Henry Golding’s Career Evolution Shines Through With A Bold Role In Another Simple Favor

Another Simple Favor isn’t just a stylish return to twisted female dynamics and martini-soaked mysteries — it’s also a subconscious career checkpoint for Henry Golding. The 38-year-old actor, now firmly in command of his screen presence, revisits Sean (the ex-husband of Blake Lively’s Emily) in the Prime Video sequel, giving the character — and Golding himself — a chance to flex in ways fans never anticipated.

From Punching Bag To Provocateur: Sean’s Transformation Mirrors Golding’s Growth

When Golding last stepped onto the set of director Paul Feig’s A Simple Favor (before the original film had even hit theaters), he was a rookie in full deference mode. “Yes, sir! Whatever you need, sir!” was his on-set mantra, as he navigated the high-wire performances of Lively and Anna Kendrick. Now, with more than six years of experience (and the monumental success of Crazy Rich Asians under his belt), Golding returns not only more confident but creatively engaged. “In the first movie, Sean was just the punch bag,” Golding told the Today show. “He was just the guy that they would kick, and he’d take it.” But in Another Simple Favor, Sean isn’t just surviving — he’s subverting. “He’s had five or six years to mull and have everything soak into him... He’s hit the bottle. He’s sort of lost his inhibitions and just decided to give back as much as he takes.”

It’s a sharp character pivot — one that Feig and Golding co-created on the fly. “I was like, ‘What do you think if we make [Sean] sort of the opposite of what he was and create something fun with it?’ And that's what he did. He's the best collaborator,” Golding said. The result is a Sean who slides between tragic and comic, helpless and dangerous, giving Golding a playground for improvisation and invention.

Golding’s Creative Freedom On Set Unlocks Memorable Moments — Including A Daring Shower Scene

One of the most revealing elements of Golding’s comeback to the Simple Favor franchise is how much creative input he now brings to the table — and how much Feig trusts him. The director’s willingness to embrace actor-led improvisation means many of Golding’s lines were ad-libbed or born from on-the-spot experimentation. “A lot of the lines that Paul kept in there was stuff that we were testing, or I came up with,” Golding explained. This collaborative energy even birthed one especially memorable sequence — a wild, unexpected shower scene that wasn’t in the original script but fit perfectly with Sean’s unleashed persona. “It was so much fun changing Sean into this like complete opposite of who he was in the first one,” Golding said. “Kind of revelling in his wildness and unpredictability... the shower scene was one of those things.”

It’s moments like these — where actor, director, and character align — that elevate Another Simple Favor from sequel status to stylish reinvention. And for Golding, it’s a clear sign of how far he’s come as a performer.

Rekindling On-Screen Chemistry With Lively And Kendrick Felt Like “A Casual Run In Worn-In Sneakers”

Returning to a cast that includes Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, Golding compares the experience to slipping into something effortlessly familiar. “Coming back and filming with the girls again was like putting on a worn-in pair of [sneakers] and going for a casual run,” he said. There were no awkward first-day jitters, only a seamless re-entry into the complex relational dance between Emily, Stephanie, and Sean. And with all three actors deeply familiar with their roles — and eager to push them further — the dynamic on set was less about rehashing and more about leveling up. Feig even likened Kendrick and Lively’s rapport to “magic,” noting how the two actresses instinctively elevate each other in every scene. It’s a trio dynamic that Golding fits into not as a sidekick, but as a sharp foil — one that he clearly enjoys playing.

Behind The Thrills: Golding Shares Hopeful Updates On The Crazy Rich Asians Sequel

While Another Simple Favor gives Golding immediate onscreen momentum, it’s his offscreen updates on the Crazy Rich Asians sequel that have fans buzzing even louder. Speaking with E! News, Golding revealed that “things are in motion” with the long-anticipated follow-up, and that writer-director Adele Lim is now steering the project. “She came over to London, maybe about four weeks ago to see me and Gemma to talk about our characters,” Golding said. The fact that Lim — who co-wrote the original film — is now helming the sequel reignites hope for a full creative reunion, even if Jon M. Chu’s involvement remains uncertain. “Who knows? If we can lock down Jon Chu somewhere there; he’s a billion dollar man at the moment,” Golding remarked. And like any true fan of superhero-level filmmaking (Chu’s work on Wicked and In the Heights certainly fits that bill), Golding hopes to see the original director back in the mix, delivering the same kinetic charm he brought to the first rom-com breakout.

Henry Golding’s Career Trajectory Might Just Be Hollywood’s Most Underrated Origin Story

Watching Golding navigate roles like Sean — and simultaneously champion projects like Crazy Rich Asians — is witnessing a genre actor finding his own superhero persona. He may not be wearing a cape (yet), but his ability to transform a once one-dimensional character into something unpredictable and fun echoes the kind of character reinvention that Marvel and DC fans live for. Whether he’s dodging martinis in a pool with Feig’s most fearless female leads or steering through the intricate emotional terrain of a wealthy Asian rom-com saga, Henry Golding is no longer the “yes guy” on set. He’s a collaborator, a creator, and most importantly, an actor who’s clearly enjoying the journey — and giving us plenty of reasons to watch closely.

Another Simple Favor streams May 1 on Prime Video. The Crazy Rich Asians sequel may just be next.