Interview & Article by: Mike Nelson
Actor and Supermodel Godfrey Gao takes on his first English language role as Magnus Bane, The High Warlock of Brooklyn in the Summer Blockbuster adaptation of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. Godfrey was a top choice to be one of XEX’s Rebel Edition covers! Check out this preview of our interview below!
The Mortal Instruments” books have sold over 22 million copies with such a vast international fan base. What kind of pressure did that put on you playing Magnus Bane?
As the success of the books grow, the more happy I am…and to have this opportunity to play “Magnus Bane” is truly exhilarating. Of course there will be pressure playing one of the fan favorite characters of the series, that’s why I forgot to put my pants on during my opening scene…haha. As a fictional character from the books, its always hard to grab the right feel to portray the character 100 percent…and as an actor it’s always a challenge to do so, but I love challenges and you can always make the character your own!
The Mortal Instruments fans feel that Magnus Bane is one of the most important characters in the Shadowhunter world. How excited are you going forward with this franchise?
Very excited! Just can’t wait to put on my Magnus costume again, start shooting, throw some more parties and cast more spells! I mean…who would’t want that 🙂
Cassandra Clare Has been very protective of your character and you as an actor calling you ” the hottest man in the world”. How did having that level of support from the author make you feel?
It made me felt weird at first, but I gracefully accepted it after i had “Magnus Bane’s” costume on. Because I had no pants, plus glitter on I definitely felt the hottest…as a matter of fact, perhaps the “prettiest”..haha!
What are some of your favorite characteristics about Magnus Bane? Would you be bold enough to enter your party in Boxers?
His stylish, sentimental, bold and flamboyant lifestyles intrigued me at first…and I loved every single moment on set. I would be too shy to even wear tight swimming trunks to the pool, not to mention a party.
How does your personal fashion sense compare to your character Magnus Bane, we are assuming less glitter?
Glitter Free. And if I were to pick a similarity it might be the custom suits to fit my long body! I usually love to wear more casual stuff on a daily basis.
You were thrown into the international spotlight when became the first Asian male model for Louis Vuitton. Tell us about that experience and how you feels to be now called by many a Supermodel?
It was an opportunity of a lifetime. I am honored and proud to be the first Asian face for such a successful luxury brand and I will look forward to the day that I can tell my kids my story and show them the ad campaign J The experience was unforgettable because it was my 26th birthday when we shot the first cut and it was in a jungle of Cameron Highlands in KL Malaysia. The whole team was super professional and I felt very relaxed on the shoot. It was almost just a luxury holiday gift for me where I could travel, work and play.
You have mentioned a couple of times that this is your English-speaking debut, how has it been talking to the American press & fans?
It certainly is my first press junket in North America.. and lets just say I felt really comfortable doing interviews in English rather than Mandarin.
How is the film and industry different in North America vs. Asia we hear there are no days off during a filming schedule.
The filming schedule is really packed in Asia and people tend to work through holidays. Whereas in N.A. some productions have weekends and holidays off. Pros and cons for both sides though; as you work your butt off to finish a project ASAP equals shorter film days in Asia; or shoot at a comfortable pace and have weekends off, but have longer shooting days.
Check Out The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones in Theatres now!
Stayed tuned to the Release of XEX Magazine: Rebel Edition due out Oct 1st!