The Next Wave of Leading Men Hail From the U.K. These Are Those Men.
They can act...British. They can play Americans—often better than Yanks. And one of them could (definitely? maybe?) be the future James Bond.
Murray Clark And Daniel Dumas
PUBLISHED: FEB 28, 2020
Olivier. McKellen. Hopkins. Day-Lewis. Bean. It’s no secret that some of the greatest thespians of all-time hail from across the pond. These are actors who have terrified as serial killers, enthralled as adventurers, and captivated audiences as some of the most important individuals in history. (And yes, that means sometimes playing Americans better than actual Americans.)
The next wave of performers coming straight outta the United Kingdom have a metric ton in common with their forebears: commanding stage presence, magnetic personalities, easy on the eyes. But they’re also more woke, less serious, and way, way more diverse than any generation that came before.
While it’s impossible to predict exactly where their careers will lead —you’ll for sure see them fronting superhero franchises, thanking the Academy, maybe even stepping into the brushed Oxfords of Bond — one thing is for certain: all of these guys are about to become household names.
JAMES NORTON
Photos David Burton
Photo: Shirt by Valentino. Watch by Cartier. Video: Coat, turtleneck sweater, and trousers by Ralph Lauren. Boots by Tom Ford. Scarf by Dolce & Gabbana.
His role in Greta Gerwig’s recent adaptation of Little Women came on the back of two projects that made James Norton big back home: the grim Yorkshire police drama Happy Valley and the Kremlin crime series McMafia. The latter kept the actor especially humble when, “an actual ex-mobster’s wife turned to me and said, ‘oh my god, you’re that vicar from English TV!’” But in conversation, he still seems a little starstruck especially when talking about Gerwig (“so unique and talented”) and describing his time on the set of Little Women. “Someone brought Meryl Streep and I cups of tea with our names on it—I took a photo of it when she wasn’t looking.”
