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ON THE COVER Harry wears: Leather Jacket: Atelier Arena Pants: 8 byYoox Sneakers by Grenson
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HARRY LAWTEY Lee Malone Mark Anthony Bradley HAIR & MAKEUP Alexis Day FEATURING Max Factor and Bumble & Bumble ACTOR Harry Lawtey EDITOR Seth Travis PHOTOGRAPHER ST YLIST
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HARRY LAWTEY WORDS
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British actor Harry Lawtey stars as the lead in Mickey Down and Konrad Kay's new series Industry for HBO and BBC, which follows his character Robert and his fellow young bankers and traders in the drama-filled financial world of Wall Street in the aftermath of the 2008 collapse. The rising star can also be seen in Netflix’s The Letter For The King based on the best-selling novel of the same name. We caught up with Harry to talk about acting, his new project INDUSTRY, and of course we discussed some fashion too.
Seth Travis Lee Malone
First things first, what got you interested in acting was there a play, series, or film that caused that spark where you said you wanted to be an actor?
Once you got started was there a moment or experience that felt significant to you, something that propelled you forward ?
I was in a school production of Oliver Twist when I was 12. I played The Artful Dodger and I just loved everything about it. It all just seemed so fun and exciting and it really felt like I was part of a team. I vividly remember thinking ‘yeh.. this feels pretty good’. So I think that experience lit some kind of spark, for sure.
Going to drama school was exactly that for me. At the time, I was a kind of in two minds, as a big part of me really wanted to go to university and do something more academic. But I was really lucky to be accepted into a school called Drama Centre London and going there changed my entire outlook. The teachers and the other actors in my class were at such a
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high level, that it really propelled me into something that felt more serious. The talent there, and the obsession with this idea of ‘craft’, just blew me away. You really felt like a tribe, all working towards the same thing: becoming better actors. What actor/director have you personally studied and looked up to? So many! Peter Mullan, Daniel Kaluuya, Paddy Considine, Greta Gerwig, Sam Rockwell, Michael Fassbender and Michelle Williams to name a few. I kind of go through phases with each of them but I guess they are all transformative. They keep you on your toes and nothing is ever the same. I think that’s a priceless quality. Landing a role in a series by Lena Dunham is huge, especially following the popularity of GIRLS. How did you find out you booked Robert on the series, and what did you do to prepare for the first day on set? I found out the standard way I suppose; that fateful call from your agent. But it was just unbelievable. I don’t think I spoke at all for about a minute. It had been a bit of a journey towards getting the part and I’d missed out on some other amazing opportunities not long before, so I was utterly convinced it wasn’t going to go my way. But to have someone really take a chance on you like that was a magic feeling. And prep was unlike anything I’d experienced! The first scene I ever shot on Industry involved me dancing in a nightclub for around 6 hours from 7:00am. I was chucked straight in at the deep end. So I suppose I just got a good night sleep and maybe a quick stretch before! Robert is more complex than he looks. He isn't the straight-laced oxford boy portrayed at the start of the show. The slow and subtle reveal makes him very mysterious. How would you describe Robert and how did you get to know your character?
Robert has bags of charisma, charm and confidence. He’s a maverick. And I think he probably has a slightly outdated view that those qualities are what is required for a career in investment banking. But behind that he’s a bit of a lost boy. He’s busy trying to work out who he is in a world and a workplace that is moving faster than he can. I did a lot of prep on a backstory for him. That’s something that really helps me personally, to feel as though I know where they have come from and have walked in their shoes a little. I also have a very close mate of mine who I semi-based the character on! One of the things we noticed about Robert was how open and liberal he actually is, a stark contrast against his very buttoned-up mask. The character deals with sex, drugs, and living with a gay co-worker. The way these moments unravel was pretty seamless from episode to episode and 'Robert' is not afraid to bare all early on in the series. That is a lot for a young actor to take on. How did you work with Dunham and the writing team to pull this off? And be honest, how much cardio did you do, what did you eat or not eat leading up to the the scene in the mirror? It is a lot to take on but that’s what makes it so exciting. Robert really is a 21st century romantic, whatever that entails. He is so open to everyone around him even though in himself he is wrestling with an identity that is under scrutiny in a whole new way. He can’t help but match himself up to an idealised version of what he could be. It’s all a challenge but I had a great creative support network around me, as did the rest of the cast, to help negotiate the more intimate parts of the story. Those exposing scenes come with a responsibility for an actor and pose a real challenge in how confident you are able to be. And whenever I lacked it, I could always rely on Robert. Channeling it through the character, using his confidence instead of mine, can make a huge difference.
