Luther Ford’s start in the industry began with a provocative attempt by his relatives.
The Londoner was already impressed with the vehicle. He was studying film editing at a university in Bournemouth, on the UK’s south coast, but never dreamed of standing in front of the camera. Until four years ago, when a mini-series was called on Netflix The crown — you may have heard about it — launched a nationwide casting call for the role of teenage Prince Harry.
“I did [it] As a joke,” Ford says through laughter Hollywood Reporter. “My sister-in-law sent it to me and said, ‘You’re a ginger. Get out of there.’ And then I got the part.” Three weeks after that self-mocking tape, a Mercedes-Benz was waiting outside a student accommodation block in Bournemouth. Ford, who had nothing but a timely resemblance to the red-haired king, was scheduled to begin filming.
“The crown “It was scary,” the 26-year-old recalls, “This is a hard place to start because you literally learn while you do it. It was very visual. However, without any formal acting training, Ford received the high-exposure Netflix credit and tackle it. He landed an agent and landed supporting roles in the 2024 spy thriller starring Keira Knightley Black pigeons And historical series last year The king and the conqueror. And now, the young actor has achieved a breakthrough that will surely leave his college peers speechless: Ford is making his feature film debut in Ira Sachs’s haunting musical drama. The man I love. “This film definitely feels like the first time I understood creativity in acting,” he muses. “[And] It’s definitely the pinnacle of being in the movie for me. There’s nothing I’d like to be a part of more than a movie like this.
The newcomer admits that reaching the professional pinnacle in just five projects is a real blessing. It started with an audition that Ford almost passed — his impressive career had received plenty of rejection, too — and Sachs’ film, he felt, was bound to be a real battle. Ford soon came face to face with the American director, whose film was recently re-released Corridors In his back pocket. “We talked for two hours,” he says. “I talk about movies and local cinemas. And then [Sachs] He was like, “What did you think of the movie?” We had a nice chat about that. Halfway through, he said very casually: “So, yes, I would like you to do that.” He hasn’t seen anything I’ve done to this day.
The man I love Ford plays Vincent, a young British bachelor who moves into the same building as famous actor Jamie George (Rami Malek) and his partner, the elusive Dennis (Tom Sturridge). Set against the backdrop of the AIDS crisis in 1980s New York, the film sees Ford’s character develop an intense infatuation with Jimmy, despite the latter’s declining health. Sachs, in fine form, comes to the Croisette with a performance that asks his audience to consider the space between life and death, and to contemplate the sanctity of art while doing so.
In his first interview about the film, Ford is still trying to formulate his thoughts about it. “For Vincent, this is not an overt story. He’s not someone who discovers he’s gay, but he discovers love — his version of love — which I think is an interesting contrast to Dennis’ version,” he says. “We always talked about him as if he was from the suburbs of London. Maybe he’d never left home, and he’d come to New York to get the experience. He’d found this person who maybe represented something completely different, and it was very exciting for him… It became this obsession where it was almost as if he wanted to consume [Jimmy]And prove to him that his love is greater than the risks of death.
Filming took place last summer on location, with Ford admiring his co-stars Malik, Sturridge, Rebecca Hall and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. “That’s my favorite thing about the movie,” he says. THR. “My first thought while watching the movie was like, ‘Damn,’ [Malek]It’s really very good. Everyone is really good.”
Admittedly, Ford himself was a bit shy among these experienced players. His closest relationship was with Sachs, and having the director’s trust was a wonderful experience. So far, even with a photo shoot at Cannes next to Rami Malek and Ira Sachs looming, Ford has taken plenty of comfort from his unconventional start in showbiz. “Being naive is really good, because you don’t actually understand how difficult this industry is,” he says. “Sometimes, you have to be a little cautious and sarcastic to have fun,” he adds with a smile. “It is very difficult to feel a sense of security until you achieve great success.” “It’s a psychological job.”
One thing is for sure: this is absolutely his job now. He has a TV show in the works that he can’t talk about yet, but that’s a conversation for another time — here, in Cannes, Luther Ford has already peaked. “It looks very glamorous. It looks chaotic,” says the Gen Z star about what to expect from his first major film festival. And then, suddenly, all royal etiquette went out the window: “I was looking at pictures [Louis Lumière Auditorium]. It’s fucking huge!
