Casting the perfect actors for an adaptation of a book beloved by millions around the world — Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation — is almost as hard as finding your soulmate.
People We Meet on Vacation chronicles free-spirited Poppy Wright (Emily Bader) and routine-loving Alex Nilsen’s (Tom Blyth) passport-stamped romance. Fans of the book have spent hours with unlikely best friends Poppy and Alex — watching them embark on far-flung adventures, getting frustrated when they can’t communicate, and swooning when their oil-and-water friendship gives way to romance. So finding the right actors to bring these characters to life onscreen was a daunting but important task for director Brett Haley. “He’s so adamant about protecting what matters most to the readers,” Henry says. (Alex and Poppy aren’t the only two fan-favorite Henry characters finding their way to the screen: The author announced upcoming adaptations of Funny Story and Happy Place, both of which she’ll write.)
For People We Meet on Vacation director Haley, it was love at first sight with both Bader and Blyth. “Emily’s audition really blew me away,” he says. “It was one of hundreds, if not a thousand, auditions for Poppy. I knew from the first time I worked with Emily over Zoom, ‘This is Poppy. This is her.’ ” Henry wholeheartedly agrees, adding: “Emily is actually so much like Poppy. She feels like someone you want to be best friends with, and that was who Poppy was always meant to be.”
Blyth was no different, dexterously capturing Alex’s personality just as Henry had envisioned. “I knew that this [character] was really funny, clever, delightfully weird, and that he just kept most of that to himself. Tom does a phenomenal job of toeing that line,” says the bestselling author.
People We Meet on Vacation centers on Poppy and Alex, but the supporting characters are integral to the film’s world-building, adding hilarity and wisdom and helping us better understand the core romance. From Lucien Laviscount, Sarah Catherine Hook, and Lukas Gage to Alan Ruck and Molly Shannon, “we had an embarrassment of riches with the supporting roles,” says Haley. Even Henry joins in on the fun, making a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo.
People We Meet on Vacation whisks Poppy and Alex from the vineyards of Tuscany to the backwoods of Canada, bar stools in New Orleans, and a lavish wedding in Barcelona — you can’t help but feel trip envy. But the cast is so charismatic and playful that even when they bum around Poppy’s shoebox New York City apartment or wait for their bags at the airport, the scenes are just as warm and vibrant. “This could be because there was real chemistry between the two actors: I’ve seen Tom and Emily banter on set. There was magic in the air,” says Henry. “There seems to be genuine love and affection there, and I think you can see that onscreen, too.”
Keep reading to meet your fellow travelers in People We Meet on Vacation.
Born and raised in sleepy East Linfield, Ohio, Poppy has been itching to travel the world since high school. She runs on a sense of adventure, sloppy breakfast burritos, and a love of Sasquatch sculpture — she sees no need for carefully planned itineraries.
“Poppy Wright is a fiery, enthusiastic little rascal of a young woman who has such an adventurous spirit and animpulsivity that keeps her life very interesting but not always grounded,” says Bader. “She always chooses to see positivity in things, but I think deep down [she] is an insecure girl who is worried that she might just be too much for everyone.”
At present, she works as a travel writer for R&R, which whisks her around the world. After coming home to a fridge full of hot sauce and shriveled limes one too many times, Poppy starts to forget why she loves to travel and needs a reminder.
Taking on such a beloved character was intimidating, but Henry provided Bader with some sage guidance. “She basically said, ‘You’re perfect for it. Run. Be free,’ ” says Bader. “As much as I was like, ‘Guide me, tell me exactly what to do,’ that was more empowering — to know that she felt so much confidence in us from the beginning.”
And what would Poppy’s favorite rom-com be? “She’s such a fashion girl,” Bader says, “so it’s either 13 Going on 30 or 27 Dresses.”
Fresh Kills, My Lady Jane
Alex is as measured and nervous as Poppy is bubbly and spontaneous. Also raised in Linfield, Ohio, he has never had much of a craving to tread new terrain. Alex has preferred to remain close to his family following his mom’s death when he was young. “That makes this young guy, who has a kind of bubble wrapping around him, keep himself protected from the world,” says Blyth. When he and Poppy cement a tradition of yearly summer trips, a different side of Alex emerges.
“Tom is one of the most charismatic, charming, lovely guys you’ll ever meet. When he walks into the room, he owns it,” says Haley. “Alex is kind of a stick-in-the-mud. Tom had a way of finding that sweet spot of being this guy, but not being overtly unlikable. Tom’s got his drama chops, but I don’t think he’s ever really done a comedy. But I didn’t have any hesitations about what he could bring to the role. Tom is just an unbelievable actor. It was really fun to see him play this guy who’s nothing like him.”
Echoes of the rom-com genre are present throughout People We Meet on Vacation. If Blyth had to pick Alex’s favorite, he’d go with the 2004 Adam Sandler–Drew Barrymore hit 50 First Dates. “He’s so secure and stable and believes in showing up when you say you’re going to show up and being on time,” he says. “50 First Dates is about someone who is committed to trying to help the person they love. Alex is like, ‘I’m going to remind this person who they are and show up 50 times.’ He would like the repetitiveness and security of that.”
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Billy the Kid
Sarah Catherine Hook as Sarah (left)
Sarah is Alex’s girlfriend. As someone who shares Alex’s desire to settle down in Linfield, Ohio, Sarah presents a routine-loving foil to Poppy.
The White Lotus, Cruel Intentions
Lucien Laviscount as Trey (right)
Trey and Poppy start dating after working together at R&R. He may not have a mortgage or a mailbox, but he has, as he puts it, wanderlust.
The Bye Bye Man, Snatch
David is Alex’s brother who is getting married in Barcelona.
Nerve, Love, Simon
Swapna is Poppy’s boss at R&R. She trusts Poppy, even when it seems like she’s lost.
Marry Me, The Good Place
Nam is David’s fiancé.
Hacks
Poppy and Alex meet Buck during their inaugural camping trip. He’s ditched the finance life in favor of late-night skinny dipping and mind-altering substances in the backwoods of Canada — as well as a terrifying memento mori tattoo.
The White Lotus, Euphoria
Rachel is Poppy’s soul-cycle riding friend, whose advice does little to sway stubborn Poppy’s mind.
Brittany Runs a Marathon, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
Molly Shannon as Wanda (center left)
Wanda is Poppy’s sex-positive, condom box–shaking mom.
Superstar, Never Been Kissed
Jimmy is Poppy’s dad. He leads a hug-forward family.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Twister, Speed
