Nicholas Galitzines Past Roles Paved the Way To The Idea of You'
The Big Picture
- Galitzine showcases his versatility in The Idea of You with a more vulnerable and mature performance than in his previous roles.
- From jocks to princes, Galitzine's past roles have prepared him for the complexities of portraying characters dealing with inner conflicts.
- The romantic chemistry between Galitzine and Hathaway in The Idea of You delves into the emotional toll of a public relationship, showcasing his range as an actor.
With Prime Video's recent release of The Idea of You, Nicholas Galitzine proves once again that he can be the ultimate dreamboat love interest. That being said, this film is unexpectedly different from his previous ones. Although it begins with the same romantic premise, lavish sets, and playful charm, it later delves into a more vulnerable and mature realm, conveyed by an equally vulnerable and mature Galitzine. The last time we saw Galitzine grace our screens in a movie role was in a book adaptation of a fan-favorite novel, Red, White, and Royal Blue, which was just announced to be getting a sequel. The film stars Taylor Zakhar Perez as the sexy and outgoing son of the US President, Alex Claremont (Uma Thurman), and Galitzine as the devilishly handsome and charming Prince Henry. Galitzine's performance certainly lived up to the "Sweetheart of Britain" standard, but it wasn't the first time he had to play a closeted character who is suffocated by his popularity. In 2017, Galitzine took on the role of a stereotypical "jock" who hid his sexuality in an Irish film, Handsome Devil. As Galitzine has cemented himself as a new kind of romantic lead, it's worth looking back on his past roles as a road map to how he got to where he is today.
The Idea of You (2024)
Drama 10Solène, a 40-year-old single mom, begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell, the lead singer of August Moon, the hottest boy band on the planet.
Release Date May 2, 2024 Director Michael Showalter Cast Anne Hathaway Nicholas Galitzine , Ella Rubin , Annie Mumolo , Reid Scott , Perry Mattfeld , Jordan Aaron Hall , Mathilda Gianopoulos Runtime 115 Minutes'Handsome Devil' Has a Predictable Plot But Fantastic Cast
Galitzine started his acting career on screen in 2014 but wasn't able to gain any real traction until his 2017 role as Conor in Handsome Devil. This Irish coming-of-age film follows a classic growing-up-blues storyline in a high school setting. Featuring standard archetypes of the shy outsider who geeks out on David Bowie, a boisterous jock that is secretly queer, and an inspirational teacher that encourages everyone to be themselves, Handsome Devil is a predictable but eminently sweet comedy-drama. After a tumultuous beginning, Conor eventually strikes up a friendship with his polar opposite roommate Ned (Finn O'Shea), and together they explore their own identities amid the crowds of high school clichés.
Aside from the familiar storyline, the cast is what really gives this film its charm. This includes Andrew Scott's seamless transition from a stern teacher to an encouraging mentor and O'Shea's balance of edgy and sensitive that makes him a likable protagonist. Galitzine, in this case, perfects the moody demeanor and pouted lips of the school's prized rugby player who hints at some sort of inner turmoil. But Handsome Devil was simply a launch pad that highlighted Galitzine's potential for future roles.
Nicholas Galitzine Shows Off His Versatility in 'The Craft: Legacy' and 'Cinderella'
CloseGalitzine's experience with jock-like and queer characters is certainly reflected in his later roles in the industry. After Handsome Devil, he landed a role in the 2020 soft reboot of the much-loved 1996 The Craft — The Craft: Legacy. Embodying the typical popular jock that revels in sexually harassing his female peers, Galitzine plays Timmy who ends up being the coven’s target. Instead of the '90s love spell, Timmy is subjected to what is essentially a “woke spell,” leading him to berate his friend about not taking consent seriously, call himself “cis-gendered” and just be all-around respectful to people. It is almost as if Galitzine just flicks a switch in himself and flawlessly adapts to his entirely new persona. But he really shines in Timmy’s coming-out scene. During a game of “two truths and a lie” with the coven members, Timmy suddenly yet poignantly reveals that he is bisexual without even saying the word. Brilliant writing paired with Galitzine’s vulnerability makes for a speech that speaks to the experience of many men who are pigeonholed by patriarchal expectations and are unable to explore nor express their sexuality. Galitzine’s history with playing a character that has experienced a similar inner conflict that translated into an overly-compensated heterosexual mask foreshadowed his success as Timmy in The Craft: Legacy.
Galitzine departs from his queer and macho roles in Prime Video’s Cinderella (2021), where we see him sing and court Cinderella (Camila Cabello) as Prince Robert. According to an interview with Women’s Wear Daily, Galitzine had actually been vying for a Disney prince role for a while, and after being unsuccessful multiple times, he “[swore] off princes for a little bit” until he landed Prince Robert. His previous roles have involved characters struggling with the pressure of popularity and the expectation to fit into a specific box, which naturally feeds into a role in royalty (yet to a grander scale admittedly). 2022's Purple Hearts saw Galitzine stepping back into a gendered role. As a love-struck military soldier, Luke, he plays a character who is navigating the strict environment and pressure of the army. Whatever the character asks of him, Galitzine manages to make them dynamic and individualized, humanizing each one by subtly weaving in their hopes, fears, flaws, and dreams in his expressions and temperament.
