Tom Blyth has embraced a new chapter in his career, transitioning from darker roles to becoming a leading man in romantic comedies. The 30-year-old actor shared with Us Weekly that he felt ready for something more lighthearted after playing intense characters in previous projects.
"I think I was just ready to do something fun," Blyth said during the premiere of People We Meet on Vacation, which recently debuted on Netflix. "I’m ready to do something light."
Before taking on the role of Alex in the film based on Emily Henry’s bestselling novel, Blyth portrayed the young Coriolanus Snow in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, the prequel to The Hunger Games. He also starred as the titular character in the western series Billy the Kid and appeared in the upcoming film Plainclothes.
"I had done a lot of serious stuff back to back and I was kind of ready to do something that was going to lift up my soul a little bit," he explained.
The film follows the story of Alex and Poppy (played by Emily Bader), two unlikely best friends who become travel buddies. As their lives become more hectic, their dynamic changes, and their feelings for each other begin to escalate.
Blyth approached his first rom-com role by drawing inspiration from classic leading men of the genre. He mentioned Billy Crystal’s performance in When Harry Met Sally as a key influence. "You can’t help but notice the kind of homage that we were playing with the car scene when Alex and Poppy first meet," he told Us.
He also drew inspiration from Tom Hanks’ performances in You’ve Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle. When asked about his dream costar, Blyth mentioned Elizabeth Taylor.
According to Blyth, a good, old-fashioned rom-com is exactly what the world needs right now. He noted that it was refreshing to have a change of pace in his career and to step into the mind of a more lovable character.
"Sometimes we take ourselves really seriously, and I certainly have been guilty of that at times," Blyth told Us. "And I think it’s really worthwhile to do something fun once in a while and remind yourself that what we do for a living is playful and fun and a luxury and to lean into that, and lean into the love."
Bader echoed similar sentiments about bringing the rom-com back into the pop culture zeitgeist. She emphasized that the genre holds a special place for many people. "This genre means a lot to a lot of people," she said. "I think that we can ask something from all genres of film. And I think that the rom-com genre can be complex and have real character development and make you feel a lot of things."
She added that she hopes the film will evoke the same feelings she experienced as a child watching classic rom-coms. "If we can get anywhere near close to the feeling that I got as a kid watching those for the people watching this movie, then I’d be happy."
People We Meet on Vacation is now available on Netflix.