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It’s been quite a year for newcomer Henry Golding.
After landing the coveted role of ultra-wealthy and handsome Nick Young oppositeConstance Wu, 36, inCrazy Rich Asians,the actor, 31, says his life has done a complete 180.
“There are words to describe how life-changing this past year-and-a-half has been,” the Malaysian-English actor who previously worked as a hairdresser and hosted BBC’sThe Travel Showtold PEOPLE.
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“I was sleeping in the jungle and doing really weird things,” he says of his past hosting duties. “[Being in a film] is so different. Much more pampered. I’m not going to lie. It’s pretty nice.”
For more on Golding, pick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE on newsstands Friday.
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Golding says being part of the romantic comedy that is based on Kevin Kwan’s best-selling novel was a dream come true and he is so thankful director Jon Chu found him.
“Jon always says that they searched the entire world for their Nick Young,” says Golding. “And he was exactly where the book told him he was going to be, in Singapore.”
When not working, Golding has a surprising guilty pleasure — scrolling through Instagram cat videos. “It’s the stupidest thing, but it just relaxes me.”
He adds that to really unwind his ideal getaway is a villa in Bali.
“Just a beach, a pool, my wife. We do that to get away from everything. We have a case of cigars and a nice bottle of whiskey,” he says. “It’s perfect.”
Crazy Rich Asiansis now in theaters.
source: people.com
