‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Gave Henry Golding the Best Film Debut Since Audrey Hepburn in ‘Roman Holiday’

Crazy Rich Asians is without question, one of the most delightful films of 2018. The lush romantic comedy, based on the novel by Kevin Kwan, is a modern day Cinderella story about a Chinese-American econ professor who discovers by accident that she is in love with one of Singapore’s most eligible bachelors. The movie is part romance, part comedy, part celebration of Asian culture, and it is also a massive springboard for a new generation of Asian talent. Gemma Chan, Awkafina, Sonoya Mizuno, and so many more up-and-comers solidified their rise to the top with scene-stealing moments in this movie.

Perhaps no actor got a better boost from the film than its leading man, Henry Golding. Before Crazy Rich Asians, Golding was a travel host who had never really even acted before. As Nick Young, though, Golding is a modern day Prince Charming. He’s effortlessly cool and overwhelmingly charming. There isn’t a single studied action in his performance. He just is Nick Young, a rich, handsome, smart, funny man who is totally in love with Constance Wu’s plucky Rachel Chu. It is a revelation that feels on par with Audrey Hepburn’s turn as a princess undercover in Roman Holiday 66 years ago.

Yes, Henry Golding in Crazy Rich Asians might very well be the best film debut since Audrey Hepburn.

Besides both performances being precociously genius romantic comedy turns by unknown foreign actors, both Golding and Hepburn exude a sophisticated star quality in these two films. In Hepburn’s case, she gave us a mixture of innocence, glamour, and pure gamine charm that came to define her whole brand. Golding, on the other hand, gives us something we haven’t seen in movies for a long time: the portrait of the perfect gentleman.

The trick with Nicholas Young is that he has to be perfect, yet likable. He’s not a aggressive alpha male, nor is he a self-deprecating schlub. He can’t lean on sarcastic quips to move the conversation along. Rather, he’s a totally sincere, extremely considerate man who just so happened to be raised in the lap of luxury. Other actors could make Nick aloof, or even annoying, but Golding taps into what really defines the man: a purity of heart. Nick Young isn’t a dreamboat simply because he’s outrageously rich, but because he strives to always do right by people. In being that way, Nick is the true definition of what a gentleman ought to be: not concerned with status or tax brackets, but genuinely determined to treat everyone with kindness and respect.

The fact that Henry Golding can pull this off is something of a miracle. It’s like seeing an extinct species resurrected in the wild, and it’s wonderful to see. Most actors take years, if not decades, to build up the kind of confidence it takes to win an audience over like this. Henry Golding landed it on his first try.

Crazy Rich Asians debuts on HBO tonight. 

Where to stream Crazy Rich Asians