Whoever doesn’t already know who Henry Golding is, will definitely learn all there is to know about him in the coming weeks. That’s because the handsome actor and television personality is about to make waves in Hollywood. He stars in the highly-anticipated movie Crazy Rich Asians as the young, handsome and of course filthy rich Nicholas Young. And as far as fans can already tell, he’s everything that his irresistible character embodies, if not more.
Now, one of the reasons why might not have heard of Henry before is because this is actually his first feature film. For critics, it’s pretty amazing that Henry would take on a project this big, considering that he’s only dipped his toes in the Hollywood pond. But that doesn’t seem to matter. Because the actor has already managed to charm his way to the top, even though he’s only getting started. He also has another movie coming out this year called A Simple Favor. With that being said, here are 20 things that we didn’t know about CRA star Henry Golding.
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20 He Wasn’t First Pick For His New Major Film
Even though he looks like he was born to be in front of the cameras, Henry Golding wasn’t the producers’ first choice for the lead role as Nicholas Young in Crazy Rich Asians. As a matter of fact, some people doubted his skill set, as he’s never acted in a film before. But it didn’t matter to author Kevin Kwan. “Henry is just a superstar,” says Kwan, who is also an executive producer on CRA, to Vulture. “He’s a leading man three times over without the first movie even coming out yet, and it’s a testament to his talent. People just fall in love with him.”
19 His Background
As we mentioned above, there were some people who weren’t very happy about seeing Henry win the lead role in CRA. That’s because his heritage is technically not 100 percent from Asia. His father is from the UK and his mother is from Malaysia, which for some people wasn’t enough. “It was like, ‘Oh, he got the role because he’s half-white,’” Golding told Vulture. “But I went through the same loops every other person who read for this went through. There’s no real test of how Asian you need to be to be able to own your Asianness, and it’s always going to be an area of contention.”
18 He Was On A Travel Program
Henry might have never starred in a movie before, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know how to work a camera. For years he was one of Southeast Asia’s most prominent travel hosts with several television shows of his own. And as a result, he was always on the road and didn’t get to spend much time at home. He told the South China Morning Post, “Never feeling really at home in any one country is always challenging. You realize that you have to lean on yourself and to own it. You own your identity; it is important to feel that way.”
17 He Didn’t Go To College
A lot of actors know that in order to make in the business, you have to have the right kind of training and the right kind of skillset and education. But with Henry, that didn’t happen. He skipped college because he knew from the get go that it wasn’t for him. “That format of education and learning wasn’t the sort of way that my brain works, I’m more hands on,” Henry revealed in a 2010 interview with The Blisscipline. “I was very lucky, a lot of people go through the college system not knowing what they want to do. Thankfully my parents were very supportive of my choices and pretty much gave me free rein.”
16 His Family Comes From A Tribe In Malaysia
A lot of people might question Henry Golding’s heritage, but truth be told he’s actually very proud of his culture and his heritage. His mother comes from a unique tribe in Malaysia called Sarawak. And according to Henry, he is a very proud member and wants everyone to know it. What’s more, he doesn’t care what his critics think. “When it comes to cultural identity, when it comes to being an Asian, there’s no litmus test for how Asian you need to be to be considered Asian. I’ve lived more than half my life in Asia,” Golding said, according to HuffPo.
15 He’s A Trained Hairstylist
Believe it or not, Henry Golding is actually a trained hairstylist. Before he was discovered for CRA and way before he became a television star in Malaysia, he made sure that all of the women in his family had great looking hair – including his beloved mother! He told the South China Morning Post, “The only reason I left the salon was really to chase these dreams of either being an MTV host or a travel host. I loved the idea of doing something fun and interesting for a living and that is what got me over to Malaysia.”
14 He’s A Newlywed
We’ve got bad news for the ladies that were hoping to get their chance with this stunning actor: Henry Golding is taken. That’s right, the actor is happily married to his wife, model and yoga instructor, Liv Lo. In a 2016 interview with Her World, Liv said that she spotted Henry at a restaurant in 2011and decided to introduce herself. “Henry piqued my curiosity because he is tall and handsome, yet seemed really fun and down to earth,” she said. “As I was leaving, he was going to the bathroom so our paths crossed. I took the opportunity to chat to him as I had nothing to lose.”
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13 Here’s What He Has To Stay About His Mom
In addition to Liv Lo, there’s another woman who is very near and dear to his heart: Henry’s mother. As a matter of fact, he often shares adorable photos of the two enjoying multiple date nights in and around Singapore. He is by far the most dedicated son we’ve ever seen and it’s such a treat to see him with his mom. In honor of Mother’s Day (in the U.K.) this year, Henry wrote on Instagram, “So grateful to have been able to spend this weekend with mine. Reach out to the first woman you will ever love, you won’t regret it.”
12 He Has A Huge Social Media Presence
Henry might not be very well known in the United States yet, but he does have a huge social media presence thanks to all of his fans across Asia. He often likes to share behind the scenes photos of his travel programs and of course, his personal life with his wife. And it was actually his Instagram account that helped him win the lead role of his new film. “I hadn’t actually read [the book] until I caught whisperings of [director Jon M. Chu] following me on Instagram. That was really weird and rather serendipitous,” he told InStyle Magazine.
