Flybys is a column where we profile the people breezing through Shanghai with something to say and somewhere to be. Think visiting artists, rising stars, headline names, cult heroes, weird geniuses, business heavyweights, and other people you've probably Googled before. They're here for a gig, a show, a summit, or maybe just a really good meal, and we're catching them while they're in town before they got back on a plane.

These are the interesting people not living in Shanghai (yet), but who are still shaping the world around it – and dropping a few ripples in the city while they're here.

Copy Editor's Note: Daniel was an absolute gem – warm, easygoing, and, dare we say, a little playful. As is tradition, we asked to take a few photos to go with the piece. Daniel, being the kind of guy who's very game, gave us more than a few poses. Five of the shots were graciously supplied by him; the rest are ours. We ended up having a bit of fun with it. You'll see. Also, Daniel is going to be a big name. We said it first.

Actor and Model Daniel Millar Arrives in China

Daniel Millar is a London-based model, trendsetter, and Insta and TikTok it-boy who dishes up a refined edge on high fashion, underscored with personal vintage flair and an envious veneer of rebellious elegance. He has served as UK ambassador for Dior, Fendi, and Saint Laurent, and his collabs with high-profile designers, including Alexander McQueen and Boss, have led him down runways in London, Paris and Milan. Millar's advertising campaigns and spreads include the Armani Exchange Billboard campaign and features in ID magazine and Vanity Teen.

Millar's online presence is a mix of professional, haute fashion photo shoots, lifestyle content, and authentic engagement that has nabbed him over 2 million followers on TikTok. Seeking to expand his range, the young fashion icon is embracing his early love of acting, breaking out in upcoming supporting and leading roles in indie productions.

His personal connection to China goes back to his school days, and recently, the Mandarin speaker was back in town doing artsy, fashion-y, actor-y, influencer-y things, so we sat down to ask him about movies, acting, his China experiences, and general life.

CNS: Maybe to start, you could introduce yourself? Give us your entire life story!

Daniel Millar: Okay, how about a basic intro? I'm 19. Born and raised in London. Australian mother. German-Scottish father. My parents met at a medical conference because they're super cool. So I was raised by nerds, and by trade, I am a nerd.

I started acting really young but only really started taking it seriously, like professionally, after I left school. My parents wanted me to go to university. We made a deal that I didn't have to go if I managed to book some stuff, which I did, so I didn't end up going to uni.

Now, hopefully that trajectory will continue!

CNS: So what got you into acting? How old were you?

DM: So, I was about 7 when I started. I was just, I think, according to my parents at least, a kid with unlimited energy. And they were busy being doctors and needed to get me out of the house and get me somewhere where I wouldn't be bothering them. So, the youth theaters and such were a good option for them. I realized I really liked it, and I was good at it, and it went from there…

What were some of the early productions you were in in the youth theater? Oliver Twist feels like it would have been a good one, maybe?

DM: Great Expectations!

CNS: Classic.

DM: In school, we did like The Crucible. A Midsummer Night's Dream.

CNS: I can see Puck…

DM: Exactly. Well, I went to a very English school, so the English classics were always a big focus.

CNS: Did you have any early inspirations in terms of other actors that you looked up to?

DM: I think the ones that stick early on are the ones my parents really liked because, obviously, that impresses on you. My mum's Australian, and so we have the Australian greats like Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett – those have become my favorites. Cate Blanchett's still definitely one.

I love, like, one of the first shows when I was young, it was How to Get Away with Murder with Viola Davis. That became one of my favorites because it was like an early memory of art that I discovered for myself. So, Viola Davis is definitely an inspiring actor for me.

And then, of course, I like a lot of the old greats like James Dean. I love Marlon Brando. Yeah, that era also, it's very special to me.

CNS: Are you seeing anything lately that's really captured your attention? In terms of theater or movies, or anything?

DM: I just saw a production of The Seagull in London with Cate Blanchett, and that was amazing. I just go see whatever she's in, basically. She was in another Prime show, The Disclaimer, which I loved. What else have I watched lately? Oh, Anatomy of a Fall. It was up for an Oscar in 2023, but I just managed to watch it recently.

What else is there? My brain is being unhelpful!

I've been re-watching a lot of my favorites from Chinese cinema as well, as a way to get inspiration for my trip to China. Wong Kar Wai, of course, I thought would get me excited for the trip and for the culture.

CNS: We've heard that you just wrapped shoots on two productions lately. What can you tell us about those?

DM: Right. Yes. One was at the end of last year, and one was at the beginning of this year. Both are in pre-release cycles, so I think what I can say tangibly is limited. However, they're both really exciting. The second film was my first time playing the leading role on screen, so that was exciting and daunting, but also an incredibly fun challenge to be presented with.

They're both topics that are close to my heart in different ways, and I think it's special when you get to work on something like that because it allows you to pull yourself close, and it teaches you about yourself while also allowing you to do great work for other people. I think that's fun.

CNS: So you're still at the start of your career, but looking ahead to 40 years of success and accolades, what is your list of dream directors that you'd like to work with?

DM: I think Guadagnino is one of my favorites currently working. Wes Anderson. Yorgos Lanthimos also.

