With the upcoming release of new slasher film โHeart Eyesโ, Gooding brings charm, chaos, and killer Instincts.
Mason Gooding Photographed By Harol Baez, Styled By Mike Stallings. Wearing Calvin Klein Coat, Paul Smith Top, YSL Pants & Boots
Mason Gooding has spent the past few years carving out a place for himself in film and TV, seamlessly blending charm, humor, and a commanding on-screen presence. From his breakout role in HBOโs Ballers to scene-stealing performances in the Scream franchise, heโs proven to be more than just a leading manโheโs a storyteller with range.
Mason Gooding Photographed By Harol Baez, Styled By Mike Stallings. Wearing Sandro Coat, Paul Smith Top, YSL Pants & Boots
Mason Gooding Photographed By Harol Baez, Styled By Mike Stallings. Wearing Sandro Coat, Paul Smith Top, YSL Pants & Boots
Now, heโs stepping into something different: a genre-bending, adrenaline-fueled horror rom-com.
Heart Eyes, directed by Josh Ruben, isnโt your typical Valentineโs Day movie. Itโs a film that Gooding describes as โa rom-com that gets hijacked by a horror filmโโand if the eerie, slowed-down cover of Frankie Valliโs Canโt Take My Eyes Off You in the teaser trailer is any indication, audiences are in for something unexpected.
Mason Gooding Photographed By Harol Baez, Styled By Mike Stallings. Wearing Sandro Coat, Paul Smith Top, YSL Pants & Boots
Shot in Auckland, New Zealand over the summer of 2024 but set in Seattle, the Spyglass feature follows Ally (Olivia Holt) and Jay (Gooding), a pair of co-workers whose night takes a turn for the terrifying when a masked killer sets out for romantic couples, mistaking them for one. The film leans into classic slasher tropes but injects them with a fresh, self-aware energy that makes it stand out.ย
Mason Gooding Photographed By Harol Baez, Styled By Mike Stallings. Wearing Sandro Coat, Paul Smith Top, YSL Pants & Boots
Mason Gooding Photographed By Harol Baez, Styled By Mike Stallings. Wearing Sandro Coat, Paul Smith Top, YSL Pants & Boots
Gooding is no stranger to horror franchises, having played Chad Meeks-Martin in two Scream films, with a third (Scream 7) on the way. But Heart Eyes introduces a new kind of slasher villainโone that makes Ghostface seem almost restrained.
Mason Gooding Photographed By Harol Baez, Styled By Mike Stallings. Wearing Tom Ford Coat
Mason Gooding Photographed By Harol Baez, Styled By Mike Stallings. Wearing Tom Ford Coat
โGhostface has a more nuanced, domesticated style of terror where theyโll use the element of surprise, in a way that Heart Eyes is far more brutal about their methods of murder,โ he explains.
Mason Gooding Photographed By Harol Baez, Styled By Mike Stallings. Wearing Marcus Hill Suit, Dior Shirt, Dior Tie B & YSL Shoes
Mason Gooding Photographed By Harol Baez, Styled By Mike Stallings. Wearing Marcus Hill Suit, Dior Shirt, Dior Tie B & YSL Shoes
Still, no matter the franchise, Goodingโs approach to horror behind the scenes remains the same: itโs all about connection.ย
The best part about [both] Scream and Heart Eyes specifically is the built-in narrative that I have a โpartnerโโฆ Jasmin Savoy Brown, who plays my sister in Scream, and Olivia Holt in Heart Eyes. Part of my ethos as an actor is โhow do I support my costars and the people Iโm in a scene with?โ And in both cases, theyโre very thoughtful, giving, intelligent people far beyond my capabilities.
The film also boasts a talented ensemble, including Gigi Zumbado as Ally’s friend, Michaela Watkins as Ally and Jay’s boss, Devon Sawa as Detective Hobbs, Jordana Brewster as Detective Shaw, and writers Michael Kennedy, Phillip Murphy, and Christopher Landon.
Mason Gooding Photographed By Harol Baez, Styled By Mike Stallings. Wearing Marcus Hill Suit, Dior Shirt, Dior Tie B & YSL Shoes
While Heart Eyes lets Gooding flex his comedic muscles through terror, heโs steadily built a rรฉsumรฉ filled with dynamic roles across film and television. Last year, he starred in Kyle Mooneyโs directorial debut Y2K, an A24 thriller that reimagines the infamous Y2K scare, alongside Rachel Zegler and Alicia Silverstone. He also appeared in the Amazon romantic comedy I Want You Back with Charlie Day and Jenny Slate, as well as Moonshot, an HBO Max sci-fi rom-com opposite Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse.
Mason Gooding Photographed By Harol Baez, Styled By Mike Stallings. Wearing Marcus Hill Suit, Dior Shirt, Dior Tie B & YSL Shoes
On the TV side, Gooding led Huluโs Love, Victor, the hit series set in the world of Love, Simon, and even lent his voice toย podcast Electric Easy, a musical neo-noir science fiction show set in a futuristic Los Angeles with Chloe Bailey.ย
Mason Gooding Photographed By Harol Baez, Styled By Mike Stallings. Wearing Marcus Hill Suit, Dior Shirt, Dior Tie B & YSL Shoes
Mason Gooding Photographed By Harol Baez, Styled By Mike Stallings. Wearing Marcus Hill Suit, Dior Shirt, Dior Tie B & YSL Shoes
Mason Gooding Photographed By Harol Baez, Styled By Mike Stallings. Wearing Marcus Hill Suit, Dior Shirt, Dior Tie B & YSL Shoes
Despite his experience playing a horror survivor, youโd think Gooding would have some survival instincts if he ever found himself in a real-life slasher scenario. His verdict? Not so much.
I want to say I would win. Iโd be the last man standing, I would fight any time I saw them and try my best. But the real answer is, I would die. I wouldnโt see them coming, and Iโd be that asshole that was like, โEVERYONE GO, IโLL TAKE HIM,โ and then thereโs like, six of them.
That relatability is part of what makes him such a compelling presence on screen. His character Jay is equal parts endearing and hilarious, incorporating improv too good to leave out.
Mason Gooding Photographed By Harol Baez, Styled By Mike Stallings. Wearing Celine Jacket, Emporio Armani Top, Armani Belt, Tom For Pants
As he continues to evolve in his career, shifting between genres and pushing creative boundaries, one thing is clear: Mason Gooding isnโt just playing the rolesโheโs shaping them. And with Heart Eyes, heโs proving once again why heโs one of Hollywoodโs most exciting rising stars.
Mason Gooding Photographed By Harol Baez, Styled By Mike Stallings. Wearing Celine Jacket, Emporio Armani Top, Armani Belt, Tom For Pants
Mason Gooding Photographed By Harol Baez, Styled By Mike Stallings. Wearing Celine Jacket, Emporio Armani Top, Armani Belt, Tom For Pants
Heart Eyes is in theaters on February 7.
Photographer: Harol Baez @harolbaezstudio
Photographer Assistant: Chris Fucile @chrisfucilephotography
Stylist: Mike Stallings @mikestallingsny
Stylist Assistant: Aaron Mobley @aaronmobley_
Editor-in-Chief:ย OJ Williams @ojwilliams4
Cover Writer: Bianca Velazquez @biancamvelazquez
Videographer: Justin Rodriguez @jm.rodrigueznyc
Cover Design: Ben Schmidt @benjaminryanschmidt
Production Assistant: Tessa Dobrow @itstessadarling
Production Assistant: Rebecca Eugene @speciallybecca
