DEFYING DEFINITIONS: HENRY GOLDING’S PERSPECTIVE ON MIXED HERITAGE IN ACTING

BY KATARINA LA POLL

Whether he is playing the leading man and heartthrob in the $30 million budget Warner Bros film Crazy Rich Asians or navigating identity and belonging in the indie flick Monsoon, Henry Golding will not allow others to define who is and the roles he connects to. “People want to box you in,” Golding tells ABOOKOF; “Everyone’s like oh you're an Asian actor, or like, oh no, he's not really Asian, he's half Asian. I think it's really like—do your own thing. Look for the roles yourself, fight for the roles and go against the grain. Go against the current of people telling you can't do things because you're a certain color or you're a certain mix.” 

In this exclusive interview, Golding shares a few moments about his experience playing the character Freddy Alvarez in Guy Ritchie’s latest film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Speaking with Golding, there is a palpable sense of gratitude in his voice as he reflects on the three months spent in Turkey filming his second Guy Ritchie film. There is also the obvious reality that the demands of this industry are high. While Golding catches his breath at the end of a long press day to advertise the film on our call, his young daughter Lyla is just beyond the frame asking for his attention too. For a moment, he steps off-camera from the interview to calm her down, and we hear a glimpse of Golding speaking free from the pressures of public relations, and balancing the demands of personal and professional life with the same grace and charm of which audiences adore him. 

Hi Henry.

Hi.

How are you doing?

I'm good. How you doing?

I'm doing good. I'm excited to chat with you. I told my grandma I was interviewing you and she doesn't know many celebrities, but I told her I was interviewing the leading man of Crazy Rich Asians and she's like, “Golding?!” And she knew.

I mean, that's my demographic.

That's your demographic? Grandmas! And she's from the Philippines, so I was like - 

That's definitely my demographic.

I saw Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare and I really enjoyed your performance and portrayal of Freddy.

Thank you. 

Was there something that you were particularly proud of in regards to your work on this film?

Yeah, my pipe smoking skills. [Laughs] I don't usually smoke that much at all. Sorry, my kid is pulling her head. [Glances off camera] I don’t usually smoke. So the story goes that my great-grand, well, my grandfather was in the British World Navy, and I have two or three photos of him. There's one of him dressed in all his whites, sat on a road marker, which says Singapore on it. So he sort of traveled the world. But another one of his photos was him in this big winter peacoat by the ocean, his hair kind of blowing in the wind and him smoking this pipe, which had this really low droop to it. And I was like, ‘that is what I need to bring to this character’ because it’s roughly the same sort of period. So I'm adopting all of that. So there's this beautiful blue peacoat that Freddy wears on the ship as well as the pipe that he carries with him throughout the film. 

Wow. So you took that costume inspo from the photograph of your grandfather? 

Yeah, exactly.

Also, I noticed you had so many hats in the film as well. Was that something that you came with too? 

I think that's a Guy [Ritchie] thing. Guy is so particular with his fashion and he knows exactly what he wants. And so he always, he'll come on set and I'll be sat still. He'll just come over and be like, ‘yeah, that's good’ [acts out adjusting hat]. So we'd all get the Guy treatment because you've got to wear your hat in a particular way. You can't just wear a hat. You got to wear a hat with character. And so you'll see, and you'll notice now that I pointed out all the hats are at a very jaunty angle, and that is through precise sort of fandangling from Guy.

I feel like your character had more hats than anyone else in the film.

I think I did! There's only one scene that I know of that I had my hat off, and that was when we were being sort of near the end. I won’t spoil it, but that's the only scene where you get to see my hair, you got to see my facial hair. Of course. I mean that’s— in all its glory.

Did you have a favorite memory on set?

There's so many. We had such a good time on this production. One, we got to film in Turkey, which is beautiful alone. Two, we had the best group of people to work with and live with for three and a half months. So I think being out on the boat on the old bricks and trawler that they found and they did up, and I think that was some of the best days that I've ever had.

What was it like being on that set with primarily English actors and the director on The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare and director versus a set like Crazy Rich Asians?

Yeah, I think that there's a very distinct sentiment when it comes to being on a guy Ritchie set. Obviously the London sort of British sense of humor and kind of fun-ness is throughout the entire process, so it's a lot of piss-taking, a lot of setting up people for failure, just for shits and giggles. [Laughs] So you got to get used to being picked on as well as looking for your next target because not only the actors are up to trouble, but the props guys, the lighting, the camera dudes. So we're all just there having the best time.

Oh that’s fun, you mean between takes?

Oh during takes and off-camera. 

Yeah, very cheeky banter all throughout.

Yup, yup. [Laughs] A lot of fun. 

What advice would you give to other mixed race actors or any actors and performers who are kind of used to people projecting who they are onto them? What would you tell those actors who are hoping to break into the industry or understand how to market themselves?

Yeah, it's an interesting one. There's no right or wrong answer. I think it really is down to the individual and you have to think of yourself as that. You can't be categorized as one thing because people want to box you in. Like, oh, you're an Asian actor, or, oh no, he's not really Asian, he's half Asian. I think it's really like—do your own thing. Look for the roles yourself, fight for the roles, and go against the grain. Go against the current of people telling you you can't do things because you're a certain color or you're a certain mix. I think you have to really set yourself apart. You have to separate yourself and allow yourself to stand out. So be proud of your differences, but at the same time, don't let it define you. I think I've been lucky with my career that I've chosen a real spectrum of roles and then try not to stay in a particular genre and not be too, I dunno, open mouthed about topics. There's obviously a lot of people who love just regurgitating whatever's in their mind. And I think for myself, I think I just love letting my work speak for itself. And so I try not to comment on global political issues or things like that. Just do your thing and don't allow people to sort of change you, I suppose. Seems to be working.

Yeah, in terms of this character, what drew you to this script and this character? And when you just said going against the grain, did you mean picking roles that do that? I guess in this film, in a way, you are the Asian representation in this film but you’re also British, and I know your character is a fictional character, but I was curious about this script and your interest. 

I mean, to be honest with you, when Guy Ritchie calls you and throws you a script, there's no question. Being this the second to that time that I've worked with him, I know kind of what to expect and all the more reason that I'm like, ‘whatever it is, I'm aboard.’ So I'm lucky that they gave me a lot of leeway in terms of creating my own character and building what I could with the materials that we sort of had. And it's interesting because there's no reference to anybody's background as such, which is what I love about certain films, is that you can be an Asian actor in a role that's not necessarily in your face labeled. And somebody like Freddy Alvarez, people are like, ‘oh, that sounds kind of like Spanish or South American’. But actually, if you look into history, I was just talking to somebody, and in the south of Malaysia, there's an area called Malacca. Malacca was predominantly settled by Portuguese sort of sailors. And so there's a whole community called the Peranakans who are for example, Rodriguez or Alvarez. And so for me, that's where my personal connections of the name and the character came from is that I created him to be from the Peranankans.

So you started that research by looking into that area?

Well, I’m Malaysian so I knew. It was something that I knew. 

If you were a book, what book would you be and why?

Yeah, yeah. Oh my God, that's an interesting one. That is the hardest question. I don't know. Oh my God, I suppose “Never Finished.” I don’t know, I’ve always prided myself on evolving as I've gone and I think I've never learned enough.

That's great. Thank you.

I'm excited to keep following your career. 

Aw thanks Katarina. You take care. Right? 

Take care. Bye.

Bye.