Nicholas Galitzine is set to go stratospheric with the upcoming release of romcom The Idea of You and his steamy historical drama, Mary & George.
The former has scored positive reviews at SXSW this week, with critics praising the chemistry between the Londoner and his co-star Anne Hathaway.
But Galitzine is no overnight success – or flash in the pan. Here’s all you need to know about one of Hollywood’s hottest rising stars.
How long has Nicholas Galitzine been acting?
He made his screen debut nearly ten years ago in The Beat Beneath My Feet, starring opposite Luke Perry as a social outcast who dreams of becoming a rockstar and finds an unlikely tutor in his rowdy neighbour (Perry).
More recent roles include playing a closeted rugby player in Handsome Devil, student Timmy in supernatural flick The Craft: Legacy, Prince Robert in Amazon’s musical adaptation of Cinderella, US Marine Luke Morrow in Purple Hearts, and, last year, American football jock Jeff in comedy Bottoms.
But he really broke into the mainstream with the role of Prince Henry in the 2023 adaptation of romcom Red, White & Royal Blue.
This year he’s been making headlines for Sky Atlantic’s historical drama Mary & George, in which he stars opposite Hollywood legend Julianne Moore as George Villiers, the 1st Duke of Buckingham and lover of King James I (Tony Curran).
How can I watch Galitzine’s movies?
The actor’s first two movies – The Beat Beneath my Feet and Handsome Devil – are both on Disney+. Prime Video is home to Bottoms, The Craft: Legacy, Red, White & Royal Blue, and, from May 2, The Idea of You. You can catch his musical romance Purple Hearts on Netflix.
Is he actually singing in The Idea of You?
Galitzine has shown off his vocal chords in almost each of his screen roles, from a drunken karaoke scene in Red, White & Royal Blue to all-out Broadway-esque musical numbers in Cinderella.
The Idea of You sees him take on the role of Hayes Campbell, lead singer of boyband juggernauts August Moon, with the fictional group even releasing songs from the movie. With the character being compared to Harry Styles, it’s fitting then, that the movie soundtrack comes from the creators of some of One Direction’s biggest smash hits.
Nicholas released a pop banger Comfort back in 2022, which is available to stream now on all usual platforms. He has even uploaded videos of him performing acoustic covers of artists including Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Shawn Mendes and Billie Eilish, with the folks over at TeenVogue even compiling a handy list of all the clips.
@nicholasgalitzine I’m no popstar but i do enjoy a sing song
♬ original sound - Nicholas Galitzine
Can he play the violin like in High Strung?
His 2016 romcom High Strung saw him play a violinist, but while he did take up lessons to master the violin, his character’s solos are actually performed by composer Nathan Lanier.
Is he a Londoner?
Yes, Nicholas was born in Hammersmith, London. He later went to Dulwich College in South London, a school which known for its focus on sport, with Galitzine excelling at football and rugby.
Is he a prince IRL?
While he’s played two fictional princes (Prince Henry in Red, White & Royal Blue, and Prince Robert in Cinderella) and George Villiers, lover of King James I in Mary & George, the actor isn’t actually a royal, but he’s a lot closer to it than most.
His family are thought to be direct descendants of the House of Golitsyn, nobility during the Russian empire. Galitzine’s ancestors fled to England during the Russian Revolution, when many of the country’s noble families were being executed or imprisoned.
All I could mutter under my breath was, “They’re taking the Hobbits to Isengard”
Is he on his way to becoming a queer icon?
Very possible. Since his screen debut, Galitzine has portrayed a variety queer characters, both fictional and historical. He played a bisexual teenager in The Craft: Legacy; a closeted Prince Henry in Red, White & Royal Blue; and a (closeted, again) student in 2016’s comedy-drama Handsome Devil.
‘There’s sort of a plethora of reasons for this,’ he told Huffington Post. ‘One, I have so many friends within the community, and I know so many of them didn’t feel like they had these stories growing up.’
Mary & George sees the actor playing real-life statesman George Villiers, the most prominent lover of James I.
‘I think, with all of these characters, the thing I find really intriguing is that underbelly of vulnerability and having to hide oneself. I’m very interested in identity; George is very different, because his sex and his sexuality is his power.’
Is he a geek IRL?
Put it this way, Galitzine’s favourite movie is Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, and his passion for The Lord of The Rings, a film he’s watched more than ten times, is so great, he remembers losing his cool when he had a close encounter with Orlando Bloom. ‘On my last trip to LA I found myself eating dinner opposite him, but I didn’t have the courage to go up and speak to him,’ he says. ‘All I could mutter under my breath was, “They’re taking the Hobbits to Isengard”.’
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