Henry Golding
At 30 years old, Henry Golding was a host for a Malaysian travel show. Half English and
half Malaysian, Golding was deeply connected with both of his heritages (after spending much
time in both London and Kuala Lumpur). He also had a passion for hair and had worked in many
salons previously. But this future Hollywood star had no acting experience.
On the other side of the world, director Jon Chu was looking for a lead actor in this new
movie Crazy Rich Asians . Golding was spotted however, not by Chu or even a casting director,
but by an accountant working in the Malaysian production office. She sent videos and clips of
Golding to the director who was instantly impressed. And so, after interrupting his honeymoon to
audition, Golding would land the role that changed his life.
Crazy Rich Asians was a tremendous success. Grossing $236 million, it is the highest
earning romantic comedy in the last decade. Receiving exceptional reviews from critics, it
captivated audiences around the world. It also marks an important step forward to a more
multicultural Hollywood. It is the first film produced by a major Hollywood studio to feature a
majority Asian cast since The Joy Luck Club in 1993 and demonstrates a promising future a more
diverse film industry.
From a relatively unknown TV personality, Golding is now unable to go anywhere
without being recognized. He was named one of GQ’s Men of the Year and will be starring
alongside Emilia Clarke in Last Christmas , set to be released in 2019. In an interview he spoke
about his newfound fame: “It’s like everybody knows exactly who you are, and the way that they
speak to you is different. I’ve stayed the same throughout. It’s just people’s perception of you
changes.”
Ian Shen-Costello
Project RACE Teens Vice-President
Image Source: https://variety.com/2017/film/news/henry-golding