Sharithra Chandran and Sebastian Croft want you to enjoy watching their latest films. The duo play best friends and would-be lovers, Amelia Brown and Archie Arnold, in Prime Video’s upcoming romantic comedy How To Date Billy Walsh. Amelia and Archie wander the halls of Heathbrook Academy and have their first experiences of love, lust and friendship breakups. Watching it feels like a blast from the past, like watching those classic comedies from the 2000s and early 2000s. “How To Date Billy Walsh” is quirky, light-hearted and a little silly – all the perfect ingredients you need for a successful teen rom-com.
For those of you who know Croft from the critically acclaimed queer drama series “Heart stopper” – Playing the manipulative and toxic Ben Hope – This role is a complete change in tone and may surprise you. “Archie is just a silly character,” he says. “It’s nice to do something different. It’s so nice to play a warm, superior character after diving into something so different and so serious with Heartstopper.”
In recent years, we’ve seen a shift within British romantic comedies, where we’re seeing greater diversity, something that was often missing in the 2000s and 2000s. Following on from the success of various coming-of-age romances like “One Day,” “Rye Lane,” and “Heartstopper,” “How To Date Billy Walsh” is another great example of inclusivity within the genre. For young people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community in the UK, there is a lot of good that comes from seeing themselves at the center of these love stories and being wanted.
Chandran is of British South Asian descent and has always been vocal about the need for more diversity. “We actually asked our director Alex Pillay,” she told POPSUGAR UK [whose credits include “Riverdale,” “Bridgerton,” and “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”] About how he chose actors and it was always about choosing the best person for the role. However, I think if their personal identity can add to the role and make it richer, then that’s really beautiful.
She continues, “I think there’s something incredibly bold about having such a diverse group of individuals, both in the main cast and the supporting cast of this movie, but also in making it feel really natural. This is the world we live in today.” This is how we want the world to be, and look how wonderful it has become.” Croft agrees: “It’s natural! If you want to make a movie like this, about what it’s like to be a teenager and fall in love now, this is the way to do it. We really have diversity in this movie.”
Many of us were first introduced to Chandran as the dutiful sister Edwina Sharma In the second series of “Bridgerton”. This year we’ve seen the actress go from ensemble character to leading lady – from How To Date Billy Walsh to starring in the West End in Instructions For A Teenage Armageddon, and Chandran is taking it all in her stride. “There is a sense of responsibility, passion, and an aspect of leadership as well,” she says. “For a lot of the actors, this was their first credit and the experience was really new for them. Sebastian and I took it upon ourselves to make sure that we were not only having a good time and doing our best work, but making sure that everyone felt extremely protected and loved.” “This is a key part of leading a show that doesn’t get talked about a lot, because it happens behind the scenes,” she adds.
If you’re wondering if filming a rom-com is as much fun as watching it, the answer is definitely yes. “All the actors are very close because we shot half the time in the countryside in the north of England, and we were fairly isolated, so we all stayed together,” Chandran reveals. “It really felt like we were at boarding school together; we went on nights out and had dinner together almost every day.” ” “A lot of harm has been done,” Croft adds.
Starring in the rom-com was a bucket list hit for both Croft and Chandran. “As a young actress, being in a romantic comedy is the dream,” she reflects, “Imagine looking back on your career 20 years later – we actually got to do a teen rom-com together.” Pretty creative if you ask us.
‘How To Date Billy Walsh’ will be released on Prime Video on Friday, April 5.
Aaliyah Hari (she/her) is a contributing editor at POPSUGAR UK. She writes widely across lifestyle, culture and beauty. Aaliyah also has a deep passion for storytelling and giving a voice to the voiceless. She has previously contributed to Refinery29, Grazia UK and The Voice Newspaper.