Henry Golding Shares The Life Lessons He Wishes He Knew At 21
“One thing that comes from heartbreak is this ability to cash in a ticket to change yourself.”
Henry Golding was leading a very different life at 21. “I was a hairstylist in London,” the half-British, half-Malaysian actor tells Elite Daily. “I was fantastic. I had great promise. I just yearned for something more ... so I bought a one-way ticket to Malaysia in the hopes of becoming a television host.”
Looking back, the leap of faith boded well for the A Simple Favor star. “The greatest opportunities I’ve been given have been off the back of diving into the abyss,” he says. Case in point: The year he moved, in 2008, he bagged a hosting gig with ESPN (covering football) and, later on, with BBC World News as host of The Travel Show from 2014 through 2018.
In the process of pursuing a new career, Golding also found something else: a thirst for adventure. “Twenty-one was a big start of a lot of things for me. I traveled the world,” the 38-year-old says. That globetrotting eventually led him to take up residence in Singapore for nearly a decade, the country that became synonymous with his Hollywood breakthrough moment as Nick Young in Crazy Rich Asians.
Now that Golding is back living in London, traveling is still a key part of his life. He still returns to Asia for vacations, particularly the beaches of Thailand and Tokyo’s underrated countryside. Golding recently teamed up with Citi for the launch of the Citi Strata Elite Card, a premium rewards credit card featuring travel and dining benefits, to make the most out of his excursions.
Apart from being an advocate for exploring the world (in his words: “travel, travel, travel”), the Nine Perfect Strangers actor shares lessons he’d like to tell his 21-year-old self, including why a breakup is a powerful tool for life transformation, how to make friends with anyone, and the importance of going to therapy. — Alyssa Lapid, staff writer
- “Learn a new language. I feel like a brute only speaking English.”
- “Sometimes, the first time you fall in love, you get burned, and you don’t want to experience that again. But don’t be afraid to fall in love.”
- “We get carried away with this idea of ‘puppy love’ or ‘first loves,’ but know that you change as much as other people change, and that’s OK. Allow heartbreak to fuel adventure. One thing that comes from heartbreak is this ability to cash in a ticket to change yourself and have a different perspective on life, a refresh, and a rebranding. Revel in that. Sometimes it’s only a breakup that does that for you. Be thankful.”
- “Make fun of yourself. Life isn’t so serious.”
- “Learn about the history of film.”
- “Do more push-ups.”
- “Invest your money wisely and build it to work for you. Collect your damn points. This will pay off later in life.”
- “Be a sponge, never assume, and always keep learning.”
- “Call your parents more, and interview them like you would someone you don’t know.”
- “Take photographs, lots of photographs.”
- “Nobody pays for a flat roller coaster. Life is meant to have its ups and downs.”
- “Go to therapy. Invest in your mental health.”
- “Make great friends and don’t stop. Connecting with people will be your greatest joy. I found a lot of my greatest friendships through radical honesty. That deep sense of human connection is possible with anybody. A lot of us bury the scary parts, but we share this human experience. We all go through the same sh*t, so you have something in common with every single person. Don’t be afraid to be honest.”
- “Look forward to being a great dad. It is the gift that will be one of the very few constants.”
- “Stop doom-scrolling!”
- “Read voraciously.”
- “Be closer to family later in life. Come back to them.”
- “Find what you love, and you will live a life that doesn’t feel like work.”
- “It will always be OK in the end. Be grateful for your health every single day.”
- “Don’t be afraid to take that leap of faith. You have youth on your side. You’ve got a lot of chances in life. Don’t be afraid to sort of mess things up.”
- “The goalpost keeps moving. What we think of success at 21 is not what we think of success at 25, if not 30, and so forth, but that’s good. As they say, ‘May all dreams come true but one.’ We need a goal. It doesn’t mean stop aiming higher. It just means it’s natural to move on, move interest, or move the goalposts.”
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
