It’s not easy to come into a beloved movie franchise like To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before late in the game; and it’s even more difficult when said franchise has already birthed an arguably even *more* beloved heartthrob of a leading man (in the form of Noah Centineo—pretty much this generation’s James Dean—who plays Peter Kavinksy, a goofy but sentimental jock) and the ultimate fan fave couple (in the form of Peter Kavinksy and Lana Condor’s Lara Jean Song Covey).
Now imagine coming into that as “the other man.” To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before: P.S. I Still Love You introduces us to John Ambrose McClaren, the fifth and final recipient of Lara Jean’s infamous love letters and her former model UN crush, who our heroine reconnects with when they both find themselves volunteering at a senior’s home. And he seriously throws a wrench in Peter and Lara Jean’s love story.
It’s a lot to take on for a character and the actor inhabiting him, who has to simultaneously go toe-to-toe with the hunky teen juggernaut that is Centineo’s Peter Kavinsky *and* deal with the wrath of devoted #Lavinsky fans. Entering the franchise with this albatross around your neck would be intimidating, to say the least, but if there’s anyone who can do it, it’s Jordan Fisher. Because, SPOILER ALERT, the actor is just as sweet IRL as his character is on-screen, and, TBH, his portrayal of John Ambrose McClaren will have even the most diehard Peter Kavinsky stans wavering in their love.
I mean, *that* nose crinkle:
View this post on Instagram
Can’t wait for you all to meet John Ambrose… 8 days! @entertainmentweekly
Ahead of the February 12 release of the sequel, Fisher talked with FLARE about entering the TATBILB franchise as “the other man,” the reason this role is so important to him and why we probably haven’t seen the last of John Ambrose yet. Plus, in very John Ambrose fashion, he gave us some pretty solid love advice. Seriously, Noah Centineo/Peter Kavinksy…watch your back. Spoilers ahead.
He agrees that John Ambrose is pretty much the perfect guy—and he kind of has to be
As intimidating as we might think it would be for someone new to enter this universe, Fisher wasn’t fazed because he had great material to work with. “I mean, so much of it is built around the text, and Jenny Han did a beautiful job of creating a character in John Ambrose that I personally think is the perfect guy,” he says. “He’s thoughtful, he’s warm, he’s intentional and socially aware, he’s sophisticated, he’s well read, he’s artistic. He’s all of the things that I think are really great boxes to check off when you’re talking about somebody that you might potentially be interested in.”
And listen, he’s not wrong. As much as Peter Kavinsky wormed his way into our hearts, John Ambrose McClaren does the same in a different way: by offering Lara Jean the type of guy whom she’d probably assumed she would date, someone who’s more low-key and around whom she can be quiet and reflective. And in a film that sees the main leading man mess up a lot, Fisher’s McClaren shines as a more romantic alternative. Also, he’s super cute. When I say I gasped during his opening exchange with Lara Jean, I *gasped.* Their connection was palpable. And it really had to be, Fisher continues, for anyone to even be considered a worthy adversary to Centino’s Kavinksy.
Read this next: Noah Centineo Has Some Dating Advice…But You Might Not Like It
“Besides Peter Kavinsky/Noah Centineo being the internet’s boyfriend, Noah is so charming and handsome and kind and goofy and all of the things that are so appealing,” says Fisher. “I think that for a character to go toe to toe with him, it kind of has to be somebody like a John Ambrose that marches to the beat of Lara Jean’s drum and is very similar to [her]. That’s the thing that obviously is the most intimidating to Peter. I’m excited to see how the audience responds to that.”
But his casting is super important
And for Fisher, the fact that he was cast in the role—as a Black man—means a lot to him, especially because the John Ambrose of the novels (and the snippet from the first film) wasn’t. “For a film like this, that’s so racially diverse and so culturally and ethnically kind of all over the place, I think [my casting] is really important,” he says. “Especially now, in 2020, with a film like this that doesn’t necessarily have a pin-pointed demographic…you want [fans] to be able to see people in this film and be able to say ‘Oh, that’s me. I relate to this character.’ It doesn’t have to be the same gender or ethnic background [as you], but to just be able to watch a story unfold with all sorts of different types of people in it is a really beautiful thing and very unique and something that I’m thrilled to be a part of.”
