‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Star Henry Golding Continues to Be a Leading Man in ‘A Simple Favor’

September 12, 2018

“Crazy Rich Asians” star

A new poster of the Lionsgate film shows Golding alongside co-stars Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively.

Golding flew from Singapore to Los Angeles on Aug. 31 for the last-minute poster, shot at the home studio of Lionsgate chief brand officer and award-winning fine art photographer Tim Palen, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The 31-year-old actor, who was cast without acting credits last summer, had no contractual billing on the upcoming movie, but that’s changing after his phenomenal performance in Jon M. Chu’s “Crazy Rich Asians.”

“A month ago, a huge number of people didn’t know Henry, and I think the spread of his fame and popularity is obviously due to the huge success of [‘Crazy Rich Asians’],” Palen told the Hollywood Reporter. “Blake, Anna and Paul, and there are actually people on social media saying, ‘I am seeing this movie because of Henry.’ It speaks to where we are in the zeitgeist.”

In an interview with the outlet, Golding described how Sean Townsend, his character, differed from Nick Young.

“It’s such contrasting characters. You couldn’t get a nicer guy in Nick Young and then a more mysterious man, who is unsure of his relationship between two women, in Sean Townsend. It really was a good test of breadth in terms of my acting skills. It was the perfect next step for me.

“This is a good way of showing people that it wasn’t just a flash in the pan with ‘Crazy Rich Asians.’ I’m here to carve out a strong career in the leading-man space.”

Golding added that he’s open to all genres for future projects — though sci-fi action seems to be his best interest.

“I’m going to be testing waters in all genres. I’m really up for the challenge physically to go into sci-fi action, thinking-man’s action. There’s so many places, personally, that I would love as a film fan to explore.”

Needless to say, “Crazy Rich Asians” opened more doors for the British-Malaysian actor, who welcomes diverse roles.

Feig learned about Golding through his wife — a fan of Kevin Kwan’s books — and cast him for “A Simple Favor” after calling Chu.

“I watched all of Henry’s travel shows that he hosted, and I fell in love with him. He’s so charming and so charismatic,” Feig told Vanity Fair. “And then I called Jon [M. Chu] and asked, ‘Can he act?’ And he said, ‘He’s the best. He works so hard. He’s the nicest guy in the world.’ And I was like, ‘He’s in!’ Henry is a movie star that I have not seen in a long time. He’s a version of Cary Grant.”

Since then, Golding also made his front row debut in Tom Ford’s Spring 2019 collection and enjoyed other perks — including special treatment at airports.

“One time, I got picked up at L.A.X., and they have this special car that takes you from the plane on the tarmac directly to the other place where they collect your bags,” Golding told Vanity Fair. “It was like a little strange look into the world of ‘Crazy Rich Asians.’ I’m not used to that at all. That was a treat!”

While Golding basks in undeniable fame, he remains grounded on things that truly matter.

“I think I’m level-headed enough to understand that it’s hard work that really pays off, and I think the understanding of these opportunities come far and few between, so take advantage of them; work your hardest,” he told PopSugar. “That’s what we’ve been doing for the past sort of year-and-a-half. But for me, it’s really the joy in creating what I have loved my entire life, and that’s great movies. I love cinema altogether. So for me, it’s the greatest dream.”

“A Simple Favor” opens on Friday.

Featured Images via YouTube / Lionsgate Movies

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