Upon the release of his latest and highly-celebrated film, National Anthem, director, writer, and image-maker Luke Gilford shared some BTS imagery with us and wrote about meeting his muse and the film’s star, the mesmerizing Charlie Plummer.

“I first met Charlie Plummer in 2018 on the set of a photo shoot I was doing for VMAN. His calm, soulful energy inspired me—he seemed wise beyond his 18 years. We bonded over a mutual love for cinema as the sun was setting over the Pacific Ocean. That same year, I had started writing my first feature film screenplay, National Anthem. As I was writing, I wanted to offer up a more modern and nuanced version of the classic American cowboy for today’s world. Cowboys have always symbolized virility and dominance through violence. But I believe there’s also power and strength in vulnerability and softness.”

—Luke Gilford for VMAN 53

“I wanted to create a cowboy character who is tough as well as tender; brave enough to try riding a bull, and brave enough to try drag. I think exploring these dimensions is a beautiful and normal part of the process of uncovering ourselves and our many layers. On that photo shoot with Charlie back in 2018, the stylist put him into a silk cowboy shirt as the final look. As his shaggy hair barely revealed his piercing eyes, I thought to myself, ‘There he is—that’s Dylan.’”

—Luke Gilford for VMAN 53

This story appears in the pages of VMAN 53: now available for purchase!

Photography Luke Gilford