He had his personal life to draw from
And while preparing for the role, it has to have helped that Fisher had some IRL experience to draw inspo from: primarily his own relationship. “My personal, real-life love story is very similar to John Ambrose and Lara Jean’s,” he says. The actor is engaged to his childhood friend Ellie Woods, having popped the question in their hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, in May 2019. “We were adults when we reconnected, even though we met when we were nine and 13 years old, and we grew up with a friendship. We had to have the years of other relationships and getting to learn ourselves and knowing what it is that we’re actually looking for that allows us to be able to fully recognize what it is that we need in a partner in our lives,” he continues.
“Timing is everything, right?”
Read this next: 8 Valentine’s Day Idea That Don’t Make You Want to Walk into The Sea
Someone in Hollywood get on this story ASAP.
*SPOILER* John Ambrose didn’t get the girl—but he served a big purpose
But while Fisher himself may have gotten the girl, the same can’t be said for John Ambrose, who ends the film with his heart broken after sharing a kiss with Lara Jean at the dance (and in the snow, no less—super romantic!). In a way, Fisher’s character—with his quiet, thoughtful and, TBH, kind of nerdy demeanour (so different from Peter Kavinsky’s)—isn’t actually the other guy at all but, rather, functions as a way for Lara Jean to reflect on herself and what she wants. “Perspective, I think, is a big thing,” Fisher says of his character’s role for Lara Jean. “I think that recognizing that timing is everything is a massive part of it all, [and] I think it’s good for her to learn about herself.”
While fans might leave the movie feeling like Fisher’s John Ambrose got the short end of the stick (as much as we love Lara Jean, we hate to see a super-sweet guy be told he’s not the one), we shouldn’t spend too much of our time fretting for him, because although the film focuses on Lara Jean and her journey of self-discovery, Fisher says the experience was a learning one for his character too. “[Everyone] needs to have their heart broken,” he says. “It’s just a thing we all need to experience, we all need to feel it; we all need to understand that 99.9% of the time we’re out of control of time. And that’s okay. Sometimes things don’t work out because they’re messy and complicated and sometimes things won’t work out because they’re just not supposed to work out. Timing is everything.” Which is pretty solid advice for anyone going through heartbreak.
And, surprisingly, Fisher is Team Peter—for now
And it’s this idea of timing being super important that makes Fisher so sure that Lara Jean and TATBILB fans haven’t seen the last of his soon-to-be-beloved character. And makes him confident to say that he himself is firmly on Team Peter—because that’s what’s best for Lara Jean right now. “For high school and college, I’m probably more Team Peter,” Fisher reveals. “I think that both of these sayings are true: likes attract and opposites also attract.” And the young fan-fave couple—along with the audience—still have a lot to learn from each other. “I think that it’s [important] for Lara Jean and Peter to learn through mistakes and recognize how important it is to be honest and communicate with one another,” Fisher continues. “This is what’s going to make them both great partners for either each other or for other people one day. I love the fact that they kind of work things out at John Ambrose’s expense.”
Read this next: It’s Official! Everything We Know About the TATBILB Sequel
But that doesn’t mean that we should feel *too* bad for our hunky, piano-playing second leading man. Because, like in his own love story, Fisher is pretty confident that the leading lady and her former UN beau will reconnect for all the reasons they hit it off so well in the sequel—they’re so similar. (I mean, it’s not everyone who finds fun in setting up and chaperoning a dance for senior citizens.) “Even though I think Peter’s a great match for Lara Jean right now, I do personally think that John Ambrose and Lara Jean will end up together,” says Fisher. “I think that they probably reconnect later and get married and have a family. Because that partnership just works so well.”
So will we have to wait for a TATBILB 30th instalment? “Maybe just 10 years—a check-in,” Fisher suggests. Which means that we’ll patiently be waiting on TATBILB: 10 Year Reunion.
The post You’re Probably Going to Hate TATBILB’s Jordan Fisher appeared first on Flare.
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий