Jessica Henwick may have been born in the English countryside, but L.A. has long felt like home. It is clear when speaking with the actress, best known for her roles in Game of Thrones and Silo, that although she now lives in London, her affection for Los Angeles rivals that of any local.
For Henwick, Los Angeles is a city that continues to grow alongside her, and the key to making it here is finding the right community.
“There is a group of friends for every single person out there. It’s so diverse. As soon as you find your tribe, you crack the city,” Henwick said. She advises anyone planning a move to the City of Angels to join a club or hobby group before making the plunge. An avid free diver herself, Henwick said there’s a place for everyone in Los Angeles — it just takes time to find it.
Though Henwick is back in London, she previously lived in neighborhoods across L.A. and visits regularly. She joined Los Angeles magazine on Zoom to discuss why the city continues to hold such a special place in her life.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
When you land, and you’ve been away for a bit, what’s the first place you’re hitting in Los Angeles?
Honestly, I try to go straight to the beach if I can – and it’s a combination of two things. One is I’m trying to stay awake and get on local time, and the other is it’s just so grounding and so peaceful. Los Angeles beaches are so polar opposite of what I can access here in London, so I usually go straight to the water. I used to free dive down towards Palos Verdes, so that has a place in my heart.
Credit: Courtesy of Jessica Henwick
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Do you have a favorite neighborhood that you feel like really embodies who you are?
I’ve had different neighborhoods in different parts of my life. When I first moved to LA, I was out in Monterey Park, which is like just huge Asian diaspora, and that was perfect for that time of my life. I just wanted to eat Asian food all the time, and then Marina Del Rey does feel like a place that you mature into. I’ve had my years where I lived in Hollywood and lived in Thai Town. I’ve never really gone north, except sort of in the Burbank area… I’ve lived everywhere.
Do you have a neighborhood that you feel most fits this current phase of your life?
This phase of my life, Beachwood Canyon.
You have a day off in L.A. – where are you spending it?
I’ll go to Sawtelle for food and to go see the Giant Robot Store, which is a little art gallery/shop. I love that place. I’ll probably go work out at The Yard. I’ll end the night usually back on the Westside, watch the sunset, go eat at Little Fatty. Great, amazing fusion food. Maybe go for a little hike, go for a walk around the reservoir… A day off in LA – it’s like the world’s your oyster. You can do whatever you want. There’s so many options.
What restaurant is a must-try for you in the city?
I have to stick with the Little Fatty. I gotta be loyal. If you’ve never had Korean barbecue, for sure, go to Quarters. But for me, Little Fatty is comfort food. I love it. I’m obsessed. Any Asian person reading this is going to be like, “Excuse me?” But I’m half, so I can say whatever I want, and I’ve already acknowledged that it’s fusion. I order the walnut shrimp; that is the best walnut shrimp you’ll ever have in your life.
Is there a place that reminds you of home in Los Angeles?
Because I’m from the countryside, it’s got to be the hikes. I haven’t been since the fires, but I used to do the Topanga hike a lot. Anything out in the wilderness is kind of comforting to me.
I think home is just a state of mind. It’s people. I think that’s what I love the most about L.A. is that everyone there – well, sorry, most people there – are transplants, and they’ve come chasing a dream. There’s something really beautiful about that – that sense of hope and possibility, and I feel home amongst those people, other sort of dreamers.
Credit: Courtesy of Jessica Henwick
Credit: Courtesy of Jessica Henwick
When you people come to visit, what are you showing them? What is the spot that you’re taking others to that you feel best represents what L.A. is?
I feel like I’m going to repeat myself, but Sawtelle. I feel like people don’t really know about it. It’s really concentrated; it’s walkable. It’s one of the few walkable places in central L.A. I gravitate to that so much. I think that’s why I like Beachwood as well – there is a bit of a walkable community there. But Sawtelle, you can walk, go to the grocery store, go to a nice restaurant, go out for drinks, have a good time, go to an art gallery, go shopping, and it’s all within a couple blocks. I bump into my friends there all the time. Yeah, I think I have to double down on Sawtelle.
How would you describe your relationship with L.A.? It’s probably changed a lot, but what is it like right now?
It’s really interesting. I’m trying to figure out what my relationship with L.A. is. It’s such a wonderful place. It feels a bit like a playground sometimes. You can do anything. Every cuisine is there, every shop that you want is there, every type of person. But moving forward in my life, I’m really trying to figure that out. I’m getting to the age where I’m thinking about if I want a family, and if I do, where in L.A. would I want to take them? It’s very early to be thinking about anything like that, but yes, I do feel like you go through phases with L.A., and I suppose I’m looking at what the next phase of L.A. would be for me.
You mentioned you had a list you prepared of favorite spots. Can we hear it?
Well, art was Giant Robot in Sawtelle. Clothing is Mohawk in Silver Lake. Oh gosh, sorry. That was a very short list… Where else? Where else do I shop? Oh, then the plant nursery in Sawtelle. There you go – I’m sticking with those three.
Oh, best food market! I put Wat Thai. It’s probably the worst time of year to go, it’s going to be baking hot, but it’s very fun and just fascinating, beautiful culture, great, delicious food. Another thing I wrote down was my favorite food stall, outside of Wat Thai, is Singapore’s Banana Leaf at The Grove.
Credit: Mohawk General Store
If you had to describe L.A. in one word, what would it be?
That’s really hard. I would say – this is a bit of a strange word – but the first thing that came to my head was sticky. There’s a lot of stuff to get stuck into, a lot of hobbies. There’s a lot of bad shit that you can get into as well, but there’s wonderful stuff, and it’s sticky. It leaves a residue on you. Once you’ve seen L.A., it is kind of hard to go back home. I remember the first time going home and just being like, “Oh my god, I love L.A.,” and England seems so gray by comparison. The sun, the water, the food, the people – it’s just sticky. It stays with you.
Any final words about the city?
One last thing. When I came to L.A. a couple months ago, I went down to the water and I posted a video of the seals, and people were like, “Where are you?” And I went, “What do you mean? You don’t recognize L.A.?” So, I’m going to give a little shout out to the seals in Marina del Rey. They’re adorable. They’re very fun to watch, lounging in the sun. I could while away hours over there.