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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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REBEL REBEL

RULE BREAKER, RISK TAKER. DANIEL MILLAR HAS NEVER BEEN SHY. IT'S NOT JUST HIS MOUTH THAT ASSERTS HIS REBELLIOUS STANCE ON LIFE; THE YOUNG STAR HAS ALWAYS USED CLOTHES TO SPEAK VOLUMES. FOR HIM, FASHION IS FAR MORE THAN A TOOL FOR SELF-EXPRESSION TO HIS LEGIONS OF FOLLOWERS; IT’S AN IMPORTANT MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. SO, WHAT IS THE actor and it-boy muse TRYING TO TELL US? WELL, FOR ONCE, HE’S READY TO GROW UP IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. DESPITE HIS OMNIPRESENT LOVE FOR FASHION, HE’S LOOKING TO EXPAND HIS RANGE. EVER SINCE HE WAS A KID, MILLAR HAS LOVED THE CRAFT OF ACTING, AND NOW HE’S COMMITTED TO DIPPING HIS TOES INTO THE WORLD HE’S ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A PART OF. AND HE’S NOT DREAMING SMALL—AFTER ALL, WHAT’S THE POINT OF DREAMING IF YOU DON’T DO IT BIG? MILLAR WANTS THE WORLD, AND THE WORLD WANTS HIM.

Left Full look Celine Homme

Right Dress Stefan Cooke, bag charm Prada Archives

Hi! How are you?

I’m good! Where are you based? Are you in Paris?

No, no, I believe we’re both in London.

Nice, we’re having a good day today, it hasn't been this sunny for a while.

Full look Loewe

I’m a bit fearful because we haven’t seen this much sun in a while. I feel like I don’t want to get my hopes up. Anyway, there are more hopeful things to talk about, fashion for example. When did you first realize you love fashion?

In school. We had uniforms up until the last two years of school. Those two years were the first time that I started dressing myself and feeling like myself every day. We were meant to dress smartly but I would always try and find the most farfetched way to circumvent the rules. I would wear leather suits. All the other boys would be in normal suits, and I would be in leather head to toe. It was a Christian school; I was using fashion as a tool to be rebellious. That was when I started caring about what I wore. I realized what you choose to wear says something about you.

Did you get in trouble for that?

Well, they didn’t love it. [Laughs] In that first year, I got a few detentions because of my outfits. But I think by the end, the teachers found it quite funny that I just refused to wear what I was being told to. I got progressively more aggressive with it. I was coming in crop tops while everyone was wearing suits. It pushed my centre of fashion further really. I realized that they wouldn’t kick me out for it because they never did, so I just kept going. I have gotten an email from one of the teachers who told me that since I left, they have changed the uniform requirements to make them more specific.

Left Full look Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

Right Full look Prada

Your legacy lives on…

[Laughs] My legacy is that now all the other students have to dress more strictly than I did. I don’t know if it’s an amazing legacy, but it’s something.

When did fashion become a desirable career option for you?

I was modelling throughout school. I started doing it when I was like 15 so I had seen a little bit of what fashion could do in terms of a career. Because of modelling, I got to see all the other jobs that come with that world. I was aware of the job of a stylist or a creative director, these are things that I have to do in my daily life when I’m making content. When you’re at school they talk to you about careers all day. Doctors, lawyers… but there’s this entire world of freelance creative careers that don’t get mentioned. I think because of the work I was doing as a model I got to open my eyes to what my future could be.

Coat Lacoste, pants and shoes Gucci

How has your relationship with fashion changed as it went from a passion to a full-blown career?

I think I’ve become more appreciative of the power fashion truly has. I’ve become a lot more conscious of its impact. Before I was just wearing stuff to be rebellious. When I wear something casual to a fancy event or vice versa, the impact of that decision is something that I’m aware of, there’s power in going against the status quo. And, of course, fashion history, the more I get to work in the industry and meet the people behind these brands, the more I understand this world.

You’re a product of the London fashion scene. Do you think it affects your sense of style?

You know, I don’t know if I’m particularly aware of the way London has affected me, even though it did, it’s undoubtedly that it would have done. I think, like in all big cities, there’s a degree of openness and expression. If you live in the middle of nowhere, you just can’t have the same exposure you have in a fashion capital. The amount of freedom is something we don’t even think about. When you see someone walking down the street wearing something crazy that subconsciously tells you you’re allowed to do that too.

Left Coat Givenchy, jeans Natasha Zinko, glasses Saint Laurent by Anthony Vacarello

Right Jacket Celine Homme

Left Coat Givenchy, earring Daniel’s own

Right Jacket, polo and skirt Fendi, boots Miu Miu

Speaking of fashion capitals, London is such a specific city in the circuit, it’s known as the incubator for so many of the industry’s legends. Is there anyone right now that’s catching your attention?

That’s a good point, such a big part of the [London] fashion calendar is new brands. There are a lot of experimental people trying to do something new. The New Gen program is the heart of the schedule, in my opinion. Names like Dilara Fındıkoğlu are so exciting… She reminds me so much of Lee McQueen, there’s so much gory experimentalism. Ahluwalia is also doing some super exciting things when it comes to brand ethos, she’s such a champion of sustainability and diversity. I was initially on track to go study politics at uni so that side of the industry is super exciting as well. CSM (Central Saint Martins) always has a beautiful rollout each year. I just wore Maximilian Raynor to the McQueen show. I saw it at the CSM show and wore it straight away.

The red look, right? I remember seeing that and loving it. It made so much sense with Seán McGirr’s direction for his debut show.

My stylist gets all the credit. She had spoken to Maximilian before and he previously worked under Sean, he did an internship under his supervision, so it felt like everything just fell into place.

Full look Dior Men

That’s amazing. Going to the other spectrum of the industry. You’ve talked openly of your respect for Saint Laurent. Where does that appreciation come from?

They were the first show I ever went to. It was the Marrakesh show in the desert. It was my first-ever fashion show. I was so overwhelmed and starstruck by the whole thing. It’s become a very important core memory. It was my first time being around celebrities, it was crazy, a very famous person let me hit their bong. People were treating me like I was someone when I so truly wasn’t. I feel an extreme sense of loyalty towards them because of it. They took a risk by inviting me, they trusted me to represent the brand, that’s something I’ll never forget. I owe them so much; they’ve opened so many doors for me.

How do you see your kind of career in fashion progressing?

Well, I’m moving into acting. I’ll always love fashion, but I want to make that transition my focus. It’s what I get up to do every day. But I would love to mix both passions. I was just talking to my stylist, and we were dreaming of the possibility of a red carpet for a movie. I admire the work Zendaya and Law (Roach) do in terms of method dressing. I think fashion will move more to being strategic, it will be about crafting an image. I see that being a lot more prevalent in menswear, I would like to be a part of that.

Dress Stefan Cooke, shoes Maison Margiela

Left Top Dior Men, earring Daniel’s own

Right Sweater Shushu Tong, shirt and shorts Eric, shoes Prada, socks Falke

What sparked your interest in acting?

I started acting when I was seven. I obviously had to stop with school and then modelling. Missing one day of school for a modelling gig is not the end of the world, but missing months at a time for a role wasn’t possible. Now that I’ve left school, it’s possible. It always comes down to me being an expressive kid, I needed an outlet to be creative. And, realistically, I can’t sing, I can’t dance, so I never had another option.

Do you have any actors in the industry that you look up to?

I don’t really have that with male actors, I aspire to have something closer to the career of an actress because I find they don’t get bottlenecked and are allowed to do different things. People like Viola Davis, Jessica Lange, Cate Blanchett… All the legends that have been doing it for a long time. They’ve progressed with the times at such an impressive speed. That’s what I want - I want a career that can adapt to whatever changes happen in the industry. Above all, a varied career. Even though I am fascinated by people who are known for a genre.

Left Full look Gucci

Right Full look Dior Men

Top Miu Miu

If you had to be known for a genre, what would it be?

If other people’s opinions didn’t matter, I’d probably say horror. I think horror gets a bad rep as something that isn’t academic or highbrow. You never see horror films nominated at the Oscars. But I disagree with that. I think horror is the furthest you can push your emotions - it’s the peak of human fear. Of course, I couldn’t do it forever, I need to win an Oscar and that’s not going to happen if I just do that. But whatever would be in that realm would be great. It pushes you to go somewhere else entirely different than yourself.

You’re setting up some big goals for yourself. What are some of the things you’d like to achieve in the industry?

 [Laughs] Well, if you don’t have big goals, what’s the point? So many people live in a state of ambivalence. If you’re not going to live aggressively towards life, then there’s no point. I want to be the youngest male actor to win Leading Man at the Oscars. I have until I’m 28 so I have some time to get there. I also want to be a guest editor at a major fashion magazine. I want to buy a house in a fashion capital so I can just make fashion week easier - that’s another one. Oh, and I want a cat and a dog: a black Doberman called Dante and a black cat called Diego. So then, we’ll be Daniel, Dante and Diego. Those are all my goals. Easy.

Sweater Shushu Tong, shirt and shorts Eric, shoes Prada, socks Falke

Left Coat Givenchy, earring Daniel’s own

Right Full look Celine Homme

Interview by Pedro Vasconcelos

Photography by Gregory Derkenne

Fashion by Steven Huang

Casting by Imagemachine cs

Hair by Terri Capon at Stella Creative Artists

Make-Up by Stèfan Jemeel at Stella Creative Artists using Rodial

Stylist’s assistant Aaisha Perager

A PLACE IN THE SUN

DANIEL SEAVEY IS AN INTUITIVE ARTIST. IN AN INDUSTRY OFTEN CHARACTERIZED BY SUBTLE YET INTENSE PUPPETEERING, THE YOUNG SINGER BRINGS A REFRESHING PERSPECTIVE. FOR HIM, MUSIC ISN’T JUST A SKILL TO MONETISE, BUT A GIFT TO NURTURE. SEAVEY FIRST REALIZED THE IMPACT HIS MUSIC COULD HAVE ON OTHERS WHILE BUSKING ON THE STREETS OF HIS HOMETOWN, PORTLAND. EVER SINCE HIS FIRST PERFORMANCE, HE’S BEEN CHASING THAT SAME HIGH. FROM AMERICAN IDOL TO HIS TIME IN A BOY BAND, SEAVEY HAS BEEN ORBITING THE MUSIC INDUSTRY FOR MOST OF HIS LIFE. NOW, AFTER NEARLY A DECADE IN THE GAME, HE’S RELEASING HIS SOLO DEBUT ALBUM, A PROJECT HE DESCRIBES AS THE PERFECT INTRODUCTION TO HIMSELF AND TO WHAT HE’S BEEN THROUGH OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS. WE CATCH UP WITH THE SUNNY-DISPOSITIONED SINGER ON AN EQUALLY BRIGHT LA MORNING – HE IS, AFTER ALL, ENJOYING HIS MOMENT IN THE SUN.

Left Jewellery Dries Criel

Right Top, pants, and shoes Lacoste, earrings Dries Criel

Hey, how’s it going?

I’m good, I’m having a silly morning, leaving an allergy appointment…

 

How was it? Any good news?

Well, it was good because I got some clarity, but I did just find out that I’m allergic to all the trees and grass that exist. [Laughs]

 

[Laughs] Well, at least you don’t discriminate… It’s so sunny in LA, I’m so jealous.

[Laughs] You said you were in London, right?

 

Yeah, how long have you been in LA?

Well, I’m originally from Portland, Oregon… So I’m familiar with the rain, I know all about it… I love the sun a lot more, so I’m happy to be here. I’ve been here for six years now, so I call it home at this point. But growing up in Portland was fun, it has a quirky charm, and it was super fun being an artist there.

Top Adidas, pants Dasquared2, earrings Dries Criel

 What is the Portland music scene like?

You know, it’s funny I feel like, through my whole career, I’ve never found myself intentionally inserting myself into any situation. Things just fall out of the sky, or I just walk into them. Not to say I haven’t worked hard, but I’m thankful for everything that comes my way so I work my ass off in whatever direction I’m going. A lot of my opportunities have been this weird breadcrumb trail that I wake up to every day and follow. The first opportunity I had to play music in front of people was on the streets of Portland when I was nine years old. My dad was a pastor while I was growing up, so he managed to take the piano out of the church onto the main street in Portland. I performed like that on the street for about five years. I just fell in love with the effect music had on people. I think I understood, even at that age, that this was a gift of mine, something I wanted to protect and nurture. I will never forget the first time I was zoning out looking at the piano because I was so nervous. When I did, there were hundreds of people in the street. There’s a photo of that moment on my Instagram somewhere. My dad saw that, and he found other things for me in terms of opportunity… That’s when he found American [Idol]. We flew to San Francisco and stayed in a cheap hotel. I made it to the top nine but came out of that and thought that was the end of the road. I was trying to be realistic about it, I was applying for PacSun to have my first real job at 15. Then I got a call from my friend Jack Avery saying to me, “Do you want to come to LA and hang out with some cool guys?“ A week later, I was hanging out with these four guys, and we just made a band. Those years are some of the best memories of my life. But all good things come to an end. I felt like a fish out of water, all I knew was that I wanted to make people feel good about my music. Next thing I know, I’m opening for Benson Boone, then for Dean Lewis… I don’t know what’s going on but I’m enjoying it.

 

That’s very refreshing to hear, I sometimes have this feeling that the music industry works in such a calculated manner…

Yeah, I mean there’s nothing bad about forcing your way into success. That’s just not something I can do. Whether it’s a weakness or a strength, I can’t fake it. I think my approach resonates in my music. I wear my heart on my sleeve, for better and for worse.

Left Full look Prada

Right Jeans Dior Men, boxers Erl, jewellery Dries Criel

 I think that translates into your work. The music you make is incredibly personal, there’s a real sense of you in the music you write. Does your art have therapeutic value to you?

Absolutely. For me, music has always been about fun and escape. I think people can sometimes lose sight of how much fun music can be. It’s like this wild world where you can just let go completely. The best kind of music, in my opinion, is the kind that lets you not care about anything for a moment, you know? That’s what it’s always been for me, even from the beginning. Music was my escape, as cliché as it sounds. My mom used to call it "flow". I’d get into this state where I’d lose track of time and where I was completely locked into whatever I was creating. It’s honestly such a blessing to have this understanding of music and to hear it the way I do. I feel so grateful for that gift, and I also feel a responsibility to use it in the right way, with good intentions.

 

It sounds like your solo work was a very personal project for you, especially compared to being in a band. Can you talk about how that transition felt?

While I was in the band, I was also making personal music on the side. The band’s music is something I love and cherish, but it’s a collective effort - I'm only one voice in the conversation. So, naturally, the messages we put out are broader. I think that’s the right approach for a group, but the music I was creating on my own was different. It was just a hobby at first, something I did purely for the love of it, without any business mindset. For example, my first solo song, Can We Pretend That We’re Good? was sitting on my computer for a year before I released it. I made it while I was still with the band, not knowing if I’d ever put it out. When the band eventually broke up, I was like, "Well, I have this song, so why not release it?" It felt like I was putting out something so personal, and I wasn’t confident it would do anything big. But seeing how it has changed my life has been unbelievably validating and exciting. It’s lit a new spark in me to chase bigger things.

Left Top and pants Lacoste, earrings Dries Criel

Right Full look Emporio Armani

 It’s an exciting time in pop music right now, with a lot of artists who’ve been working for years finally getting recognized. How does it feel to be part of that movement?

Oh my gosh, it’s so exciting. I’m honestly honoured that you’d even place me in that category. It’s hard to put into words, but I’m just so grateful to have an opportunity to keep doing what I love. I never expected to find myself in a position where people would still talk about me in the current pop scene. I just wanted to keep making music. So for people to resonate with my work in this way, it’s really special. I feel more validated than ever that I’m right where I’m supposed to be.

 

I read somewhere that your mom was a writer. Given how personal your work is, do you think her writing influenced your music?

Yeah, my mom writes here and there. She had a blog for a while, and she’s working on some books. I think her influence is there, not just in how I write but in who she is as a person. She’s like this beacon of light for me – a role model for how to be the best person you can be. My parents raised me well, and I think a lot of who I am is because of them. My dad, for example, was a preacher, and even if you’re not religious, there’s a lot of wisdom there. So I had this amazing upbringing that shaped me. But when it comes to music, that part definitely didn’t come from them. My dad’s nickname in high school was "Tone Deaf Jeff", he couldn’t hold a tune to save his life. And while my mom can sing, she’s so shy about it that she won’t even sing in front of me. So yeah, the musical talent kind of fell out of the sky for me.

Left Shirt, belt and pants Givenchy, boots Dsquared2, sunglasses Jacques Marie Mage, jewellery Dries Criel

Right Top and pants Lacoste, earrings Dries Criel

 It seems like you’re riding a wave of momentum in your career right now. How does that feel, especially with your debut album on the horizon?

I can’t wait for people to hear what I’ve been working on. It feels so special and so authentically me, which is what I always strive for with my music. Even though I have all these cool tools and instruments at my disposal, I want to make something that genuinely resonates and feels true to who I am. I’ve been working hard to make sure this music matters and that it’s doing all the things I want it to do. It’s really exciting, and it feels like just the beginning of a long creative journey. I don’t think I’ll stop making music anytime soon, this feels like the start of something ongoing.

 

Without giving too much away, what would you say is the central theme or message of the album?

I’d say it’s about a boy who’s being forced by life to grow up but is holding on to all the good aspects of being young. It’s been a pretty wild five years for me, with so many stories to tell, and this album reflects that. There’s a wide range of stories and sounds, but when you put them all together, it feels like me, like Daniel. I’m excited for everyone to hear it and get to know me on that level.

 

I’m looking forward to it!

Thank you, Pedro. I appreciate it. And by the way, you have a great moustache, I'm so jealous.

 

Thanks, you should grow one too, we could match.

You know what, I might.

Left Jeans Dior Men, boxers Erl, jewellery Dries Criel

Right Shirt, belt and pants Givenchy, boots Dsquared2, sunglasses Jacques Marie Mage, jewellery Dries Criel

Left Full look Prada

Right Top Adidas, pants and boots Dsquared2, jockstrap Rough Trade NYC, earrings Dries Criel

Interview by Pedro Vasconcelos

Photography by Richie Lee Davis

Fashion by Jake Sammis

Casting by Imagemachine cs

Hair by Cameron Rains

Make-Up by Aurora De Leon

Stylist’s assistant Cole Norton

OUT OF BODY, OUT OF MIND

ALYCIA DEBNAM-CAREY, THE ACTRESS BEST KNOWN FOR HER CAREER-MAKING TURN AS ALICIA CLARK IN THE AMC SERIES FEAR THE WALKING DEAD AND AS LEXA IN THE DYSTOPIAN SCI-FI DRAMA THE 100, NOW STARS AS NIKKI, A SELF-ABSORBED YET SAVVY SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER IN THE NETFLIX MOVIE THRILLER, IT'S WHAT'S INSIDE. WE ASKED THE AUSTRALIAN-NATIVE TO TAKE THE ZOOM HOT SEAT, TO SPILL THE BEANS ON BODY SWAPPING, FIERCE FEMALES AND TRIGGERS OF HOME.

Left Coat & shoes Fforme, necklace Loren Stewart

Right Jacket Acne Studios, necklace Alizee Quitman

So, you play Nikki, a glammed-up social media influencer in the movie It’s What’s Inside. Did you lean into any real-life influencer content to help build up your character?

Well, it didn’t feel difficult to understand Nikki’s world, it was seamless and unfortunately innate to be a part of it, because I’ve grown up with Instagram and it’s become this barometer for what our lives are supposed to look like, a gauge of an ideal of something.

Greg Jardin, our director, let me take the reins with Nikki, in terms of her style and attitude and how savvy and self-absorbed she is; she’s an opportunist and exploits what she can and has somewhat good intentions but is misguided. I even created her IG page, so I looked to other influencers in more of a macro sense, for a sense of tone, or style and colour palette, and it’s all so controlled, but people like Hailey Bieber or Matilda Djerf were interesting, not that I would describe either like Nikki, but I love how they curate and what they share of their worlds.


Speaking of influencers, how does it feel to be Dior’s first Australian brand ambassador, and has that influenced your own IG look content-wise?

I’m so excited and proud to work with Dior, and I try to be intentional with what I post on social media, I use it as a tool that goes hand in hand with my work, and my life, to express what’s meaningful to me. I think it also needs distance, it’s healthy to do that.

Left Coat & shoes Fforme, necklace Loren Stewart

Right Dress & shoes Proenza Schouler, necklace Loren Stewart

It’s interesting, because Dior’s S/S 24 show celebrated another kind of influencer, in that it chose rebellious and fearless women as its theme. Who inspires you?

I wouldn’t say one person comes to mind, there’s always been an amalgamation of different people as I’ve grown up, but I’m always inspired by female directors, like Sofia Coppola. I remember reading once, how she chose to wear very feminine clothes to set, because she wanted to make a point that she could direct and still embrace her femininity, and neither needed to cancel each other out.

I also love that one of Georgia O’Keeffe’s works is the most expensive painting by a female artist ever sold at auction, that’s mind-blowing. Then there is Angelina Jolie, an actress turned UN ambassador and amazing humanitarian. Like all of them, I want to be able to do what I do well, and look good doing it, that pioneering feminine spirit!

And how will your pioneering spirit shape the work you want to do going forwards?

