trying to surrender to those feelings and use them as tools rather than a hindrance.  

 It must be difficult for you not to judge all of your performances then?

 It’s a daily practice to get out of my own head and to not judge myself, but it’s one of the most important parts of acting. Getting time in front of the camera and slowly learning to be a little more objective about my performances and appearance has been helpful. The way things have shifted to mostly all auditions being self-tapes, has also been a great learning tool.  Doing a scene and watching playback afterwards has helped tremendously. Sometimes you can think you are articulating something and it just doesn’t read on camera. Or other times you think something isn’t working but on camera it might actually be working. Being forced to evaluate and watch my own self tapes has helped me become a little more objective with my own work. 

 So what kind of roles are you after now then, and what about a biopic where you had to mimic an iconic performer?

 It would be a cliché to say I just want to play interesting characters. But it’s true. I definitely have a list of people that I’d really like to work with as well. I love biopics. I always wanted to do an Elvis biopic, but I think I may have missed the boat on that one! 

 I was waiting for the ‘uh-huh-huh’ there…! Ok aside from work, how do you fill your spare time? 

 I have quite a few hobbies. I play guitar, hike, rock climb, draw, watch movies, hang with friends, play video games. I’ve been trying to read more, but I usually find myself listening to a ton of audiobooks and podcasts instead. 

 

And adopting animals? I’ve been stalking you on Instagram and I see that you love them, especially cats, that’s so cute! 

 I do! I fostered some kittens during quarantine. That honestly got me through one of the roughest patches of the pandemic. Putting my focus and energy on something else, and off of myself was so helpful. I do love animals. 

 So what’s next for you? 

 I just worked on a film called Devotion that I’m really proud of. It’s based on a true story about the first African American Naval aviator, Jesse Brown, who flew in the Korean War. I play a character named Carol Mohring, also a real person. He was Jesse’s close friend and a fellow Naval aviator. The story is incredible, is very relevant, and it also has some incredible action flight sequences. It’s been one of the most exciting projects I’ve worked on so far. 

…

Interview by Kate Lawson

Photography by Hadar Pitchon

BEAUTIFUL ENLIGHTENMENT

Mitchell Hoog is the blond’ish-haired-blued-eyed star of the Peacock reboot of Saved by the Bell, in which he plays Kelly and Zack’s son, Mac Morris — permanently the comedic prankster. Mitchell himself, meanwhile, is a sensitive, thoughtful, incandescent newcomer, who’s appeared in Netflix’s 2019 biopic 'Walk Ride Rodeo’, and starred alongside Janelle Monae and Cynthia Erivo in the movie “Harriet”. His best work still ahead of him, (when he’s not meditating that is), Mitchell is on course to be cinema’s new goldenboy.

You were previously a competitive snowboarder, so how did you go from that into acting?

 Unfortunately snowboarding ended due to injury. I was always in an acting class since 16 or 17, and for me, it’s not about going to class to progress or excel…class gives you a safe space to mess up and not be scrutinised for it. Also, I just absolutely love the theatre. A cold theatre with a warm cup of coffee, a story, and a good group of people is hard to beat in my mind. 

 In sports you get the instant gratification of winning (or losing) - so with acting, how does it feel to have that delay in an audience’s reaction to your work?

 Honestly, I am still trying to deal with that delay. I have become really good at lettings things go, I for sure feel anxiety but it’s also a time to go inward and ask myself why I do what I do? Is it for critics and opinions to fulfil my own vanity? No. I’d be ignorant to say it doesn’t feel nice when good reviews do come out, but I don’t let it weigh too heavy on me. If I leave a set and have made personal connections with the cast and crew by making them laugh or relate, then my job is done and I have faith the viewers on the other side of the screen will too. 

 You meditate, I imagine that helps with the anxiety?

 The Dalai Lama speaks of daily mediation, I kind of live by that. No good decision is made in urgency so I often find myself using meditation and contemplation for different uses. I also just really love being in solitude and letting my mind run to see where it goes.

 Does having that mind control help “remove” yourself mentally from the Hollywood bubble that could be all-consuming? 

 Yes for sure, it helps my attention when it comes to focusing and pausing to navigate the chaos. I also have been in Los Angeles and Hollywood long enough now, that I somewhat know the ropes and just want to put my nose to the grindstone and work with good filmmakers. 

 You grew up in the mountains of Colorado, but live in LA - are you a nature boy or city boy?

