IN CONVERSATION WITH THEO JAMES

interview by JANA LETONJA

SAG-Award-winner and Emmy-nominated actor THEO JAMES launched his career in a pivotal role in DOWNTOWN ABBEY. This March, Theo starred in Netflix’s series adaptation of Guy Ritchie’s 2019 action comedy THE GENTLEMEN, and we’ll be seeing him next in a horror film, THE MONKEY.

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What really attracted you to THE GENTLEMEN?
Firstly, I grew up with Guy Ritchie’s films. I had the soundtrack to LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS when I was a teenager and would listen to it on repeat. Guy created his own sub-genre, kind of hard cut mixed with interesting bombastic soundtracks, violence and humor, so his first few movies were very influential for me. 

Secondly, I liked the idea of sending up, joking, satirizing the British class system in a way. The idea of this crumbling mansion that’s very British, very English being handed down through 600 years of one family’s generations and then mixing that with a crime element, who are ultimately trying to control him and the family’s legacy, I thought was interesting.

There’s a quote in the show about the aristocracy with the original gangsters and as fun as that line is, it’s also an interesting thesis in the sense of what the British aristocrats did since William the Conqueror set up a system where they controlled most of the land. The judiciary system and Parliament had control of it in certain ways, and were able to hand down that control to successive generations for many years. The corruption of that is interesting as a kind of fun idea, as a conceit. And also, the Britishness of it. Britain is so defined by class, and it is such a big part of our understanding of ourselves as a culture, so dissecting it in the most simple, fun way was interesting to me.

How do you choose fashion brands you partner with? How much do you have to connect with a brand to be its ambassador?
I have to definitely connect with the brand on several levels. The product or the line has to feel natural in its representation and allow me to feel confident and comfortable. If you’re actually able to have a relationship with the fashion house or the brand in some way, and the people on the team, then I think you’re able to understand it and you can go on a journey together and make sure that it’s fun and you’re all on the same page together.

With your busy schedule, filming in different locations around the world, how do you balance work with your family life?
It’s hard, but obviously they have to be the priority at all times. They are the most important thing beyond anything else, so any decision has to revolve around them and it can never be the other way. It sounds cheesy, but the older I get and as my children grow, I realize how short life is and it’s literally happening in front of me. Even if I’m away five days, I feel like they’ve changed, so I try to be away as little as possible. Life is very short and I don’t want to miss any piece of that.

As important as career is, it’s a shadow of what is the most important thing, which is family and your close friends because they live beyond your career. Career is how you make money and hopefully you can enjoy it and be fulfilled by it, but it’s essentially how you pay the mortgage. What is important is your time on earth, how you lead your life, how you’re able to support your children and hopefully lead a relatively moral life. 

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READ FULL INTERVIEW IN OUR #10 ISSUE
PRE-ORDER HERE

TEAM CREDITS:
talent THEO JAMES
photography FERNANDO SIPPEL
styling CHRISTIAN STROBLE
grooming NADIA ALTINBAS
market editor & styling assistant GAIA KHATCHADOURIAN
photography assistant FRANCISCO ESCOBAR
retouching STUDIO BRUNO REZENDE
editor TIMOTEJ LETONJA
editorial director & interview JANA LETONJA
cover design ARTHUR ROELOFFZEN