Galitzine's Earlier Roles Prepared Him for 'Red, White, and Royal Blue'
Red, White, and Royal Blue’s Prince Henry is essentially an amalgamation of Galitzine’s previous roles. His true identity and public identity are always in conflict, often having to resort to secret rendezvouses and a holistic public denial of his real self. As if being a public figure wasn’t enough, Prince Henry also has to navigate the nuances of royal life and adhere to the strict guidelines of traditional values and expectations. Like Conor and Timmy, his sexuality is smothered by traditional views but once again, as a prince, the stakes are expanded from their local neighborhood to his entire nation – actually, make that the entire world. It’s as if all of Galitzine’s prior experience has culminated in this particular role, allowing him to take his previous skills and talents to new heights on this extravagant set.
Related‘The Idea of You’ Director on Capturing the Spark Between Anne Hathaway & Nicholas Galitzine
Director/Co-writer Michael Showalter also talks about how scripted (or unscripted) the more intimate moments were.
That being said, during an interview with GQ magazine, Galitizine explains his thoughts about being a straight man who is playing a queer character. "I felt a sense of uncertainty sometimes about whether I’m taking up someone’s space, and perhaps guilt." Galitzine reveals, but also adds "At the same time, I see those characters as not solely their sexuality.” This mindset is particularly relevant to his successful performance as Prince Henry. Many times, we have seen unrealistic queer characters who lack other personality traits, rendering them a stereotype rather than a person. Galitzine gives Prince Henry's other traits equal priority to his sexuality, making him a well-rounded, dynamic, and relatable character. While his princely obligations to the crown may not be as relatable, his strained attitude towards his family, his awkwardness at social events, or even just his anxious habit of eating ice cream at night, all lead to a more grounded character that can effectively convey an "incredible queer story."
Galitzine’s confident performance as Prince Henry and his quiet allusions to an internal conflict are reminiscent of his previous role as Conor in Handsome Devil. Both characters have an almost impenetrable exterior, yet they both have moments where their masks slip fleetingly, exhibiting a raw vulnerability mixed with a melancholy that only a secret can incite. Aside from the more emotionally-driven scenes, Galitzine also plays into the uplifting and light humor sprinkled throughout both films. First written into a YA novel and then into a film script, Prince Henry had all the makings for a sensitive and likable character, but it was Galitzine who brought him to life.
Galitzine Is at His Most Mature Role in ‘The Idea of You'
Galitzine's more recent role in The Idea of You is far more vulnerable and mature than his past performances, once again proving his versatility within the "popular dream boy" category. This time, he takes on the swoon-worthy character of Hayes Campbell, a popstar in a boy band that falls for the older, show-stopping Solène (Anne Hathaway). Once again, Galitzine's Hayes is rooted in the spotlight and has the pressure of millions of adoring fans on him. But in The Idea of You, Hayes is not the one who suffers from this pressure — Solène is. Hayes has to navigate this public and apparently scandalous relationship and the effect it has on his lover and her family. This dynamic puts Galitzine in a more mature and delicate role, one that he pulls off with laid-back confidence mixed with tentative gestures. While the story is most certainly plucked right out of a boy band Wattpad fan-fiction from the 2010s, there are realistic, provoking, and poignant moments, especially in the film's second half.
As the couple is torn to pieces by the media and loved ones, Hathaway steals the show with her contradicting pain and euphoria, especially in the finale where she sinks into the couch and mourns the loss of her lover but deliriously smiles at the craziness of the experience. Galitzine perfectly complements her performance in the moments before — we can see each cascade of emotion just in his body language, as he stiffens when he doesn't want to let go, relaxes in his intimacy with Solène, and slowly comes to terms with the realities of their relationship. From the passion of the couple's secret rendezvous to the emotional toll of being in the public eye to the fact that Hayes is simply a man who wants to be with the woman he loves, Galitzine seamlessly leans into the more vulnerable emotions the role asks of him. This is also reminiscent of his role in Mary and George, where once again Galitzine proves his range as a character stuck in the midst of suffocating politics and his conflicting desires. Both George and Hayes are smooth-talking men who spiral into visceral emotion that we are mesmerized by.
With these more emotionally complex roles, Galitzine seems to have a definite direction in mind, gradually drifting away from the boyish charm of his earlier roles. In aforementioned interview with GQ magazine, Galitzine reveals how he has had to "cut [his] teeth on a lot of projects," sometimes feeling like "a cut of beef at a meat market." After a summer in Edinburgh sparked his passion for acting, it seems becoming America's newest heart-throb is not the path he was vying for. While his roles so far have settled him in that category, his mature performance as Hayes exhibits promise for complex future ones. As Galitzine slowly makes this exciting shift, we are left to eagerly anticipate more of this newfound vulnerability and the potential revitalization of his career moving forwards.
The Idea of You is available to stream on Prime Video in the U.S.
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