IN CONVERSATION WITH IAN HARDING
interview by JANA LETONJA
Ian Harding will be starring alongside Lindsay Lohan in the upcoming Netflix rom-Com ‘Our Little Secret’, dropping on 27th November. He is best known for his role on Freeform’s hit series ‘Pretty Little Liars’. Besides acting, Ian is also an advocate for Lupus charities, including the Lupus Foundation of America. He’s also the author of the memoir ‘Odd Birds’.
full look FRAME
Ian, we’ll be seeing you in Netflix’s holiday rom-com ‘Our Little Secret’ alongside Lindsay Lohan. What drew you to this project, and what was it like working on this romantic comedy?
Obviously Lindsay Lohan. I was such a huge fan of ‘Mean Girls’ when I was in high school, so the idea of sharing a screen with her was immediately exciting to me. Then I read the script by Hailey DeDominicis, and I could just hear my character’s voice and see his perspective so clearly I knew I had to throw my hat into the ring for the roll.
You’re known for your charisma and connection with co-stars. How did you and Lindsay Lohan approach building chemistry for this film?
Hilarious. I often feel I have the charisma of an overly caffeinated golden retriever so I’m very flattered by your observation. I don’t think Lindsay and I had any sort of literal conversation about creating chemistry, I think we just listened to one another. There’s an openness that actors have with one another that you cultivate purely by listening to what the other person is giving you, and then trying to support them in their choices, and ideally that sentiment is reciprocated.
For example, let’s say in one scene Lindsay ends up laughing on a line that the script indicates her character getting teary eyed. I trust that she’s following an intuition, following what she feels in the moment, and in trusting that and going with her on that journey, I naturally open myself up to her and I think that’s what reads as chemistry.
full look FRAME
You’ve played a variety of roles, from ‘Pretty Little Liars’ to ‘Ford v Ferrari’ and ‘Chicago Med’. How do you approach switching between such different genres and roles?
My approach doesn’t really change much. It’s always about the script. Ideally the words on the page tell you what you need to know, so if you’re really reading it and taking it for what it is, you will naturally be different in each project. I think the trouble sometimes comes from actors trying to bend the text and the story to fit their usual shtick. I try to avoid that if possible.
How has your approach to characters evolved since ‘Pretty Little Liars’? What do you bring to roles now that you might not have in the beginning of your career?
I don’t think my approach has changed as much as my life has changed. I’ve lived a lot more, I’ve suffered and succeeded, loved and lost. I’ve had to face myself and my self-destructive patterns as well as learning to celebrate every part of who I think Ian is. Also, I got married and have a son. Both of those relationships have opened up an emotional and artistic well in me that I simply didn’t have in my 20s.
jacket RALPH LAUREN
top COS
trousers THE ROW
boots THURSDAY
Your fanbase has been incredibly loyal since ‘Pretty Little Liars’. How has the role of Ezra Fitz impacted your career?
The role was life changing. I could write a book about it. Actually I kind of did, but the short answer, or at least to respond to how it affected my career specifically, is that it was a net positive. There were moments where I felt the exact opposite, as in I felt in my gut that by playing Ezra Fitz I had somehow irrevocably stunted my career. But then I realized I was thinking about my career as something linear. It’s not. You get roles over the course of your career, and sometimes they change your life and sometimes they don’t. So, all you can do is prepare and give your all to each part.
Also, because Ezra was a nice guy but also deeply problematic, I’ve been able to play in both worlds, as in I’ve been offered “good guy” roles as well as problematic “d**k” roles. I’ve been very lucky.
t-shirt and trousers NILI LOTAN
shirt COS
loafers FERRAGAMO
As a graduate of Carnegie Mellon, how has your training shaped your approach to the industry and your creative process?
In a way, I think this is two questions, but the answer is the same. Carnegie instilled in me the value of technique and the importance of the text. Basically, as an actor, you have the technique to bring the text to life, to be, as pretentious as this sounds, a kind of channel for the story. That’s what’s most important, and that’s what should affect your performance. So ideally, if you follow that practice, of telling meaningful stories to the best of your abilities, then your career will sort of handle itself. I sometimes feel that the industry, and LA especially, can take an actor away from what is most vital, which is telling meaningful stories as honestly as possible, and places the importance on career strategy and networking and building a brand, which aren’t necessarily bad things, but I think that too much energy is wasted on trying to build those things up as opposed to just getting really good at acting.
Birdwatching is an unexpected hobby for many in Hollywood. How did you develop this passion, and how do you think it offers a counterbalance to your busy life in the entertainment industry?
I don’t get to do it as much as I have in the past, as starting a family can do that to one’s hobbies sometimes, but what drew me to it was the fact that it was a hobby that put me in the natural world and forced me to be present in said natural world. I couldn’t monetize the hobby, although that was floated many times. It was something that I did for me, and that had nothing to do with my career.
full look ARMANI
Your book ‘Odd Birds’ offers a unique perspective on your Hollywood experience through birdwatching. What inspired you to tell your story through that lens, and how it did it feel to share that part of yourself with a wider audience on CBS Saturday Morning recently?
It felt great to share it on CBS. Why not? I got to go to NYC and be outside and look at some ducks. What joy.
The reason I wrote the book in that way was because it felt a little absurd to write a memoir at 30 years old. But if I was able to craft the story through the lens of a hobby that was an escape from all of the BS of Hollywood, then maybe it could translate to other people’s lives who weren’t in the industry, but were merely finding the hobby as a way to disconnect from screens and constant digital connection.
full look SAINT LAURENT
boots THURSDAY
Lupus advocacy is close to your heart due to your mother’s diagnosis. How has this influenced your perspective, and what kind of impact do you hope to make through your involvement in lupus charities like the Lupus Foundation of America?
Obviously, it’s a goal of mine to help eradicate the disease from the planet. I joke with the folks at the LFA that I hope to one day put them all out of work, but for now it’s about raising money to fund research to aid in medication that reduces symptoms and flares, as well as helping to find medication that doesn’t have worse effects than the disease itself.
top SAINT LAURENT
jacket and trousers NILI LOTAN
shoes TOM FORD
With ‘Our Little Secret’ just about to premiere, what can you share with us about your other upcoming projects?
I’m currently in Toronto working on a show for Hallmark Plus. It’s about four seemingly unconnected lives coming together through a series of small events. This was one of those rare moments where I read something and immediately knew that I had to do it. And oddly enough, knew that I would get it. I just understood the character immediately, which again speaks to the quality of the writing, but also to being at a place in my life where I understand that joy and sadness go hand in hand, and the creation of one’s soul comes from the living in the tension of those two things.
TEAM CREDITS:
talent IAN HARDING
photography DAVID KATZINGER
creative KATHLEEN HOWES
styling ZOE GOFMAN
grooming ALEXANDRA DIROMA
photography assistant BIANKA BASIC
production BE GOOD CREATOR STUDIO
editor TIMI LETONJA
editorial director & interview JANA LETONJA
cover design ARTHUR ROELOFFZEN
