We've loved British-Malaysian actor Henry Golding ever since he smoldered onto our screens in Crazy Rich Asians and The Gentlemen, and we'd be totally lying to you if we didn't say we're pretty excited to see him play a gay role in Peccadillo Pictures' upcoming drama film Monsoon.
As much as we're excited to see him play queer, though, we'd also be remiss not to mention that is a perfect instance of a straight actor getting to play a queer role during a time where LGBTQ+ representation and visibility is still a widely talked about topic in the film industry and out queer actors still don't get as much recognition (and work) as their hetero counterparts. And Henry is very aware of that.
During a recent interview for the October cover of the UK's Attitude Magazine, Golding dives into his Monsoon role and expands more into the thought process of taking on the project.
"We live in times where it is a sensitive topic to have a straight actor playing a gay role. From my point of view, with this particular role, it was the fact that his journey wasn’t hinged on the fact he is gay," he told Attitude. "It's almost like, yes, he's a young gay man. but the bigger issue is who he is as a person."
"I’m going to accept this role because of the journey it represents in this man," he said of accepting the role of a gay, Vietnamese man named Kit in the upcoming drama. "It’s not a journey into his queerness. It’s a journey into his history."
He continued:
"I feel as though when it comes to important historical figures, characters that are defined by being from the community, you really need to take a moment to think, this is important for the LGBTQ community to be a part of."
"The question has to be asked of me: why did you even consider this role? This should be the case. It can’t go unquestioned because there lies a problem in itself. You need to hold people responsible for their decisions."
"They’re conversations that need to be had. You can’t turn a blind eye, you need to keep people in check, that’s the most important thing."
Monsoon tells the story of "the struggle for identity in a place where the past weighs heavily on the present," the official description of the film reads. "Kit returns to Ho Chi Minh City for the first time since he was six years old when his family fled the country in the aftermath of the Vietnam-American war. Struggling to make sense of himself in a city he’s no longer familiar with, he embarks on a personal journey across the country that opens up the possibility for friendship, love, and happiness."
Monsoon will be released in the UK on September 25 and in the U.S. later this fall.
