Between the two of them, Emily Bader and Tom Blyth have amassed nearly 50 movie and TV credits in under a decade. But their experience at a fan screening for Netflix's People We Meet on Vacation—the film adaptation of Emily's Henry's #BookTok phenomenon—was a first.
“I have never experienced anything like that,” says Bader. “I mean, my hands were, like, vibrating from the energy. It was so effusive.” Seconds Blyth, “It was totally crazy.”
But not totally surprising. After all, the fun and frothy film—streaming on Netflix starting January 9—is the much-anticipated adaptation of the mega-selling 2021 novel from Emily Henry. And, yup, that story is irresistible: Bookworm Alex (Tom Blyth) and outgoing Poppy (Emily Bader) are two estranged pals who head to Barcelona to rekindle their friendship. And like two besotted characters in any great rom-com, they ultimately realize their long-simmering feelings for each other.
The 29-year-old Bader—best known for the Prime Video series My Lady Jane and Tom Blyth, so sinister in the 2023 movie The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes—beat out hundreds of other actors to land their roles. (FYI, the British Blyth, 30, shows off an impressive American accent.) “Emily and Tom genuinely embodied these roles,” Brett Haley (All the Bright Places) tells Parade. “I didn’t want Poppy to be too broad or for Alex to be too much of the straight-man. So they brought a sense of three-dimensionality.”
The pair also share palpable chemistry—which was on display when they Zoomed with Parade from New Orleans. They talk about their favorite romcoms, riding a motorcycle in Europe and more.
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Parade: What do Poppy and Alex really see in each other?
Tom Blyth: Alex sees in Poppy a version of himself that he wishes he could be, but resents that he can't. He’s slightly repressed at the beginning and doesn't quite know how to get out of his own head. And Poppy is so easily, like, liberated. But that becomes the thing that he loves about her and is addicted to.
Emily Bader: And I think Poppy doesn't feel like she fit in Alex’s life because she's too much. Like, she's never going to be able to keep someone like him long enough. But Alex has such a huge heart Alex, and he really does love her for who she is. I mean, on day one, she wrecks the dashboard of his car with a burrito!
Related: ‘People We Meet on Vacation’ Stars Tom Blyth and Emily Bader Recreate Emily Henry Book Cover
You two did your chemistry-read audition over Zoom. How did you establish such a quick bond under those circumstances?
Bader: Stare into each other's eyes? I don't know, honestly. But I can tell pretty quickly if there’s going to be a connection. But it’s tough because sometimes there’s a time lag or the screen is blurry.
Blyth: And credit to Brett Haley and his whole team and Netflix and Emily Henry for the whole casting process. When they put us together, they were very much hoping that their bet paid off.
Bader: They were hoping we didn’t hate each other . . .
Blyth: Hey, even if we did hate each other, at least we had chemistry. Great films have existed with people hating each other! Luckily, we get along really well.
Related: The ‘People We Meet on Vacation’ Movie Brings Emily Henry’s Romance to Screens! Everything to Know About the Film Adaptation
And once you started filming, what surprised you about each other?
Bader: Tom's really cool. He dresses really well. He's got, like, a cool little earring. He drives a motorcycle. We went to see the movie Speak No Evil on your motorcycle, and I thought that was the most European experience.
Blyth: It was!
Bader: It was all of my European dreams come true.
Blyth: I didn't realize that Emily didn't see herself as a comedic actor before doing this, and I discovered very quickly that she can tap into the humor really easily. She’s as witty and funny and zippy and as quick as anyone else, and she can equally mine this depth of emotion. It’s like one thing complements the other. I learned a lot from her on that front.
Bader: I’m kicking him under the table right now.
Your own favorite vacation spots?
Emily Bader as Poppy and Tom Blyth as Alex in People We Meet on Vacation.Michele K. Short/Netflix
Blyth: Costa Rica. It’s got everything you need — jungle and the beach.
Bader: Hawaii for me.
Why do you think fans are so attached to this story?
Bader: I think it feels it's very cinematic in a way that we haven't seen recently with rom coms. I’m thinking of Nora Ephron and Nancy Meyers’movies. Emily's books have that appeal. The story is also very slice-of-life.
Blyth: Love that. It’s also really contemporary. It feels very much like a rom-com for now. I think this generation needs its own When Harry Met Sally . . .
Related: These Books Are Already Poised to Take Over Your TBR in 2026
Off the top of your head, what are your all-time favorite rom-coms?
Bader: Today, it’s Overboard.
Blyth:When Harry Met Sally . . .
So, do you think men and women can really be friends? In that movie, Harry insists that the sex always gets in the way.
Blyth: Yes, 100 percent, they can be friends! I've grown up with amazing female friends in my life. But Poppy and Alex are soulmates, ultimately. They start off as friends, but they were meant to be together. So they're two people who fall in love, but you don't fall in love with all your friends. I hope not!
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Note: This interview was conducted before the death of When Harry Met Sally… director Rob Reiner.
Next up: Julia Roberts’ RomCom Sequel in the Works 30 Years After First Movie
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