Tom Francis on Getting Anna Wintour’s Stamp of Approval With ‘Sunset Boulevard,’ His First Tony Awards and New Eyewear Collection with Morgenthal Frederics

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It’s been a whirlwind past 12 months for Tom Francis. Since his breakout turn as Joe Gillis in “Sunset Boulevard” — first on the West End and then in the Tony-sweeping Broadway revival — the 26-year-old actor has found himself in rooms the once theater-obsessed boy from a small village outside Suffolk, could only have imagined.

It was already a pinch-me moment for Francis when he was tapped alongside Nicole Scherzinger to bring Jamie Lloyd’s West End production to Broadway, but he never foresaw that the show, which sees him sing, dance (and for the titular song, belt his way out of the St. James Theatre and down 44th Street) eight times a week, would propel him into a mainstream stardom beyond the Theater District.

Since its opening night last October, Francis has sat next to Leonardo DiCaprio at dinner, enjoyed an intimate performance from Stevie Wonder, fronted the New York Times Style section, become a quasi TikTok influencer, snagged a Tony nomination and performed at said Tony’s — all when he’s not on stage for nearly two-and-a-half hours straight, two times a day.

The first two of those “I can’t believe this is my life” moments occurred at the Met Gala this past May, which Francis attended after receiving a personal invitation from Anna Wintour herself. “She’s a big theater fan and she was at our opening night,” Francis tells me over Zoom in between shows. “She’s been such a big champion of everything that I’ve done over this past year, and it’s been so nice having her stamp of approval on the show.”

If he felt any level of imposter syndrome on the Met’s famed steps, he’s begun to embrace fashion as a creative tool as he warms to the spotlight. Case in point: a partnership with luxury eyewear brand Morgenthal Frederics. The Horn Classic Actors Series launched Tuesday morning, and consists of four special-edition specs (two eye glasses, and two sunglasses) that nod to three of Francis’s cinematic heroes: the Freeman Horn, Brando Horn, Flynn Horn and Flynn Sr. Horn.

Deciding a favorite pair is an impossible task (at least with the brand’s publicist on the call) but he says he’s currently been reaching for The Brando, which features blue-tinted lenses and buffalo horn frames. “For years now, my staple has been like a white tee and leather jacket,” Francis says, referring to the rugged style that Marlon Brando famously popularized in the 1950s.

While high fashion is a new world for Francis, eyewear has always been a staple part of his style, making the partnership feel like a natural fit. “I basically didn’t realize that I had bad eyesight and then I went and got my eyes tested one day and I put the glasses on and was like, ‘This is crazy that I can see,’” he says. “I just think that an opticians job is one of the coolest things in the world.”

“Morgenthal Frederics are so bespoke and beautifully made and a really interesting design and just very individual,” he adds. “They gave me some sunglasses and there are only three pairs that exist in the world. It’s just a really beautiful, beautiful company. They gave me a few different options, and I chose the ones that I felt represented me best.”

Ahead of the collection launch, Francis talked to Variety about his style evolution since moving from London to New York, his viral @sodascout TikTok persona and what’s next for him following his final performance as Joe Gillis:

What have you noticed about the difference in style between London and New York since moving?

There’s definitely a distinct difference between them. I feel like people lean into the smarter in New York, like cool waistcoats and shirts with the jeans, and smart shoes and the casual bit. Whereas, back home, it’s real kind of sportswear and baggy — very casual. And so it’s been fun because I think I’m leaning into the more smart side of it and sort of figuring out that kind of style and shopping it. 

You’ve attended some of the most high-wattage events in the world in just the past few months, like the Met Gala and the Tony’s. What was a particularly pinch-me moment for you?

The thing is that the Met was the most overwhelming night of my entire life, like I had like Leonardo DiCaprio on the table next to me, and I was just like, ‘What the hell is happening?’ I would say the most surreal thing that happened was watching Stevie Wonder play at the Met. We were so, so close to an absolute legend of the game playing. And he sounded incredible. It literally sounded like a record. He was doing opt-ups. He was doing different notes. It was crazy. 

I remember talking to Anna about it and I was just like ‘The thing that’s so beautiful about that night is that you just have such a collection of people from different walks of life who have been trailblazers in the thing that they do.’ You have incredible sports personalities, actors with CVs that are absolutely ridiculous and incomprehensible to think about what they’ve done, musicians who have written the most influential albums. It literally is a group of people that make it the most inspiring night I’ve ever been to, and I was so thankful to be a part of it. 

You were personally invited to the Met Gala from Anna Wintour herself. What was that phone call like?

She’s a big theater fan and she was at our opening night, and then I went in to their offices, and had a meeting with some of her other staff and ended up bumping into her and we had a nice chat. She’s been such a big champion of everything that I’ve done over this past year, and it’s been so nice having her stamp of approval on the show. It was a real lovely moment to know that she really enjoyed the show. 

Who are some of your fashion inspirations?

I love the way that Brad Pitt dresses. I think he’s just got it down and  he looks so good in so many different things. But to be honest, a big thing about partnering with other brands has been talking to them about figuring out our own thing. And definitely taking inspiration but also trying to figure out what out what we want the style for me to be.

You’ve now been fully indoctrinated into the world of red carpet dressing. What has the experience been like getting dressed for and working with designers for these events?

It’s just it’s really fun going with a designer, getting the  invitation first off, and then figuring out what that means to you and talking to people. I just think it’s so cool that people can have that kind of vision and draw something and figure something and then, like, make it. It just completely and utterly blows my mind, the whole concept of it. And so it’s just been an unbelievably satisfying experience.

I never really looked too far into it when I was growing up, like I never was really a fashion boy growing up. I liked going to vintage shops and stuff and just chucking different things together. But working with these people who think about it so in so much depth has inspired me so much to to really think about how I look when I leave the house and try and curate different feeligns for different days. And that’s definitely because of this whole entire process, working with so many incredible people.  

For the @sodascout fans, people are saying that you finally learned to put “American”-level of ice in your drinks. Was that purposeful to appease your followers?

You look at the comments and try to give the people what they want.

And where’s your soda sponsorship?

It’s a thing in the works.