I’m in this nice pocket of my life right now having worked in the apocalyptic worlds for so long, and genre-bending, that I want to explore everything in the opposite direction, like dramedy or a period piece, as it’s a world that’s so nuanced and the stories have held up for ages. I was on shows that were their own commercial giants, so what’s been appealing is doing something unique and different and working with visionaries. It’s about a director’s vision or a script’s point of view for me moving forwards.

Dress Acne Studios

What about body swapping with someone for a day, just to see what might suit you, project-wise or even career-wise? I’m asking obviously, as there is quite a bit of body swapping going on in It’s What’s Inside.

Oh, Rihanna for sure, so I can release her next album which she just never seems to want to do! [laughs]. I would just get in the studio and be like, let’s do this!


Yes, Rihanna if you’re reading this, we’re waiting! Ok, well, we’re staying with influencers, because you’re playing another one in the new series, Apple Cider Vinegar, about the rise of the wellness influencer.

Yes, it’s the story of disgraced Australian wellness influencer, Belle Gibson, who scammed her way into the industry claiming she had cured herself of cancer which was untrue. I play Milla, and her character is fictional but inspired by Jess Ainscough, the first Australian alternative medicine influencer or ‘wellness warrior’. It’s a heartbreaking story of the damage they both caused with what they led people to believe, but an extraordinary insight into how some people profiteered from the industry. It's punchy, showing the balanced influencer culture we saw in the 2010s, but then the dark underbelly of it all.


And still we see these influencers use the backdrop of aesthetically pleasing, pastel-coloured posts to weave together conspiracy theories with calls for users to buy their supplements or services.

Exactly, and while there might be more guardrails for influencers now, with the rise in A.I. and misinformation, you worry about what images can be doctored and proliferated.

It’s alarming and pushing towards certain demographics, so we seem to be going through a new iteration of it all, and it’s concerning.

Left Coat & shoes Fforme, necklace Loren Stewart

Right Dress Chloé

On a more pleasant note, the series is shot on location in Australia where you were born. What are the triggers of home, the moment you know you’re back on Aussie soil?

The cockatoos near my parents’ home, they’re like Jurassic and they squawk like mad! The smell of the eucalyptus, and the damp soil and the salty ocean, the freshness in the air, and the coffee. I go back there quite often, and I have very fond memories of home, like every time I go there, my Mum will put out a vase of Jonquil flowers in my bedroom, and that’s the first smell that hits me.

What about writing or directing some homegrown Australian stories yourself, to celebrate the diverse culture and landscapes of the country we don’t always see on screen?

One hundred percent! It’s something I’m actively trying to do. I grew up with a version of Australia that felt very stuck in the 1980s, like some stereotype on TV, and then this Americana of culture took over in the 1990s, all about sitcoms and movies and cartoons, and none of it explored the other side of modern or young Australia.

I’ve started writing things myself and want to bring some projects there as we have such an amazing industry there, and crews and locations. For me it’s about finding the right stories that aren’t overdone, as I grew up in an urban inner-city environment that was incredibly diverse and full of life, and that’s what I want to share.

Left Jacket Acne Studios, necklace Alizee Quitman

Right Dress & shoes Proenza Schouler, necklace Loren Stewart

How about sharing some other inspirations in your life, are you artsy at all, or into books or a real muso?

I like watching movies and documentaries, and reading non-fiction, and I also draw a lot as I find it calms me. I love interiors too, I live in a Spanish style bungalow in LA, with lots of feminine curves, because I’m such a visual person, it’s all about the sensory, experience. I really enjoy music, and I go through phases of what I listen to during different times, and honestly… I would love to be that person who goes to art galleries more.

You don’t have time for galleries, you’re too busy body-swapping with Rihanna, so you can release her new album.

Haha! Exactly, it’s a full-time job trying to get that off the ground you know!


Maybe next time we speak, you can tell me all about the new album then?

Obviously, you’re welcome, Rihanna, it was all me!

Left Coat & shoes Fforme, necklace Loren Stewart

Right Jacket Coperni

Left Fill look Chloé

Right Jacket Coperni

Coat Fforme, necklace Loren Stewart

Interview by Kate Lawson

Photography by Shane McCauley

Fashion by Heather Rest

Hair by Candice Birns

Make-Up by Miriam Nichterlein

Nails by Stephanie Ida

SOUL VIBRATIONS

SAM CORLETT HIT IT BIG WHEN HE LANDED THE ROLE OF HOT PRINCE CALIBAN IN THE NETFLIX SERIES THE CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA, WHICH MADE HIM AN OVERNIGHT SUCCESS, AND A CERTIFIED HEARTTHROB. THEN, IN A CHANCE TO FLEX HIS RANGE (AND MUSCLES) AS AN ACTOR, HE RAISED TEMPERATURES AGAIN, THIS TIME AS THE COURAGEOUS AND ENIGMATIC EXPLORER, LEIF ERIKSON, IN THE EPIC HISTORICAL SAGA, VIKINGS: VAHALLA, WHICH HAS REACHED ITS FINAL JOURNEY WITH THE THIRD SEASON. NEXT UP, WITH CHAMELEONIC ABILITY, HE ALCHEMISES INTO THE SKIN OF AN ADDICT, STRUGGLING WITH COMPLEX TRAUMA ISSUES, IN THE GRITTY INDIE DRAMA, HE AIN’T HEAVY, AND AS WARRING SIBLING MARSHALL LAWSON, EMBROILED IN A BATTLE FOR LAND AND LEGACY IN NETFLIX’S NEO-WESTERN OUTBACK-SET SERIES, TERRITORY. WE GOT ON A ZOOM CALL WITH THE ACTOR OF THE AUSTRALIAN PERSUASION TO UNPACK HIS PROCESS, COMPARE POETIC AWAKENINGS AND SHINE A LIGHT ON WHAT IT MEANS TO BE TRULY HUMAN.

Left Polo Alix Higgins, jeans Acne Studios

Right Jacket and shirt Acne Studios, tie Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

All epic sagas must come to an end, of course, we’re talking about Vikings: Valhalla. Was the overall journey on that show a ride that will forever leave an impact on you, particularly the mythology and the spirituality of it all?

So much. It did take a while to shake Leif off. It was good to be able to jump into another project quite soon after, as I think being pushed into another world helps you to shed your last skin, however, there is so much to be grateful for the experience I had on Vikings. The relationship with Jeb Stuart was so sincere, we really hit it off from the start and he allowed me to come along for the journey and pitch a lot of ideas and weave lots of threads, getting involved in all departments working with make-up designing tattoos, re-shaping and redesigning costumes as we travelled through different lands, and the many visionary directors who were involved. Soulfully, Leif has been so in touch with his integrity, and that’s something I appreciated exploring.

What are the challenges of playing historical characters in a way that feels realistic? How much of yourself can you put into the character? 

I think that’s why historical, or fantasy stories are going to continuously be told, because it allows us distance to watch and receive ideas, wisdom, thoughts and feelings that are so relevant. I didn’t really need to think about the history aspect so much, as that was all in the writing, and I suppose we see the same story in a different dressing all the time, and this dressing happened to be so primal and got in touch with nature and spirituality. At the core of all of it was a human just trying to find his way and that’s relatable for everyone.

I read that you’ve always had a keen interest in photography as a creative outlet, and you’ve often taken your digital camera on set. Did you capture many behind-the-scenes moments this last season, for posterity’s sake?

Absolutely, and I’ve been going through all the photos. I have a lot of film photography as well as the iPhone shots I take on set because I try to come in with my camera when I’m not working or in a particular scene, and shoot. I was very excited to share all the behind-the-scenes photos for the final season!

Left Top Zegna

Right Top and pants Giorgio Armani, sneakers Nike

Well, now you've gone from one epic drama to another, in the Neo-Western action series, Territory. Tell me about your character Marshall Lawson (great surname, by the way), who is part of a family dynasty in decline, and how you immersed yourself in the role. Did you read about Australian frontier life, read any 19th-century journals, dig into archives, hike old trails, or visit cattle ranches?

I feel very lucky to be part of projects with such cinematic scope. This one is really special to me. Being able to come home and work with some of the greats of the Australian industry, I feel very lucky. As far as research goes, for me, Marshall feels like Australia’s son. He very much represents a youthful rebellion against tradition, which comes in the form of cheek, charm, and grit. I spoke with Timothy Lee, our writer, and we would discuss themes that have had a profound impact on culture throughout history, from Shakespeare’s Henry IV to the Arthurian stories, and how we can ground those epic sagas in Australia’s rugged outback.

 For Marshall, the loss of his mother and the relationship with his alcoholic father are traumas he is seeking to heal from, and he knows he isn’t going to get that at the station. I thought of his many attempts to try to fix or forgive his father, all the while searching for a true role model he could follow. Like Prince Hal in Henry IV, he leaves the ‘kingdom’ behind and finds family among the outcasts and rebels of society, which grants him a new outlook on life.

It's all high stakes and fighting for power in the outback, which is a part of Australia you don’t often see on screen unless some poor unsuspecting American tourist is being killed in a movie because they got lost! It's creating a new visual genre for Australian TV and audiences, would you agree?

Actually, Greg McLean, our director, did Wolf Creek! But truly, I know when I read the scripts, it was the most grounded and honest view of Australian culture I’d come across. And with Simon Duggan on board, the legendary director of photography of films such as The Great Gatsby and Furiosa, I knew this was going to be a visceral experience to be part of.

 

How challenging was it to film in such a rough and remote landscape, even if you're used to it? I imagine nearly everything can kill you!

That country definitely breeds a certain kind of person, and you simply need to slip into that way of being. Chatting with the folks that live up there, they see such beauty in that harsh nature, and I loved that. The times when it was tough were toward the end of shooting when the heat was brutal. Shooting these huge action sequences, we had people fainting left and right, but as far as the animals go, there were plenty of snakes, which are always a shock to find, but we're all kind of used to it. The crocodiles are a different story, though!

Left Jeans, top, belt and boots Acne Studios, tank top Charlton

Right Top Dior Men

 That wildness and untamed nature in the outback, its distinctiveness, has come to symbolize much about Australian culture and history. It's embedded in the national psyche. What book or film for you best summons the spirit of the outback and the mindset of those who live there?

I suppose the book/film The Dry first comes to mind, as I was lucky enough to have that as my first project out of drama school. I could point to some of the music and poetry that paint a very romantic view of the outback too, but mainly it’d be the stories my dad told me. He spent a lot of time in the Victorian outback, then left school at 16 and became a jackaroo in far North Queensland. The things he got up to, like rolling cars for fun, left an indelible mark on me as a kid. To experience that life firsthand was pretty awesome.


You mentioned how you prepared for this role, but would you say that you have an acting style or method? How do you physically and mentally transform for a role; do you sit and listen to music, podcasts, interviews, and accents, for character study?

Preparation is my favourite part, and my go-to is exploring the childhood of a character and diving into dreamwork and seeing what the subconscious has to say, exploring what resonates inside me about the character and attempting to close the gap in the differences. 

I constantly read the greats, and listen to people like Uta Hagen, Stella Adler, Terry Knickerbocker and I worked with a coach called Shelley Mitchell for this third season of Vikings and she’s done some incredible things working with people like Gerry Grennell who also worked with Heath Ledger. I’m a big advocate for coaching, as I loved the training and reading aspects of drama school and it all serves when you come to something like Vikings, where you can expand the domain to help serve the text that’s in front of you.


How did you get to the place you need to be in your latest project, playing an addict in the gritty indie movie He Ain’t Heavy? Your character Max has many complex trauma issues. How was it inhabiting a troubled persona as an actor, and do those sorts of characters live in you?

I feel a familial or ancestral connection with those types of people, and when it comes to Max, there were lines in the script that I had heard in my real life. So, rather than it being effortful, it was quite cathartic, a gift to explore those areas and shine a light where I would otherwise not have the opportunity to. Even with Leif and having so much distance between the Viking life and our lives today, I do see relations to similar experiences in my life, but I didn’t ritualise enough, and his headspace sometimes affected mine, in a not-so-positive way. With Max, he’s more troubled and wrapped in trauma but the core of him is such a playful, loving, bright light, which is the way I had always heard my uncle described by my mother, and he was also an addict like Max. My uncle has kind of been my spiritual guide in my artistic world and so there was really nothing I wasn’t willing to do for him with this project.

Left Full look Prada

Right Blazer, trousers, shirt and boots Acne Studios, belt Harley Davidson, tie Giorgio Armani

Do you feel in some way then this movie was meant to come to you, to allow that personal catharsis?

For sure, I really do believe that. With a lot of our generation, our consciousness is becoming a lot more aware of the circumstances that have gone before us to be where we are today. Many of us just want to see what the new path is for us and attempt to alchemise the generational trauma into something artistic that transcends and unites. A mantra I had in my head every day that I went to set was that this drama isn’t an answer, but an arm around those who have been through something similar.


He Ain’t Heavy is not really about drugs, it’s about the price we pay for love. That’s really the soul of the film, isn’t it? 

You’re spot on. I really like looking at it in the sense of the frustration of love, in the beautiful way that you so want the light of that person to remain on, not shrouded in darkness, and you know what exists at the core. Max so wants to be free of that and be understood and he’s not, and he doesn’t know how to articulate that, and in the helplessness and hopelessness, he reaches for a substance that makes him feel free. That community often resonates with the same frustrations. It was easy to not pass judgement because of what I’ve been through personally in my family.


It was shot in Western Australia, and I wanted to ask how your Australian roots play a part in informing what you do. How does your culture fuel your work?

I love that you’ve asked that, because I’ve been writing some scripts… I live in a small coastal town in Australia, and very rarely do I see my Australia on screen, and so the recent projects I’ve done here have made me want to tell Aussie stories, as they mean so much. I feel there’s a new wave coming in Australia, of voices that have been held back a bit, and there’s a beautiful frustration that’s about to explode.

Blazer, trousers, shirt and boots Acne Studios, belt Harley Davidson, tie Giorgio Armani

Going back to your childhood, when was it you first decided you wanted to act, and were your family supportive?

My family were very supportive, and I started drama in high school because I used to have trouble speaking in front of people. Sport was my thing, and as captain of rugby and basketball, I had to give speeches in assembly, and I used to get nervous. So, my mum told me, “Why don’t you do drama, go and make a fool of yourself in front of people and get over that fear?” That’s when I fell in love with the idea of embodying empathy, and loving these characters to life.

So, what’s driven your inherent curiosity with the roles you choose, and is there a story or character you’re really craving to portray and elevate on screen, or dream directors you want to work with? 

I feel like each character finds me at different points in my life. My preference is to pivot from what I’ve just done at any given time. There’s a cool Franz Kafka quote that says, “I never wish to be easily defined,” and that’s why I think I have such an affection for variety.I love a broad range of styles from fellow Aussies like Baz Lurhmann to Derek Cianfrance, but over the years, when you just miss out on things you go up for, with hindsight, you’re like, well that wasn’t meant to be. I lost out to one of your fellow countrymen for the Marvel universe [Laughs] but had I done that film or another project, I wouldn’t have been able to do He Ain’t Heavy, and that’s really where my soul is. It won’t be seen by nearly as many people as a Marvel film, but it’s a story that meant so much for me to be able to tell.

 Jacket, jeans, shirt and boots Acne Studios, tie Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

Speaking of where your soul is, you’ve been practising meditation for years. How has it helped you stay sane and steady in this business? 

I’ve been practising meditation since I was younger, as my mum battled cancer three times when I was growing up, and the first time I meditated at 15 or 16, to help put myself in the right place in my mind, I had such a beautiful experience. I do it most mornings and evenings. I think what matters to me is when I’m on set, doing the work, and in terms of “the industry”, I don’t like the facade of the events side, or when work I’ve done finally comes out, I find it hard to celebrate it, and when your followers go up on Instagram, you’re not feeling that reception, because it’s not a personal thing. Being home with my friends who do a 9-to-5 job and playing basketball and hanging out just grounds me too and I love that.


I read that you also work with the jewellery brand Merchants of the Sun who create collections and donate profits to causes you care about, including cancer, mental health and homelessness. Do you have other passion projects?

I do, I release art, some of which was donated for the floods in the Northern rivers of Australia and in the Ukraine, and I want to release more prints. All the auxiliary things I do are done with giving to other things and projects at the same time.


What kind of art do you create?

I do one-line drawings, and I’ve been painting a lot recently too. There’s a bit of a Picasso influence because we have Picasso-esque sculptures and prints of him at home that we’ve had since I was a child.

Left Full look Tods

Right Top and pants Giorgio Armani, sneakers Nike

I read somewhere that you write poetry too, is there a particular poet or poem you always return to?

Yes, I got into it at drama school because I was a slow reader, and instead of reading entire plays or scripts, I would find myself reading poetry. I remember the satisfaction I felt because I had got through a page, I was so elevated as if I had read a whole script! I love T.S. Eliot, E.E. Cummings, and Carl Jung, I know he’s not a poet but his words insight a lot in me. I love the quote: “The human heart yearns for contact - above all it yearns for genuine dialogue - to be recognised in our uniqueness, our fullness and our vulnerability.” It’s about recognising that so many people’s behaviour is just an attempt to be seen, loved and accepted. But then there’s also a quote I like in T.S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock about the masks that we put on to try to receive love, but it’s only when we take them off that we fully feel it.

As an actor, you’re always wearing a mask of sorts, but as Oscar Wilde would say, “Give a man a mask and he’ll show you the truth.”

Exactly, it’s a bit of a contradiction! I do think there’s something about playing a character that really allows you to show through. I am happy being home here in Australia, but I think I’m also happiest when I feel like I’m being of service. I’ve only shown my writing and art to a select few, but I may eventually share it on a wider scale, to express myself more. Ultimately when they call “action” on set, it’s the best feeling, to just be present in that moment, creating something special with other people.

Left Polo Alix Higgins, jeans Acne Studios

Right Full look Tods

Interview by Kate Lawson

Photography by Rob Tennent

Fashion by Thomas Townsend

Casting by Imagemachine cs

Grooming by Sarah Tammer

HOPEFUL ESCAPISM

CHARLIE VICKERS'S DIDN’T KNOW WHAT IT FELT LIKE TO BE PART OF AN ENORMOUS FANTASY FRANCHISE, UNTIL HIS MAJOR BREAK-OUT ROLE IN AMAZON'S MEGA LORD OF THE RINGS PREQUEL THE RINGS OF POWER. HE’S HAD A LOT TO DO SO FAR AS CHILLING VILLAIN AND EVIL DARK LORD, SAURON, NAMELY BEING THE HERO OF HIS OWN JOURNEY TO CREATE LASTING PEACE FOR MIDDLE EARTH, RETURNING IN MULTIPLE FORMS, WITH MIND-CONTROLLING POWERS, AND SOME EPIC BATTLES ALONG THE WAY. WE CAUGHT UP WITH THE AUSSIE ACTOR TO DISCUSS THE MAGNITUDE OF HIS SECOND SEASON FINALE, AND JUGGLING HIS SKYROCKETING ACTING CAREER WITH LIFE’S OTHER PASSIONS.

Full look Paul Smith, ring stylist’s own

Congrats on the season finale of the show, and Sauron was busy, what with killing Celebrimbor — and nearly slaying the Elf commander Galadriel too. When you read the script, were you like, yeah, I’m ready for this!

Yes! It was so cool, there was so much exciting stuff in the later part of this season, it’s a battle that goes on for two episodes and I got to do so much cool stuff, like the device that shows Sauron’s power that puts people in a mind prism, and he kills a lot of people, so getting to be that evil was quite fun!

Did you ever read any of Tolkien’s letters, about his perspective and the things that influenced him and how he envisioned his characters, to get into his mindset for the role of Sauron?

I did read his letters, and I found them useful for Sauron as he was very specific in how he imagined him and what he represents in the story. His intentions for Sauron were to create this evil character, but then he also wants him to heal, reform and rehabilitate middle earth, so I found those character-specifics were the parts of his letters I latched onto.

What about Sauron’s ability to shift into different forms. That must be great fun as an actor to find a different energy within the same show, challenging you to find new layers or dynamics?

That’s been the real joy of doing this role, being able to jump around and change forms, because it’s one of Sauron’s powers, and to lean into that makes it fun for me and the audience. I never thought I would be in a role this early on in my career where I would have the opportunity to transform and play around with this toolbox of stuff I have, it’s like being at drama school again, in terms of talking and walking differently and how he interacts with the world.

Full look Zegna

What do you hope for him in Season three?

Well, I don’t know what’s coming next! But if you look at it logically, he goes to Númenor, and he must make the one ring which will be a definitive point as it’s the ring that creates the whole LOTR mythology; all the Peter Jackson films revolve around that moment, and the trilogy of novels and The Hobbit, that all stems from Sauron making the ring! I think that would be exciting and iconic to see on screen.

What about the pressure of being in such a role?

This has been a new journey for me, learning to be part of a show with all the publicity that comes with it, and living in this world hasn’t come that easily to me. But I do try to forget about the project and the character once I’ve finished filming, I find it simplifies life. I’m not really involved in the industry unless I’m working on something.

Tolkien wrote work that was incredibly nostalgic for the past. Are you a nostalgic person?

I’m more excited about the future and what’s coming next with my family, my wife and baby. I don’t spend too much time looking back, but then recently I walked past a place in Kennington Park where I used to live here in London, and it made me nostalgic, thinking how things were back in the day. Weirdly, I remember spraining my ankle playing basketball there, not so nostalgic really!

Jacket, top and pants Fendi, watch Montblanc

What about those days when you first moved to London from Australia to go to drama school, what do you recall most?

It was a seminal moment that changed my life, it was my way into the industry, and that’s all I knew. I was going to the theatre every night and it felt like I was ‘in that world’, and that was my identity. The older I’ve got, the more I’ve learned not to wrap my identity up in being an actor, you’re just setting yourself up for a career of rejection! I find fulfilment in my life in other ways. But when I got an Australian agent and started doing small projects, I started learning more about the industry out there too. I think Australian film and TV keeps getting better and we do see more diverse stories about the country now, things that haven’t been seen internationally that much, and I would love to make my own projects out there, that’s the goal.

You obviously love theatre too; would you consider a stint on stage here?

I would like to try it for sure, but I’ve got a baby now, so it would have to be the perfect project to take me away from being at home with family every night, because it’s a few months commitment!

Well, having now played a fantasy villain, and Clem in the miniseries, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, who was a troubled character, are you looking to do something a little lighter?

I would love to do a comedy or play a nice guy for once! But for me, it’s project-specific, and when the opportunity comes, if the character excites me and I can see myself going on that journey, then I know that it’s right for me.

Left Coat, pants and shoes Giorgio Armani, hat Emporio Armani

Right Full look Prada

Do you like taking something from each character you get to play and learning more about yourself in the process. The cherry picking?

You always subconsciously keep things with you I think, but I don’t specifically take things over from other characters. There might be times when I will do something and maybe think, ‘oh, there’s a little bit of Sauron in that’, but I think that comes from living with a character for so long.

Any directors that would be a dream to work with?

I would love to work with Ari Aster or Christopher Nolan, there’s something about the way he makes films that excites me and reminds me of why I go to the cinema.

I never saw myself on screen in characters I saw in films as I didn’t think it was possible to be an actor, but I do remember when I was a teenager, going to see Nolan’s film, Inception, three times at the cinema, which is so rare for me, but I loved it so much. It was so inspiring, and I don’t usually get inspired by film, that inspiration usually comes from elsewhere.

Such as…?

I seek inspiration outside of work, from life really and the things that get me excited. I’m into sport, well, obsessed with football, I’m a spurs fan, have been all my life!

I’ve also just done a marathon read of books by the Australian author Tim Winton, and I love music, listening to all kinds of genres, like Jordan Rakei, who I saw at the Albert Hall the other night. I also play guitar, but just for my own enjoyment, I’m not about to unleash my music onto the world!

Full look Louis Vuitton

Let’s say a music biopic came along, who would you want to have a crack at playing?

Mika! I look a bit like him, if I shave my beard off! [laughs] But I don’t know if it’s too early to make one about him yet, or maybe do it as a musical, but I would definitely play him!

Well maybe Sauron will come back as Mika in his next guise! Either way he wants to conquer Middle Earth; what do you want to conquer in your own life?

Haha! Well, professionally I don’t feel any sense of ambition to conquer anything, there are no goals to achieve certain things. I just want to keep working for the rest of my life on projects that excite me!

Not even winning an Oscar?

Oh yeah, that would be cool! [laughs] I do have to say that personally though, my goal is to swim the English Channel.

Left Full look Dior Men

Right Jacket Zegna

Are you mad?

Random right?! I know someone who’s just done that, and I would need to live near the coast for all the training, and you’re not allowed to wear a wetsuit either, as that’s not deemed an official crossing if you do.

I’m imagining all those Sauron fans turning up on the beach at Dover…

Haha! He would have to wear his bathers!

Jacket, top and pants Fendi, sunglasses and watch Montblanc

Left Coat Giorgio Armani

Right Shirt Dior Men, sweaters Brunello Cucinelli and Hermès 

Full look Dsquared2

Left Full look Prada

Right Jacket Dsquared2

Interview by Kate Lawson

Photography by Jack Chipper

Fashion by Steven Huang

Grooming by Lachlan Wignall at Stella Creative Artists using Hair by Sam McKnight and Haus Labs

Photographer’s assistant Alex Sievers

Stylist’s assistant Aaishah Peragerzain

MAN IN THE MIRROR

FOR ALMOST A DECADE, LUCA FERSKO HAS MAINTAINED A TOTALLY UNIQUE PRESENCE IN THE SPHERE OF SOCIAL MEDIA. FROM HIS EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH TO MAKING SHORT FILMS TO HIS SIGNATURE STYLE BUILT ON REINVENTING THE CLASSICS OF MENSWEAR WARDROBE, THE NEW YORKER HAS BEEN AN INFLUENCE ON A WHOLE GENERATION OF FASHION FANS (THIS WRITER INCLUDED). WITH HIS LATEST ENDEAVOUR, HOWEVER, LUCA IS FOCUSING ON WHAT’S UNDERNEATH THE CLOTHES. AS HE’S WORKING ON PROTOTYPES FOR HIS 1950S-INSPIRED UNDERWEAR LINE (THINK HIGH WAIST, THINK MARLON BRANDO), HE CALLED US FROM A CAFÉ IN NORTHERN ITALY TO TALK ABOUT EATING GELATO, BLUSHING IN PALERMO, AND LEARNING TO PUT HIMSELF FIRST.

Hi Luca! How’s it going? Where in the world are you right now?

Hey! I’m good, brother. I’m in Italy.

What are you up to there?

My mom is Italian and she lives in the north of the country. I actually lived here for about five years from 2011 onwards, I went to high school here. But now, I randomly had a [modelling] job in Palermo, so I decided to fly up north after and spend two weeks with my family.

What’s the first thing you like to do when you come to Italy?

My mom gets the first hug. In the summertime, we usually go for a walk and get some gelato, in winter, some mulled wine.

What do you miss the most about Italy when you’re in New York?

My house when everyone’s there: my mom, her partner, my three siblings, and our dog. When everyone’s there, the house is like a sitcom. In New York, I live completely alone, but when I’m here, there’s always some drama [Laughs], you know how Italians are. They’re very expressive. So there’s always this commotion that I love.  Also, my mom does my laundry when I’m here, so that’s nice.


[Laughs] That’s always nice! And what do you miss about New York when you’re in Italy?

My motorcycle. Here, I rely on others to drive around, while in New York I’m completely free. 

Let’s talk a little about your film work on YouTube – it has been quite experimental lately! Which part of the process of working on the videos do you find most enjoyable?

The revelations, the breakthroughs and the uncertainty. Making films is like having a child. Bear with me. There are three stages. First, you decide you want to have the baby and you have the ideas of how it will be raised. Similarly, with films, you have ideas of how you want to make them, who the characters will be and what the scenery will look like. Then, you get pregnant. You begin to film, you try to stay away from certain substances so you don’t go off track from the original plan. But as we know, there are many influences and constraints. You might be stressed. You may smoke a cigarette here or there. There might be a global pandemic.

[Laughs]

In the case of making a film, the lighting might be off, you might have to switch cameras, the audio may get corrupted… And then the film has a completely new mood because you recorded it differently. Then, the final stage is the editing, the delivery. Is it a premature baby? Is it a C-section? Did you change your mind and decide that you wanna scrap the whole project? Did you run out of money? The surprise of the final project is what keeps me engaged when I’m making these things.

What sort of YouTube videos do you find yourself watching the most?

There’s a comedy show that comes out every Monday called Kill Tony. I find it pretty funny and would definitely recommend it!


Do you have an item of clothing that has been on your mind a lot lately?

I’m making underwear at the moment, a hundred percent natural cotton underwear. I’ve been working on that for a few years now, so it has been on my mind a lot, how to make a product that I’m proud of. 

What’s the shape of underwear that you’re an advocate of?

I wish I had them on now, I would show you. [Laughs] It’s a boxer, more flowy than tight. The inspiration came from a pair of boxers produced in the 1950s that were high wasted. The material is like a button-down shirt and it’s completely organic cotton. A lot of people are now going towards that direction because there have been some studies about underwear [that’s made with synthetic fabrics] messing with people’s hormones. So that’s very important to me as somebody who’s very conscious of what he eats and what he puts on his skin.

Where did this desire to be mindful about things that you use come from?

I think it was because my father passed away in 2011. He had a brain tumour. And I could never understand how that could happen because he was so robust, you know, he was on the rowing team. So since then, I have been trying to understand how that could happen to somebody and how do I make that not happen to me. And so I went down a path of trying all different kinds of diets, trying to heal myself from things that a lot of people struggle with, be it skin issues, stomach problems or energy fluctuation. Today, I feel like I have things in order and that’s a good feeling, to know what works for me and how I can give myself energy for certain things.

Who is your style guru?

Me. [Laughs] I think style is all about the man in the mirror. That said, Marlon Brando is one. I like to look at older, timeless silhouettes: classic pants, beautiful shirts, quite formal stuff. I used to care much more about wearing brands that were popular, but now it’s more about certain pieces that I know will work for me.

Whose advice do you trust the most?

I have a friend, his name is Vladi and he’s 65. He’s from Montenegro but he has lived in New York for a long time. I met him on the street about three years ago and we’ve been good buddies since. Recently, he told me that I need to put myself as number one in my life. And that was very important for me.

What’s a quote that’s stuck in your mind right now?

I love this question. “A failure to plan is a plan to fail.”

Where did you come across it?

I don’t know, I can’t remember. Who said that? Let’s Google it. Okay, maybe Benjamin Franklin…

[Laughs] Or maybe someone repeated it after him. But it stands true.

It does. I’m trying to be better at planning. My family was always late to everything, we missed flights all the time. And so I’m trying to break that curse and be more structured.

Do you have any skills that you want to learn?

There’s this guy who puts his chin on the pull-up bar and he’s just able to hang from there with no hands.

That’s crazy!

I wanna learn how to do that. [Laughs] I have been always attracted to these physical feats.

Okay, what is your latest obsession?

Coffee. I quit every few months but when I’m on it, I’m really on it. And now I’m on it. And I love it and look forward to it. [Laughs]

Maybe it’s because you’re in Italy, you have no choice.

Exactly.

What do you think about in the shower?

Again, love that question. It’s usually an act of emptying my mind, sort of washing away excess thoughts. And in doing that, something usually comes up that makes me think, “I need to remember that and write it down.” Something in the subconscious. Something about the shower opens up a world I can’t access otherwise because there’s so much distraction [around]. So maybe we should take more showers, creative people.

What’s a movie you can watch over and over again?

Goodfellas. Also, Tom Ford’s A Single Man. I love that film, especially the costumes. It’s so beautiful. The Lobster by Yorgos Lanthimos. That one made me realise that you can make a film about anything, there are no rules.

Which sport reigns supreme in your eyes?

Climbing, and specifically, free soloing. Do you know what free soloing is?


I think so!

It’s climbing with no ropes and no protection. It’s so physical and primal. And your focus has to be so sharp.


What was the last thing that made you laugh?

Probably my brother, Henry. We crack each other up. We don’t see each other very often, but we have the same sense of humour. When we’re together, we’re always laughing.


What was the last thing that made you blush?

There was a pretty girl in Palermo that I was hanging out with just last week. I was smiling at her and she asked me why I was smiling. And it made me blush because I thought, “Ah, she caught me.” [Laughs] But I couldn’t help it. I was just looking at her like, “Oh, wow.”

Interview by Martin Onufrowicz

Photography by Torian Lewin

A LESSON IN EMPATHY

RECENTLY, THE CASE OF LYLE AND ERIK MENENDEZ – TWO BEVERLY HILLS BROTHERS SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR MURDERING THEIR PARENTS BACK IN 1989 – HAS BEEN RESURFACING IN THE MEDIA. THIRTY-FIVE YEARS AFTER THE VIOLENT CRIME, PUBLIC OPINION HAS BEEN GRADUALLY SHIFTING DUE TO A RISE IN SENTIMENT CONSIDERING THE IMPACT THAT GROWING UP WITH AN ABUSIVE FATHER HAD ON THEIR DECISION. NOW, THEIR STORY IS TOLD IN MONSTERS: THE LYLE AND ERIK MENENDEZ STORY – THE SECOND SEASON OF RYAN MURPHY’S HIT NETFLIX SERIES. FOR COOPER KOCH, WHO PLAYS ERIK, THE SHOW FOCUSES ON EXPLORING IN DETAIL THE ROLE THAT THEIR EXPERIENCE OF FACING CONTINUED ASSAULT HAD ON THE FAMILY DYNAMIC, AND THE HEREDITARY NATURE OF TRAUMA. WHAT STANCE DOES THE SERIES TAKE? “YOU SEE ALL ANGLES AND EVERYONE’S POINT OF VIEW – THE BROTHERS, THE PARENTS, THE LAWYERS,” SAYS THE LOS ANGELES-BORN ACTOR.  “IT COLLECTS THESE PERSPECTIVES AND LETS THE AUDIENCE DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES WHAT THEY BELIEVE.”

 
 


Hi Cooper! Your portrayal of Erik Menendez in Monsters is incredible, it feels so nuanced and compassionate to what he’s been through in his life. How did you prepare to play a part with such a painful arc?

My main thing was watching the testimony. The whole trial is on YouTube so I would constantly watch or listen to it – it was playing when I was driving or I would put it on next to my bed and fall asleep to it. I would watch it over and over again, not only to pick up his mannerisms, the cadence of his voice and how he carries himself, but also to deepen my empathy for him and Lyle, and for their story. The more I watched it, the more I cared about him and Lyle. 

 

What was the priority for you while showcasing Erik’s story?

I think that Erik’s journey is one of self-discovery. He doesn’t know who he is because of what’s been happening to him his whole life. When you go through that kind of trauma and you’re part of a family with these dynamics, it’s hard for you to form a sense of identity when you’re being told what to do and who you are or who you’re supposed to be. And so I really wanted to, especially in the first half of the show, I wanted him to be mouldable – he doesn’t know who he is or what to do. Then, once he starts being more honest and real, that evokes his true sense of self. 

 

We get to speak in the week following the show’s release – what has that hectic time been like for you? Has it been overwhelming?

I got to watch the show with my family and friends. We rented an AMC theatre and we binged the entire series. That was an amazing experience! But then I was also definitely nervous before all the press stuff started happening because it has been so controversial and people have a lot of opinions about it. But now I actually feel great and super calm. I’m glad I was able to speak my mind and share my truth, and talk about how I feel about the brothers and the whole situation. 

I saw one of the interviews that you did in the past week and I really liked your reaction to Erik’s statement on the show and what he deems as a harmful portrayal of Lyle. Obviously, he’s unable to watch the series, so his opinions are purely based on what’s been relayed to him. But you said that you understand where he’s coming from, which I think is the best thing you can really say because it is his life [that’s shown on screen]…

Yeah, it’s the only thing you can say. It’s his life and it’s his story, and so of course it’s going to evoke difficult feelings for him. Generally speaking, there has been a bit of confusion about the show. It’s constructed in a way where there are different perspectives on the matter and some of them are obviously outrageous, but I think people took them literally.

 

In the past week, you also got to meet Erik and Lyle in person! I read that it happened quite spontaneously, with Kim Kardashian reaching out to you after she watched the series. What were you feeling? Were you anxious before meeting them?

I had spoken with both of them before the show came out, which I’m so glad that I was able to do because I just wanted them to know before they saw anything that I support them, I care for them and I believe them. And so that was great. But yeah, Kim Kardashian and Scott Budnick do a lot of prison reform work, and they had a trip planned to go down to the prison where the brothers are. Kim saw the show and she reached out to me through my stylist. And then we got on the phone and she started asking me all these questions about Erik and what my thoughts were, and she asked me if I wanted to go to visit them. And obviously, I said yes. I was super nervous to go in but the first person I saw was Erik. We embraced and we had an amazing conversation. We also sat around in a circle with other inmates who shared their stories and what they’ve done. And something really interesting was that they all came from dysfunctional families…

Jacket & pants Emporio Armani, sunglasses Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

Meeting Erik and Lyle, what in your view is the state of mind that they’re in today?

They seemed super light. They were cracking jokes, they were very charming, very kind, and very sweet. I remember Erik looking at Kris Jenner and being like, “You just don’t age, do you? You’re so beautiful.”

They’ve done so much work in prison reform. Erik teaches meditation classes, they both got a college education in prison, and they are working on this Greenspace project. They painted a mural around the prison yard so that the surroundings are not all just gray – there’s light and colour and life. And I think they have that within them too. They’re filled with light and they’re truly upstanding individuals. 

 

Let’s talk about The Hurt Man, the fifth episode of the series which is a 33-minute long single take of Erik giving an account to his lawyer of the abuse he faced throughout his life. How did you prepare for this episode?

Well, I grew up doing theatre so I knew that it was gonna be something that I could wrap my head around. I read the script over and over and over again, and I took all those stories and memories that he shares, and I just really tried to get super specific with what they all looked like – what the room looked like, what was the weather that day, what day was it… That way, when it came down to shooting, it would all just be real for me when I started talking about it. This also in a way became my entire prep for the character because that’s basically his whole life story, that episode is the entire history of his life [at that moment]. So in building that and constantly working on it, I was creating research that would ultimately be the foundation for my character. 

Sweater Loro Piana

How many takes did you do?

We did eight takes and shot it over two days. And they chose the very last take. 

Well, it was all worth it then. [Laughs] Something that we have to discuss is your friendship with Chloë Sevigny, who plays Erik and Lyle’s mother on the show. I saw that you went to the Sweat Tour together.

Chloë is so wonderful. She came in and had a really clear idea of how she wanted to approach her character. You know, she showed up in every scene with some nuances, she wasn’t trying to do anything crazy. She trusts herself. She’s also very kind and she took care of me. She would check in with me and make sure I was doing okay throughout the shoot. We had a good little buddy system on set and we definitely became friends. One day, she came to me and said, “They asked me to do this Charli XCX video, do you know her?” And I was like, “Yes, you have to do that!” And she did. Then, when I saw that the Sweat Tour was happening at the same time as we were in New York for press, I was like, “Hello, I think we should go.” [Laughs]

Lastly, what are you looking forward to once this busy time of press for the show comes to an end?

I want to find my next thing to do. I want to find another project that I will feel a similar type of passion towards, a story that I feel that I have to tell. I’m excited to work again.

Shirt & pants Gabriela Hearst, shoes Vans

Interview by Martin Onufrowicz

Photography by Nino Muñoz

Fashion by Seppe Tirabassi

EIC Michael Marson

Casting by Imagemachine Cs

Grooming by Ericka Verrett @ aframe_agency

Photographer’s assistant Kurt Mangum

,

SURVIVAL INSTINCT

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VANCOUVER-NATIVE MACKENZIE DAVIS CONTINUES TO GENRE-JUMP, FROM ROM-COMS AND FEMINIST INDIE FLICKS TO SCI-FI AND HORROR, WITH TV CREDITS INCLUDING HALT AND CATCH FIRE, STATION ELEVEN, AND BLACK MIRROR'S BELOVED "SAN JUNIPERO" EPISODE, TO MOVIE BLOCKBUSTERS SUCH AS TERMINATOR: DARK FATE AND BLADE RUNNER 2049, AND THE COMEDIES TULLY, IRRESISTIBLE AND HAPPIEST SEASON. THE 37-YEAR-OLD ACTRESS IS CURRENTLY MAKING US JUMP OUT OF OUR SEATS, IN THE REMAKE OF THE TENSE AND EERIE DANISH HORROR MOVIE, SPEAK NO EVIL, IN WHICH A DREAM HOLIDAY SOON TURNS INTO A PSYCHOLOGICAL NIGHTMARE FULL OF COMPLEX GENDER DYNAMICS. DAVIS INFUSES HER CHARACTER LOUISE, A MOTHER AND WIFE IN A TROUBLED MARRIAGE, WITH AN UNCOMFORTABLE BLEND OF SOCIAL ANXIETY, DIVORCED FROM HER INSTINCTS. WE CAUGHT UP WITH DAVIS TO TALK ABOUT RELYING ON HER INTUITION, CRAVING LIGHTNESS, AND HOW SLEEP IS ON HER WISH LIST FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.

Full look Celine by Hedi Slimane

Left Full look Prada 

Right Coat Miu Miu, skirt Maison Margiela, shoes Dries Van Noten, socks Falke 

Ok firstly, this movie has made me never want to be a host or house guest again! What about you?

Not at all, I love hosting, but it’s maybe not that wise to spend three isolated days with some people you only met on holiday in a dreamy location!

Full look Celine by Hedi Slimane

You can say that again. Let’s get under the skin of your character Louise, as I imagine she was quite complicated and layered to play – she’s a bit of a balancing act. Was that one of the things that attracted you to the movie?

Yes, I found her challenging in that I didn’t like her right away, and I found some of her behaviour frustrating, and the more I looked at her, the more I wanted to create a reason as to why she was the way she was. I feared that she would be a passive character who turned into the “strong female character archetype” at the end and there wouldn’t be a true line between the two, and so I tried to figure out a way into her that pushed against my initial judgements.

Full look Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

I’m assuming you didn’t see yourself, or aspects of yourself, in your character, as is often the case with acting, because Louise entirely goes against her instincts?

I initially didn’t see myself in the character as I couldn’t understand her reticence to call the shots when it was clear she had the instinct, impulse and intuition to read the situation clearly; I kept thinking, “Why is this woman always looking at her husband for answers?” What was helpful was building a framework where I could understand that reticence, that this couple were in therapy. It’s a relationship where she’s trying to atone for an indiscretion and is constantly in an apologetic, backfooted place. I think resolutions can come out of couples therapy that aren’t necessarily healthy or equal on the surface, but are stepping stones to solving a marital problem, and in this case, it was important that Ben (Scoot McNairey’s character) got to be the leader in public situations, and I hesitate to use the word “emasculated” because it’s my least favourite word on the planet, but it’s that feeling of him needing to have that power bestowed on him. So, once I figured all of that out, it made more sense to me why this smart, capable woman was constantly looking to her husband for approval, guidance or support in a situation where she clearly already knew what to do.

Left Full look Louis Vuitton

Right Sweater & skirt Fendi, boots Prada

For a lot of the movie, she’s trying to keep the peace and then she just can’t do it anymore. That will be relatable to many of us, trying to be all things at once. I liked that what she’s feeling is not always delivered through dialogue, but rather expressions or silence. That’s always interesting to explore on screen.

Behaviour is the most revealing aspect of your feelings or character and it was important to me to know that Louise wasn’t going to be overly vocal, and that our director James Watkins was interested in those moments of silence; not that she was absent from proceedings, but that her silence was spoken in other ways. I’m always interested in couples or families with a long relationship history, which is thick with subtext like past hurts, game playing, traps to see if ‘they do that thing you expect them to’, you don’t always see it all in dialogue, but those silences or looks are the most interesting.

Left Full look Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

Right Sweater Maison Margiela, bottoms Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

The film takes viewers on a rollercoaster ride, from cringe laughing to feeling so unsettled, and what elevates it, I think, is a lot of the story explores digging into what it means not to speak up, so there is an emotional journey audiences can connect with, that feels logical. Would you agree?

I think the experience of trying to be polite, keep the peace, and trying to survive in society and not alienate people all the time is one I definitely relate to, as we’re constantly censoring ourselves, and sometimes it can feel like the stakes of offending or not are as high as being killed! To make some really insensitive misstep will cause you to get cast out of society in a way that could be like a death. I know I sound dramatic but this response to social situations can feel extremely high stakes. Then that’s also funny too, as comedy and horror are dealing with the same things, that tension and then release, you either scream or laugh, and you get both with this film, the social panic and mortal panic.

Left Full look Prada 

Right Coat Miu Miu, skirt Maison Margiela, shoes Dries Van Noten, socks Falke 

It's interesting you mention social panic, particularly with this fear everyone has of being cancelled for speaking up. What’s your take on it all?

I think society swings on a pendulum and sometimes we overcorrect in a way to rectify something that hasn’t been corrected for centuries. Some people may bristle to current culture as we’re correcting a system of order or power structure that kept people silent rather than speaking up against what the norm was deemed to be. People are having strong reactions to what they see as militant political correctness now, or cancel culture. But I think it’s also natural to swing to one side and not to feel the need to overcorrect, even though the impetus seems to be a radical empathy, at some times it feels like it’s neutered our impulses and intuitions as we’re constantly checking ourselves to make sure we’re not offending. I like to think I’m an empathetic person, but that there is also space to make a mistake and follow your intuition without being penalised for it. 

Left Sweater Maison Margiela, bottoms Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

Right Full look Balenciaga

In relation to your character Louise’s fear of not speaking up, but empathising with her logic, have you ever had to mute your intuitive responses in real-life experiences?

Yes, there are so many times I’ve had to mute, as I’m really sensitive to certain pejorative words, such as “emasculation”, as it doesn’t have a parallel for women, it’s a straight off panic of men not being able to rule the world and it’s such a stupid word. But then if I’m in a social situation I probably won’t call it out every time I hear it, I’ll give myself a few opportunities not to say what I’m thinking [Laughs], but then the weight of being the killjoy outweighs the other part of you that wants to just survive and not correct people and move on.  So that meeting out of an allowance of intuitive responses, or not having free reign is part of surviving socially, but it does mute your sensitivities. 

Full look Louis Vuitton 

Speaking of intuition, I imagine the obvious thing with taking new roles is not to repeat yourself. What does get you excited when it comes to a script? And what type of roles do you automatically turn down? Is there such a thing?

It’s hard to say what I turn down, but there is a genre of speculative sci-fi, it’s not the genre, but easy dystopias can sometimes feel like something I don’t want to do, but so many things are a reaction to the last thing you did. So, I’m craving lightness rather than darkness right now, and often when I read a script, I think, “Can I feel the words in my mouth?” Sometimes things are great, objectionably wonderful, that I would love to be in, but it’s not going to fit in my body for some reason and it’s a strange litmus test that’s hard to describe to another person. I can just feel if something is going to fit with me or not and it’s a rhythm, understanding the tone and point of view of the writer when you’re reading something.

Full look Loewe

In the eclectic and complex mix of characters you’ve already played over your career, how has the feeling of being in front of a camera changed for you since your first screen role?

It’s changed a lot. I always felt comfortable acting between action and cut, even on my first movie, but I would say working on character and advocating for character has changed a lot, having grown up and found more authority and a right to advocate. It felt inappropriate when I was younger to be more strident or raise things that I had trouble with, like the way a scene was written, and if I got pushed back, I would be like, “Ok, moving on.” Now, I’m more loyal to my point of view because I trust it comes from a good place and that I have good instincts most of the time. I guess I’ve become a lot more annoying to work with.

Full looks Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

Before your on-screen break came, were there movies you watched growing up that helped fuel your passion for acting?

Well, every Sunday we would go to Blockbuster and choose a film, then cook a roast dinner and we were allowed to eat it in front of the TV! There were so many movies we watched all the time at home, like Beetlejuice, Drop Dead Fred and Father of the Bride. I wouldn’t say there was one movie or performance that moved me or ignited my passion, but those kinds of films were on constant repeat in my house!

Left Sweater Fendi

Right Full look Louis Vuitton 

What’s home life like for you now, after being on set for hours… Are you still watching movies? How do you relax?

Well, I just started running, which really scares me because I always end up injuring my ankle, but it’s been really helpful, as I’m shooting a show right now that’s really full on, and all I want to do when I get home is eat and watch something and tune out. So, I’ve been forcing myself to go out and run instead. I also love watching my dog, she helps me be in the moment because she’s so fascinated by things and emotionally available, and she also has a hair-trigger temper that I have to watch out for, so she keeps me excruciatingly present! [Laughs]

And the show you’re working on is the forthcoming Netflix series The Undertow?

Yes, I finish that soon and then I’m going to sleep more than anyone thought possible! After that, I’m going on vacation too, not sure where, and then it’ll be Christmas, so lots of cosy fires, reading, and more sleep!

Left Coat Miu Miu

Right Full look Prada

Interview by Kate Lawson

Photography by Hadar Pitchon

Fashion by Michael Andrew Rosenberg

Make-up by Olivia Barad At See Management

Hair by Erin Piper Herschleb At L’atelier Nyc

Assistant Loulou Shafran

FAMILIAR FACES

 
 

Zachary Quinto is going back to his roots – starring in NBC’s latest hit show, Brilliant Minds. The decision to return to network television felt natural – the universe was giving him unmistakable signs of approval. Filming began during a solar eclipse, which was coincidental, given that an eclipse was the catalyst for the narrative of what he calls his big break, the iconic Heroes. In Brilliant Minds, Quinto plays Dr. Oliver Wolf, a character based on one of the most important neurologists of the 20th century, who was instrumental in advancing our understanding of prosopagnosia, commonly known as face blindness.

Ironically, BTB assigned the interview about his latest role to Matt Bomer, one of Quinto’s oldest friends. The two met at 18 when they were both in college, and they’ve been supporting each other through all the success they’ve achieved ever since. On an early morning in Toronto, the two catch up as Quinto prepares to shoot his final scene of the show. But both are on the brink of change – Bomer is getting ready to send one of his children off to college. Amid Mercury retrogrades, tight schedules, and the pride they have in each other, they reconnect like the best pals they are.

- August 2024 -

Zachary Quinto: Hey honey, thank you so much for doing this.

Matt Bomer: Are you kidding me? I’m so glad I’m doing this with you. I’m so proud of you.

ZQ: I’m sorry I’m a bit late. But I know if there’s anyone who understands what it’s like to have a busy schedule it’s you. I think I get it now in a way I didn’t before. When you and I would talk when you were doing White Collar, I always thought, “Oh yeah, Matt is busy,” but I couldn’t quite fathom what that meant, I get it now that I’m on the other side.

 MB: I know, which is why I’m so grateful you made time to be with me.

 ZQ: Thank you. I was having a lot of technical difficulties… For how much longer is Mercury in retrograde?

 MB: Ok, so, it’s usually three weeks at a time, this time is from August 5th to the 28th…

 ZQ: We’re right in the middle of it…

 MB: How is Toronto?

 ZQ: Toronto has been great. I can’t believe it, but after I finish talking to you, I’m getting in my car and going to do the last scene of the show for the season. They had to move it to a Saturday and then after that, everything is wrapped. I’m going immediately to the barber… But I loved it, I’ve had a really great time. I hit the right time of the year to live in Toronto, it’s been a wonderful summer.

 MB: When did you start?

 ZQ: We started on April 8. I know because it was the day of the eclipse. It’s funny because the job that changed my career was Heroes. The whole inciting incident of the pilot of that show was a solar eclipse. To be back on NBC and to start filming a show on the day of an actual solar eclipse, I couldn’t help but notice the thread. 

 MB: How did this show come into your orbit?

 ZQ: The project has been kicking around for a long time, it was being developed before it got to NBC. I remember reading a different script of the same project, maybe seven years ago. It didn’t resonate with me at the time but when it came around this time it was different, it drew me in a way it didn’t the first time. I spent some time with it, I didn’t know if I wanted to go back to a network environment. And then I talked to Michael Grassi and the creative team, and I loved how they were talking about the show and what they wanted to do with it.  We did the pilot in March 2023 and then we waited to see what happened. The strikes happened right after, so there was no movement. In the middle of that, the head of NBC left… That’s never been a good sign when you’re waiting for a project to be decided upon, but we survived it. We got picked up the week before the strike ended… I feel grateful for that timing.

 MB: You’re fantastic in the show, it’s a great role for you. It’s wonderful to see you in every scene. I know that’s a very unique experience as an actor. How do you pace that all out? Are you carving out time to be a human being for at least 12 hours a week?

 ZQ: I've never had an experience like this before, so it was a real learning curve for me. Ultimately, we had a pretty reasonable schedule. I felt like I was able to generate the necessary stamina. I never felt overwhelmed, incapable, or so exhausted that I couldn’t see the road ahead. I kept a low profile during the downtime in Toronto. I wasn’t very extroverted or social. When I had free time, I made sure to take it. It was important for me to maintain a sort of monastic existence if you will. As I reflect on it, I think "monastic" is a fitting description. It was crucial for me to do things for myself when I had downtime, to maintain balance. I scheduled activities like banjo lessons, massages, and workouts on weekends. Friends visiting was nice, too. As for the work itself, I found it helpful to go from macro to micro. I would read the episodes as they came out, discuss them with the showrunner, raise any questions or concerns, and then review the revised drafts. I couldn’t afford to think too far ahead because there were so many intense days with a lot happening. So, I concentrated my energy on what was right in front of me, and I think that approach worked for me.

 MB: You know, I was thinking, we met at 18 years old. We were in college together and you’ve always been a huge inspiration to me, not only as an artist but also as a person. You inspired me to travel abroad for the first time. When we were starting in the business, I remember we used to have trailer talk. I mean, we did Broadway together… It's worth taking a moment to reflect on, especially since I've been thinking about it even before our conversation. So much has happened for each of us, and while we've experienced much of it together, we've also had significant individual journeys. To go so far back with someone and share such a foundational experience, like our time at drama school and our personal awakenings, makes watching your success and taking pride in it even more meaningful. There are many great Hollywood friendships and relationships, but to me, the best ones are those that trace back to before the flashbulbs and excitement. It's about the moments when we were there for each other in everyday ways, like driving to a doctor's appointment or just being present. I feel incredibly grateful for that.

 ZQ: I do too. You were really the first friend of mine who became famous, and seeing how you navigated that with such grace and kindness was incredibly inspiring. I remember how tactfully and graciously you handled interactions with people who approached you on the street, it was truly admirable. Also, I recall our conversations about our sexual identities back in college. We were among the first to discuss these topics openly with each other, and to see how you've embraced and expressed your identity with such power and confidence is remarkable. Fellow Travelers is a testament to that. Witnessing this aspect of your life is just as inspiring as anything I could have shown you when we were younger. I was reflecting on how intense the schedule can be on a show like this, and yet you managed to balance it while raising three children. Meanwhile, I have my dogs who come to work with me. You were working in Toronto and flying to LA every weekend while White Collar was in New York.

 MB: Jesus, right… I was flying home every weekend.

 ZQ: I literally don’t know how you did it.

 MB: Me neither, I think if I were doing that now it would be a different situation, but I was young and in love.

 ZQ: It’s pretty thrilling to think about. How old were you at the time?

 MB: I was 30 but my co-star would do the same thing and he was a little bit older than me, so he was a great accountability partner. Thankfully, we worked great hours in that show. In six seasons, I think we did two overnight shoots.

 ZQ: Yeah, it’s like what we’re doing. It helps to be a studio show, everything is on a sound stage so it’s a much more controllable schedule. The hours are much more civilised.

 MB: It’s funny to think about our time at college and the solace we found in each other in terms of our sexuality in the context of your character on the show, Oliver, because the real Oliver Sacks was celibate for much of his life… He had a hard time with his sexuality. Were you inspired by his life to play this character?

 ZQ: It's this unique hybrid of portraying a character who is, yes, largely inspired by the real-life Oliver Sacks, but exists in a contemporary and entirely fictionalized world. I get to draw from all the inspiration and source material related to Oliver Sacks’ real life, while also imagining what his life might have been like if he had come of age in a different time. His relationship with his sexuality was deeply influenced by the cultural and social expectations of his era. He passed away in 2015 at the age of 83, having grown up in the 20th century it was so different from what we know now. I think compounding that he had a very complicated relationship with his mother, which is something we explore in the show in a meaningful way. This might be a bit of a spoiler for the pilot, but Donna Murphy does play my mother.

 MB: Legends only, babe…

 ZQ: Legends, we’re bringing them in. But we do get to imagine what someone like Oliver might be like in the modern world. I think that standpoint motivates a deep desire to celebrate and amplify his legacy because he was such an incredible person. Almost every aspect of my character is true to the real-life Oliver Sacks, so I get a sense of who he was.

 MB: I get that. I think the way his sexuality is treated in the pilot is well done and unique, the way he’s talking to Carol… That was chef’s kiss. I love that relationship. We all need a Carol in our life. That first conversation when we think she’s talking about your sexuality but it’s about your face blindness.

 ZQ: There’s an aspect of him that’s very split off when we first meet him that moves through that over the course of the first season. A lot happens quickly on our show. It's fascinating to blend the narrative forms of medical procedural and character drama, and I've learned to anticipate how the stories will evolve. Almost every week, we introduce a new patient while continuing the ongoing stories of the doctors and hospital staff that viewers invest in. The cases are incredibly intriguing. I can't tell you how many times I’ve read a script and thought, "That can’t be real," only to find out that it is. Oliver Sacks wrote detailed case studies of his patients, and many of the stories on the show are drawn from those, as well as other similar cases. It’s remarkable to be part of a medical show that focuses exclusively on neurological disorders and mental health issues. At a time when mental health is more openly discussed in mainstream culture, it's important to continue examining and addressing this. I’m proud to be involved in something that contributes to this dialogue. The medical community often operates within a rigid framework, where thinking outside the box or proposing alternative approaches can be seen as a threat to the establishment. This reflects broader issues within the medical system, which is driven by profit and, in many ways, is broken. Oliver Sacks had a spirit of caring for his patients above all else, even if it meant challenging the system or disregarding rules he saw as obstacles. I've played characters who are rebellious for the sake of themselves or their own agendas, but it's nice to be playing a character's rebelliousness on behalf of other people in a magnanimous, compassionate way.

 MB: Prosopagnosia, I believe I’m pronouncing that correctly… face blindness is such an interesting thing to approach from an actor’s standpoint.

 ZQ: I’m going to be straight up, it’s weird to play because it’s a hard thing to comprehend. How could I imagine looking at you and not seeing my dear friend? I read a lot about it to try and incorporate that into my experience doing scenes. The other valuable thing was Lee Toland Krieger, who directed the pilot and some other episodes. He’s wonderful, he’s such an experienced and generous director. He came up with a visual vocabulary for sequences that we play throughout the season. It was interesting to see how it pays off. At first, I was a bit unsure of the value of the dramatization of that disorder in relation to the character. But they did a beautiful job. I don’t want to give too much away, but they don’t make a meal out of it.

 MB: How was working in Toronto? I love Canadian crews. I have a special place in my heart for it after doing Fellow Travelersthere.

 ZQ: That’s right, I forgot you shot down here. They’ve been nothing short of phenomenal, they’ve been amazing and hardworking. Everybody was on the same page; we all came together to tell the story. I’m so grateful for that experience, I hope we get to do more. But I am looking forward to a little break. I’ll have a change of pace in the next few months.

 MB: I hope we can manage to share a meal soon; we need to catch up. By the way, I’m loving the look here, love the beard.

 ZQ: I’m going to immediately shave my head after this. [Laughs] But I’m not mad at it, I just need a little change right now. But I want to enjoy a little of the end of the summer. I’ll be in LA at the beginning of September.

 MB: I’ll try to see you there. Are you going to be back in NYC?

 ZQ: Yeah, I’m going to be doing a play in the fall, at the end of October. I’ll do that until March.

 MB: You’re giving us a holiday run.

 ZQ: Giving you a holiday run. The play takes place on Christmas Eve. But anyway, I’ll be in LA before that, and I cannot wait to catch up with you. I can’t wait to know what’s been going on with you.

 MB: I’ll tell you this, I’m leaving tomorrow to drop a kid off at college. I wanted to watch your mind get blown for a second.

 ZQ: That’s insane Matty… My god. I just felt that in my stomach. Well, congratulations on that, it’s incredible.

 MB: I’m glad we had the chance to chat. I’m not sure if it’s a good or bad thing that we have to do this to talk, but I’m grateful it happened. Anyway, I’m excited for the world to see Brilliant Minds. I can’t think of anyone else who could have played this role. I feel like the nuance and the care and the subtlety that you bring to the character is moving,

 ZQ: I appreciate it so much. Thank you for watching it, and for the talk. I can’t wait to see you. I love you.

 MB: I love you. Good luck with your last scene.
…

DOING IT JUSTICE

JOSH RIVERA’S LATEST ROLE HAS BEEN A HIGH-INTENSITY WORKOUT. STARRING AS A LEAD IN AMERICAN SPORTS STORY: AARON HERNANDEZ – A NEW FX SERIES FROM RYAN MURPHY – WAS CHALLENGING BOTH WHEN IT COMES TO THE SHEER AMOUNT OF SHOOTING HOURS (AND THE DAILY CALORIE INTAKE TO BULK UP), AS WELL AS THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE DEPICTED SUBJECT MATTER. AFTER ALL, HOW EASY CAN IT BE TO PLAY SOMEONE WHO IN THE MINDS OF MANY IS A HOT-HEADED AND RUTHLESS KILLER? IN HIS PORTRAYAL, RIVERA SUCCEEDS IN SHOWCASING THE OTHER SIDE OF THE INFAMOUS NFL PLAYER – AN INSECURE YOUNG MAN WHO FEARS THAT HIS SEXUALITY WILL BE EXPOSED, AND WHO WILL DO ANYTHING TO KEEP HIS IDENTITY A SECRET. FOR BTB, RIVERA TELLS US ABOUT DIVING DEEP INTO HERNANDEZ’S TRAGIC LIFE STORY, FEELING AFFECTED WHILE FILMING THE BRUTAL SCENES, AND LEARNING HOW TO CATCH A BALL.

Left Full look Loro Piana 

Right Top & pants Lacoste, shoes John Lobb

Hi Josh! I saw the first five episodes of the series and I’m completely hooked! I have been really interested in the case of Aaron Hernandez for a while now and I think you did a great job in capturing the intricacies of his tragic story.

Did you follow the trial along as it was happening?

 

I got into it when the Netflix documentary on the case came out in 2020. 

That was my first exposure to it as well. I saw a bit of it because a buddy of mine was watching it at the time. But when I found out that this show was getting cast and they wanted to see me for it, I devoured it. And since then, I have watched it a few times, as well as listened to the podcast that it’s based on.

Full look Lacoste 

Once you were confirmed for the project, what was the preparation that you had to go through for the role?

It was so tough. The physical training wasn’t anything to write home about – it was four days a week. But I was eating a ton. I’ve never eaten so much. I had these meals prepared for me that were thousands and thousands of calories because the priority was that I get big.

 

Did you do a lot of football training as well?

Yeah, I worked with a company called Game Changers Sports. They had coaches that taught me a lot of techniques. I used to play football in high school but I was in a different position – I was a linebacker and a guard, and Aron was a tight end. I’d never had to catch a ball in my life. I was terrible at it [before this]. 

Top Zadig&Voltaire, pants and coat Prada & shoes John Lobb

Would you say you know how to catch a ball now?

I’m certainly better at it. That said, whenever we had the sexy, one-handed catches, that was somebody else. I didn’t do that. I can’t do that stuff. [Laughs]

In the process of learning Aaron’s story, what were some facets of him that you discovered that you found particularly helpful with your portrayal?

