Picture Supply: Prime Video
Charithra Chandran and Sebastian Croft need you to have enjoyable watching their newest movie. The duo are starring as finest mates and potential lovers, Amelia Brown and Archie Arnold, in Prime Video’s coming-of-age romantic comedy “How To Date Billy Walsh.” Amelia and Archie roam the halls of Heathbrook Academy navigating their first experiences of affection, lust and friendship breakups. Watching it seems like a blast from the previous, like watching these traditional rom-coms from the 2000s and early 2010s. “How To Date Billy Walsh” is quirky, light-hearted and a bit foolish — all the right components you want for a profitable teen rom-com.
For these of you who know Croft from the critically acclaimed queer drama collection “Heartstopper” — enjoying the manipulative and poisonous Ben Hope — this position is an entire change of tone and may shock you. “Archie is only a foolish character,” he says. “It is pretty to do one thing totally different. It is so good to play a heat and over-the-top character after diving into one thing fairly totally different and really severe with “Heartstopper”.”
In recent times, we have seen a shift inside British rom-coms — we’re seeing much more range, one thing that was usually lacking within the 2000s and 2010s. Following on from the success of richly various romantic coming-of-age tales like “One Day”, “Rye Lane” and “Heartstopper”, “How To Date Billy Walsh” is one other nice instance of inclusivity throughout the style. For younger folks of color and people throughout the LGBTQ+ group within the UK, there may be a lot good that comes from seeing themselves on the centre of those love tales and being desired.
Chandran is of British South-Asian descent and has all the time been very vocal concerning the want for better range. She tells POPSUGAR UK: “We really requested our director Alex Pillai [whose credits include “Riverdale,” “Bridgerton,” and “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”] about how he selected the solid and it was all the time about selecting the right individual for the position. Nonetheless, I believe if their private id can add to the position and make it richer, then that is actually lovely.”
Picture Supply: Prime Video
She continues: “I believe there’s one thing extremely daring about having such a various group of people, each in the principle solid and the supporting solid of this movie, but in addition simply making it appear actually regular. That is the world that we reside in immediately. That is how we wish the world to be – and look how nice it is turned out.” Croft agrees: “It’s regular! If you wish to make a movie like this, about what it is like being a teen and falling in love proper now, that is the best way to do it. We’re actually proudly owning range on this movie.”
Many people had been first launched to Chandran because the dutiful sister Edwina Sharma in “Bridgerton” collection two. This 12 months we now have watched the actress transition from ensemble character to main woman – from “How To Date Billy Walsh” to starring within the West Finish in “Directions For A Teenage Armageddon,” and Chandran is taking all of it in her stride. “There is a sense of duty, ardour, and a side of management as effectively,” she says. “For lots of the solid, this was their first credit score and the expertise was actually new to them. Sebastian and I took it upon ourselves to be sure that not solely we had been having a superb time and doing our greatest work, however ensuring that everybody else felt tremendous protected and cherished.” She provides: “That may be a core a part of main a present that is not usually talked about, as a result of it is behind the scenes.”
For those who’re questioning if filming the rom-com was as a lot enjoyable as it’s to look at, the reply is a particular sure. Chandran reveals: “All of the solid are tremendous shut as a result of we shot half the time within the countryside within the north of England, we had been pretty remoted so all of us stayed collectively. It actually did really feel like we had been boarding college collectively; we went on nights out and had dinner collectively just about each single day.” Croft provides: “There was loads of mischief that went on.”
Starring in a rom-com was a bucket listing for each Croft and Chandran. She muses: “As a younger actor, being in a romantic comedy is the dream. Think about wanting again at your profession 20 years down the road — we really obtained to do a teen rom-com collectively.” Fairly iconic for those who ask us.
“How To Date Billy Walsh” launches on Prime Video on Friday fifth April.
Aaliyah Harry (she/her) is the affiliate editor at POPSUGAR UK. She writes extensively throughout life-style, tradition and wonder. Aaliyah additionally has a deep ardour for telling tales and giving voice to the unvoiced. Beforehand, she has contributed to Refinery29, Grazia UK and The Voice Newspaper.
Picture Supply: Prime Video
