Nicholas Galitzine has reached a new level of stardom thanks to his role in The Idea of You opposite Anne Hathaway.
But the London-born actor, 29, isn’t sure if he’s being recognised for his talent, or his sex appeal.
In a new interview with British GQ, Galitzine discussed how he sometimes feels more like a piece of meat than an artist.
The new film, which came out May 2, features Galitzine as a teen pop sensation, someone akin to Harry Styles, who falls in love with an older woman, played by Hathaway.
The movie explores the entitlement that many fans feel they have to their favorite artists, particularly boy band hunks like Galitzine’s character.
Being sexualised and idealised is an inevitable part of celebrity, but the movie questions what it means when that line between fandom and obsession is crossed. In some ways, Galitzine’s character’s experience as a sex symbol mirrorshis own.
It only takes a brief look at social media to see that Galitizine is the internet’s newest boyfriend, with plenty of fan accounts devoted to everything Nicholas.
When asked how it feels to play a character whose desirability is such a large part of his identity, Galitzine told the publication: ‘I think the most important thing to me is that I’m taken seriously as a performer.’
Galitzine revealed that he sometimes feels objectified because he’s known for roles in which his sex appeal is so central.
‘I’m not gonna ask you to cry me a river here, but it’s been difficult being part of a conversation that feels very much like I am a cut of beef at a meat market,’ he said.
He first rose to heartthrob status thanks to his role in Red, White & Royal Blue in 2023, in which he played a gay man. Fans of every sexuality have been lusting after him ever since.
When asked about being conflated with the characters he plays, Galitzine responded: ‘I identify as a straight man, but I have been a part of some incredible queer stories.
‘I felt a sense of uncertainty sometimes about whether I’m taking up someone’s space, and perhaps guilt. At the same time, I see those characters as not solely their sexuality.’
Still, Galitzine is quick to separate himself from the character’s he’s played: ‘I am Nick, and I’m not my role.’
When asked how much his role in The Idea of You is based on Harry Styles, the actor was quick to clarify that the part is thoroughly fictional.
‘He’s an obvious comparison, knowing that the author was inspired by the fact that Harry seemed to be kind of in his own bracket as a young man dating an older woman,’ he said.
But he clarified that inspiration for a character is not the same as a biographical depiction of one: ‘I think it’s very important that we don’t draw too much of a comparison to him because [Harry Styles] is a real person, within both the music industry and the film industry.
‘I think we need to normalise [keeping them separate] as opposed to drawing a direct parallel to someone who already exists.’
Despite Galitzine’s concerns that he’s being reduced to his sex appeal, he told the interviewer that he thinks sex scenes and other steamy movie moments can be very important.
‘I think you can gain a lot of insight into [characters] at their most primal, their most emotionally and physically vulnerable. So, yeah,’ he said.
‘I’m all for the sex scene.’
Read the full feature online at GQ Hype here.
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