11 He’s A Traveler And Foodie
This shouldn’t surprise anyone, but Henry is an avid traveler (mostly thanks to his work on his multiple travel shows in Malaysia) and is a foodie, too. But for anyone who has read the Crazy Rich Asians book, they will know that Singapore has some of the best hawker food in the world. He told InStyle Magazine, “I’ve grown up half of my entire life in Asia. I was born in the jungles of Borneo. I’ve been to every single Asian country apart from Myanmar, on work, listening to human interest stories, giving me a broad outlook on all Asian cultures.”
10 He’s Starred In Nepresso Commercials
A lot of people call Henry Golding the George Clooney of Asia and there’s a good reason for it. Just like George, Henry has also starred in Nepresso Commercials that can only be viewed in Asia (and of course, YouTube for the rest of us). After all, he is one of the biggest celebrities in the entertainment world in Asia – and his profile and exposure is growing by the minute. It’s something that he is slowly but surely getting used to. “I’m very new to the whole auditioning thing,” admitted Golding, according to NBC News.
9 He’s Set To Break Box Offices
A lot of people have already predicted that CRA is going to break box office records, thanks in part to Henry Golding and his starring role as Nicholas Young. “It was such a pure experience,” Golding said when asked about how it felt working on the film, according to ABC News. “I mean, everyone on set knew that there was something special about this project. And that filtered down from Jon Chu, the director. He had this vision, and the fact that Kevin Kwan, the author, was such an integral part of the entire project, it just had this sort of, this authenticity behind it. And the fact that it was an all-Asian cast just brought the game.”
8 He’s Starring In Another Big Budget Film
As many people can imagine, CRA is opening up the door for many more Hollywood opportunities for Henry. He is actually starring in another film called A Simple Favor with Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively. Actor Paul Feig has this to say about Henry to Vulture: “You see him, he’s gorgeous. Then you talk to him, and he has this amazing voice that’s so cool and refined. Henry Golding is a movie star that I have not seen in a long time. That’s like catnip for me, because I can bring somebody new [to audiences], but I’m clearly riding on the coattails of Jon [the director].”
7 He Wants To Be James Bond
Henry Golding has high aspirations for his movie career. And who can blame him? After all, if he can pull off a role like Nicholas Young with ease, he can certainly do more. As a matter of fact, Henry has hinted that he would love to be the first James Bond to come from Asia – and he has our vote! “I was much more aware of [the fight for representation] once this dialogue started coming out, because growing up and spending half my life in Asia, I saw brown faces, yellow faces, content that was created in the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan,” Golding said to HuffPo.
6 He Also Wants To Be In A Star Wars Movie
In addition to being the first Asian James Bond (don’t forget that you heard it from us first – trust us that he’s got what it takes to make it happen), Henry has also said that he would love to be in a future Star Wars movie. Or rather, he would love to work in any sci-fi film in the industry. Golding told HuffPo, “People look to cinema to spread the word and to tell these wonderful, outrageous stories or true-to-life documentaries. It’s such an important format for us to put our faces on and normalize. It’s so influential in terms of society.”
5 …Or Lord Of The Rings
Seriously, this man has huge dreams! Henry one said that his biggest dream was to star in a Lord of The Rings franchise movie. These adventure fantasy movies are the ones that fascinate him the most. “The wonder of cinema is that we can inhabit any world we want to. … If they want an Asian elf in Lord Of The Rings, it’s gonna happen! There ain’t no people of color in the last movies that I’ve noticed,” Golding said, laughing. “But trust me, that’s gonna change. They can’t afford not to. So I look forward to being an elf!”
4 He’s Still Down To Earth – Fame Won’t Change Him
And while Henry Golding has a long list of movies that he would love to be involved in, he’s also made it pretty clear that nothing will ever change him. It’s just not in his DNA. “The one thing that I learned very young was to own my identity. And, I knew, I’m Asian through and through. There’s nothing I needed to prove,” Golding said. “So when that came up, I wasn’t heartbroken or just sort of shied away from it. I think the best way to fight that sort of stuff is opening a dialogue. And that’s what we did.”
3 He Is The Ultimate Nicholas Young
As many people know, the entertainment industry is a cutthroat business. One day you are in, and the next day you are possibly out. It’s just the way that the industry works. But according to Henry’s co-stars, he is one of the most pleasant actors to work with. At least, that’s what his co-star Constance Wu thinks. She said that he is the ultimate Nicholas Young.In other words, the role was made for him. The actress couldn’t help but gush about her costar’s charm, saying, “You just fall in love with him the second you see him on the screen.”
2 He Has High Hopes For The Future
Henry has very high hopes for the future: “I wasn’t in that frame of mind, and a lot of my life, I’d sort of designated my mindset to being something, and at that point, I was a presenter,” he explained to Vulture. “So when the offer came, they were like, ‘Oh, do you want to audition for this role? It’s going to be a big movie.’ I was like, ‘Oh, I’ve heard of it. It’s going to be fantastic, but it’s for someone else, someone else who is going to bring the A-game, who’s a legitimate actor, who the studio’s going to gamble on?’ Because it’s such a big deal.”
1 His Life Is About To Change Forever
If there is one thing that we can say about Henry right now, it’s that his life will change forever. He is about to become a huge star, or dare if we can say it, the next leading man. “I’m in this very strange sort of area of limbo where I have three films that I’ve filmed—which are so different in subject and feel—and nothing has come out,” he says. “I’m in a fantastic position where I can still walk down Orchard Road in Singapore, which is, like, the busiest street and shopping district, and live an ordinary life, walk down in my PJ’s, and grab a coffee. I think when the film comes out that might be a different story.”
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