Coming from a place where I didn’t know much about his story except the fact that he committed a murder, something that stuck with me was how a lot of people said that he was a wonderful guy. A lot of people really liked him. They thought he was charismatic, easy to talk to, and lovable. That made me think a lot about the sides of a person and how one is inclined to act around people who could benefit his career, his friends, and his family, versus the people who might not mean much to him or who might not have any stake in his life. And I had to analyse that from my perspective. How do I treat people differently? How does my disposition change depending on who I’m talking to? I’m sure that some people think I’m funny, and some probably think I’m annoying. And I think in his case, that was probably a lot more of a spectrum compared to most people. We had access to some phone calls that he made in prison and you can hear the difference in the amount of tenderness towards some people, versus the amount of swag that he imbues in his speech depending on who he’s talking to. I thought that was really important to bring to the character because that’s what makes his outbursts and the sudden temperature changes make a little bit more sense.

Left Top MSGM, shorts & sock Lacoste, shoes John Lobb

Right Top Zadig&Voltaire, pants and coat Prada

Left Top Zadig&Voltaire, pants and coat Prada & shoes John Lobb

Right Sunglasses Chanel vintage

A lot of it was coming from these feelings of paranoia and being scared about his true self coming out. Was Aaron’s family involved in the process? Did you get in touch with them?

No, I didn’t feel that it would be conducive to building the character. It’s an adaptation and we cover many areas that are largely speculative and not publicly known on a factual level. And so that required that I build something from the ground up, so I didn’t want to complicate it with that resource. 

 

Which scenes or episodes did you find most challenging to work on?

I have never been a lead on a show before, so I was very surprised at how much goes into that and the sheer amount of effort it takes to be present with the kind of hours [that I was doing]. Something that was really difficult for me to film were the Odin [Lloyd, a player that was murdered by Hernandez] scenes – those really affected me on an emotional level, not in an “acting challenge” way. It was difficult to absorb the gravity of these kinds of things that are happening in the world. Re-enacting on such a level… It was hard to be the perpetrator. And I’ve never really felt that way before because I [usually] have a very good grasp on acting as pretend. It really affected me and it made it difficult to proceed, but I think the show turned out the way that it was meant to.

Full looks Lacoste

I think that it does a great job of showcasing all of the complexities of his situation for sure. Following this high-intensity experience, what are you craving right now in terms of roles?

Something funny. [Laughs] Looking back, I’m always the guy that everybody feels bad for or most horrible things happen to. I just wanna crack some jokes, you know?

Left Full look Loro Piana 

Right Full look Lacoste

Interview by Martin Onufrowicz

Photography by Ritchie Jo Espenilla

Fashion by Aryeh Lappin

Grooming by Jessica Ortiz

GOING UNDERCOVER

WITH JUST THREE WEEKS LEFT OF ACTING SCHOOL, JULIEN DE SAINT JEAN FOUND HIMSELF IN A CYCLE OF ENDLESS AUDITIONS, STRUGGLING TO SECURE A ROLE. IT HAD BEEN OVER A YEAR SINCE HIS LAST ACTING GIG, BUT THEN, IN WHAT HE DESCRIBES AS A MIRACULOUS TWIST OF FATE, HE WAS CONTACTED TO PORTRAY ANDREA IN THE COUNT OF MONTE-CRISTO, ALONGSIDE PIERRE NINEY. DESPITE ONLY HAVING SEEN A BRIEF TRAILER OF HIS WORK ONLINE, THE DIRECTORS WERE CONVINCED HE WAS THE PERFECT FIT FOR THE VENGEFUL ADOPTED SON OF THE COUNT. ALTHOUGH HE HUMBLY REFERS TO THIS OPPORTUNITY AS A BENEDICTION, JULIEN HAS CONSISTENTLY PUT IN THE WORK. HE JUGGLED ROLES IN PARALLEL PROJECTS LIKE LIE WITH ME AND LE PARADIS, A PERFORMANCE THAT EARNED HIM A CÉSAR NOMINATION. HE ALSO TREASURES HIS TIME COLLABORATING WITH CLASSMATES AND TEACHERS ON SHORT FILMS, SUCH AS LA PIQURE BY LENA DANA. HIS GUIDING PHILOSOPHY? “MAKE THE CHOICE WITH YOUR HEART.”

Hi Julien, how was your summer? 

If I compare it to last year, when I shot The Count of Monte-Cristo, I have to admit it felt good to be in full-time holiday mode because it's been a pretty busy year. I need to start getting back into the swing of things, learning scripts again, working on my auditions and my next projects. I'm always happy to get back to work, I can't wait. 

As you said, last summer you were filming The Count of Monte-Cristo, what was it like to work on such a big production and have it be shot, produced and released in such a short span of time?

We started shooting in July 2023 and finished in November. The editor edited the film at the same time, so by the end of the shoot we already had a big cut with at least 3 and a half hours of film. Then there was this gamble of, “Should we send it to Cannes?” because the film was due to be released in December 2024. Finally, they said let's go to Cannes, so they had to finish the editing and the special effects in less than 4 months. It's great, because films like this, big-budget ones, are rarely celebrated at film festivals like Cannes or at the Césars...So just the fact that we got to be there was great, and I found the welcome from the audience and press to be so warm.

What does this event and this experience mean to you as a young actor? A standing ovation that lasted 12 minutes...that's huge!

People often talk about the Cannes vortex: you get there and you have two days where there's a huge number of things happening every hour. When you see your film, it's like a dream, you can't believe what's happening. On the way out my agent said to me, “Julien, I don't think you realise what's going on.”


All the critical acclaim is well deserved, you can tell that there's a lot of work behind it, and I have to tell you I had a great time. 3 hours just went by!

It was scary for us because it's true that 3 hours of film in French cinema is quite rare. We were afraid that it would stop people from going to the cinema. But in the end, through word of mouth, the reviews were so good that people thought, come on, let's go watch these three hours. 


How does your character differ from Alexandre Dumas’ novel?
Summarising 1400 pages in 160 pages of script is quite difficult. As the character is pretty different and we didn't want to start getting mixed up, I wanted to read the first part of the book, to immerse myself in Dumas' work and his writing, but I really only based myself on my character, and on his trajectory. I don't think there’s much difference in how I approached the role compared to any contemporary character [that I’ve played].

But I imagine there are a lot of written things to take into account when you play it. What did you like when you read the script and Andrea’s lines?

First of all, he's pretending to be an Italian prince…So he's lying, he's manipulating, and with the help of the Count, they’re going undercover. There's nothing more enjoyable as an actor because these characters are a bit like actors, they're playing a role. That was also part of the complexity of the role...because the viewer is always aware of the plot and our plans, you don't want to show too much and at the same time you need to show enough to show that you're deceiving... It was a question of finding the right balance. For me, what most attracted me was my character’s sensitivity. 


Do you see a bit of yourself in Andrea?

I don't know if I'm very close to my character, but in general, there’s this desire for justice. It's a fairly universal feeling, but I can understand all the things Andrea does, going to great lengths to take revenge. 

The Count adopts Andrea and teaches your character everything. Would you say you've also had a mentor like that in cinema?

I think it's all the people you meet, whether they're professionals or friends. Or like my mother who told me, “Ah, you should try the Conservatoire in Lyon” And maybe if she hadn't said that to me, I wouldn't have gone to school, met teachers and other students who made me realise that it's possible to be an actor. There are lots of people I've met along the way, encounters that hopefully lead you to your goal. And sometimes people say that the profession is a bit of luck and that's true, there's also work, there's rigour, but it's also about meeting the right people at the right time. I've spoken to actors who've had a career of 40 years and they've told me that the hardest thing is to stay. And that means making the right choices, diversifying your roles, not locking yourself into one type of role and continuing to be fulfilled in the profession.


You also gave a wonderful performance in Olivier Peyon’s Lie with Me where you played alongside Jeremy Gillet. You seem to enjoy playing roles where you hide part of yourself, how do you approach this duality in your characters? And what inspires you to play such damaged characters? 

It's funny, I'm often projected into characters who are tough, who have anger inside them and who have a very dark side. In life, I'm rather the opposite of those characters. So when I play, I try to imagine how they would present themselves to the world as these rather dark characters, and then I re-inject something gentler from myself. And it's this duality that I put into them.

Do you have any plans to explore roles abroad?

I've been in my first English-language film, coming out on Netflix, called Delicious. It's a German film about a German family who arrive in France for the holidays. We're going to be a group of French people, and we're going to get involved with this family. It's a bit of a thriller and this is the first time I've played in English. Frankly, it was a great experience. The film will be released in 2025.  I also have a role in La Réparation by Régis Wargnier and Merteuil for HBO MAX, where I’ll be reunited with Anamaria Vartolomei who plays my sister Haydée in The Count of Monte-Cristo.


Did you notice a big difference when filming in English?

Sometimes when you're acting in English, you don’t look at yourself as much, it's as if the accent or the language barrier is a bit in the way. Let's say you look at yourself less because it's not your mother tongue. But I know I'd like to continue in an international career, there are more and more international projects and castings. I'm not closing my doors, even though I know there are so many great projects in France.


You've already shot with some of the biggest French actors in this film, who would you like to work with next? And in what types of roles?

I'm curious and I want to try my hand at everything. When you're a young actor, you want to do lots of films. I'd love to play with Noémie Merlant, who was my godmother at the Césars. I love her choice of films. She's an actress who moves me. And I'd love to play with her. And on top of that, we've got the same mole on the face on the right side, and I frankly told her that we should play brother and sister. The future is so uncertain, we could get life-changing news any day and life usually has more imagination than we do. So I'm rather looking forward to seeing what happens next. If there's a character, a director you want to work with, or an aesthetic you want to try out, if you really feel deeply in your heart that it's a good choice. If you make the choice with your heart. Even if you realise after the film that you're a bit disappointed, at least if you've made it with your heart, then that's the most important thing. At least that's my motto at the moment. Make the choices that please me. Not do roles because I'm told to do them. Films are bets, you never know. Sometimes it'll be a huge success, sometimes it won't work out, but it’s ok, we can always make more films.

Interview by Gabrielle Valda Colas

Photography by Lucca Dahan-Fletcher

Fashion by Candy Hagedorn 

Stylist’s assistant Juliette Lamet 

All clothes Louis Vuitton

OPENING UP

HAVING A BREAK FROM THE ENVIRONMENT YOU’RE USED TO CAN BE INCREDIBLY BENEFICIAL. FOR MAISY STELLA, STEPPING AWAY FROM THE INDUSTRY AT FIFTEEN, FOLLOWING HER ROLE ON A TV SERIES NASHVILLE, WAS JUST THAT. NOT ONLY WAS SHE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE PIVOTAL MOMENTS IN ONE’S ADOLESCENCE LIKE PROM, BUT SHE ALSO GOT TO MISS ACTING AND FELL IN LOVE WITH IT EVEN MORE. STELLA’S PASSION FOR THE CRAFT COULD NOT BE MORE PALPABLE IN HER FIRST ROLE SINCE THE HIATUS IN MY OLD ASS – A TENDER STORY ABOUT THE VALUE OF OPENING UP TO HUMAN CONNECTION. HER PERFORMANCE AS ELLIOTT, A QUEER TEEN SPENDING HER LAST SUMMER AT HOME BEFORE MOVING AWAY TO COLLEGE, THRIVES IN ITS AUTHENTICITY AND CHARM. FOLLOWING THIS RE-ENTRANCE, STELLA IS ONTO NEW, EXCITING THINGS, AND IN GREAT COMPANY – STARRING OPPOSITE ANNE HATHAWAY AND EWAN MCGREGOR IN FLOWERVALE STREET, THE NEXT FILM FROM DAVID ROBERT MITCHELL.

Left Full look N°21

Right Dress and shoes Zadig&Voltaire, jewellery Misho, socks Falke

Hi Maisy! I had the pleasure of watching My Old Ass yesterday and I found it very touching – something that especially resonated with me was the sentiment of feeling like you’re missing out on your family’s life once you leave for college. How did this role come your way and what spoke to you about the script?

I had auditioned for Megan Park’s first movie, The Fallout, and I established a relationship with her through that experience. Then I ended up reading the script for My Old Ass and by page five, I was anxious over the thought of not getting to do it. I was so in love with it so fast. I think that the entire concept of the movie is universally moving to anyone who allows themselves to actually feel it for a second. Everyone has nostalgia in them, and when this concept is done right, it’s very moving. Also, I moved from Canada when I was super young and my whole family was all there, so I struggled with literally all of the feelings that Elliott feels in the movie. It all felt really easy to access. 

Blazer, shirt, tie and shoes Sportmax, skirt Christian Dior, socks Falke

 What other facets of Elliott did you connect with immediately?

I loved the way that Elliott was written to be very bright and lively. I feel like I haven’t seen that in the lead character in a long time, usually, they’re always very brooding and mysterious. So I was very smitten with her from the start and I felt that I related to her naivety. At the start of the movie, she’s kind of oblivious and is accidentally not very nice to her mom – she gets so excited about things that she can be a little bit inconsiderate. And I feel like when I was growing up, I also definitely had moments like that, and I would always have feelings of guilt after, thinking, “My mom is just a person, this is her first go at life too.”

Dress Zadig&Voltaire

You have amazing chemistry with both Aubrey Plaza and Percy Hynes White in the movie. How did you guys build this bond off-screen?

Megan was very sure that she didn’t want me and Percy to hang out before or outside of filming – she wanted our scenes to feel awkward and real and she didn’t want us to feel like we knew each other very well coming into it. Aubrey was only filming for five days in total so we only met once or twice before the shoot, we had a proper hang and got to know each other a bit. I think it was all very natural, that’s the magic of good casting. [Laughs] We didn’t have to work hard to feel connected with each other, we all just had a really good flow. 

Left Coat and dress Zadig&Voltaire, necklace Misho 

Right Dress and shoes Zadig&Voltaire, jewellery Misho, socks Falke

Towards the end of the film, I loved the sentiment of the value of being “young and dumb”, and how that allows one to actually go for the things they want. Looking back, is there anything that you wish you pursued when you were a teen? Also, how would you say this idea influenced you after the filming?

Because I was already working as a kid, I felt that my education was a little bit rocky, as I was predominantly doing on-set school. And I always really wanted to do some type of music college because I dreamed of scoring films or doing something similar in that world. 

 The movie definitely woke me up and lit me up, it made me feel more tender and open to human connection and love, and less scared of the loss that you could experience. It genuinely made me feel a bit braver.

Left Dress and shoes Christian Dior, ring Misho, socks Falke

Right Full look Sportmax

Ok, take me through the Justin Bieber mushroom-infused fantasy performance. What was it like to shoot that scene?

It changed my life forever. I was so excited, I didn’t have a sliver of nerves going into that day – I was born to do that and I knew my whole life that this was gonna happen to me. [Laughs] That scene wasn’t actually in the original script and Megan was like, “We’re missing something, we need a musical dance number.” She had asked me what was my generation’s main performance, one that everyone clung to. And I immediately thought of One Less Lonely Girl. I used to watch the videos of his performances to that song and seeing him bringing someone up from the crowd… You just melted at the idea that it could be you. So then it was Megan’s brilliant idea to turn it and have me be Bieber. It was such a magical day. I did not want to take that outfit and I genuinely couldn’t shake him off.

Blazer Msgm, leggings and socks Falke, shoes Sergio Rossi

 You really embodied him, that’s for sure. I read that you took a break from the industry at fifteen to have the regular teenage experience — looking back, what do you think were the benefits of having this pivotal time in your life off acting?

The years between filming Nashville and My Old Ass were probably the most precious years of my life. They made my head get more screwed on than it was before. I was acting from the time I was eight to fifteen, and so that was all I knew. And when it ended, I truly missed it. I really felt like I fell in love with acting in the years that I wasn’t doing it. But at the same time, I went to art school for a year, I went to prom, I did all the things that I had really romanticized in my head. In those years, I was my most creative and my most inspired. I was just very excited for what was to come. And then it did come, and My Old Ass was quite literally the softest landing I could have imagined for my re-entrance.

Black top Zadig&Voltaire, white tank top Calvin Klein


Up next, you’re starring in a David Robert Mitchell film Flowervale Street alongside Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor — what can you tell me about working with these two incredible actors?

Annie is like the definition of warmth. She really was so mama to me, she was literally my mommy. She would always put electrolytes in my water and make sure that I was good. I could cry just thinking about her. And Ewan is one of the funniest people I’ve ever met, he’s just so cool. I was so stoked, I could not believe that I was even considered to be their love child. It was such a big jump for me to come from My Old Ass to this movie, I felt really scared and nervous. And they have guided it a lot and held it down. I still haven’t processed that experience but I love them both and I’m so excited to see them again soon.

Left Coat and dress Zadig&Voltaire, necklace Misho, high socks Falke

Right Dress and shoes Zadig&Voltaire, jewellery Misho, socks Falke

Interview by Martin Onufrowicz

Photography by Shane McCauley

Fashion by Alexis Kossel

Casting by Imagemachine cs

Hair by Sylvia Wheeler

Make-Up by Miriam Nichterlein

,

EMBRACING DUALITY

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THROUGHOUT HIS CREATIVE PRACTICE, ENIS LOOKS TO EXPLORE NEW BOUNDARIES AND CAPTURE THE FEELING OF RESILIENCE. FOLLOWING HIS MUSICAL RELEASES IN THE PAST YEAR, THE KURDISH-DANISH ARTIST BASED IN BERLIN HAS JUST LAUNCHED THE FIRST DESIGN FROM HIS ENIS ARCHIVES COLLECTION. IN ITS STRIKING FORM, THE LIMITED-EDITION SILVER EARRING USES THE DEPICTION OF THE SUN AND THE MOON – THE ULTIMATE DUALITY – AS A STATEMENT ON EMBRACING THE CONTRASTS WITHIN US. SHORTLY AFTER THIS LATEST RELEASE, WE SPOKE TO ENIS ABOUT HIS FORAY INTO THE DESIGN REALM, THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JEWELLERY, AND FIRST PIERCING HIS EARS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE PARENT TRAP.

Jacket and pants Celine Homme, jewellery Enis' own

You just released the first design from your line. Why did you want to begin with jewellery? 

I believe jewellery can be an emblem. Wearable art. Something that can act as a silent statement of one’s inner world. The design of the earring is like a badge representing a world that I am creating – the first piece I would add to my uniform. So, it felt right to start ENIS ARCHIVES with single-statement jewellery, which marks a significant resilient and rebellious milestone in my life, and I want those who wear it to feel the same way. 

What is the significance of the shape of the earring? 

There are several layers to the symbolism of the design - but duality is the core of it. I believe that without contrast, we won’t be able to find a deeper purpose in life. The more you embrace your nuances, the more insight you gain - and the more resilient you become. Instead of letting obstacles get in your way, you transform them into something beautiful. For me, the sun and the moon represent that contrast; light and dark, feminine and masculine, good and bad. It all works in tandem - without one, the other loses its meaning. The design captures this balance, reminding you that both sides are essential to your existence. 

Left Coat, shirt, sweater, shorts and shoes Maison Margiela, socks Falke, earring Enis' own

Right Shirt and tie Fendi, jacket and shorts Avenir, earring Enis' own

When did you first pierce your ears? Were you scared? 

I actually had my ear pierced twice. Once, after watching The Parent Trap with Lindsay Lohan having her ears pierced with just an apple and a hot needle… Ouch... But classic. I guess I was maybe 9-10 years old when I tried to do the same to myself in the bathroom. The hole grew together after a while as I didn’t have my own earring to wear… And I was probably too scared for my parents to notice. 

The second time was when I was looking for a birthday gift for my friend in Copenhagen. I picked out this beautiful, timeless silver sterling earring for her, but ended up falling in love with it so much that I had to get it for myself. And decided to get my ear pierced the same day - on the right ear. This time, not caring what my parents had to say.

Left Hat and coat Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, earring Enis' own

Right Coat, shirt and tie Maison Margiela, earring Enis' own

How does the line continue the themes that you have been exploring with your music? 

ENIS ARCHIVES is about exploring new boundaries and encapturing resilience. The same goes for the music I make. Both are rooted in storytelling and self-expression. Both allow me to explore the tension and harmony between contrasts, whether it’s through sound or form, but the core of it is introspection, and most likely hitherto — shedding light on my inner childhood wounds and experiences till my current ones.

How will the line evolve over time? 

The design label was born in a dream I always had envisioned for myself since I was a child, dreaming of the artist I would one day become, and am still becoming: a line of garments, accessories, jewellery and objects created and curated for my artist persona. And as my music evolves, ENIS ARCHIVES will too. Hence the meaning of the name; an archive of things that present my world. I have big plans in store and I can’t wait to see how it will unfold.

Shirt and tie Fendi, jacket and shorts Avenir, socks Falke, shoes Lemaire, earring Enis' own

Who do you wish to see your designs on? 

Anyone who embodies the essence of resilience and creativity – the trailblazers, leaders, artists, and architects who shape the conversations through their distinct tastes. It would be mind-blowing to see Sevdaliza, Kaytranada and Steve Lacy in ENIS ARCHIVES, but also very much Rihanna, John Galliano and Marina Abramović. And if I could go back in time, Prince would be an ultimate!

Left Jacket and pants Celine Homme, earring Enis' own

Right Full look Undercover

Interview by Martin Onufrowicz

Photography by Jingxiong Qiao

Fashion by Nutsa Khurtsilava

Grooming by Anna Neugebauer

Stylist’s assistant Lucy Elser

,

SWITCHING GEARS

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MALICE K IS AN OLYMPIA-BORN MUSICAL AND VISUAL ARTIST CURRENTLY BASED IN NEW YORK. DEVOTING HIS TIME TO ART, HIS FIRST LOVE, ALLOWED HIM TO DISCOVER COLLECTIVES LIKE DEATHPROOF IN LA WHERE HE HAD HIS COME UP. WE SPOKE TO THE YOUNG CREATOR ABOUT THE LISTENING PARTY FOR HIS UPCOMING ALBUM AVANTI, AS WELL AS HIS PERFORMANCE STYLE AND HIS ASSOCIATION WITH DEATHPROOF INC.

