Luke Evans’ Instagram is a travel destination dream

Like the production of the new Apple TV+ series Echo 3 Having migrated from the heights of Bogotá, Colombia’s sprawling capital of the Andes, to the lush tropical surroundings of Girardot, Luke Evans loved every moment. “It was a three and a half hour journey on these winding mountain roads – which at some points made you feel like you were in Nepal – it was truly extraordinary,” the Welsh actor and singer says of Zoom. The cast and crew also stopped in the port city of Cartagena and the white-sand Rosario Islands. Evans documented the experience on his own 3.4 million followers, featuring videos of beach workouts, photos of local wildlife and expertly composed street scenes. During filming, Evans’ Insta served as both a teaser for the show and an unofficial advertisement for the Colombian tourism industry.

“I have always loved to travel. So for me traveling is the greatest gift I can give myself and the fact that I get to do it for work is even better,” he says ahead of the November 23 premiere of Echo 3. In the show created by Mark Boal, Evans plays Bambi, a US Special Forces soldier who tracks down his missing sister along the Colombian-Venezuelan border. On his self-imposed mission, Bambi struggles with his lingering childhood trauma and troubled relationship with his wealthy brother-in-law and battle-hardened prince (Michiel Huisman), as the pursuit takes them from night raids in the city to guerrilla warfare in the jungle. Hence many early shots and intense action scenes.

Evans – who recently made headlines for his take on whether only gay actors, like himself, should be playing gay roles (“I’m not sure… I wouldn’t have had a career if gays played gay roles and played straights straight roles,” he said) – is also a singer. In November, he released his second album, A song for youfeaturing a 2013 duet of “Say Something” with his Nine perfect strangers co-star Nicole Kidman. He was hesitant to ask her, he admits. ” ‘Who can I ask?’ I thought, ‘Should I ask Nicole Kidman? What would she say?!’ he says. “I thought, ‘Hey, if you don’t ask, you’ll never know.’ “

Like a number of world-traveling movie stars these days, Evans maintains a sideline as a travel influencer of sorts. He rightly hashtags free resort vacations and has an ongoing relationship with Land Rover on travel-related content, such as test-driving a Range Rover through California’s wine country – a first visit for him. “We arrived in Sonoma Valley by helicopter, which was so special. I’ll never forget that,” said Evans, who has an unspecified deal with the automaker.

A look through his grid reveals playful #TBTs behind the scenes in Budapest with his collaborators The Alienist; candid on the street with friends in Lisbon, where he has a house; and trips to places like Ibiza and the Maldives. “I like color and to find something typical of that place,” he says of compiling his Instagram. “I just immerse myself in everything and everyone around me, and I am grateful for that.”

The actor credits his parents, David and Yvonne, for fueling his passion to explore; he recalls rambunctious family holidays crossing Wales in their “caravan” (aka motor home). “We got in the car, the music continued and we sang ABBA or Queen songs.” In his travels today, he says, “I often find things that I know my mom and dad will love to look at.”

A version of this story first appeared in the November 30 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.