Emily Bader Says She Had to Ditch All Filters to Play Poppy in Netflix’s Pthe people we meet on vacation.
The 29-year-old actress stars in the upcoming 2021 adaptation of Emily Henry’s bestselling novel, alongside Tom Blyth, who plays her longtime best friend Alex.
Speaking at Elle’s Women in Hollywood event on Nov. 17, Bader said she immediately felt Poppy’s chaotic, open energy.
“There’s a lot of me in Poppy,” she said. “She doesn’t edit herself, and that’s something I’m still working on. She lives fully and authentically, and stepping into that meant removing insecurity and trusting my director and Tom. I had to be the biggest, loudest, most annoying version of myself, but in a real, grounded way.”
Bader added that their on-screen dynamic seemed natural because she and Blyth became close friends off-camera.
“Poppy and Alex are really friends first and foremost, and so are we,” she said. “There’s this little spark between them, but the foundation is pure friendship. For us, it was about getting to know each other quickly, which was easy when you’re filming on the Costa Brava, swimming on the beach or eating donuts in New Orleans.”
Blyth has previously praised Bader’s performance, saying People in October, that she has “this quality where she can go off the rails and you’re still in love with her”, calling her playful, endearing and perfect for the role.
