Guy Ritchie’s new film, “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” premiered on April 13, with Henry Golding portraying “The Saboteur,” Freddy Alvarez. Inspired by true events, the action-comedy follows the British War Department’s special forces organization that emerged during World War II. With “ungentlemanly” fighting styles, the group of misfits manage to change the course of the war, and are points of inspiration for modern-day Black Ops warfare.
Golding’s character is a whiz with explosives, known colloquially as the “Demolition Expert.” The first of the crew to embark on ships, he begins the destructive havoc the rest of the team swiftly follows to carry out. Golding sat down with Character Media to discuss his experience working on the film, beginning with the defining statement: “Anything with a big bang…That was Freddy.”
Responding to a question regarding preparation for the role, Golding reflects back on his grandfather, who was a member of the British Royal Navy during his youth. In an effort to visualize his character, Golding kept his grandfather in mind, asking himself the questions of “What would he be experiencing?” and “What would he be doing?” during World War II.
Golding also pulled from his Malaysian roots to portray Freddy, explaining how he envisioned Freddy as being from Malacca, which Golding said was mainly settled by the Portuguese. The Malaysian roots Golding incorporated into Freddy was an aspect of the character that he felt particularly proud of.
Joining Golding, the motley crew that make up “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” include Henry Cavill, Alan Ritchson, Alex Pettyfer, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Babs Olusamokun, Henrique Zaga, Til Schweiger, Eiza González, and Cary Elwes. Working together on-screen translated off-screen, as Golding notes that the group naturally bonded after having spent three-and-a-half months acting alongside one another. “I don’t think there’s a scene where we’re not together. That, in itself, is the greatest bonding,” Golding said.
Want to hear more about Golding’s experience on set? Check out Character Media’s video above, and don’t forget to watch “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” in theaters now!
