Men of substance: letter from the editor

OVER THE COURSE OF MY CAREER, I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the world’s most recognisable names – on magazine covers, commercials, stage productions and large-scale events. Some encounters were unforgettable; others, less so. Our recent cover shoot with Simon Baker? That was one for the books.

I’ve followed Baker’s career from the early days – soap star, Hollywood breakout, and now, one of Australia’s most enduring leading men. We’re of the same generation, so in many ways, it feels we’ve taken parallel paths. I’ve often wondered what fuels his kind of quiet determination and
creative longevity.

Meeting Baker at 5:30am on set on a rain-drenched, wind-lashed Sydney morning gave me part of the answer. While I was inwardly bracing for disaster (you don’t always get a second chance with busy, high-profile actors), Baker was all sanguine good grace. In fact, he steadied the whole set.

“Aren’t you glad it’s like this?” he said, coat pulled tight, his hair tousled by the wind. “It would be so much more boring if it was a perfect, sunny day.” That perspective, that embrace of imperfection, says a lot about who he is.

The skies eventually cleared, and with photographer Georges Antoni behind the lens, we captured Baker in his element – authentic, grounded, magnetic. In our exclusive feature story by Amy Campbell, he opens up about his role in The Narrow Road to the Deep North – a small-screen adaptation of Richard Flanagan’s Booker Prize-winning novel – and reflects candidly on his evolution from heartthrob to serious actor. No gloss. No spin. Just poignant insight into a man who’s earned his place in the Australian cultural landscape.

We also caught up with rising star Josh Heuston, who recently scored a major win by securing a part in the upcoming Amazon series Off-Campus, a television adaptation of the romance series of books by Elle Kennedy. Set at Briar University, the series follows a house of hockey stars as they fall in love. To play season one’s love rival Justin, Heuston will learn to play guitar and sing, thereby expanding his rapidly growing skill set.

The global spotlight has shone on Josh since his acclaimed performance in the TV series Dune: Prophecy – and is unlikely to leave him anytime soon, with a number of bumper projects in the pipeline. We were lucky enough to capture Heuston through the lens of Robbie Fimmano, another of Australia’s leading portrait and fashion photographers, before the actor jets off to Budapest to shoot the second series of Dune: Prophecy. Given his short but impressive career so far, Josh Heuston is definitely one to watch.

Also in this issue is Esquire’s comprehensive round-up of the best luxury timepieces on show at the most recent instalment of the Watches and Wonders showcase in Geneva, where the world meets to celebrate all things horological. Not to be missed!

In every respect, this issue epitomises Esquire Australia: intelligent, modern and grounded in stories about men of substance. We’re here to challenge, to celebrate and to tell it like it is – with style.