GQ Heroes, the sixth annual edition of GQ's summit for top-tier business and creative minds, brought two days of talks, debates and experiences to the Oxfordshire countryside this month, joining the dots between media, politics, music, art, film, wellness and mental health in a way that only GQ can.
Supported by headline partner BMW, payment partner Klarna, audio partner Bowers & Wilkins, and – new for this year – tech partner Sky Glass, connections partner Tinder and skincare partner Sunday Riley, GQ Heroes 2024 brought together giants of Hollywood, design, technology and activism for an unmissable schedule of in-depth conversations.
From Russell Crowe, Anya Taylor-Joy and Charli XCX, to Ian Wright, Paul Smith and Jenson Button, and powerful testimony on refugees, children's mental health and saving lives in warzones, every talk and panel brought a new perspective on modern culture. All this, and we haven't even mentioned the after-dinner parties, DJ sets or performances from Rachel Chinouriri and Jordan Rakei. While you take a breather and wait for 2025, enjoy the official portraits of the GQ Heroes Class of 2024.
Anya Taylor-Joy described the mental toll that filming for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga had on her, and the connection this fostered with her character. “I care about all of my characters,” she said, “but some of them go that one step deeper. [Furiosa] lives in a world where nothing blooms, all empathy is punished and she lives entirely alone. I knew it would be difficult. The level of isolation that I was under, and also her being entirely mute for 6 and a half months in this kind of environment, really messes with your head!”
Read more: Anya Taylor-Joy's Dark Material
Charli XCX played an exclusive DJ set to bring GQ Heroes to a close, after lifting the lid on new album Brat and the choice of authenticity over commercialism throughout her career in her recent GQ Heroes cover interview. “I’m constantly going back and forth in my conflict around fame and what constitutes success,” she said. “This new music is not going to be played in Starbucks. It’s not going to be played on the Zen Morning playlist. It’s pop music and I’m being true to myself.”
Read more: Charli XCX is too real
Russell Crowe kicked things off with the untold story of how he and Ridley Scott turned a “fuckin' rubbish” Gladiator script into one of the biggest blockbusters of all time. “You might be picking up: I'm rather blunt,” said Crowe. “And when I'm confronted with stupidity like that, I don't deal with it very well. You're fucking telling me you're gonna spend $100 million on a subject you don't know anything about?”
Read more: Russell Crowe has a song about that
Interviewed by actress Vicky McClure, Wrighty discussed life after Match of the Day and put forward an impassioned argument for greater support of women's football. He also explored Jude Bellingham's relationship with the press. “He reminds me of an American athlete in his confidence, at only 21,” said Wright. “I'm not sure the British press are ready for that talent, and that confidence… sometimes we want to quash that kind of confidence in this country.”
Read more: Ian Wright's big second half
Paul Smith explained to GQ Global Editorial Director Will Welch how he built an international fashion brand with all the energy of a soaring sole trader – and shared some advice as applicable to life as it is to business about enjoying yourself and never taking things too seriously.
Read more: Paul Smith, fashion's hometown hero
Emma Corrin gave very little away about their role in Deadpool & Wolverine, but admitted that they'd studied film's great antagonists for the role, including Christoph Waltz in Inglorious Basterds and… Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. “There’s something extravagant in Gene Wilder’s performance,” they said. “It's a similar energy that Christoph Waltz has in Inglourious Basterds, because he's wearing a uniform so he can sit there and drink a glass of milk and pretend he's a fucking fairy godmother.”
Read more: Emma Corrin's dark twist
Eniola Aluko, Steph Houghton and Angela Ruggiero joined Alex Scott to discuss levelling the sporting playing field, from on-pitch matters to equity in merchandise.
Read more: Angela Ruggiero is the Olympian closing sport’s merch gap; Eniola Aluko gets down to business; Alex Scott is fearless with her voice; Steph Houghton got the ball rolling
In a wide-ranging solo talk, Zoe co-founder Tim Spector explained why gut instinct is the most important matter when it comes to living and longer and healthier life.
Read more: Tim Spector's gut instincts
Mental health campaigner Esther Ghey shared the memory of her daughter Brianna, and why she is determined to bring mindfulness into schools and improve the way young people understand and interact with technology.
Read more: Esther Ghey's radical compassion
Joseph Quinn sat down with Clara Amfo for a late-night chat on his Hollywood hot streak.
Read more: Joseph Quinn's strange new world
Humane AI Pin creators Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno stated their case for a phone-free future.
Read more: The Humane AI Pin is the first draft of a phone-free future
2009 Formula One World Champion Jenson Button explained how F1 has become TV's hottest sport.
Dr Seema Jilani's humanitarian work has taken her to Afghanistan, Iraq, the Balkans, Sudan, Gaza, and the West Bank, among others. “There’s a reason I’m a paediatrician and not in adult medicine,” said Jilani. “It’s never a child’s fault. That’s what keeps me going… I can still make a difference for them.”
Read more: The toll on children and doctors in Gaza
Read more: Jordan Rakei made The Loop as a soulful, stream of consciousness scrapbook
Read more: Rachel Chinouriri isn't into labels
There was a skincare masterclass with skin expert and new GQ Heroes partner Sunday Riley.
Watch more: “Any time that I am afraid, 100% of the time, I fail.”
BMW engineer Stella Clarke and Open-ended founder Suhair Khan talked next-gen car design and the future of art and AI with Greg Williams, deputy global editorial director at WIRED.
Read more: Suhair Khan won't settle for boring AI art; How to make a colour-changing car
Genocide survivor and founder of charity The Lotus Flower Taban Shoresh talked to Choose Love CEO Josie Naughton about the struggle of refugees and why helping women and girls overcome trauma means helping men, too.
Read more: Taban Shoresh, the genocide survivor who won't let refugees be overlooked
Award-winning musician and producer Jon Hopkins talked through his new album and explained why he's now best friends with NASA.
Watch more: Jon Hopkins, Glastonbury, Coldplay and NASA
A power panel of Jack Rooke, Dolly Alderton, Paul C Brunson and Munroe Bergdorf discussed sex, love, and other modern problems.
Read more: Jack Rooke bares it all to be funny; Munroe Bergdorf's pursuit of happiness; The global domination of Dolly Alderton
Depop founder Simon Beckerman and Trip co-founder Olivia Ferdi offered their insights into starting a successful business.
Read more: Depop founder Simon Beckerman's next move
Watch more: Olivia Ferdi's tip for entrepreneurs