Hi Malice K, how are you doing? Do you have anything exciting coming up?

I’m doing a record release party, and we’re just going to be listening to it. There’s this bar, with a movie theatre, and they have old dusty red velvet cushioned chairs, and we’re just gonna pack a bunch of people in there. It’ll be fun to get some in-person validation for the music video and the album as opposed to just doing it through YouTube. I can just sit back and enjoy it as much as everybody there. 


Is it stressful to have a bunch of people sitting around and listening to your work?

Totally. But I think it’s kind of safe because half the songs I’ve already been playing live for about a year or so, and it’s not like I’m risking anything showing my music to these people. I feel really worried if there's something genuine at stake. Like my mom was at this show I did recently and it was like the audience might as well have all been my mom, like 300 of my mom –  all I could think about was my mom. But she’s not gonna be there this time so it’ll be fine. I think everybody will like it.

Do you sometimes feel pressure to release music?

I mean, I felt that way before because I would just be motivated by wanting to do it for myself, by my own goals. But it’s different now, it feels just as much DIY as it always has been, but I just feel more obligation to others. At the end of the day, I have the biggest reach as a promotion for myself. But it’s just kinda stressful. It’s difficult because when I was just doing art for myself, pretty much everything else in my life was not going that well…And I think I would have burnt out if I hadn’t figured out a way to sustain and have a future. But I think if I didn‘t pass the threshold to where I’m at now, I would have slowed down and maybe I wouldn’t be creating as much.

How would you describe your music style to a novice ear?

Alternative music. It pulls from a lot of different genres. It's not contemporary because it’s lyrical and has a bit more edge to it.

Where does your stage name come from?

I came up with that name for this other artist collective I was a part of in LA called DEATHPROOF. When I joined them, I just needed a cool artist's name. It just sounds cool. My name is Alex Konschuh. When I was growing up, I would sign my things Alex K on everything, on my artwork and I was like, “Malice K is cool.” When I was a teen, I had the nickname  ‘Malice Poncho’ because I went on a road trip once and wore a poncho the whole time. 


What is DEATHPROOF? What made you decide to drop everything and move to LA?

It was just getting to the point where I needed to do something. I was like 24 going on 25 and living at home. I’d been pushing my art for a while, but I’d been playing music for a long time and around that time I had given up on that becoming something I would pursue professionally. But my friends sent me a video of the DEATHPROOF tour and it was just really inspiring to me and I decided to be honest with myself about what I really wanted to do. So I just kinda gave myself permission to make the music that I really wanted to make and I started writing a bunch of songs that were different to anything I’d done before. And I went out there, made a record and a lot of cool stuff started happening immediately. It was just a really affirming experience. 

You perform in uncanny ways, how would you say performance can add or take away from a song?

It looks like how it sounds. Maybe it helps the lyrics come across more, maybe it makes the message more clear. When I’m making the songs, I’m envisioning them to be a little bit more energetic or a little bit tortured. It’s acoustic guitar music and I think it can be misconstrued as indie rock or folk. And I think it’s important to have a performance style around it, in the way that it's intended to be listened to.


Has anything crazy happened during these performances? 

Last summer, I was doing a show in Philly, and these guys had painted a backdrop on this super heavy piece of wood which went all the way to the ceiling of this giant warehouse we were playing in. And when I was performing, there was like a song with a drop, and during the drop, I started running around in a circle and I bumped into the piece of wood they had made. And it started falling onto the audience! It was super heavy and everybody was trying to hold up the thing while the song was still playing. 

Interview by Gabrielle Valda Colas

Photography by Yaël Temminck

DIGGING DEEPER

IN STAGS, PARAMOUNT+’S NEW SIX-PART DRAMA SERIES, THE FUN TURNS TO FEAR FOR NICO MIRALLEGRO, AS CHARMING GROOM-TO-BE, STU, EMBARKING ON A WEEK-LONG BENDER OF DEBAUCHERY WITH FRIENDS, WHICH ENDS UP ON A PRISON ISLAND IN SOUTH AMERICA. THE 33-YEAR-OLD HAS FLEXED HIS ACTING CHOPS PLAYING ANGSTY EMO TEENS, LOVE INTERESTS AND ARMY SOLDIERS, SO WE CAUGHT UP WITH THE MANCHESTER NATIVE TO TALK ABOUT CREATIVE FREEDOM, INFLUENCES AND TRUE HAPPINESS GOALS.

Left Full look Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

Right Full look Giorgio Armani

Hi Nico! Obviously, my first question has to be: have you been to many stag do’s yourself, ones you’re allowed to tell us about?

I’ve been on one, which mainly involved singing England football songs through the airport! Funnily enough I narrowly avoided three actual stag do’s a couple of months before the filming of Stags. They’re not really my cup of tea, I much prefer a barefoot ramble with the pals.

Well, I bet your character Stu would’ve wished for a barefoot ramble rather than where he ends up in this series. We’ve had films like The Hangover and The Bachelor Party, but this show reinterprets that well-told genre and storyline with unexpected plot twists. What drew you to the project?

As soon as I read the first episode, I thought… what is this show? It seemed to encompass all these themes of love, friendship, survival, betrayal, and what happens when relationships are pushed to their limits. I met with the brilliant David Kerr, our director, and it felt like I had to make this.

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Right Full look Kenzo

It’s darkly comic in places and uncomfortably funny. Did it challenge you on many levels in terms of how you play Stu?

One of the draws to Stu, other than that we were going to be in Tenerife throughout the whole of the British winter, was the simmering weight and complications that Stu holds throughout the series. Having huge dark yet comic moments throughout made the experience theatrical and lively. As intense as some of the scenes were, it felt lightly contrasted with enough stupidity and ridiculousness that we couldn’t take it too seriously.

Stu also seems to be the one in the group who’s in tune with his inner voice a lot more than the others, balancing incredibly tense moments with humour. He shows his vulnerability a lot. Did you relate on a personal level with him? Also, how do you think audiences will resonate with the way he handles the situation he’s found himself in?

I think, naturally, we find something of ourselves within all the characters we play. We all have a different aura and spark and that comes through with performance and art. With Stu, it felt like I could relate to him instantly, which is funny considering he’s a conniving, smiling crocodile. I feel like audiences will be torn with how they see him - many will relate, some will despise, and some will feel sorry for him.

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I like how the plot creates emotional obstacles to overcome the highs and lows between the guys, tackling the notion that men are terrible at admitting vulnerability or talking about their problems, especially when they’re on this stereotypically lads-on-tour trip. Would you agree?

I love how the show creates these emotional obstacles and hurdles for the characters to fight through. It questions who they are on a deeper level and how they’ll react when backed into a corner. I think their vulnerability is key and most of the characters are in denial about parts of themselves and what they’ve done in the past.

The characters and their relationships are what carries through more than the hook of it being a disastrous stag holiday. Did you all get together before filming to bond, and does having a real sense of camaraderie and friendship with fellow actors have a positive lasting imprint on you?

We had a huge bond; the whole crew was such a laugh. We arrived in Tenerife and then were very quickly dancing around the sea together. I remember at the read-through thinking everyone is uncannily like their character and wondered what that meant about me playing Stu! [Laughs] We also imitated what a stag do might look like on the Las Americas strip and… Well, I shall leave that on the strip. Of course, these relationships leave a lasting impression on you, I think ultimately this is why we do it.

Were any of the scenes or dialogue improvised?

There were loads of small, improvised bits, especially as the series gets more and more out there. It felt right to do so and when you’ve been living with these characters for a couple of months, you have that freedom inside of you to play with the conversations. Much to the annoyance of our brilliant writer Daniel Cullen.

Left Coat, pants and belt Balmain, shoes Giorgio Armani

Right Full look Miu Miu

You mentioned you filmed on location in Tenerife, but in the series, it’s meant to be South America. What’s been your favourite set or best environment to work on?

The production team did an incredible job with the prison and sets, to make it bizarre yet also somehow believable is hard. It’s easily up there as one of the most creative and transforming locations I’ve been on (that and Mike Leigh’s Peterloo which felt like we fully stepped back into 1819 Manchester). With this series, they created a feeling like we’d landed in prison on another planet.

What kind of stories are you interested in making in the future, and do you consciously think of choosing roles that are different to the last one, to challenge yourself and explore your craft?

I’m always reading plays, whoever it is, trying to discover something new for myself. I love excavating and digging into their world to see who they are and what they are trying to say. The works of Sam Shepard and Jez Butterworth would be a dream to throw around the stage. When things are refreshing and new, it sparks a fire inside and you just know that is what you want to make. I’d love to read and be involved in a Lynne Ramsay film, a straight talker who refuses to comply - I see that in myself.

Does that awareness stem from watching and being inspired by anyone, in film or TV, relating to them, or was there a performance that stuck with you?

I always loved how at ease Burt Lancaster, Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman were. They had a unique charm and could see their nature and characters shine through. Growing up in Manchester, the films of Mike Leigh, Ken Loach and Jimmy McGovern were hugely inspiring and relatable and still have a massive influence on me.

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Speaking of the camera, I read you previously said that your experience in Hollyoaks helped you become comfortable in front of the camera. Depending on what the role is, what’s your favourite way to prepare to feel more confident in front of the lens?

I think preparing for a role is the work of the actor, you read all the data you have, you play with ideas, you question the character’s morals and you set some rules. After that, I feel it’s about grounding ourselves and being in the best state mentally, physically and spiritually so that you can relax and be free to create.

It’s funny you should mention spirituality, as I was looking at your Instagram, and you’re a bit of an old soul, from posting gems of Italian cinema to evocative photography exhibitions and your personal travels. What passion projects drive you outside of work and where are you happiest?

Happiest? Outside of all the theatrics of life, me and my pals have an allotment, we sow seeds and feed the soil and then amazingly, this nutrient-dense food pops up and nourishes us. The road is the goal. That’s where true happiness is. Taking the shoes off and heading up into the peaks, cooking on fire, throw in a wild swim and we’re living off the fat of the land. Nature is our baseline, so I try and seek it at every opportune moment.

Left Full look Miu Miu

Right Full look Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

Left Full look Dior Men

Right Full look Giorgio Armani

Left Full look Givenchy

Right N°21

Interview by Kate Lawson

Photography by Amber Derrick

Fashion by Steven Huang

Production by Leonor Greyl and Rodial

Grooming by Terri Capon at Stella Creative Artists

Stylist’s assistant Aaishah Perager

BREAKING THE HORSE

DYLAN SPROUSE ANSWERS ZOOM REPRIMANDING HIS FRENCH BULLDOG FOR EATING ODD THINGS WHILE WHAT LOOKS TO BE A COMICALLY LARGE STUFFED GNOME LOITERS BEHIND HIM. HE LIGHTS UP WHEN DISCUSSING HORSEBACK RIDING, SAYING, “AFTER RIDING FOR A WHILE, [THE HORSE] GOES, ‘WHY IS THIS MOTHERFUCKER RIDING ME? I’M GONNA SEE.’” IF YOU STAY ON ANYTHING LONG ENOUGH, IT DOES HAVE A WAY OF ASKING WHY YOU’RE STILL THERE. THE INDUSTRY, REQUIRING HIM TO ACCEPT A WILD, UNBRIDLED LACK OF CONTROL SINCE CHILDHOOD, REARED IN A QUESTION: WHY? PERHAPS DYLAN’S CHOICE TO EXECUTIVE PRODUCE THE DUEL ALONGSIDE FRIENDS WAS HIS ANSWER, GRABBING THE REINS. THE DUEL IS ALL ABOUT WHY WHEN DYLAN’S CHARACTER, COLIN, CHEATS WITH HIS BEST FRIEND’S GIRLFRIEND. IT BALANCES COMEDY AND GRAVITY BEAUTIFULLY. OUR CONVERSATION DOES THE SAME, AS WE COMMISERATE OVER PERCEPTION BEING UNCONTROLLABLE AND CHAT ABOUT SCENES IN THE FILM—ALL WHILE THE GNOME WATCHES. 

Full look Kenzo

Hi Dylan! How are you? 

I’m great. Sorry, hold on one second, my dog is eating something off the ground. I have to go figure out what it is. [In the background] What are you eating? You can’t just eat everything!

[Laughs] Go ahead! What kind of dog do you have? 

I have a French Bulldog, and she likes to pick up everything off the ground and put it immediately into her mouth. She will probably bother us again during this. [Laughs] 


Honestly, that makes me feel better. I was corralling my dogs before this because they just decided to bark for a solid four hours straight. Are you in LA?
[Laughs] I am, yes, although I'm leaving tomorrow morning, bright and early for Arkansas for a film festival. So, that'll be fun.

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Right Full look RHUDE

Wow, that does sound fun! I’m so excited to talk to you because I watched The Duel last week. It is genuinely so good. I knew it was going to be comedic, but I didn’t expect it to be so touching!

That’s so awesome to hear! I’m so glad that was your takeaway. Our team is pretty proud of this one. We’re really happy with what we made, so we will keep making more of ‘em, fingers crossed! 


It must make you more excited about what you can do in the future because you were the executive producer too. It must feel like you have more openings to be creative. 

For sure! I don’t think I would have executive produced if it weren’t for the people I made this with because they’re some of my longtime friends and I trust them so implicitly. Given our budget and location, it really came out interestingly and I’m happy you had that takeaway. I’m also happy that Lionsgate has been really supportive, so it’s been a very special opportunity that has certainly opened many doors. 

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You said in another interview that working with friends is easier because you have this shorthand so you can take more creative risks. Did you take any risks in this film given the comfortability on set? 

Well, here’s the good news, but it’s also kind of disappointing. I know a lot of people ask how much improv you do in comedy and the truth is you do as much as you need, generally. We didn’t do too much improv, but there are a few scenes. The scene where I’m talking to Denny [Love] about the fact that he loves me and we love each other as friends is improvised. The two writers [Justin Matthews and Luke Spencer Roberts] are great friends of mine and I’m meeting them right after this, funnily enough. Much of the legwork is done for you as an actor with a good script. You don’t have to pull from anything very deep. You’re drawing relatively from the surface. The way I like to think of it is fishing in a deep lake versus a shallow river, right? If the fish are right there and you see them, you’re throwing it out and you’re catching fish. 

They wrote such an iron-tight script that gave us the backbone to improvise and joke and learn from each other in formidable scenes. That’s why all great movies start with a really good script. I know it sounds cliché, but when you see an Oscar contender, the thought is that the actors are doing ninety percent of it, but the truth is that the actors are doing fifty percent. You’re doing a lot less if the script is really good because your character is very concise and it’s clear what you need to be doing with other characters. 

Full look Amiri

I loved the writing, especially of the characters. Obviously, there are huge themes in the film like masculinity, but what I especially love about it are the detailed interactions between characters. Is there a scene that sticks out to you that shows the “love story between friends”, as you’ve described the film?

Yeah, there are several different scenes. The script is very much a love story between friends and people can be shocked by how the movie ends. You know when you see friends do something stupid and you want to intervene, but you can't get to them? That's a frustrating phenomenon that is very universal, right? And that's something that we wanted to make sure we had in this movie. I think the love story between friends is in their duelling at all and the walking scene at the end when they’re all not speaking to each other. That's a special moment. Originally, it had dialogue through it, from Rachel's [Matthews] character, Abbie. We decided to shirk that for music instead because I think it added a little bit of drama. But the fact that Woody and Colin are doing this at all and going through with it shows how much they love each other. I also love the other walking scene when Woody and Colin are on the grounds before they meet Aphrodite [María Gabriela de Faría] when it's just a minute of silence. I love that, like, “Oh God, are they going to do it or not?” That's another one of those scenes that exemplifies the willingness of Woody to allow for that space. 


I like that you mention that walking scene and the silence in it. I like that we don’t see a friends-to-enemies type of narrative. Even at the end, they’re still talking very comfortably. The film made me think about how I deal with conflict, especially when Rudolpho [Ronald Guttman] tells Kevin [Hart Denton], “You would have nothing be done in this situation and just be resentful.” Did the film make you think of your relationship with conflict at all?

For sure. It's so central to the idea of this movie, right? I think one of our characters says something like, “Are we just supposed to do nothing? No one talks to each other anymore. It all means nothing if we don't do something.” And I think that's an important aspect of a lot of people's feelings, in general. I've experienced conflict in my life plenty of times. I've had arguments with friends and family. I'm not a guy who holds his tongue very well in situations that make me uncomfortable or make me feel a certain way. One friend asked me once why I did that. I think we should take those steps towards saying something even if it seems completely irrational or rude to act out in these moments. If conflict changes even one person's mind about how to live in a world that could be different, then that's worth it in and of itself. People can't keep getting away with everything. That's part of the theme of the movie, and our writers did such a good job exemplifying that. 

Jacket & shirt Dsquared2, pants KIDILL, shoes Diesel

Absolutely. I want to bring up my favourite scene which is when they’re at the dinner table, the “I’m chill?” scene. I thought that was so good. The pain in that scene shows a moment when someone describes you in such a surface-level way and it makes you realise how much they don't see you. Have you had an experience like that? 

Yeah, funnily enough, it happened last night. It's funny, you're never in control of what people think of you. That's just the truth. You're never in control. And this is certainly something that I've dealt with a lot in my life, being an identical twin too. People's takeaway of you is so dependent on what they either want to hear, see, feel, or are in the mood for. Actions speak very loudly, and so I'm generally a man of action. But even then, those lines can be crossed. I think you're right to notice in that scene the disappointment that comes across Colin and it’s not only disappointment, but it's a lot of pain. I think it was his big scene. The idea for the movie stems from Luke and Justin after this situation actually happened in real life. It didn't happen to them, but it happened to kind of a tertiary friend they have mutually. Let's say, like, a Kevin of the friend group called them up and was like, “God, man, something needs to be done. Nothing's getting done, but something needs to be done.” That is the moment that sparked it all. 

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I wasn't specifically going to talk about you being a twin, but you mentioned it impacting how people perceive you, which I relate to because I'm actually one of the quadruplet sisters. I understand completely. People like to categorise and ask insensitive questions. Do you feel like you still deal with people placing you into easy categories? 

For sure! As a quadruplet, you’ll know too. I'm not sure we'll ever escape that. I think that'll be something that will just be there. I find it more common than not when people meet me, having already known my brother, they encounter me like they're talking to my brother. They come up to me in an effort to relate to me like they've related to my brother, and it just might not work. That’s far too common. But, again, that's a perception thing. I think a lot of the time people want the story that they're already formulating in their head. They're not looking to actually find out anything about you deeply. They're looking to just have something that they already know and that's digestible. And then they are like, “Okay, I did it. So, with Tessa, she's just like her sister, but she has this thing. And that's how I know the difference between them.” It's very formulaic. I'm not sure we'll ever really escape that. It’s just best to look away from it. 

Yeah, unfortunately, it's very surface-level. You've said many times that you and Cole are very different. It’s almost like you're constantly having to prove your identity which is not something other people typically have to do. But I think there's also a lot of good that comes with it as well. I think growing up so intertwined in that way makes you a more empathetic person. Do you feel the same way? I imagine that would help with acting.

I definitely feel that way. I do notice that a lot of my friends who don't have siblings are quick to write off people at the door who they don't really like or have had bad interactions with. But when you're in such close proximity to someone who's very different from you, or in general you're encountering situations that you normally don't like to do yourself and you just have to stay in on the merit that they're your sibling, it does make you a more empathetic person. You can kind of understand the backgrounds of everyone and understand the positions that people are coming from. I generally do try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and try to validate their actions through what I know of them when I can. 

 I've always said that I think empathy is the number one trait of a good actor. If you can empathise with different groups of people, you can become those different groups on camera. I find that, far too often, the silver spoon actors, or the actors from a very particular background, are often bland on screen. They fall short a lot of the time, in my opinion. And I don't have names to name, but I find that oftentimes it just doesn't land. They don’t draw from something as real. If I have any advice for younger actors, just get out there and meet a lot of people.

Full look Kenzo

Yeah, that makes complete sense, and it’s something you feel as you’re watching. I want to jump back to The Duel. The characters are in a situation that’s so far from what they could have planned for. Have you found yourself ever doing something that you just would never have expected?

For sure! I'm a big believer in getting outside your comfort zone in general because that's what really keeps you locked in. If I take new scripts, I'll generally try to see if there's something involved in that character that will challenge me to be different from what I am and what I'm used to because that usually draws out the best in me. I like learning new skills. I think it's the fun of being an actor. It's maybe the only position in the world where you can learn horseback riding and sword fighting, and then next week, you're learning from a dialect coach about how to speak in an old-timey Louisiana accent. Now, whether I'd go so far as to say, do a duel to the death, I don't know. [Laughs] That seems a little bit too far to me, but that’s the fun of movie-making. 

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Is there any specific skill that you’ve kept going with after having to do it for a movie or show?

I’ve kept up with martial arts because it’s the most fun way to work out. You’re learning while you’re being physically active. As a very scatterbrained guy, that’s the best way to do it. If you put me on a treadmill for thirty minutes, I’m just bored out of my fucking mind. [Laughs] So that, and horseback riding. I still ride a lot and I rode growing up, but not the way that I had to when I was on a set. For me, that’s the best feeling in the world, just being on the back of a horse. 

