At 30, Nicholas Galitzine has established himself as one of the rising faces of Hollywood. That he plays a prince charming in Cinderella (2021) or a soldier in Our Bruised Hearts (2022), British actor impresses with its ability to navigate between genresmoving from drama to rom-com with remarkable ease. From the movie The idea of being with youreleased last year on Prime Video, he stood out in the series Mary & George (available on Canal+), where he shares the screen with Julianne Moore. His next, highly anticipated project is the live-action adaptation of Masters of the Universeplanned for 2026.
During our interview via Zoom, Nicholas Galitzine sports a peroxide blonde bob, a nod to his upcoming role. Named the face of Emporio Armani’s Stronger With You perfume this January 6, he enthusiastically shares his first impression of this fragrance: “Honestly, the scent is exactly what I’m looking for. It is leathery, warm, opulent and leaves a lasting impression. The first time I smelled it, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it perfectly reflected my tastes. Smells are often associated with memories for me, and this one stood out to me.“From now on, the act of wearing perfume has become essential in one’s daily routine:”I didn’t really have a perfume routine before. But right now, because I’m physically preparing for a role and taking multiple showers a day, I spray the perfume after each shower. Stronger With You is now part of my daily life.” From there to associating a perfume with a character? “It’s a method that I find fascinating. This can be a great way to refocus. When you play an intense role, it can be difficult to break away from it once you get home. Associating a perfume with the character can become an interesting way of marking a separation between the role and oneself.”
On the occasion of the launch of Emporio Armani’s new Stronger With You Parfum eau de parfum, Nicholas Galitzine opens the door to his most memorable olfactory memories.
The olfactory interview with Nicholas Galitzine
Harper’s Bazaar France: The smell of your first childhood memory?
Nicholas Galitzine : The smell of the ocean in Greece. I am of Greek origin, and I remember days spent on a beach in the Peloponnese, facing this splendid sea. You could smell the salty air several kilometers from the shore…
HB: The smell of your favorite city?
N.G. : Not Los Angeles, where I currently live, because this city doesn’t always have very pleasant scents! But I remember a stay on the Amalfi Coast, in Positano, Italy. As I walked through the city, there was a warm sweetness in the air, accompanied by the scent of bougainvillea, a delicate and lingering smell.
HB: What does the smell of elegance mean to you?
N.G. : If I had to define it, I would say that it evokes confidence, sophistication and subtlety. Woody or leathery notes remind me of this timeless elegance.
HB: The smell of an ideal day?
N.G. : The watermelon one. In Greece, there was a street vendor who drove by in a truck shouting to sell his fruit. So a perfect day was buying a fresh watermelon and enjoying it with my sister and cousins.
HB: And that of an evening?
N.G. : Maybe the whiskey one. I haven’t drunk in years, but I love the rich, warm smell, like a scotch or Japanese whiskey. It’s a smell that for me embodies the night. I remember one evening when, after a day of work, I went for a last drink with a friend. We talked about our dreams and aspirations, sitting on a balcony, with a cigarette and a whiskey.
HB: The smell of tranquility?
N.G. : I would say aloe vera. Right now, I have weekly massage sessions where we use aloe oils or gel to ease tension in my body. This smell totally relaxes me. To relax, I watch a lot of movies – four or five a week. My outlook has changed since I worked in cinema, but it’s fascinating to follow new talents. I also like listening to music. At the gym, I opt for metal to tap into some raw energy, and in the evening, I prefer soft jazz even if currently it’s more Christmas carols. That said, it’s hard to find good modern Christmas songs. Do you know any? Every year, I end up listening to the same ones over and over again. Mariah Carey, of course, takes advantage of the fact that our tastes haven’t changed in twenty years! His hit remains a classic.
HB: The smell you can’t live without?
N.G. : It might sound cliché, but the smell of my mother. It has a unique fragrance, and I don’t know what I would do without it.
