IN CONVERSATION WITH KENDRICK ETMON

interview by SAMO ŠAJN

Kendrick Etmon is emerging as one of the Netherlands’ most compelling talents at the intersection of film, culture and fashion. A graduate of Maastricht’s Academy of Dramatic Arts, the actor has built an increasingly acclaimed screen career, from the Golden Calf-winning La Última Asensión and his own Best Leading Role nomination for Hobi to Bodem, Haantjes and the internationally premiered Stand Up. Yet Etmon’s creative identity extends well beyond acting. Celebrated for his distinctive personal style and recently nominated for ModMod’s Best Dressed Man, he has become a growing presence within Dutch fashion in his own right. With an instinctive approach to image-making and a desire to participate in the creative process, Etmon represents a new generation of multidisciplinary Dutch talent, making him a natural subject for the world of Numéro.

shorts COMMES DES GARÇONS via MARGREETH OLSTHOORN

You’ve worked across film, television and theatre. What is it about acting that continues to excite you?
I’m a very curious person by default and I see acting as a practice of anthropology. It gives me the opportunity to dive deeper into my emotional flexibility, empathy, imagination and the human experience. Wandering around in the character’s mind and world is like an unlimited well I can drink from. Though I’m slowly coming to the realization that this thirst can’t be quenched, it’s fun to try and explore. The short answer is it fulfills me.

You’ve played very different characters, from comedy to much darker and more emotional roles. What kind of characters do you find yourself most drawn to?
The emotional dark ones. I always say we as humans have way more in common in our darkness than what we bring into the light. I would love to show what we’ve been hiding and create a space where we can talk about it. I think the best art poses a question. The answer lies in the symbiosis with every audience member. And with these types of characters, I try to appeal to our sense of empathy.

Your performance in Hobi earned you a Golden Calf nomination. What did that role teach you about yourself as an actor?
Many things. It was my first time doing accent work to that extent and acting in two different languages at the same time. So that was an exciting opportunity to use, sharpen and expand my tools. It was also a beautiful process, from choosing to take on the role based on intuition and letting that same intuition guide me in all that followed. The nomination was cool and all, but I trust myself and what I can bring to a project more after Hobi. The validation I gave myself by portraying someone like that was the confirmation I’m going about it in the right way. Less external, more internal. I do have space in my cabinet for when these awards come my way though.

blazer SEAN SUEN via MARGREETH OLSTHOORN
shorts COMMES DES GARÇONS
shoes MAISON MARGIELA via de Bijenkorf

top RICK OWENS
shorts JINCHOE
shoes JW ANDERSON via de Bijenkorf
rings AMBUSH

You’ve worked with directors such as Shady El-Hamus, Eva Crutzen and Tim Oliehoek. How much does the director influence the way you approach a character?
A lot, but at the same time not as much, depending on the size of the role you’re playing. The director has a vision and they cast you for how you embody the character in their conceived world. Then it becomes a conversation. The best directors I’ve worked with, you already named a few, give you the responsibility and trust to know the character better than they do. Exchanging thoughts, ideas and interpretations that could lead to idiosyncrasies and surprises to both parties. All in the name of authenticity and great storytelling.

trousers SEAN SUEN via MARGREETH OLSTHOORN
rings AMBUSH

You have also built a strong identity outside of acting, particularly through fashion. When did you first realize that personal style could be another form of creative expression?
My parents have always been very stylish people. Their day-to-day attire is chosen to represent something, to look the part, whatever the part may be. In other words, I was raised with it. But the way I’m doing it now started around 2012 when I felt the need to embrace that I’m not going to fit in. Going against what my friends were wearing at the time and not being afraid to be me and like what I like. It gave me a new sense of purpose and freedom that I didn’t have as a wide-eyed teenager.

Your style has been described as that of a Dutch fashion icon, and you were recently nominated for ModMod’s Best Dressed Man. What does fashion allow you to express that acting doesn’t?
I chose a profession that’s not binary, so I feel it’s only right to have the same formless approach to fashion. Perhaps the experiment is a bit more prevalent when it comes to my personal style. Other than that, it’s pretty much the same mechanism, just different designated areas.

shirt and shorts TESS VAN ZALINGE

When you work on a visual project, how involved are you in shaping the creative direction, from the styling to the overall mood and concept?
Depends on the project, to be honest. I am very aware of the narrative I created about who and what I am, so with that in mind, if I get creative control I will definitely handpick the artists I collaborate with and tell them what I would want, how it needs to feel, but simultaneously be aware that I chose them based on what they bring to the table. So let’s make it OURS, instead of solely mine. The human experience is a shared one and I live by that in everything that I do.

Do you see fashion and acting as separate creative worlds, or do they influence each other?
In my private little cosmos they both tell stories and therefore it’s always evolving. It is rather that they add definition to who I am, but the vessel stays the same. The clothes I wear when I’m in character do influence and tell me a lot about that person, which allows me to create a well-rounded human being people hopefully recognize and believe.

blazer and shorts JINCHOE
shoes JW ANDERSON via de Bijenkorf
jewellery AMBUSH

With Stand Up premiering internationally at Tribeca and several new projects coming out, you’re entering an exciting new chapter. What are you hoping to explore next in your career?
More international projects! I really want to spread my wings and get to establish myself firmly in those waters. Getting to play more challenging, taxing roles that deepen my understanding of humanity and respectfully ruffle some feathers along the way would be nice. But most importantly, to have fun and enjoy this life I get to lead.

Beyond the roles and the clothes, what do you want people to understand about Kendrick Etmon?
I’m an advocate for being yourself and being audacious in pursuit of that. So if you see me doing some weird shit outside, know it’s all for the experience we call living. Rotterdam made me this way.

jacket and trousers JINCHOE
top TOM FORD

shirt AVEC AVEC

TEAM CREDITS:
talent KENDRICK ETMON
photography and art direction VIRGINIA GIANNI
styling IRIS JANSSEN
hair and makeup BJÖRN MOHAMADMOESMAN
light assistant SASHA BOLHOVA
editor TIMI LETONJA
editorial director JANA LETONJA
interview SAMO ŠAJN