Extremely tight, it turns out. Madden, who booked the part of Prince Charming, soon found himself at London’s Pinewood studios, riding alabaster horses and wooing Cinderella herself, played by newcomer Lily James, with an irresistible combination of regal self-confidence, puppy-dog sweetness, and a pair of cerulean eyes.
Today, in the buzzing Tribeca eatery Benvenuto Cafe, right next door to his hotel, the 28-year-old London-based actor isn’t dressed like a pristine prince. Speaking past a careful amount of stubble, and wearing a fitted navy peacoat, tight black jeans, and scuffed-up white Chucks, he looks like your average downtown New Yorker, with just two major differences: Madden, a native of Elderslie, the mile-wide village outside of Glasgow, Scotland, speaks in a textured brogue. Also, a small congregation of men with cameras are waiting for him to finish his grilled chicken sandwich and head outside. He’s a long way—seven kingdoms in fact—from Winterfell, where Madden held court for three seasons as Robb Stark, King of the North, on HBO’s fantasy saga, Game of Thrones.
Madden’s blossoming fame—something he’s still adjusting to—is what happens when the show you booked at 22 years old becomes a global phenomenon, and you just happen to be playing an incorruptible good guy in a world where moral ambiguity reigns supreme. “Being in other countries was when I realized Games of Thrones was so big, because in my head I just shot a little TV show in Ireland,” Madden says. “You’re walking around in Paris or Rome and strangers want to take a selfie with you, and you’re like, ‘Oh shit, this is kind of big.’”
Digital scans from the March issue of Nylon featuring Richard have been added to the gallery thanks to Hailey, together with the 2 outtakes from the photoshoot. Enjoy!
