Henry Golding & Mark Strong on Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2
One is a master of the brooding gaze and subtle power. The other blends charm with unexpected vulnerability. Together, Mark Strong and Henry Golding bring a fascinating new dynamic to the second season of Nine Perfect Strangers as a father-son duo while dysfunctional family drama takes centre stage.
When you think of on-screen intensity and characters that simmer with untold depths, Strong likely springs to mind. And then there’s Golding, whose charisma can light up any scene, whether he’s sweeping us off our feet in a rom-com or, in this case, perhaps tripping out in a therapeutic haze. Their genuine camaraderie and approach to their craft shine through. From peeling back the intricate layers of complex characters to celebrating the pure joy of continuous growth in their careers, Strong and Golding reveal a truly wholesome commitment to their art and to each inspiring the other.
Nine Perfect Strangers season two brings a new group of strangers to Masha’s (Nicole Kidman) therapeutic retreat, this time in the Alpine resort. The series also stars Annie Murphy, Murray Bartlett, Christine Baranski, King Princess, Dolly de Leon, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, and Aras Aydin.
For Henry Golding, Nine Perfect Strangers marks a delightful new chapter as his first series. Drawn to roles that stir a genuine emotion within him, Golding found a special connection with his character, Peter. In a virtual interview, he tells me that Peter is “stuck in the past,” carrying a childlike longing for his father’s affection. “He’s stuck with this idea that his father never loved him and he’s always yearning to build that connection,” Golding shared. He sees the retreat as Peter’s “last hurrah as such so he kinda drags his dad — or so he thinks — he drags his dad to Masha’s.”
What truly lit up Golding was the chance to playfully explore new dimensions in his acting. “For me, it was the ability to kind of have fun within those realms,” he beamed, highlighting the “physical comedy that I got to explore and circumstantial comedy, which I’ve never really done. It was awesome just to kinda play in that.” As he joyfully embraces new challenges and the vulnerable-yet-hilarious aspects of his character, Golding showcases his wonderful range — he has a solid comic timing with his delivery of Peter.
The Malaysian-born British actor describes Peter as “a lost puppy, looking for love, essentially, and he knows no bounds to sort of try to get it from his dad. There’s these moments where we have kinda long walks and we’re connecting and there’s a glimpse of hope that, ‘Oh, maybe he’s cracked it.’ And then we go back [and] we find out the reasons why they never really had a relationship.”
For his part, Strong is celebrated for his ability to bring humanity to every role. He approached his character, David, with a curiosity for the human psyche. Strong shared that David initially appeared as a man with all the answers: “somebody who was incredibly confident, not somebody who was likely to benefit from anything that was happening in terms of therapy. So he comes in like a bull in a china shop, completely confident of who he is.” Yet, it’s the quiet unravelling of David’s inner world that truly captivated Strong; he easily taps into the role, commanding the screen as soon as he enters the room.
“The interesting bit that happens over the course of the series is that you find out that, at his core, there’s a lot more going on than you initially think,” the British actor explained. “And, actually, he’s probably more vulnerable than he ever thought.” This journey of discovery, finding the vulnerability beneath a strong exterior is a testament to Strong’s compassionate portrayal of his characters.
“The thing about longevity and variety is — if you’re lucky — you’ve got a career that can span decades, and that absolutely informs who you are. It changes the way you look at things. It changes your attitude towards work, and you learn an awful lot from the people that you’re working with.”
Mark Strong
The collaboration between Strong and Golding blossomed into a heartwarming experience for both. Golding, who grew up admiring Strong’s extensive body of work, speaks with genuine appreciation about the opportunity to learn from such seasoned talents. “When I’m working with such gifted, hardworking actors, you tend to soak in as much as possible,” he shared, affectionately naming Strong, Nicole Kidman and Christine Baranski as artists with “this body of work that you’re so enviable about.” For Golding, longevity in his career is a cherished goal, and he views every project as a chance to glean wisdom from his peers. “If I can sort of steal bits of advice from everybody, including Mark, I feel as though I grow in every project that I’m a part of, and that’s the way it should be. So I feel as though I grew exponentially just to be in those scenes with them,” he reflected with gratitude.
Strong, in turn, was visibly impressed by Golding’s wholehearted dedication. He recalled a specific sequence where Golding’s commitment was absolute (though he keeps the details under wraps to preserve the show’s surprises). Strong praised Golding’s “really great sense of comedy, but how he also keeps it in the bounds of drama. So there’s a really lovely balance of the dramatic as well as the funny in what he’s doing with Peter.” This mutual admiration and respect underscore the supportive and enriching environment fostered on the set of Nine Perfect Strangers.
Both actors share a beautiful philosophy that their craft is a journey of continuous evolution, much like life itself. There’s a moment in the series where Masha asks David if he’s changed in the last three decades, to which he responds “never.” I wondered the same about Strong, who’s enjoyed a three-decade career, starting on stage, appearing in productions like Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge. When asked if he’s always felt a complete understanding of himself as an actor after his time in the business, Strong offers a thoughtful “No is the honest answer to that, because you change.”
Then, he elaborated that, “Every new job and every new character and every new group of people you work with informs who you become.” Strong often shares this heartfelt advice with younger actors, emphasizing that “some often have a bit of success when they’re very young and I have to bite my tongue and say, ‘You know, only forty years to go.’ The thing about longevity and variety is — if you’re lucky — you’ve got a career that can span decades, and that absolutely informs who you are. It changes the way you look at things. It changes your attitude towards work, and you learn an awful lot from the people that you’re working with.”
“We spend our days fleeing from ourselves. But the moments that we’re kind of caught and we have to spend time with ourselves thinking about our choices, that’s where the self development comes from.”
Henry Golding
Golding echoed the sentiment, reflecting on his own remarkable growth since his early films like Crazy Rich Asians and A Simple Favor. He recently observed a “leaps and bounds” difference in his creativity when comparing his second movie to its sequel, Another Simple Favor, released last month. Golding attributes this transformation to experience and finding his “voice as an actor.” This newfound confidence empowers him to “make perhaps a little more challenging choices in how you act, and not be afraid to speak up for yourself and make a suggestion. And that only comes from being on set, being with great actors, with great directors, and learning from them and pushing the boundaries with every project.” For Golding, it’s about the “1% rule, trying to be better every single day… I just feel the growth, and that’s what excites me. It’s like, I do want that three-decade career,” he said, turning to Strong.
I had to ask about the realm of personal wellness that the show dwells on, which revealed some surprisingly unconventional anecdotes. When asked about the wildest thing they’ve experienced in the name of wellness, Strong recounted a particularly memorable (and somewhat unusual) experience at a wellness retreat where he was “wrapped up in seaweed, like a load of grungy stuff in a load of plastic.” He comically described it “as if I died and somebody was, like, hiding my body or something, but they literally packed me in plastic seaweed. And then I lay in that for about fifteen minutes, oily, and then they hose you down at the end. You stand at the end of the room and they hose you.”
Golding shared a more profound, yet equally impactful, wellness experience deeply rooted in his Malaysian tribal background. He spent “three or four days in the jungles” with guides who couldn’t speak English, leading to an unexpected period of peaceful silence and deep introspection. This forced solitude, he discovered, became a form of therapy, reminding him that “we spend our days fleeing from ourselves. But the moments that we were kind of caught and we have to spend time with ourselves thinking about our choices, that’s where the self development comes from. So I think that was probably maybe the craziest.” It’s clear that for Golding it’s the power of quiet contemplation that he deeply values.
New episodes of Nine Perfect Strangers S2 streams every Thursday on Prime Video.