 It’s interesting, I love Los Angeles a lot. The dirt on the streets, the smell of cigarettes and taco trucks on sunset boulevard, the sound of 30 different types of music in traffic at once. It’s such a beautiful mess. I do though, feel like I have come to this crossroads in my life personally and it could be due to everything being online now, but for the next year or two I want to live in nature and travel to the city compared to vice versa. I have made mistakes as every young kid does in a city, and at times I don’t think I realised the chatter of a city was getting to me. These past few months I have taken a lot of people out of my life and stuck to my base. I spent some time in Maui and absolutely fell in love. For me, I think it’s all about balance. Cities inspire me and nature grounds me. 

  So how do you stay grounded in the city?

 I have a painting studio at my house in LA and I would say I’m in there most nights. A journal and a canvas are the same thing in my mind, just different mediums. I also camp a good amount on weekends when filming to decompress. The ocean at least four times a week too. I just like to move and not be stagnant. 

 

I like how you infrequently curate your Instagram too, it tells a story without words, you prefer to live life rather than post about it?

 Instagram is funny to me. I have hung out around people or been in relationships where it means so much to them and to put it in a blunt way, I just do not understand the fixation on it. I don’t want people knowing where I hangout or eat or who I am around. I know I probably sound like an old man(!) but I see it as a cool way to post my film or work and want to keep it at that. Photos are a visual journal and editorials are a depiction of the moment I’m in mentally. I like when people read photos not captions.

 

So what’s next for you on the journey, work-wise, and personally?

 One project coming up I can talk about is called Catch & Release which I am producing, with Cathryn Dylan and John Fiorentino. My company, The Collective, has a lot coming up in 2022 that I think will give a lot of people comfort in an uncomfortable time. For me personally, this past year was really tough and I have learned a lot. I am now in that phase after a rough patch where life feels giddy again. I am excited to keep relentlessly growing in all realms. 

…

Interview by Kate Lawson

Photography by Shane McCauley

Fashion by Derric Lowe

YSL 60TH

The 60th anniversary of the Maison Yves Saint Laurent is a unique occasion to celebrate iconic pieces created by the French designer.  Archive pieces, spanning across four decades, are captured with the most recent collections, designed by Anthony Vaccarello.

Photographer by CAMERON McCOOL at SerlinAssociates

Fashion by PAUL SINCLAIRE at CXA 

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Featuring ECE BICAK at Marylin Agency, EMI STANKOVIC at Oui Managemnt, FLO FLEMING at Elite, TANYA CHURBANOVA at Monster Mamagement & NAJIB ABDI at The Claw Models 

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Make-Up by Morgane Martini at The Wall Group

Hair by Michael Delmas using Mr Smith Hair 

Nails by Cam Tran at ArtlistParis 

Casting director Samuel Ellis Scheinman for DMCASTING

Production by Anna Rybus at Prospero Production 

Photographer’s assistant Yuliya Dryablova

Stylist’s assistant Thomas Santos 

Make-Up assistant Hicham Ababsa

Hair assistant Clément Billon

Nails assistant by Magda Statchura  

PA Theophile Parat

WORDS OF COLOUR

Alexandra Shipp is best known for her role as the iconic mohakwed super heroine 'Storm’ in X-Men: Apocalypse and Deadpool 2, as well as playing Aaliyah in the Lifetime TV movie about the late R&B singer’s life, and Kimberly Woodruff in the 2015 Oscar-nominated film Straight Outta Compton. With her star on the ascend for some time, the actress is now gearing up for her next big screen release, tick, tick…BOOM!, an adaptation of ‘Rent’ creator Jonathan Larson’s autobiographical musical. She’s in-demand, but for us she talks about taking up her rightful space in contributing to culture. What can’t she do, am I right?

Left Top Bossi & denim pants Eytys

Right Full look Diesel

 Within the political climate of Black Lives Matter, and black acting talent being underrepresented on the big screen for too long, what’s your take on how to continue to diversify the industry, and how should it nurture new raw talent with fresh ideas?

 I think the main hurdle artists today face is racism. To really create change in this institution, we have to tell more diverse and inclusive stories. I’m personally tired of the straight white male perspective and would like to see a newer and more fresh approach to storytelling. We’ve seen every royal colonising story there is. We’ve seen the white saviour. We’ve seen the man sweeping a woman off her feet. I want to see real adversity, something I can relate to. Why not try to tell something different?

Left Denim pants Eytys

Right Full look Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

So true, and your own movie career has spanned a diverse range of characters and stories, what do you look for when it comes to choosing projects?

 Every job is different, but when I’m choosing a project, I’m looking for the opportunity to occupy a space in which I’m not usually seen. I didn't go to college nor did I study political science, so this is my form of activism. I target roles that weren’t originally written with a woman of colour in mind. I also look at how much work is there for me to do within the story: does she speak? When she speaks, does she have a voice that affects the narrative of the story? This mindset/checklist helps me not only find the roles that interest me, but helps put myself in a position where I can inspire those who look like me to see themselves with more possibilities. 

