Nicholas Hoult is no stranger to falling in love onscreen. His impressive filmography is a stacked example of his range as an actor—seamlessly flitting in and out of characters as varied as they come. We've seen him with superhuman powers (and blue fur) as Beast in the X-Men series, portray an overzealous foodie in The Menu, struggle with morals in Juror #2, and more. But perhaps, one of his more memorable roles was in Skins, the teen comedy drama that dabbled with all things coming-of-age, including romance.

In a fitting return to the sort of too-good-to-be-true romance the Brits do so well, Hoult is part of a starry cast of Burberry's latest campaign. "It's Always Burberry Weather: London In Love" is a series of vignettes inspired by late '90s/early 2000s British rom coms that focus on the idyllic, everyday romances of Londoners. Hoult is joined by an A-list cast that includes Academy Award-winning actor Kate Winslet, Aimee Lou Wood, Chen Kun, Jodie Turner-Smith, Micheal Ward, Richard E. Grant, Son Sukku and models David Gandy, Liu Wen and Naomi Campbell. There's even a special guest appearance by a chivalrous Burberry Knight in shining armour—you know, rom com things.

And in the spirit of all things love, Hoult indulges us with Burberry first-loves as well as some of his most cherished moments in life and career.

ESQUIRE: What thoughts immediately come to mind when you think of Burberry?

NICHOLAS HOULT: When I think of Burberry, I think of an elegance, cool and—a classic style with a bit of attitude to it. I think of the check pattern. I think of trench coats. And I think of Terminal 5 at Heathrow because whenever I land back in London, there are always big Burberry campaigns and posters, so it makes me think of home, which is a nice feeling.

ESQ: What is your earliest memory of Burberry?

NH: My earliest memory of Burberry is when I went to the market when I was a kid in Liverpool. I remember seeing a lot of imitation Burberry—hats and scarves and things. That was the first time I was aware of imitation being flattery and thought that Burberry must be really good if it’s being copied like this. Did I buy any? I don’t know, maybe.

ESQ: Which piece do you treasure most in your Burberry collection?

NH: I have a black Burberry trench coat. The Burberry trench coat is so iconic and the perfect piece to have in your wardrobe. You can wear it anywhere, at any time. It feels classy and you can dress it up or dress it down. That’s what I go to a lot when getting dressed in the mornings.

ESQ: What drew you to the campaign?

NH: I loved this idea of British rom com and films, and their sensibilities are some of the greatest ever made. I loved the idea of playing tribute to those. And also, there were so many talented people involved so to make something with all of them felt special.

ESQ: What was your favourite moment from the campaign shoot, and do you have any on-set anecdotes?

NH: My favourite moment of the campaign shoot was that I got to drink tea and have biscuits while doing some of the behind-the-scenes. It was also very nice to get dressed up in some Burberry clothes—that felt fun. Also, we got to film on the South Bank with Jodie Turner-Smith, who is someone I’ve wanted to work with for a long time, so that was incredible. I wouldn’t say I loved the rain cannons—it was a bit cold—but I like to feel in the element, so I appreciated the fake rain and the feeling it gave to the scene.

ESQ: What are your favourite things to do in summer?

NH: Go to the park. Get a disposable barbecue and go to the park and enjoy the sunshine with friends and family.

ESQ: What is your most cherished summertime memory?

NH: Probably when I was a kid—being in the garden, riding your bike, making a slip and slide. Things like that are cherished summertime memories for me.

ESQ: What is the best or most memorable advice you have received during your career?

NH: That’s tricky. This isn’t really advise, but in a roundabout way, it is. I read Michael Caine’s book years ago and he talks about how when he was in LA, the bus driver that would drive on the studio lot ended up being the studio president, so he talks about being nice to everyone. Fortunately, I got the chance to work with Michael when I was 14. I was very nervous, and we only did one scene together with a large group. After the scene I went up to him and said, “I know we didn’t really get to act together, but I’m very happy to say I have been in a film with Michael Caine.” He responded and said, “Well I’m happy I can be in a film with Nicholas Hoult.” And that was such a lovely thing for him to say. It meant a lot to me. It’s something I try to pass on—that kindness he showed to me.

ESQ: What attributes attract you to a character when reading a script?

NH: It depends. I try to find varied characters and do something different to what I’ve recently done. Also, an honesty in the writing. It’s something that’s a gut feeling if you connect to the writing and feel like you can add something to creating that character that’s on the page.

ESQ: If you had to live as any of your past characters, who would it be and why?

NH: There could be so many answers to this, but I got to play Tolkien in a movie which is a pretty magical place to pretend to be to try to understand his creativity and imagination. That would be a wonderful place to be. I’m a big Lord of The Rings fan so I could then maybe write more Lord of The Rings stories for myself and everyone else and just enjoy that world a little bit more. 

ESQ: Is there a role you would like to play but haven’t had the chance yet?

NH: I don’t know the answer to that, I won’t know probably until I read it and then will hopefully get the feeling I was just describing.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.