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Series like GIRLS, Euphoria, We Are Who We Are, and INDUSTRY has really lifted the veil on the lives of young adults. Why do you think this is important to you as an actor and to the viewer? What does this kind of raw storytelling do for our culture but specifically for people in their 20’s? It’s hugely important. Young people naturally are, and always have been, gatekeepers of change. Our show is a study in what it means to be a young person today; fighting to be yourself in an industry that is in revolution. Writing like this intends to act as a direct response to the cultural movements we have seen over the last half-decade and movements that have been accelerated by young adults. Aside from being pure escapism, which can’t be undervalued, shows like ours hopefully hold up a mirror to these people and their strife. They aim to make people feel heard, understood and represented. Was there a particular moment on set you can share with us that was just ridiculous? Maybe filming the scene at Sweat Prom? Yep. Sweat Prom was pretty ridiculous. But great fun. Our show is a bit of a rollercoaster, so honestly every other day felt a bit ridiculous. It would be impossible to pick just one out. Some of the stuff we get up to certainly helped the 14 hour days fly by a little more. Never a dull moment on the set of Industry! It’s a crazy job. What was the greatest challenge you had to overcome on this project personally? I think the biggest challenge was relinquishing control. I come from a mainly theatre background, where for good or for bad, you really do decide what the audience see. Whereas on screen, you turn up to work and give it your best - but then you have to leave it the hands of others to bring the story together. Not having that autonomy is something I had to get used to.
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What was your favorite part of playing Robert in season 1 of INDUSTRY? Aside from all the crazy partying I do in the show, which maybe made up for the hard work I was putting in off screen - I would have to say just spending time and working with the cast and crew. It’s a bit of a cliche, but we really did have the best team on the show. There was such a vibrant mixture of people but everyone was so unbelievably fun and kind. Several of the more experienced actors in the cast actually said to us ‘It’s not normally this good, you know.’ That was when we knew we’d struck lucky.
makes such a difference for my body and my mind and just makes me feel healthy. I also started reading more too, which is something I’d been trying to find the motivation to do for ages. So at the start of the pandemic, I set a goal of reading one novel a week - which I managed to stick to for about 3 and a half months! Aside from that, I tried baking cakes like everyone else - with varying degrees of success. Words to live by? "Let everything happen to you. Beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final." - Rilke
You have starred in several shows including The Letter for the King, and Marcella. Can you tell us about any other projects you are working on even in the case that COVID-19 has impacted it? Well our entire industry was put on pause really so it has been almost impossible for anyone to make too much progress this year. But I was really lucky to play a very small part in a film called Benediction that got back on its feet post lockdown. It’s a beautiful script so I’m just excited just to watch it as an audience member. But to spend a bit of time on a set again amongst other people was a joy. It’s my favourite place to be. We are a fashion-focused platform so let's talk style, shall we! How would you describe your personal style? And do you have a go-to brand or "look" you stick to? I guess I’m into good, well-made basics and workwear. Nothing too flashy, but nice materials and interesting fits/colours. Some of the brands I really love are Arket, Carhartt, Olive, and Basic Rights. You can’t go too far wrong with those guys. When you are not acting, modeling for Burberry, where would we find you and what would you be up to? I love going to the gym but I’m definitely not one of those big showy off gym guys. I just like finding a corner and going about my business with a some music or a podcast on. It really chills me out. I’m also a huge football fan (soccer), so I love going to watch my team Hull City play with my Dad and my brother. Other than that, I also play a bit of guitar and try to write whenever I can. Since we have all found ourselves home more often due to the pandemic, have you picked up any new hobbies, or been able to focus on something that was collecting dust due to being so busy before March 2020? Funnily enough, I think actors are pretty well suited to a life in lockdown as we’re all constantly looking for different ways to find structure and feel productive when we’re not working. It’s the hardest part of the job! For me, I did a lot of exercise. It
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