Top Bossi & denim pants Eytys

 Talking of possibilities, in ‘tick tick BOOM!’, you play Larson’s (Andrew Garfield) girlfriend Susan, a dancer, who is tired of continuing to put her life on hold while he ponders if his own impossible dream is worth the cost. How did you fight to make your own dream a reality?

 In many ways, I feel like I’m still fighting. There’s so much I want to do on this planet, and for us humans, we only have so much time to do it! When I first moved to LA, I didn't have much in the way of opportunity. I didn't have any connections or even friends, so I had to make due with working multiple jobs and scrounging to afford acting classes. I also worked at a couple music studios! I honed my craft between singing, acting and songwriting and kept my head down and allowed my work to speak for itself. I’m still doing that today and I love the opportunity to learn more and further the reality that has always been living in my head!

Left Full look Chanel

Right Full look Diesel

 So how did it all begin for you then?

 I have always wanted to be a singer, so at 10 my mom put me in theatre camp and I fell in love with the stage in a new way. With music, I was being myself, but with acting I was able to encompass a whole new physical being. I became fascinated with creating back stories and diving deep into the things that make my characters  tick. I knew it was something I always had to do from then on!

 And with talent in abundance, and an admirable determination, you’ve achieved so much already, which Jonathan Larson (on whom tick tick…BOOM! is based), eventually did in his quest for success - what does success mean to you?

 Success, to me, looks like respect in the way of acknowledgement. When someone is great at what they do, and others see that and respect that and acknowledge that… man, that’s the best feeling! I wish Jonathon could’ve gotten the chance to see the impact he made with his brilliance. He’s inspired generations with his success and it’s truly been an honour to be a part of telling the world more about him.  

Left Earring Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

Right All Calvin Klein

His musical Rent was inspiring and deliberately diverse, tackling the AIDS crisis by putting HIV positive characters at the forefront, and also gay characters and a cast that featured Hispanic and black leads. It made people look at musicals in a different way and was ahead of its time. What do you think its impact has been on musical theatre today, and in particular casting black actors / performers?

 I think that RENT has moved the needle forward for BIPOC performers in major ways. It showcased the fact that a great performer/performance isn’t indicative of one’s racial background, but their talent. There’s systemic racism and bias in every institution, and Jonathon was able to look that beast in the eye and say “ I really don’t care.” Since then, I think there’s way more opportunity for BIPOC actors and writers. But don’t get it twisted, it’s still not equal. There’s more work to be done and more opportunities for people in a place of power to diversify and grant positions to people of colour. 

 

So who are the other writers /filmmakers inspiring you right now?

 I’ve been a fan of Ava DuVernay for a very long time. She not only has an incredible eye for directing, but she produces forward thinking projects as well. It’s the type of career that I admire and would love to follow the footsteps of! 

Left Vintage Gianfranco Ferré

Right Top Bossi

 You mentioned singing is a big part of your career too, and you’ve released your own tracks like “Dirty Long Sleeve Shirt”. Which performer do you admire, or what song has had the most impact on your life?

 Music has always played a huge role in my life. There were times when I felt like the only one who could understand me was Alicia Keys! The minute I heard ’Songs In A Minor’ I started playing piano and writing my own songs. To this day, I draw a lot of my inspiration from that powerful goddess!!

Left Top Bossi & denim pants Eytys

Right Earring Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

So outside of your appreciation for Alicia and work, what else brings you joy?

 Spending time with women who I admire and look up to brings me so much joy! Women are incredible and inspire me to deepen my understanding of what’s possible. I learn so much from women and how they operate and move about this earth. 

 

Ok, so the clock’s tick tick ticking…. last question, Garfield’s character Larson is profoundly concerned with time in the movie, and thoughts that he’s running out of it. What are your personal goals over the next 5 – 10 years, and what are some things you are still looking forward to doing? 

 In the next five years I’d love to get to a place where I’m not only making music but touring and playing live shows! I love performing in front of a crowd and the thought of a stadium singing along to my songs gives me goosebumps! In the next 10 years I’d like to dive deeper into writing and directing. I want to be behind the camera and showcasing female driven BIPOC stories. I think that I’m meant to be a forklift to young and diverse talent in my industry, ever reminding audiences that everything is possible for anyone.

…

Interview by Kate Lawson

Photography by Doug Inglish

Fashion by Yael Quint

Make-Up by Cherish Brooke Hill

Hair by Mitchell Cantrell

Nails by Amber Studer

Photo Assistant Brian Stevens

Production assistant Denise Solis

Digital Tech/ Retouching Maxfield Hegedus

Stylist Assistant Karla Garcia

Production by Lisa Perkins & Yael Quint

Production Design Isaac Aaron

Special thanks Initiative PR

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