Is Nicholas Galitzine Descended from Russian Nobility?
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Nicholas Galitzine is having a moment. The British actor is starring in two of the buzziest films of the month: Red, White & Royal Blue, as Prince Henry, and Bottoms, as Jeff.
Here, five things to know about Nicholas Galitzine:
1. He's reportedly descended from the House of Golitsyn.
His father, Geoffrey Galitzine, is Russian, and his mom, Lora Galitzine (née Papayanni), is Greek. His dad apparently descends from the Russian House of Golitsyn (also spelled Galitzine).
Here's a baby Nicholas with his mom:
He also has a younger sister, Lexi.
2. He thought he was going to be an athlete.
He played football (soccer) and rugby growing up, before a damaged rotator cuff made him take a break from sports. "I grew up in a very masculine world, but I was a very feeling young man," he tells GQ.
He decided to go to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival at age 18, where he starred in Rites: A Children’s Tragedy, all because of a girl he liked. "There was a girl who was going up to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival who I really fancied. I did [the festival] so I could go chase this girl. And I came back with this acting agency," he shared.
3. He made his movie debut in 2014.
His first role was in The Beat Beneath My Feat, but his breakout role came in 2019 when he starred in the TV show Chambers. In 2021, he had his breakout when he starred in Cinderella as Prince Charming opposite Camila Cabello's Cinderella, and in 2022, he played Luke, a Marine who falls for a singer, in Netflix's Purple Hearts.
In Red, White & Royal Blue, which premiered this summer, Galitzine was cast as Prince Henry first, and then had reads with many different actors up for the role of Alex, saying when he met Taylor Zakhar Perez he immediately knew he was the one.
4. He identifies as straight.
"I think it's a very sensitive subject," Galitzine tells Variety about authentic casting. “I think the important thing for me was to let [Red, White & Royal Blue director] Matthew [López] know that I loved who Henry was as a person, and I empathized with him as a character, and I just wanted to try and deliver as honest a performance — never a caricature — as I could."
5. His next role is also sort of royal.
Galitzine's next role is in Mary & George, a period drama which will chronicle the affair between King James I and George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. "George was a fluid man and sex was his power," he explains. "It was how he dominated people, it was how he pulled his family from the edge of poverty and oblivion into being one of the most powerful families in England."
He wrapped in June, writing on his Instagram, "The last 6 months have been an adventure - broken ankles, horse rides, mountain climbs, dances, hot times….and I’m blessed to have spent it with some of the most incredible, talented, hardworking people I’ve ever met. George Villiers has been a thrill to play, and I can’t wait for you all to meet him."
He will also star in The Idea of You, opposite Anne Hathaway. He plays a pop star (based on Harry Styles) who falls for an older, single mom. Galitzine says, "We didn’t want it to just seem like some sort of shoddy façade, shoddy outline...I don’t think we ever would have captured Harry’s essence because it’s so particular. I think we decided to steer in a different direction."
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