IN CONVERSATION WITH HARRY GOODWINS
interview by JANA LETONJA
After nearly two decades in fashion, Harry Goodwins is entering a new chapter in front of a very different kind of camera. The British model-turned-actor returns as boxer Jack Glass in the second season of Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen. Having spent 17 years working with fashion houses including Calvin Klein, Prada and Y-3, Harry’s transition into acting was less a reinvention than the realization of a longstanding ambition, one that ultimately took him from London to Los Angeles. With RZA’s One Spoon of Chocolate further expanding his screen career, he is ready to move beyond expectations, embracing darker, stranger and more challenging territory.
full look LOUIS VUITTON
You’re returning as Jack Glass in the second season of The Gentlemen. What was it like stepping back into a character you already knew?
It was good fun. The first time around you’re figuring everything out, whereas this time I knew where Jack lived a little bit more. It was nice coming back to him and thinking, “Right, what trouble can we get him into this time?” He’s not exactly the safest man to be around, so there’s always something going on.
What drew you to Jack when you first encountered the character, and what has kept you interested in him?
I liked that he was a bit of a loose cannon. He’s quite unpredictable, which is always more interesting to play. You don’t necessarily know what he’s thinking, and I like characters where you’re not spoon-fed everything about them. Jack’s got a few screws loose, which helps.
How has Jack evolved in the new season? Is there a side of him that audiences will see this time that you weren’t able to explore before?
Yeah, you see a bit more of what’s underneath him. In the first season you get an idea of who he is and what he’s capable of, but this time there’s a bit more room to explore him. He’s still Jack, though. I don’t think he’s suddenly going to start doing yoga and talking about his feelings.
full look DOLCE & GABBANA
Jack is a boxer as well as being part of this criminal world. How important is the physicality of a character to the way you build a performance?
Very important. I think you can tell a lot about someone without them saying anything. The way they walk into a room, how they stand, how quickly they react, it all says something. And with Jack, obviously, you don’t want to give the impression that he’s someone you’d happily have an argument with in the pub.
Working with Guy Ritchie comes with a very distinctive rhythm, tone and world. What have you learned about your own acting through working with him?
To trust yourself more and not get too in your own head. Guy’s world has such a specific rhythm to it, and you have to keep up. There’s no point standing there thinking about whether you’re doing it right for ten minutes. You’ve got to get on with it and enjoy it.
Was there anything about returning for season two that felt different from your experience on the first series — either creatively or personally?
I was definitely more comfortable. The first time you’re learning the whole world of it and trying not to look like you have absolutely no idea what you’re doing. Coming back, I knew the people, the rhythm and the character, so I could relax into it a bit more. Which is always nice.
shirt and trousers DIOR
You’ve also worked with RZA on One Spoon of Chocolate. What was that experience like, and did it challenge you to approach acting in a different way?
It was brilliant. RZA’s got a very strong creative mind, so you’re around someone who knows exactly what he wants. It definitely made me think differently about how I approach a scene. You take something from every person you work with, really. Even if it’s just learning what not to do.
When you’re choosing a role, what tends to draw you in? Is it the character, the world of the story, the director, or something you can’t quite put your finger on?
Usually it’s something I can’t quite put my finger on. I have to read it and feel curious about it. If I finish something and think, “I really want to know what this idiot is going to do next,” then I’m probably interested. The character, the director and the story all matter, but that initial feeling is quite important.
You’ve said that you’re interested in darker or more unusual characters. What is it about those kinds of roles that appeals to you as an actor?
They’re more fun. Give me someone slightly unhinged over someone who’s got their life completely together any day. There’s usually more going on underneath, and you get to explore parts of a person that aren’t necessarily very pretty. That’s much more interesting to me.
top SUNSPEL
trousers AMIRI
belt DOLCE & GABBANA
Do you think you’re drawn to characters who are very different from yourself, or do you look for something personal in every role?
Probably a bit of both. I think you have to find something you recognise in a character, otherwise you’re just pretending to be someone else with a different haircut. But I definitely enjoy playing people who are very different from me. It keeps things interesting.
What have you discovered about yourself through acting that you perhaps didn’t expect when you first started pursuing it seriously?
That I probably overthink less than I thought I did. Or maybe I’ve just got better at hiding it. Acting has made me trust my instincts a lot more. You can prepare everything to death, but eventually you have to just go for it and see what happens.
Are there particular actors, filmmakers or performances that have influenced the way you think about your own work?
There are loads. I’m always watching people and stealing little things, not literally, obviously. I’m fascinated by actors who can completely disappear into a character. When you forget you’re watching an actor and just believe the person in front of you, that’s the really good stuff.
full look BERLUTI
full look HERMÈS
You’re still relatively early in your acting career. What do you feel you’re most interested in developing or challenging yourself with now?
Everything, really. I’m still figuring out what I’m capable of. I want to keep playing different people, work with good directors and hopefully keep getting thrown into things that are slightly beyond what I think I can do. That’s normally when you learn the most.
Is there a type of character or story you haven’t played yet that you’re particularly keen to explore?
I’d like to play someone completely unexpected. Something psychological and quite dark would be interesting. Someone where, by the end of it, the audience is thinking, “I’m not sure whether I like this bloke.” Those are the roles I’d like to get my teeth into.
If audiences take away one thing from seeing you in The Gentlemen and your work that follows, what would you like it to be?
That I’m not going to do the same thing twice. I’d like people to watch something and not quite know what they’re going to get from me next. If I can keep surprising people, make them laugh occasionally and maybe make them slightly nervous as well, I think I’m doing alright.
full look DOLCE & GABBANA
TEAM CREDITS:
talent HARRY GOODWINS
photography MICHIEL MEEWIS
styling ANDREW BURLING
hair and makeup TRAVIS NUNES
photography assistant BRUNO MCGUFFIE
editor TIMI LETONJA
editorial director and interview JANA LETONJA
