Darkness star Justin Hawkins admits He-man sparked his sexual awakening
The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins has claimed the 1980s cartoon He-Man was the “key to my sexual awakening” as he attended the London premiere of Masters of the Universe
Justin Hawkins (Image: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Justin Hawkins from The Darkness says 1980s cartoon He-Man was the secret to his “sexual awakening”. The band wrote the music for new film Masters of the Universe alongside Queen star Brian May – and frontman Justin admitted it was an “awesome” experience.
But he may have enjoyed the original show even more. Speaking at the film’s London premiere, he said: “That series from 1983, I was eight years old when that came out and it informed a lot of our childhood.
“We’re all at the age where it means the world to us to be involved in something like this. It was also, I think, the key to my sexual awakening.”
The rocker was just one of the stars on parade at the glitzy event, held at the Cineworld theatre in Leicester Square. Nicholas Galatzine, who played He-Man, and co-star Camila Mendes also walked the red carpet.
Tom Hardy was in the audience, supporting wife Charlotte Riley, who appears in the film as He-Man’s mother. Explaining why the movie is “anything but subtle,” director Travis Knight said: “Masters of the Universe was pure, uncut, Columbian-grade 1980s excess.
It was out there, it was deranged and it was sublime.” Masters of the Universe marks He-Man’s first major big-screen outing since the 1987 cult film.
The new live-action version is directed by Travis Knight (Bumblebee, Kubo and the Two Strings) and produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Mattel Films. The film puts a fresh spin on the franchise’s 1980s mythology with a fish-out-of-water origin story.
Prince Adam is said to crash-land on Earth as a 10-year-old, separated from Eternia and the Power Sword. Raised on Earth for the next 15 years under the name Adam Glenn, he is portrayed living a mundane life with a corporate office job while dreaming of a world he can’t quite explain.
After tracking down the fabled Sword of Power, Adam is pulled back across space to Eternia, only to find the planet in ruins and under the rule of Skeletor. To protect his family and reclaim his kingdom, he must embrace his destiny and transform into He-Man.
The cast is led by British actor Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam/He-Man, with Jared Leto taking on the villainous Skeletor. Camila Mendes stars as Teela, with Idris Elba as Duncan/Man-At-Arms, Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn and Morena Baccarin as the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull.
The ensemble also includes Kristen Wiig voicing Roboto, James Purefoy and Charlotte Riley as King Randor and Queen Marlena, and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson appearing as Goat Man. The screenplay is credited to Chris Butler alongside Aaron and Adam Nee, with the production aiming to balance large-scale action with comedy and heart.
Masters of the Universe is out at UK cinemas on Wednesday, June 3.
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