For his feature in Mr Porter’s The Journal, actor Theo James is photographed by Misha Taylor and styled by Helen Broadfoot in a series of images that feel as stripped back as the man himself—barefoot, introspective, and worlds away from his polished red carpet persona.
Theo James for Mr Porter’s The Journal
Shot in subdued tones, the styling favors soft tailoring, classic knits, and indigo denim—each look a reflection of James’ guiding principle: “I think style should feel lived-in,” he says. “You can tell when someone’s trying too hard.”
That offhand honesty threads through his entire conversation. “I always go for the most shocking joke,” James admits, referring to his tendency for blue humor and dry wit.
But he’s equally disarming in his sincerity, especially when speaking about his evolving relationship to his image: “I’m not trying to seduce an audience, it’s not like ‘here comes a handsome bro.’”
It’s a telling remark, especially considering his knack for inhabiting characters who blur the line between allure and unease—whether it’s the volatile charm of Cameron in “The White Lotus” or the unsettling duality he explores in “The Monkey.”
Even as James wears the kind of laid-back layers that invite comfort, his mind is tuned toward deeper themes. “The stories we fall for, that seduce us, are really about empathy coming back,” he reflects. “Making you see the world through someone else’s eyes, even if you hate them.”
That fascination with contradiction continues in “The Gentlemen,” where James plays Eddie Horniman. “I liked the idea of sending up the British upper class,” he says. “It’s horrendous and its toxicity has shaped so much of the world—colonialism, racism. But within the character, he has to believe in the history of it.”
This shoot arrives just after his VMAN cover story, where James reflected on his evolution as an actor and the fulfillment he’s found stepping into producing. If VMAN revealed the architect behind the roles, Mr Porter introduces the man off-duty—one who juggles double denim and school pickups while quoting Stephen King over mint tea.
“It’s nice to move around,” he says of life between London and California. “But kids don’t like itchy feet.” Neither, it seems, does Theo James. He stays grounded—but never static.
