Nicholas Galitzine Says First Chemistry Read with Anne Hathaway for The Idea of You Was ‘Transformative’ (Exclusive)

Nicholas Galitzine knew immediately that there was something special about Anne Hathaway.

The actor, 29, tells PEOPLE that things have been “amazing” with Hathaway, 41, since their first chemistry read for The idea of ​​you which premiered at the closing night of SXSW in Austin, Texas on Saturday.

“The chemistry I read was transformative in a way. As an actor, you often enter those rooms with so much trepidation, and it was so open,” recalls Galitzine of her first meeting with the Oscar winner. “And I kind of remember walking out of the room saying, ‘You know, if this doesn’t work, I’m really proud of the work that I’ve done, even in this space.’ ”

Galitzine “was asked to bring a song and convince Annie to dance with me” during a chemistry reading, he says. “And it created a lot of anxiety because I’m not a dancer, and it’s also hard, you know, you’re meeting someone for the first time and you don’t want it to be weird, but with these things, I kind of have to go all in.”

“It was so open and I think we really knew in that moment that there was a connection — that there was chemistry and it was so much fun at that audition, which is rare to say,” he said. continues Hathaway.

The next day, he says, he was “overjoyed” when he got the call and the team “said they wanted me to be their Hayes.”

Nicholas Galitzine and Anne Hathaway at the SXSW premiere of ‘The Idea of ​​You’ on March 16, 2024.

Michael Buckner/SXSW Conference and Festivals via Getty

Anne Hathaway wanted to ‘Tell the story of a woman who blossoms’ in the The idea of ​​you: ‘Incredibly Touched’ (Exclusive)

IN The idea of ​​youan adaptation of Robinne Lee’s 2017 novel of the same name, Galitzine stars as 20-year-old Hayes, a world-famous member of a boy band who unexpectedly finds love with divorcee Soléne (Hathaway) after a chance encounter at Coachella.

To suit the role, Red, white and royal blue star had to go to “boy band boot camp” where he learned “how to dance” and how to “feel comfortable with his stage presence,” while fictional boy band August Moon performed and recorded real music as part of the film.

“We did not perform in front of 80,000 people, but in front of 500 supporting performers [were] he was there watching us so it was kind of like doing a little concert,” he tells PEOPLE about the preparations that went into the role. “It’s like embodying the confidence of a pop star.”

The fictional boy band August Moon from the movie ‘The Idea of ​​You’.

Main video

While the first look at the film drew comparisons between his character, Hayes, and Harry Styles, Galitzine set the record straight about how much he was influenced by Styles – who the author of the book was admittedly inspired by when writing the story.

“We tried to create a character that is maybe similar to Harry in the sense that he’s a younger man dating older women,” he told BuzzFeed UK. “It was important to create someone who felt new and original, not some kind of poor imitation of this person we know very well.”

The idea of ​​you Trailer: Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine Get Immersed in Steamy Romance

Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine at the premiere of “The Idea of ​​You” at SXSW in Austin, Texas.

Daniel Boczarski/Getty

Following the film’s screening at SXSW, Galitzine further expanded on his and Hathaway’s current chemistry during the audition process during a moderated Q&A with the cast.

“Someone came up with the idea that the actors doing this chemistry exam should bring a song that they wanted to use essentially to convince Soléne to get up and dance with him. And again, [for] for someone like me, who is not a dancer, this was incredibly intimidating,” he said.

“But seriously, I remember – these actors’ rooms can sometimes be extremely scary and very unnatural in many ways – but there was something almost spiritual that happened where I felt this immediate connection with Annie, and we had a nice and shared sense of humor and whatever is very easy.”

From “that first day on set, it was there,” he added of their chemistry.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Hathaway agreed and shared a memory from the first day of filming on Prime Video where she and Galitzine had to swim despite freezing temperatures in Atlanta.

She recalled, “At one point we just looked at each other and we were holding tightly to each other for warmth and, I don’t know, but from that moment on — until the last moment about 20 hours later — I just looked at him and thought, ‘This is me in good hands. I have a great partner. We couldn’t have landed better.’ And I still feel that way.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education