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Right Jacket & shirt Dsquared2, pants KIDILL, shoes Diesel

Oh wow! To be honest, I can’t relate to that because I went horseback riding one time and would never go again. 

I mean, it is terrifying. Horseback riding is terrifying. They’re incredibly intelligent animals and after riding one for a while, it goes, “Why is this motherfucker riding me? I’m gonna see. Let’s just test this out.” [Laughs] And that’s the thought behind breaking the horse. To break the horse, you have to prove to it why you’re riding it, and that is a very terrifying thing. Now, I’ve ridden a few horses that have just tried to have their way and go crazy. Each time leading up I’m thinking, “Here we fucking go. This one’s gonna go crazy all of a sudden and I just need to stay on.” I don’t blame you. It’s not for everyone. If I can change your mind, if you ever get back on a horse, get back on a nice, old horse. A horse that’s been around the block that doesn’t feel like it needs to test anyone. Jump on one that just wants to walk around the block every once in a while.

Right Jacket & shirt Dsquared2, pants KIDILL, shoes Diesel


Maybe I should do that. When I went, they gave me the largest horse ever. I would need a very geriatric horse. 

Yeah, dude, the funny thing is that media in general makes horses look subservient to us. They always make them seem like they’re this object to be ridden and they’re our partners, but the truth is, when you’re standing up next to a giant horse, you very quickly realise that this thing is fully in control. It can kick me to oblivion and it has no mind to pay me any respect. But once you get it and you’re with a horse that you trust and love, it is truly the best experience in the world. 


I might get back on. You’re convincing me. We’ll leave this on a cliffhanger. What are you most looking forward to at the moment?

I think what I’m most looking forward to is the movie’s release on digital platforms. I’m excited to make more movies with these same people. I think Luke, Justin, Zach Spicer, Joe [Matthews] and I are looking to open up a company and start making some moves. I’m excited that I’ve found people that I really trust and love and I think we can do some cool things. I hope people like The Duel. And if they like The Duel, I hope they like what we make next.


That makes me excited because I genuinely loved it and I’m not just saying that. I cannot wait for what you have coming.

Thank you. I’m glad! I definitely can sense how genuine you are about it. I’m proud to say that this is maybe one of the only movies I’ve made in a very long time where I feel like I’m seeing how genuine the reactions are and how people are really taken by it. Again, I give so much credit to our team on this. I’m hoping it all works out!

…

Interview by Tessa Swantek

Photography by Emilia Staugaard

Fashion by Donna Lisa

Grooming by Candice Birns at A-frame Agency

Photographer’s assistant Jack Juliar

Stylist’s assistant Alex Levey

BAD BOY, BAD BOY

TOBY WALLACE’S REPUTATION PRECEDES HIM, OR RATHER, HIS ROLES DO. WITH A KNACK FOR PLAYING “THE BAD GUY”, THE AUSTRALIAN ACTOR DOESN’T STRAY FROM HIS USUAL PATH IN THE BIKERIDERS. THE JEFF NICHOLS FILM EXPLORES BIKER CULTURE OF THE 1960S, WITH WALLACE’S CHARACTER AS ITS CROWN JEWEL—A YOUNG BIKER WHO PERSONIFIES THE LIFESTYLE. QUITE THE CONTROVERSIAL FIGURE, THE KID IS AS MORALLY CORRUPT AS THEY COME. BUT FOR THE ACTOR, THAT IS WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING. IT’S THE CHALLENGE OF CREATING THREE-DIMENSIONAL CHARACTERS THAT MOTIVATES HIM—WALLACE IS ACTIVELY MAKING THE MOVIES HE WANTS TO SEE IN THE WORLD. HIS GOALS ARE NOT PURELY ARTISTIC; HE CONFESSES THAT THE BEST PART OF THE JOB IS HAVING A NEW HOBBY WITH EACH PROJECT. FOR THE BIKERIDERS, WALLACE FOUND HIS POSSIBLY COOLEST ONE YET: RIDING HIS NEW VINTAGE HARLEY DAVIDSON AROUND LOS ANGELES. WE SPOKE TO WALLACE ABOUT HIS ROAD TO SUCCESS, THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE AUSTRALIAN AND AMERICAN MOVIE INDUSTRIES, AND THE EVER-INSPIRING YOUNG WILLEM DAFOE.

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How are you? I hope I didn’t wake you up too early…

[Laughs] No, you good man. I’m staying at a friend’s place, and I have to wake up super early to feed the pets. So yeah, you’re all good.

 

Do you like pets?

Oh yeah, I’m a huge dog guy but I’m on the road all the time, so I haven’t been able to have one for a very long time. But you know, once I land down somewhere I’ll for sure get some.

 

Speaking of the road, how’s the press tour going for The Bikeriders?

It’s going well. I haven’t taken the full brunt of it but the bits I’ve done have been pretty fun. The London premiere was fun and the Los Angeles one was crazy… I had a good time.

Tank top Gucci, jewellery Toby's own

 I’ve been following your career for a while and I’ve noticed you have a proclivity to play, for the lack of a better word, bad boys. What do you think attracts you to characters that are on the fringes of society?

I think those roles are just fun to play, I get the most enjoyment out of playing them. Weirdly, I just find them easy to play. I find it very difficult to do my job if I’m not completely enthralled by it. If I don’t, I’m just shooting myself in the foot because I will half-ass it if I’m not interested. I know that walking into something I need to be intrigued by it. I’m a bit of a pain in the ass with my agents because they’ll send me stuff and if I’m not completely immersed in it, I’ll probably do a bad job.

 

You also seem to have a knack for playing villains. Do you enjoy playing the bad guy?

My favorite films have those morally corrupt characters. I think it's that truthful telling lends itself to reality, morally dysfunctional people and values exist, and telling the stories of people who live hard lives is important. Those are some of my favorite films. 

 

In The Bikeriders, The Kid is someone who seems so charged with hate, that it’s a very easy character to despise. Do you need to find the humanity in a character before you play it?

I think it depends, but for The Kid, it was great because I had a rich backstory. There was so much dimension built into the character already. But I don’t think he’s just a pure antagonist, he had a full-colored idea of what he’s been through. I mean, the first scene makes it pretty clear what socio-economic and familiar background he comes from. He doesn’t have a huge amount of screen time, but you get just enough information to project the picture of his whole life - it’s just good writing. 

Left Full look Prada

Right Full look N°21

 That’s what is so peculiar about The Kid, he’s not super present but he’s essential for the development of the story. What was your first response when you were approached to play the role?

I mean, I’ve always been in love with Jeff Nichols… As a filmmaker, not as a guy. [Laughs] I’ve been obsessed with his films since I was a kid. He has this very refined Southern sensibility; all his films mix this childlike innocence with a Southern masculinity. He reached out to me because of a mutual friend we have who told him about some of my work. When we had a meeting, I was on set for another movie, I didn’t even have time to read the script, but I just said yes anyway. I couldn’t believe it. I would’ve said yes to anything he would’ve given me, if I’m being honest. I think that’s why he always has such crazy casts in his films. Actors just want to work with Jeff no matter how small a role is… He’s just that guy.

 

What was your process like for getting into this character?

My process is always similar. I do a lot of accent work, so I always start with the voice because it leads me to everything else. I then watched a lot of video footage and recordings of anything specific to that time. I also watched The Loveless which is a movie from the ‘80s by Kathryn Bigelow that stars a young William Dafoe. It’s kind of a weird film, he just rides his bike around town and has these bizarre interactions. On the more personal side, I found The Kid through conversations with Jeff about what it would be like to come from that sort of background. I would also record long monologues. It started so I could practice the accent but ended in these long conversations through his point of view, it became a lot more philosophical.

I’ve talked to actors in the past who mentioned that having an accent created a barrier between the character and their emotional self. Do you find that that is the case for you?

I’d love to say yes. But sometimes I’ve thought that maybe if I find a character that is so different from me, I’m going to be more comfortable, I’d feel more hidden. But in all honesty, I feel terrified about every job I’ve ever done, whether it’s closer to me or not. 

Full look Celine Homme

 How do you find that your relationship with that fear is evolving as your career progresses?

It’s gotten better. But I’m still very nervous walking on set all the time. I used to have a hard time bringing it home and beating myself up with that anxiety all day. I feel like now I’m much more relaxed than I used to be. I still get very nervous when I go on set but I’m better at leaving it there and forget about it when I go home. Maybe that is an age thing. 

 

You started out acting at quite a young age. When did you first figure out that was something you wanted to do?

When I was young, my dad won a video camera in a competition, so we just had it at home. I got obsessed with that camera, I filmed everything. I put commentary on top of that… I was annoying. I used to make short films with my friends. I just wanted to make movies, but I didn’t know what that meant. A couple of years later during school, I started going to a drama class. The guy who ran the class saw something in me and put me forward for auditions. I got lucky to grow up doing a few things.

 Do you ever consider picking the camera back up?

Yeah, as soon as possible. I need to finish what I’m writing. I’ve always wanted to direct, that’s my actual dream.

Left Full look Loro Piana

Right Full look Celine Homme

 Do you find that acting is helping you on that path?

Absolutely. It’s kind of the best practice for it. For anything involving film, being on set is the answer. No matter what department you’re in, working in film somehow is the greatest training you can have.

 

Do you find that the Australian film industry differs from Hollywood?

I think it's very different. I think Australian filmmaking has a personable quality to it - you’re on a team, no one is more valuable than another person, and it’s all quite down to earth. I think that’s what makes it, so we have such interesting movies. But on the other hand, I do feel like if you have an ambition that escapes that scene, you’re going to get torn down. We’re afraid we're going to get too big for our boats which I think is just part of our culture. Whereas in America, there’s a well-oiled hierarchy, it’s less personal. But Americans seem to have this can-do attitude that we don’t have.

 

I’ve read that you got yourself a Harley Davidson. Was that preparation or just a wish of yours?

I never rode a motorcycle before I did the film. I got my license two days before I had to fly out to be on set. Suddenly I’m learning about all these 1960s Harleys and riding them everywhere. It was genuinely one of the best experiences I’ve ever had; I loved it. We were riding them everywhere, to get lunch, dinner, drinks… we were all together, all the time. I love this about the jobs I do. No matter what the job is, you get so invested as an actor. I always leave jobs with a new hobby, in this one, it was bike riding. I walked away from that experience going, “I want a bike now.” I was thinking about it for a year and then a buddy of mine that deals with vintage motorbikes got me one from this place in Dallas. We did some customization on it and now it's sitting in a shop in LA, it's my mode of transportation when I go to work.

Coat Miu Miu, Socks Falke

Interview by Pedro Vasconcelos

Photography by John Armour

Fashion by Steven Huang

Casting by Imagemachine cs

Grooming by Tarik Bennafla at Stella Creative Artists

Stylist’s assistant Aaishah Perager

THE LABOUR OF EASE

SOME PEOPLE TAKE UP SPACE, OTHERS LET SPACE TAKE THEM IN. SANTIAGO CABRERA, LIKE MOST GREAT ACTORS, HAS MASTERED THE LATTER. HE’S ALWAYS BEEN AN OBSERVER, A WALLFLOWER WHO MOULDS TO HIS SURROUNDINGS. AS HE’S GROWN THOUGH, HE’S LEARNED THAT A WALLFLOWER BLOOMS WHEN IT’S NURTURED SLOWLY THROUGH TRUST, EXPERIENCE, AND AUTHENTIC CONNECTION. WE TALK ABOUT ALL THE TIMES SPONTANEITY GROWS FROM SAFETY, EASE GROWS FROM LABOUR, AND SUCCESS GROWS FROM PERSISTENT LITTLE FAILURES. AS AMAT IN APPLE TV’S LAND OF WOMEN, HE IS IN DIRECT CONTRAST TO EVA LONGORIA’S CHARACTER, GALA, AS THEY NAVIGATE THE FICTIONAL SMALL VILLAGE OF LA MUGA IN SPAIN’S WINE COUNTRY. AFTER HER HUSBAND’S MISDEEDS FORCE HER TO FLEE NEW YORK WITH HER MOTHER AND DAUGHTER, GALA IMPOSES HER WILL ON THE COMMUNITY WHILE HER RELATIONSHIP WITH AMAT TEACHES HER TO TAKE A STEP BACK TOWARD THE WALL AND LET ROOTS TAKE HOLD. 

LIKE THE MINI-SERIES, OUR CONVERSATION HAS A SIMILAR BUOYANCY EVEN IN DEPTH AS WE TALK ABOUT JOHN TURTURRO LICKING BOWLING BALLS, BEING HIT BY A FRENCH BABYSITTER ON A ROAD IN CHILE, AND THROWING A BALL TO A DOG WHO WON’T BRING IT BACK TO YOU. 

Hi Santiago, it’s so nice to meet you! I first wanted to tell you that I watched Land of Women and it’s so good. I’m watching the finale right after this!

Thank you! I’m very glad to hear you say that. I get the sense that people are really enjoying it. I haven’t seen the finale myself so I’m looking forward to it! We did the premiere in New York and it was great to see it with a crowd in the cinema. People were laughing and it played really well. The comedy, moments of family dynamics, and emotional moments played well. It’s fast-paced, but when it breathes, those moments come to life.

It’s a great mix of everything but there are also a lot of deep, unexpected themes. I wanted to take some themes from the series and see how they relate to you. So, if you could travel back for an extended period to a place from either your past or your family’s past, where would you want to go? What do you imagine it would be like?

Wow! For my past, it’s something I always think about. People say, “What would you do differently?” and I feel like I would do the same things again since it’s me. I would be curious to go into my family’s past and to go to South America and Chile and see those first generations and what their lives were like. I’ve always been very curious about history and the beginnings of things, but at the same time, I could track down European ancestors. I would have to do one of those DNA tests to see if there’s Indigenous ancestry in there and do a whole tracking of my family history. I find that really interesting.

That makes sense because who you are is affected by your ancestry and your family’s past can impact you in ways you may not even know. When you think about times in life when you have found yourself in unexpected places, what comes to mind?

I moved around a lot as a kid so I was always in unexpected places. What comes to mind is new schools and new people. I was very intimidated by that. I didn’t see it like that at the time, but I look back now and realise I was terrified. I found a way to blend in and sort of camouflage myself. I didn’t want to stand out, so I think that really impacted me. At the same time, it allowed me to recognise similar types — what I’m fascinated by as an actor – human beings, cultures and countries. We can be so different in so many places, but then you see very similar archetypes everywhere no matter their race, how they’re dressed, what food they eat, or what culture they come from. I started to recognise human beings as so much more in tune with each other than we think.

I agree with that. You mentioned camouflaging yourself when you were younger. Some actors have a major difference between who they are as an actor and who they are as a person. Do you find there’s a big difference between you personally and professionally?

Yes, I think so! It’s kind of a contradiction in a way. You think actors are all extroverts who want to be the centre of attention and you definitely get those types in acting classes and drama school. There is also a cult of personality in being a celebrity. I’ve always been very intimidated by that — this idea that you have to be something away from the job. But, at least for me, I do tend to find that actors I look up to and have been lucky enough to meet can be quite shy. That’s when you observe. If you’re always the centre of attention and in charge, then when do you pay attention to what’s going on around you? When you sit in the back and watch, you get to take things in and as an actor, that’s all we have. Life is our training. If you’re observing people and taking things in all the time, you’re feeding your instrument in a way.  When I was younger, I was definitely intimidated, but now as I get older, I don’t care so much anymore about that side of it. If anything, you start to have fun with it. I’m really enjoying interviews now and even photoshoots. It’s a chance to be with new people, relate to new people, and promote stuff that you want the audience to watch. Life teaches you a lot of things. The difference that I’ve found is it’s good to observe, but you don’t want to close yourself off. You want to remain open and let people in.

I’m sure over time you progressively open up and that’s great that you are finding joy in the things that used to make you uncomfortable. A lot of Land Of Women is about trust and how it’s earned, especially for your character in being welcomed into the community. In acting, what role does trust play for you and whose trust do you look to earn first on set?

In acting, the best work comes when you trust the people that you're with. It’s like that thing when you're falling backwards and you trust that someone’s going to catch you. You’re failing all the time and I really like to try things out, so to be creative, you have to be willing to fall on your face and make a fool of yourself. I remember reading an interview with John Turturro when he did The Big Lebowski—he has this scene where he licks a bowling ball and it's such an iconic moment and it's ridiculous, the character is ridiculous. He said if he hadn't known the Coens and if they weren’t friends for years, he doesn't know if he would have dared to lick that ball, to make that choice. He felt safe. That’s what it is, if you feel safe with those people then you can just really be creative and not feel judged. It's very important to trust the director, co-stars, and the team of writers. You want to look for creative allies, that’s what I’m always looking for. In this show, it was definitely there. It was a nice group. It’s easier sometimes when it’s a movie or a mini-series where it's just two directors because you kind of create a small group. When you’re on a long-running, episodic show, sometimes someone pops in and you do a couple of takes and they say they loved it and you didn’t think it was the right choice, so you can just go, “Okay, for the next eight days, I’m gonna do my own thing.” In general, I just look for projects where I think I'm going to have creative allies because that's where the best work happens.

Do you have a “bowling ball licking” moment — a choice you made that comes to mind?

Well, a lot of the time it's just little ad-libs that you’ll add or moments of a look here and there. On this show, I think there were a few in the way that Amat would get sort of explosive. There were a couple of moments where I tried different levels of emotion. It’s nice to see when you watch something and a choice you made was there and it worked. And then you forget because, at the end of the day, a good idea is a good idea, no matter whose it was. I also like to watch something and I forget and I think, “Was that my look, did I think of that?” I don't really care anymore, so as long as it works, that’s the main thing.


Is there anything you discovered about your character while you were mid-scene or on set — something you didn’t explore when you were prepping?

Yes, it's always a discovery process, for sure. There is the lifestyle [of the character.] I remember wanting to spend some time at Amat’s house at the beginning when they were doing some construction on it. I rehearsed and read the script and I asked, “Can I just go and hang out at the house?” I just sat at the kitchen table, went outside, and sat on a log under a tree to read the script and go over the lines. That was very helpful and afterwards, when we were on set, it just felt like I lived there. It felt familiar and like I knew where to go. Those are little tricks you do to protect yourself. For me, the more the character is ingrained in you before you start, the more you can just forget about what you will be doing and you're not thinking things while you're on set. By then, you want to be free enough to just explore. I spent as much time as possible with the dog in the show, Golfo, whose owner was so great. I would just throw the ball to him. He was so loyal to his master though. She had to be on set so sometimes you'd throw the ball to him and he would go grab it and, as opposed to bringing it back to you, he would run off and give it to her. But you know, we bonded. So those little things were very important.

For The Cleaning Lady, you got a letter from the showrunners with a description of your character’s arc and background. I also read that you typically find acting very physical. What do you find most helpful when you're trying to access a character?

Well, that was refreshing to get because it meant you were working with people who had a real take on who this person was rather than saying, “Alright, we’ll see,” which happens sometimes. I come from theatre, from stage work, but since I did a couple of plays, I’ve been doing mainly TV and film. There is a distinct thing where you’re using different muscles like projecting on stage and having to reach the back row whereas the camera is much more intimate. But I still think the use of your body and the way you approach a role is the same because, at the end of the day, you need to be alive. In life, everything’s alive and your body is always reacting to everything, so in that sense, I don't distinguish it at all. It’s the same process. I feel it's very important, even if they're just filming you and framing your shoulders, your body always needs to be alive. What I hate that you see a lot on TV is when people are like machines and have a formula and just stand and talk. And in life, that never happens, especially when there's a heated argument between two people. It happens on the street sometimes when people bump into each other. I’m always paying attention to these things. I feel like it's almost a dance. If I'm using a prop or if I’m using something in a scene, I rehearse it a lot to practice the movement so when I get to it, it feels very natural. And sometimes you don't do what you did in the rehearsal, but at least you have made yourself familiar with everything around you and made it feel real. You have to own the space and everything in it so it's very important to be familiar with the space. It’s a crucial tactic.


That's a great way to describe it too because as a viewer, you can have a feeling when something isn't natural or when a character doesn’t feel fully real, even subconsciously.  You might not be able to pinpoint why because a lot of communication is in body language and not necessarily the dialogue.

That’s exactly right. You’re not doing it for the Thespians out there who say, [Mimics] “Oh, what beautiful technique!” It's really on a subconscious level. It’s the same thing when there's a good vibe on set when people are collaborating and connecting. When there's a good relationship on set and a really creative mind behind it, those things will translate and people won't be able to necessarily identify why, but the truth of it will come out from those things. A lot of actors sometimes feel so natural and you think, “Oh maybe that’s just you being you,” but behind that is a lot of work.


Absolutely.  I also have a fun question that is based on the show! We see Gala and Amat meet after she crashes into his trailer, so I wanted to know in real life, what is the weirdest way you ever met someone?

I mean, I had a crash moment once, but I didn’t maintain a relationship with that person. [Laughs] I was once blindsided a long time ago when I was a new driver. I was like eighteen and I had just gotten my licence. This was in Santiago, Chile, and someone made a mistake and didn't look one way and completely hit me on the side. I was so shocked but we ended up chatting for a bit. The lady who ran into me was a French babysitter who shouldn't have been driving, but she was literally just going two blocks down the road to buy groceries. They asked me if I could at least say that the guy she was with was driving because if not, she would get arrested and might have to leave the country. So they won me over, and it wasn’t a big deal in the end. So I had a “crash-in” moment and I related to these people for a couple of weeks and I ended up realising that the guy I had helped out, I knew his brother, so it was a cool connection there.

