Richard Madden

Perfect for the part

A man of action and attraction, actor Richard Madden believes in taking care of himself — and he shines in the role

WORDS CHARLOTTE BRUNDRETT

Richard Madden has won a Golden Globe, starred in the biggest television franchise of our time and is about to make his superhero debut in the Marvel universe.

So it’s hard to believe the ruggedly handsome Scotsman initially took up acting to build his confi dence.

“It’s like any skill where the more you do it then hopefully the better you become at it.

So I have a confi dence in my work and my work ethic and

I suppose that helps me get over a bunch of things,” he says. Richard’s latest fi lm Eternals, which hits theatres and streaming services in November, stars an ensemble cast including Angelina Jolie, Gemma Chan and Salma Hayek, and reunites him with Game of Thrones costar and friend Kit Harington.

While the superhero blockbuster is an irrefutable career milestone for the actor, that’s not what drew him to the project.

“For me, it’s more to do with what’s an interesting character. Because these characters are thousands of years old ... you’re playing someone who’s seen everything, done everything, lived for thousands of years. What are they like now and how do they interact with the world? Are they jaded or do they fi nd the joy in everything?” he says.

These days, Richard wears his confi dence like a well-fi tted suit and appears on numerous best-dressed lists for his red carpet looks.

“I think when you feel good, you look good. I like to wear a nice suit that’s tailored, and I work with diff erent stylists so it’s always a bit of a collaboration. I never just put something on I’m told to wear,” he says.

“It’s also about looking after yourself, whether I’m taking care of my skin or if I’m smelling good, then that’s one less thing to worry about on the red carpet. I think it’s important that people look after themselves.”

“It was really good fun (to shoot). I wasn’t trapped in a studio taking pictures, we got to play around with stuff.”

And that’s why he plays his latest role as fragrance ambassador for Calvin Klein’s newest scent DEFY so perfectly.

According to the 35-year-old, the DEFY experience was tied to a nostalgic memory that has now come full circle.

“CK ONE was actually the fi rst fragrance I ever had when I was a kid, so it’s cool to be working with them now,” Richard says.

“I’ve always been into fragrances; they’re just a beautiful fi nishing touch at the start or end of your day.”

Described as a woody aromatic, DEFY features top notes of bergamot and lavender, middle notes of vetiver and a base note of amber, with the fragrance now available exclusively at Chemist Warehouse.

“It’s cool to be the face of a fragrance because that’s a new thing for me. It was really good fun (to shoot). I wasn’t trapped in a studio taking pictures, we got to play around with stuff ,” Richard says.

From an intimate bedroom sequence to hanging off a crane above a lake over England, performing the majority of his own stunt work in recent projects came in handy for Richard while shooting DEFY’s campaign video.

“Stunts can be nerve wracking, but I was fi lming Eternals at the time and my character can fl y, so I was really used to being on ropes and hanging up in the air, which meant the process was dialled into me,” he says.