I saw Anora last year, and I think it was my first time seeing any of Sean Baker's work, but I really liked it. I also just loved his speech at the Oscars and, I think, again at the SAG Awards about reclaiming indie film and about supporting indie artists. As someone who's very much in the indie stage of their career, I think that allowed me to be seen in that way. Wong Kar Wai, we were already talking about…

Those would be like my top five.

CNS: Speaking of Wong Kar Wai, I was going to ask you about your experience with Chinese cinema…

DM: I think the first time I heard of him was when I was studying Mandarin in school. I also like older cinema and older styles. I love vintage clothing, fashion, and vintage cinema. It just resonates with me more. Maybe there is a self-conscious rejection of modernity there in some ways.

Yeah, I think with Wong Kar Wai, a partner of mine introduced me to his films. We watched a bunch all in a row, and then all of them together, it was just so different from anything I'd seen from Western films, and it all stuck in my blood somehow.

CNS: So you were studying Mandarin in school then? How was that, and why Mandarin?

DM: The reason why is because we had the choice of studying French, Spanish, Latin, or Mandarin, and I chose to study Mandarin because I'm dyslexic, and I felt that maybe I wouldn't be dyslexic in Mandarin characters, which it turned out I wasn't!

I was dyslexic in the English language in the formulation of words, letter by letter, but in character writing, I wasn't dyslexic – so it was the only language I could learn where I wouldn't be dyslexic.

CNS: Wow, okay. That's really interesting. And I understand you first came to China with your class back in 2019? What was that like?

DM: Yeah, exactly. In 2019, I was 14 years old, I think–14 or 15, and I came as, like, a charity project from our school. My school in London had organized for us to come to China, and we did some English teaching in schools, as well as tourism and cultural exchange-type stuff. We went to Chengdu and Beijing, so we did the classic things like pandas in Chengdu, hot pot in Chengdu, and then we did things like the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army…

CNS: All the hits.

DM: Right, right.

CNS: So what were your impressions of China then?

DM: I mean, obviously there's the shock of… at that point I'd never been to Asia before, so there's the cultural amazement you get upon first arrival. It's a completely different world. But I also think that's what's beautiful about it: it's so different and such a unique experience that you wouldn't get anywhere else, which makes it more interesting, exciting, and exhilarating to come to somewhere so different.

CNS: It's almost like stepping into a film that's another world.

Right, right.

CNS: What were your favorite parts of your trip, then? What's a standout memory?

DM: I remember my friends and I playing hide-and-seek in the Forbidden City. That felt like being in Alice in Wonderland. Adventuring around the ancient Chinese architecture, which is so different from anything you'd see in Europe, for example.

Seeing the terracotta army exhibition also ... that was something that was very much full of childhood glee and wonder.

CNS: What's it like coming back five or six years later?

DM: The energy in Shanghai is incredible! The city is so international, blending modern infrastructure and cutting-edge technology while still embracing China's rich history and culture. It's the harmony of Eastern and Western culture. I would love to visit Shanghai again, as I don't have enough time to check all the cool spots in town. It's also cool because I'm back for a very different reason and for doing very different things. It almost feels like it's two versions of me. When I look back at photos of me in 2019, when I came as a 14- or 15-year-old, to now, it's crazy to feel the difference.

I wasn't staying at the Ritz then, let me tell you.

CNS: So, what were the best parts of your trip this time?

DM: I think I've loved meeting so many cool people that I've had the opportunity to meet, who have been interested in meeting me. The locals in Shanghai have been so welcoming and friendly to me as a Western traveler. People from film and from culture and the arts over here who have just been as intrigued by Western film as I am by Chinese film. And that kind of cultural exchange has been really cool.

And it's also obviously touristy things, like going to the top of Shanghai Tower and seeing the entire view of Shanghai.

Also, the city is incredibly convenient, maybe more so than people realize – many signs are even bilingual. I'll definitely tell my friends back in London about my experience. If you've never been to Shanghai, you have to visit and feel the city's energy for yourself. It could be one of the best travel experiences you'll ever have!

Still, I think it's the people who have really stuck out. It's what I'll remember about going home.

CNS: When you discuss China with your friends back home, how do you describe it? What sorts of questions do they have that you're fielding?

DM: I think, for example, my parents will always ask about the food. Because I grew up being a picky eater, they still think I'm the same picky 13-year-old eater as I was then. So they'll ask, 'Did you eat anything?' And I'm like, Yes, Mum, I'm fine.

So that's what I'll be getting from my parents. I think my sisters will be asking for gifts.

And then I think my friends will just want to see photos. I have a lot of friends in the same industry, and I think they'll be asking their teens if they can go to China soon.

CNS: Speaking of the industry, particularly the social media aspect of it. You're probably familiar with the TikTok refugee phenomenon. What's been your take on that? This class of cultures on social media?

DM: For sure. I think it's an important lesson for governments that might think that their citizens are diametrically opposed, but really we're all very similar, and we're all one.

I think that seeing the two cultures merge and the bridge of the East and West through such an interesting moment for political reasons, but also cultural reasons, as a bunch of American people scramble to a Chinese app and then realizing, wow, it's actually not what we've been told.

It's amazing over here.

Follow Daniel to see when he'll be in China next.

He's on Instagram: danielmillar_

And Rednote: Daniel_Millar