Woah, so interesting! I thought it would be an interesting question but it is hard to come up with an answer! I was thinking of my own life and if anything has ever happened similarly to that.

It just reminds me of how sometimes people project things and fantasise. I think in our minds we create these idyllic scenarios of what could have been. But you don’t know what it could've been like unless you go up to someone and make it happen. We sometimes drive ourselves crazy with what could have been or would have been, and I think it’s important to focus on the life we’re living and embrace it.

That is very true. I want to move to what’s to come for you. I read that you like to take on things you haven't done or things that challenge you. At this point in your career, what do you consider to be a challenge or outside of your comfort zone?

A lot of the time, people ask, “What would you like to play next?” I have no idea. I could say, “I wanna be a detective,” but then something else comes along, and all I want is well-written stories with well-rounded characters. I feel a challenge is a three-dimensional character and I love a good character-driven piece. They are hard to come by and they’re hard to craft well. So that’s always a challenge when you really have a journey with that character, and you see a change within the story and someone grows as you're watching that story. And I love all of John’s [John Turturro] characters.  I find that super exciting about the show. You don’t know what’s around the corner or what could be coming. I think it's so exciting when you read something and you’re inspired. That’s what makes you tick and keeps you going in this.

Yes! I always wonder how often something might come along that inspires you — if it's a rare thing or if you can be inspired by little pieces of everything. I know actors are usually at the front of public perception but so many other things and inspirations go into a project and you have to trust that everything clicks into place and you feel good about it.

Yeah, it’s kind of a fine line. The industry wants to know you and what’s the one thing you do, and a lot of work can come through that because they identify you. But in a way as an actor, you don’t want to be identifiable. You don’t want to be pinpointed because that allows you to do different things. Also, you want to maintain some kind of anonymity and mystery, so that other people can believe you as different things. If everyone thinks they know you exactly as one thing, then it's harder. It’s a great thing when someone’s like, “Oh, you can do anything, we can’t find just that one thing,” but on the other hand, it could hinder you. It’s a balancing act. Ultimately, you just want to do good work and keep going. I just love being on set with other actors, directors, and crews. I just love the atmosphere of being creative with a group of people. When you get a chance, you just want to do the best you can. The rest of it is out of your hands.

Interview by Tessa Swantek

Photography by Shane McCauley

Fashion by Christopher Kim

Grooming by Rachel Burney

MAIDEN VOYAGE

FOR SPIKE FEARN, HOLLYWOOD STILL FEELS ALIEN. BUT WHILE THE YOUNG ACTOR IS NAVIGATING THE UNKNOWN TERRITORIES, HE’S MAKING QUITE A NAME FOR HIMSELF. HIS ROLE IN ALIEN: ROMULUS MARKS THE BEGINNING OF A PROMISING JOURNEY. WITH A PASSION FOR CINEMA PASSED DOWN FROM HIS PARENTS, THE ACTOR IS A DEVOTED FAN OF THE ART. THIS ADORATION, COUPLED WITH HIS NATURAL COMEDIC TIMING, HAS EARNED HIM A FAIR SHARE OF ALLIES, ONE OF WHOM IS CAILEE SPAENY, ONE OF THE INDUSTRY’S MOST EXCITING RISING STARS. HAVING MET ON THE SET OF THE LATEST ADDITION TO THE ALIEN SERIES, THE TWO HAVE DEVELOPED A SIBLING-LIKE DYNAMIC. TOGETHER, THEY DISCUSS THE JOY (AND PRESSURE) OF CONTRIBUTING TO A PIECE OF CINEMATIC HISTORY, XENOMORPH-INDUCED JUMP SCARES, AND THE BRIGHT FUTURE AHEAD FOR BOTH. THE TWO CATCH UP WHILE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE WORLD – A LAUGHABLE CHALLENGE FOR DEEP SPACE EXPLORERS.

CAILEE SPAENY: Oh, hello. Hi. Are you in London right now?

SPIKE FEARN: Yeah. I just got back. It's so fucking hot.

CS: Why do you say that like it’s a bad thing? You guys only complain about the rain…

SF: My house is like a sauna, bro. I barely slept last night but I’m pretty awake, it’s just so hot… That’s why I’m awake.

CS: How was LA?

SF: It was warm there as well but at least they got AC, they have it everywhere.

CS: It’s the luxury of America.

SF: Do they have it on the East Coast? You’ve lived in New York for a bit, right?

CS: I mean, you have to install janky AC units onto your window… But yes, we do have AC. How was the shoot?

SF: What shoot?

CS: [Laughs] The one you’re doing this interview for?

SF: [Laughs] Oh yeah, I enjoyed it. I’m a bit uncomfortable in front of cameras…

CS: That is the biggest lie ever.

SF: No, like film cameras are fine but a camera that takes stills. I get a bit stressed out because you have to take yourself so seriously. Have you been working today?

CS: Not today, I had a big day on set yesterday. How are you feeling now that you’re back and we’ve finished the first chunk of the press with Comic-Con and everything? How do you think that went?

SF: It was insane. It was surreal to have 6000 people in the audience. I don’t know how you were feeling but I wasn’t that nervous until I stepped up on the stage. But it was so nice to be back with everyone. I don’t think we’ve all been together since your birthday.

Left Full look Giorgio Armani

Right Full look Prada

CS: Well, not really. I haven’t seen Aileen (Wu) since we wrapped. That was the last day, I think that was the last time we were all together.

SF: Yeah, but it was nice to have a reunion at Comic-Con. I got a little sad when I got back because I just felt like the party had just started kicking off and then it ended.

CS: But it was cool walking around. Taking pictures with people dressed in homemade Xenomorph outfits. One of them had a mouth that actually scared me.

SF: It was nice to see that side of Comic-Con as well, seeing everyone dressed up, taking pictures… It was just pure love from these people.

CS: There were a lot of great film posters as well. They had a cool one of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. You showed me that film.

SF: I did?

CS: Did you forget all the memories we’ve made?

SF: No, no. Not at all. But we did watch a lot of movies in Budapest.

CS: What else did we watch? Oh, Midnight Cowboy. That’s such a Spike film.

SF: We have very similar tastes in films. But I think you know a little bit more than me though.

CS: Well, I’m older and wiser. [Laughs] I have to start asking you some Alien questions. That's what we’re here to do, to promote our damn film.

SF: Yes, I’m not the best at this.

CS: If anyone can get it out of you, I think it’s me.

SF: I feel like when we were at Comic-Con, I was looking at you for what to say. You’re great at it.

CS: Most times. It’s happened so many times that I get asked a question and my brain just goes completely blank. I think once I completely blanked out on a stage at a Q&A for one of my first films. I have a bad habit of starting a sentence with no idea of where it’s ending. I just blanked out on that stage.

SF: Have you seen that interview back?

CS: Oh no, thank God it wasn’t recorded. Anyway, back to it. For Alien, I actually don’t know how you got on it. Was it a traditional audition process or a self-tape situation?

SF: If I remember correctly, it was a dummy side. I wasn’t told what it was. But I think your name was attached to it.

Full look N21

CS: Oh, I was? I love that I’m making this interview about me as much as possible. But did it say Alien: Romulus?

SF: No, it just said you were attached. But I might be making it up.

CS: What scene was it that you auditioned with?

SF: It was that first sequence when we all talk about the plan, which I actually think is a great scene.

CS: You’re great in that scene, you’re a master improviser. Did you improvise in the audition?

SF: I remember I did it in an American accent. It was Valentine’s Day. And then I met Fede [Alvarez], and he let me improvise and say it how I wanted.

CS: Did you know you could do it in your own accent?

SF: That’s what made me think, “I might get this one.” I was like “they’re interested because they don’t want it in American.”

CS: I think that was because Fede wanted everyone to feel grounded. He didn’t want anyone to be putting on an accent. I know Archie [Renaux] was going to do it in American too, he shot it on the first day with an accent. But then Fede just wanted everyone to be as close to who they are off-screen. It felt like he was trying to meet us and get a sense of who we were to inject it into the characters. So, when did you find out it was Alien?

SF: I knew it was Alien from the night before the audition. Right after my audition, Fede was showing me stuff on the original movies and kind of what was going to happen.

Full look Giorgio Armani

CS: How much knowledge did you have of the Alien films?

SF: It was very weak.

CS: Had you seen the first one?

SF: I did with my dad like back in the day…

CS: Your dad is a real lover of ‘70s cinema and music…

SF: I have to say my mom too, can’t mention my dad without saying her. She studied cinema so she was constantly recommending me movies, or they were just playing them in the house. But it was my dad who showed my friend Brad and me Alien when we were very young to scare us. I think he actually said, “This will scare the shit out of you.”

CS: How old were you?

SF: I might have been 9 or 10. Brad was a year below… Either way, too young to be watching that film. I remember watching with my hands over my eyes. Brad enjoyed it though.

CS: Do you remember the chest scene? Did you make it that far?

SF: You know, I’ve revisited it since, and I can’t remember it that young. I think I was so young and scared. My eyes were covered the whole time. I don’t even think my dad put it on. It was on the telly. You know how movies used to just run on the telly? I used to watch the horror channel quite a lot when everyone else had gone to sleep.  I do remember that guy… Oh, what’s his name… I forget the character’s name but it’s Harry Dean Stanton. Such a legend.

CS: They’ll put the character name for us, because if we don’t know everything about this franchise…

SF: We do have a fan base.

CS: They should be tough on us actually. I watched every single film before I did this movie. Did you dive in before we started? Before I got on, I had only seen Alien, which I loved. I hadn’t seen Aliens. Again, it had popped up on TV when I was a kid, but I had never properly watched it. I came back to it when this project was circulating. Then I just watched all the Alien films. But I remember watching Alien: Covenant when it was in the theatres when it came out. It’s a perfect “night out at the movies with friends” movie. The best thing to watch when you’re with friends or on a date is a horror film because it makes such a visceral reaction. There’s something about seeing other people get scared around you that is great.

SF: The theatres where I grew up were never that filled. You go watch a movie on a Thursday night and there are two people in there. In my hometown, you have to drive 30 minutes to any cinema, they’re ghostly. I remember my grandparents used to take us to watch Harry Potter. We would go now and then but we had a draw underneath our stairs that was just filled with DVDs. My mom used to take us to Blockbuster…

CS: I remember there was this boy I had a crush on who lived next door to the house I grew up in. I used to beg him to walk to Blockbuster with me. I was probably like five or six. We would go with his mom and rent scary movies.

SF: What kind of scary movies were you watching at 6?

CS: I tried to be brave and watch The Goonies. I remember the part with the creature… Have you seen it?

SF: Of course.

CS: I forget his name in the film, but he’s the one you think is going to be the terrible monster, but he ends up being the good guy… I was so terrified at that moment that I just got up and ran away. I just said, “I’ve got to go,” and I ran out.

SF: [Laughs]

Full look Miu Miu

CS: Do you remember when we first met?

SF: It was at that restaurant on the corner…

CS: Yeah, the corner where my apartment was in Budapest. We all met in that place.

SF: I walked in because I messaged Archie. I met him on the first day. I thought you were all staying in my hotel, so I was just standing in the lobby waiting to see everyone. Archie explained where you were, and I think we both went to meet you. And then David [Jonsson] came.

CS: I remember meeting you guys and thinking, “Oh my god, these boys are trouble.”

SF: Did we have schnitzel?

CS: The schnitzel was so good over there; I ate as much schnitzel as I could. In terms of the filming, how was it for you?

SF: I’d never filmed inside a studio like that before. We shot a lot during the daytime because of that… The wires were a learning curve. We had to learn how to do flips and build up our core strength. Even the zero-gravity stuff, I think my stunt double ended up doing most of that part of it.

CS: Shout out to the stunt doubles.

SF: They were lifesavers. I wanted to do it but…

CS: Oh god, it’s impossible. I was completely discombobulated. You have no way to hold yourself up. I found all that difficult. It’s a different ball game. You’re using different tools in your actor’s tool belt. I think what’s interesting about Alien is that you mix that with proper character study and interesting performances. The first film establishes it so well. It’s almost like an indie film with a sci-fi horror wrapped around it. I think Fede wanted to come back to that.

SF: You put it perfectly.

CS: I think your performance could almost be dropped into the first film. It’s so natural… you’re hilarious. You keep the audience on their toes because you’re so in the moment. The improv you add is so smart.

SF: Wow. Cheers. Thank you for that.

CS: I want to know about the creative side of Spike Fearn. Why do you keep coming back to acting?

SF: You know, going through school and seeing everyone achieving higher things made me struggle. I think having dyslexia and struggling made it so that when I found a passion that people told me I was good at, it made me go, “I’m in.” The more I explored acting and worked with actors and filmmakers, the more I understood that passion. Working with you, and seeing your career and how great it is, made me want to keep chasing. I’ve gotten really lucky working on Alien and Ella McCay.

…

Discover the full story in our upcoming FW24 Issue - release next End-October.

Conversation moderated by Pedro Vasconcelos

Photography by Jason Hetherington

Fashion by Steven Huang

Casting by Imagemachine cs

Hair by Josh Knight at A-Frame Agency

Set Design by Maf Ramirez

Photographer’s assistant Andrew Mayfield

Stylist’s assistant Dominik Radomski

Set Designer’s assistant Jollibeth Soto

LOYALTY COUNTS

DOES YOUR NOSE BLEED WHEN YOU’RE TOLD EXCITING NEWS? WELL, THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED TO RAIKO GOHARA THE DAY HE GOT THE CALL TO PLAY ZACH IN A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER. SILENT AND MYSTERIOUS, RAIKO’S SECRET WEAPON TO MASTER HIS CHARACTER WAS WHAT HE CALLS A “SUBTITLE FACE” –  EMBODYING EMOTIONS WITHOUT HAVING TO SAY A WORD. PREVIOUSLY STARRING IN A LEAD ROLE IN THE FAMED MUSICAL GEORGE TAKEI’S ALLEGIANCE, HE HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF REPRESENTATION IN ENTERTAINMENT AND THE TOPIC OF RACE IN THE PROJECTS HE EMBARKS ON AS A JAPANESE-AMERICAN. BTB SPOKE TO THE BUBBLY ACTOR LAST SUMMER ABOUT BEING MENTORED BY IMPRESSIVE A-LISTERS, HIS ADDICTION TO CROCHETING ACCESSORIES ON SET, AND HIS UNDENIABLE LOVE OF FASHION AND THRIFTING UNIQUE PIECES.

Left Full look Simone Rocha

Right Tunic and pants Courrèges, shoes Celine Homme, necklace Sonia Petroff, gloves stylist's own 

Hi Raiko, tell us a little bit about yourself, how did you get into acting?

I grew up in the US and I moved to the UK in the early 2010s. I was struggling to make friends at school because I was different-looking. I'm Asian, I had darker skin than everyone and people would take the mick out of my accent because it was very American at the time. And so my mum signed me up to an after-school theatre club to build confidence and just hang out with people, and I fell in love with that. I enjoyed it so much but it was never a future that I had really planned for, I mean at one point I wanted to be an accountant, so this is very different from what I imagined.

Oh, so you had an American accent?

Yeah, I did. I had a thing called a dual accent which is when you, because of your background or your heritage or your parents, you swap in and out of accents. My mum is from the UK but my dad is from Orange County, California, so depending on who I'd speak to, it was heavily American.

Coat Diesel, gloves Paula Rowan, necklace Shaun Leane 

You starred in George Takei’s Allegiance, a musical on the West End. What was that experience like?

That show means so much to me. It was a Broadway transfer and I was in the London original cast which is insane and the project meant so much to me because it's about Japanese Americans, and I am Japanese American myself. It was the biggest and most professional thing I've ever done! I was going into this without any real musical theatre training, and the cast, who's an all-Asian cast, was so phenomenal and they looked after me incredibly well. If I ever had a question or a query which may sound silly to other professionals, they would never belittle me. It was also absolutely phenomenal having an A-list Hollywood actor like George himself in the room. He was the oldest one in the cast and I was the youngest one, but he just talked to me, mentored me and we would have conversations about anything from professional to personal. He really looked after me.

Getting mentored by George Takei must have been amazing, how does preparing for a musical compare to acting in a series?

The amount of preparation for something live is insane, it was like training to be an athlete. I had to learn so much about how to look after my voice and my body because you're doing performances every night for six days a week, eight shows a week, and I had to learn about stamina and how not to burn out. I have so much respect and love for musical theatre performers because they are actual powerhouses and I look up to them so much. The show was a lot easier to prepare for, it was just like reading the book, having insight into what the character looks like. Studying what Zach was like inside the book and how he's written in the script, I had to find a middle ground with all of it because I wanted to do justice to the character and also to the absolutely amazing and adorable fans of the novel.

Left Jacket, shorts and necklace Simone Rocha, socks Prada, shoes Celine Homme

 Right Hat Prada, necklace Shaun Leane, earrings Raiko's own

I finished the show and let me tell you it was a rollercoaster - it is quite dark and tackles challenging themes. How did you lighten the mood on set?

We had to keep the mood on set really light and all of my scenes were a break from all the drama which is very good because it's so plot-intense and heavy that you kind of need to breathe. So luckily, there is the friend group which acts as a little bit of a breather for the viewer. But it was a really long shoot, we were filming from June all the way to September so it was really important to keep ourselves happy on set. We would play card games, and Emma, Jude and I brought our Nintendo Switches down. Also, I love crocheting and I found out that Orla who plays Ruby was also into crocheting at the time, so we would hang out and just crochet crazy things like hats, socks and bags.

Can we spot any of your crocheted treasures in the show?

No. But every time I would crochet a hat, I would bring it to the costume department and they'd be really impressed by me, which is really cute. And I would always bring it to the makeup trailer and I would share the hat around and people would be like, “Oh, let me try it on,” and they would wear it. I have so many pictures of all the different hats that I crocheted on that set.

Left Tunic Courrèges

Right Tunic and pants Courrèges, shoes Celine Homme, Necklace Sonia Petroff, gloves stylist's own

Next season,  just sneak it onto the costume rack…

Definitely! I have such a great relationship with Charlotte, the costume designer, so I really do think that if I said, “Hey, do you want to just put this in the background,” she might!

How do you relate to Zach, the character you play?

We're both Asian and I think we are incredibly loyal to our friends. I am incredibly loyal to my friends and people I love, almost to a fault because I wear my heart on my sleeve. We are both such observers in conversations, we just sit there and let our friends talk and get everything out, without judgment. To be able to answer if they're looking for one but if they're not looking for one we're just happy to listen and observe. I think that's how we're very similar. I would kill to be as insightful and read as many books as Zach.

Left Jacket and necklace Simone Rocha

Right Shorts DSQUARED, shoes Diesel 

The show and the book treat the complexities of teenage murder, and consequential suicide, in a small town. What do you think it raises awareness on?

First, as a young audience, you can become aware of what the signs of behaviours such as grooming look like. And I think that this isn't just any suicide, it's a really important one because it's the suicide of someone of colour. You can see how race is portrayed in the media and by journalists in the show, where Salil is painted out to be a monster and because he isn’t white like Andie, his death is seen as more insignificant. I think that it is really important in current affairs right now to see how other races are portrayed in the media especially surrounding death or suicide, and the show highlighted people of colour in their tragedies as well.

That’s a really good point because it seems like his suicide is literally just a background happening and that it's not as important, because he's just seen as this evil person. But we have to remember that his death is also a loss for a family. Colourism really plays an important part in how the media treats crime.

Exactly, they dehumanise him because he's a Brown guy and they suspect him to be the killer so quickly without really looking into it, which I think is very accurate to how real society functions. They had to look into this murder to find out that the Brown boy was innocent and you see the change in people's attitudes, people who jumped the gun and considered the Brown guy a monster. I think Holly's written it so well and done such justification, it's very heartwarming, for lack of a better term, or just a relief to see that being written down.

Left Full look Prada

Right Tunic Courrèges, necklace Sonia Petroff

Your outfit to the premiere was amazing, what goes into an outfit choice? Do you have any dream brands you want to collaborate with?

I enjoy fashion and styling. I try to bring personality into what I'm wearing so people can understand who I am as a person in my outfit. For the premiere, I wore a brand called FIX and Louis Vuitton. Hopefully, one day, I'll get to work with people like Vivienne Westwood, Maison Margiela, Céline, Thom Browne, or Gentle Monster.

And what do you do on your days off?

I really love going thrifting and going to markets. I'm really lucky that I get to do modelling abroad as well, so every time I go abroad I like to go around to the local markets and find really cool stuff.

Left Full look Celine Homme

Right Shorts DSQUARED, shoes Diesel

What roles do you hope to play in the future? Is there an actor’s career that you admire?

To work all around the world with directors and writers from every walk of life. I’m really excited that I've got my dual citizenship and I really want to be able to use that in my career moving forward. I would like to follow the same career path as Leonardo DiCaprio, he's got one of the biggest and most diverse bodies of work. Jesse Buckley, her talent on stage translates so well and the way she can swap that out and be a film actress is incredible. And Jodie Comer – I would kill to have an ear for accents like she does. 

Left Shorts DSQUARED, shoes Diesel

Right Jacket, pants, shoes and belt Celine Homme, gloves Paula Rowan

Interview by Gabrielle Valda Colas

Photography by Hanna Pallot

Fashion by Steven Huang

Casting ImageMachine CS

Grooming by Chad Maxwell

Photographer’s assistant Lauren Hillsdon

Stylist’s assistant Sabrina Leina

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