SPOTLIGHT: Mr Henry Lloyd-Hughes

Interview & styling - Taj Hayer

Grooming - Charley McEwen (represented by Frank Agency)

Shirt & trousers - Turnbull & Asser, Overcoat - Acre & Row

Henry Lloyd-Hughes is one of the hardest working men in the business, having worked diligently and starred in countless shows, developing a reputation as a unique talent. You will know him best from his appearances from Season 2 of Killing Eve, as tech millionaire Aaron Peel, as Ralph Whelan in the ambitious Indian Summers alongside Julie Walters and of course, as Mark Donovan in the classic comedy of teen angst The Inbetweeners.

Most recently, Henry starred as Alfred Lyttlelton in Netflix’s The English Game, set in the time that football was invented and as it rose to become a sport of prominence. It is Netflix that once again plays home to Henry’s latest show, and it is perhaps his most ambitious to date, taking one of the most classic characters in the English language and presenting him in a way that has never been imagined before. The show is The Irregulars, which is currently riding high at number 1 on the streaming platform, and the character is Sherlock Holmes.

Shirt & trousers - Turnbull & Asser, Overcoat - Acre & Row, Sneakers - CQP

Shirt - Turnbull & Asser, Overcoat - Acre & Row

How much of a challenge was it to completely reinvent a character as iconic as Sherlock Holmes?

It was a real trip and I definitely felt like we were going into uncharted territory in terms of the world in which our Sherlock inhabits. It felt new and different which was scary from a technical acting point of view because I knew that there would be some really emotional scenes and it felt like I was dealing with a really tragic moment in someone’s life I was thrilled and intimidated, only because I wanted to do the job really well. The myth and legend of Sherlock will always surround that character and there is nothing that can be done to change that. In fact, the only thing that I could do now was to step into the new world that had been created.

With Holmes and Watson so much of the character is portrayed in the relationship between them. How did you and Royce work to create the energy that we see on screen?

Well originally I auditioned for the part of Watson, (played by Royce Pierreson) before I even knew that there was a Sherlock character. So I had a little insight into what the character of Watson was like, and Royce took everything that I was thinking and elevated it in such a whole-hearted way. They have this co-dependency and this unshakeable bond and we get to see some really nice moments between them trying to work out what their relationship is.

Royce has such imposing physicality, and when I am playing a younger Sherlock with flowing locks and velvet, against him in starch shirts and looking very upright there is a really nice contrast. We didn’t have any rehearsals to get this right, and both went with instinct. When I was at the read through, I was blown away by the young actors and of course Royce as well, and I thought that they were nailing it.

Tell us about the physical transformation that took place to make this character.

The young Sherlock that is portrayed in the show has a slinky, silky swagger, not too far from Mick Jagger or David Bowie’s Thin White Duke. The idea was to take this guy and make him totally burnt out and to explore what that looked like. It meant shaving my head, blackening my teeth and working with Mexican tattoo artist Pablo Coatlicue who specialises in tattoos of the occult. He did some amazing chest pieces and created this tapestry of images that I could have on my body and that tell a story of a lost fifteen year period.

Shirt - Acre & Row, Trousers - Turnbull & Asser

Shirt - Dunhill at MATCHES FASHION, Trousers - Turnbull & Asser

How easy or difficult is to work on ensemble dramas like Indian Summers and The English Game?

It often feels like you are part of a traveling circus. You are thrown together, in a very specific location with a group of people that you spend almost every single hour with in the day. The weird thing is that when you leave that project, you always think that everyone on that set is your best friend and sometimes you don’t ever see those people again. As you get older and have been doing this for quite some time, you realise and start to prepare for it. Nowadays, so many TV shows are built around the one season, so it's really nice when you are able to get the band back together again. Everyone is really giddy about that prospect.

How did you react to the success of The Inbetweeners?

What is really interesting about The Inbetweeners is that it was not an overnight success. Because it has been so long lasting it is often thought of in that way. The show first aired on E4 and didn’t get many viewers, but it got a lot more when it was shown on Channel 4 just before the second season aired. That single handedly spurred a much wider audience. Suddenly it was getting half a million viewers an episode which was a lot for the channel in that time.

When are you considering new projects to work in, what factors usually make you say yes?

Sometimes the brutal truth is that it depends on what they see in me. For me, I’m always motivated by being able to do something different and I know that I will get more out of myself when I push myself. It's nice to be able to feel out of my comfort zone and heading in a new direction.

Suit & shirt - Mr P at MR PORTER, Shoes - Grenson

Knit - Tiger of Sweden, Trousers - Mr P at MR PORTER, Shoes - Grenson

What are you working on next and at the moment?

If only I could tell you, but I can’t! It’s a huge lead role, in a great new show.

And finally, what makes a rakish gent?

Self confidence and the freedom to express yourself.

Knit - Tiger of Sweden, Trousers - Mr P at MR PORTER

Quick fire questions

Ideal travel destination - Bali

Best store in the world - Dover St Market

Gadget of choice - Beats by Dre headphones

Go to pair of shoes - Almost all of them are suede

Brand/ designer of choice - N.E. Blake

Favorite fragrance - Acqua di Parma

Essential grooming project - A comb

Recommended app - Citymapper

Icon - David Niven or Paul Newman

The Irregulars is currently streaming on Netflix.

Follow Henry Lloyd-Hughes on Instagram.

Tajinder HayerApril 4, 2021spotlight, the irregulars, netflix, interview, long reads, editorial, portrait, photography