Nicholas Galitzine (‘Red, White and Royal Blue’) on making fans ‘feel seen’ and what the future holds for Henry [Exclusive Video Interview]
“It’s obviously a role that people felt extremely protective and passionate over. And I think there will always be trepidation from an audience, a fan base of an existing IP when you adapt it into a film,” remembers actor Nicholas Galitzine about being cast in the film “Red, White and Royal Blue,” which is based on the popular novel by Casey McQuiston. “From most of the feedback I’ve had since the movie has come out, people seem to be satisfied.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Galitzine above.
“Red, White and Royal Blue” stars Galitzine as Henry, a closeted gay British prince who falls in love with Alex (Taylor Zakhar Perez), the son of the US president. “I think the goal is to really make things that resonate with people and make people feel seen and heard, and make a movie that maybe a lot of people didn’t have when they were growing up,” says Galitzine about representing queer love on screen. “And that’s the stuff I think that really humbles you as an actor.”
As for the more provocative scenes between him and Perez, “it’s funny because Robbie Taylor Hunt, who is our wonderful intimacy coordinator, he and I have worked together twice now because he was my coordinator for ‘Mary and George‘ as well.” A coordinator “can help sort of intellectualize something that can seem really terrifying for a lot of people. I’m quite lucky that I’ve worked with people very supportive, and now I’ve become very comfortable within that space.” Hunt helped the actors “choreograph a sense of yearning” and “deep love.” Galitzine adds, “We never want a scene of intimacy, I think, to feel solely salacious or not purposeful in a way. And I think an intimacy coordinator is a really great litmus test in figuring out what the purpose of a scene is. How does this help our narrative? How does this move story?”
But what does the future have in store for Henry? We recorded our interview before the “Royal Blue” sequel was officially announced, but we asked what the future might hold for Henry after the events of the film. “What is it like being out in the world really and free in a lot of ways for the first time?” Galitzine wonders. “Maybe his tastes change, his style changes, he feels he can explore the world in a really different way … For Henry, I sort of wish him to be able to realize a lot of the freedom that he didn’t have for the previous 20 odd years of his life.”
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