Inside Henry Golding’s Return to ‘Another Simple Favour’ with Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick

Henry Golding and his character from ‘A Simple Favour’ have changed over the last six years.  The 38-year-old actor appeared on the third hour of the ‘Today’ show to discuss the upcoming sequel, ‘Another Simple Favour’, which will bring him back together with co-stars Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, with Paul Feig directing.

 According to Golding, his character Sean, Emily’s ex-husband, was more of a supporting character in the first movie and was frequently caught in the crossfire between the two main female characters.  Back then, he described Sean as a sort of emotional punching bag who took in the mayhem with little resistance.

However, Sean appears on screen in the sequel in a completely different form.  Golding claims that the character has been internalising everything that has happened for the past five or six years.  He has gotten more resolute at that time, letting go of his inhibitions and turning to drink.  He exerts as much resistance as he gets these days.

Image Courtesy: Henry Golding/ Instagram

 Working with Feig to modify Sean was a lot of fun, according to Golding.  Feig embraced his suggestion to change the character’s dynamic and make him the complete opposite of the character from the first movie.  The actor hailed the filmmaker as the perfect creative collaborator who is receptive to cooperation and creativity.

When Golding thought back on his experience going back to the set after a few years, he remembered that ‘A Simple Favour’ was only his second movie, having been made before ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ was even released.  He felt like a novice at the time, eager to please and still getting his bearings.  However, having gained more experience, he felt more comfortable making creative contributions, such as proposing dialogue that was eventually included in the final edit.

Image Courtesy: asimplefavor/ Instagram

 “It felt easy to work with Kendrick and Lively again,” he remarked.  He compared it to putting on a comfy pair of well-worn sneakers and going for a leisurely run, free from the uneasiness that often accompanies beginning a new project.  It was simple to get back into the roles because of the cast’s well-established familiarity.

Kendrick returns to her role as Stephanie, the blogger who first revealed Emily’s illegal secrets and abduction, in ‘Another Simple Favour’.  Lively makes a comeback as Emily, who is now free from prison and organising an extravagant wedding in Italy, which paves the way for further intrigue and peril.

 Beginning on 1st May, you may watch ‘Another Simple Favour’ on OTT.

–Farheen Ali