From writer/director A.J. Edwards, the indie drama First Love follows Jim (Hero Fiennes Tiffin), a high school senior whose parents (Diane Kruger, Jeffrey Donovan) are feeling the strain of a financial crisis on their relationship and the ripples are affecting the entire family. At the same time, Jim meets Ann (Sydney Park), who he’s instantly drawn to, and the two travel down their own life paths as they explore what the means for their future together.
During this 1-on-1 interview with Collider, Fiennes Tiffin talked about why this story appealed to him, his initial hesitation over doing another romance after doing the After franchise but why this character ultimately won him over, the aspects of Jim that he wanted to explore, what he learned from working with Kruger and Donovan, and his experience with co-star Park. He also talked about what it’s been like to do the After franchise and be a part of playing the same character for several films, what he looks for in a project, and what he has coming up next.
Collider: One of the things that really struck me about this story is that, much like the After, it’s about first love, but it’s just not as drama filled. It’s just a story of growing up, growing together, growing apart, coming back together, and all of those things that a relationship experiences. When this script came your way, what was your reaction to this simple love story where there’s nothing big or flashy about it, and it’s just two people living life?
HERO FIENNES TIFFIN: I think that’s exactly it. I was actually asked, at the end of the last interview, to summarize First Love in 30 seconds, and I think you’ve done it so much better than I did. I think (writer/director) A.J. [Edwards] has done something that’s actually really difficult, which is to create a story in which, like you say, not too much happens, but because we know so much about the nuances and intricacies of each person and how they feel in their life and what’s going on around them, we feel like the stakes are as high as we feel when we are those people. The attention to detail and developing the characters allows for an entertaining movie, where it’s not filled with as much drama as After, or explosions, or car chases, but you still feel like it’s dramatic and important and high stakes. That’s credit to A.J.’s writing.
It’s relatable because that’s how life happens, more than the heightened or fantasy version that you sometimes get. This feels like something that everyone can really relate to, in some way, because it’s just about life.
FIENNES TIFFIN: Yeah, definitely. I think that was important. That was definitely an important note that A.J. was aware of. I’m so glad that you feel the same way because you’re so right. If you talk about 2008, and now similarly post COVID, with the financial struggles that the parents go through, there are more relatable issues. It was really interesting to work on a film that was a romance with a love interest, but completely different, tonally, to After.
What did you find most interesting about this character? How did you find yourself connecting with him? When it comes to playing a character, do you look for the similarities that you can connect with, do you look for what differences you might get to explore, or is it a combination of those two things?
FIENNES TIFFIN: It’s a combination of those two things, and then a bunch of other things as well. Specifically talking about the character, I have to say, I was really drawn to him because of how different he is from Hardin. I was also drawn to how different the whole film is, tonally, from After. I was reluctant to doing another romance because I wanted to start expanding and doing different genres, but I actually feel like I’m doing myself more justice, in terms of painting myself as a more well-rounded actor, by doing the same genre, but a completely different film, tonally, and a completely different character. I do think how far, on the other end of the spectrum, he is from Hardin was definitely one of the big reasons I was drawn to him and wanted to take him on.
He’s a reserved guy. He’s not a flashy guy, at all. Were there aspects of him that you were particularly interested in exploring and digging into?
FIENNES TIFFIN: Yeah, I feel like that nature of being so reserved and how different that was from Hardin was initially what I was drawn to. And then, I later realized, after bringing the character to life, that he’s so wise and patient. He almost feels wise beyond his years because it’s so easy to be so impulsive. At that age, everything is the be-all and end-all, and just so dramatic. Everything feels like it’s the biggest deal in the world. And he has a really, really refreshingly mature outlook on that, even in that pivotal point of his life, where he just realizes that the show will go on, and if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be, and if it’s not, it’s not. I think his wisdom and his patience and his maturity were aspects of him that I wanted to take. And he’s really concise with his words. He only speaks when he really needs to, and I’m not very good at that. I’ll just waffle on, sometimes.
Everybody probably knows somebody that you would consider an old soul, and this character really does feel that way.
FIENNES TIFFIN: I’m so glad you think. That’s exactly what we were going for. I completely agree. I think he is.
Your parents in this are played by Diane Kruger and Jeffrey Donovan, and we first get to meet and get to know your character through his relationship with his family. What was it like to meet them and get to work with them? Had you been familiar with the work that either of them had done, previously?
FIENNES TIFFIN: I was familiar with Diane’s work and Jeffrey’s, but more so Diane’s. And then, coincidentally, as soon as we wrapped, I went back home and I feel like I watched three movies. I didn’t know Jeffrey was in – Sicario, Sleepers and Shot Caller. I watched three movies back-to-back, and he was in every one. I texted him, “Bro, get off my TV screen. How are you doing this? You’re in everything I watch.” Both of them are veterans of the game, and it showed, working with them. Not only are their acting performances always flawless, but in between takes and offset, they drop bombs of wisdom and look out for you. They did everything in a lighthearted, enjoyable way. They’ve been there and done that, so they’re gonna do it with a smile on their face, unless the scene requires otherwise. That was lovely to be around. I learned so much from them. They’re great actors.
They also feel like the kind of actors who are not afraid to play around with the material. When you’re in scenes with them, I would imagine that’s very welcome.
FIENNES TIFFIN: Yeah, definitely. I also feel like A.J. set us up in an environment where we didn’t have marks, there wasn’t too much worry about continuity, and we could change a line, and he would somehow just make it work. Watching the final thing, he somehow made it work while allowing us the freedom to explore the scene and be improvisational with it. That feels like the best way to do it, if you can. I feel like the other actors really appreciated that too. They both have such a well-rounded view on the whole process of making a film, so their opinion and the things they say and the things they add extends beyond the realm of just acting, but into the whole process of making film. I learned so much working with those guys. I loved it.
With any relationship story, the connection between the characters is vitally important. How and when did you and Sydney Park meet? Did you have a chemistry test together, or did you just have to jump right in?
FIENNES TIFFIN: I think the first time I met Sydney was on set. I feel like I met Ann before I met Sydney. We did a couple days on set, and then, on the weekend, we met up and got a bite to eat. We’re both Scorpios. If you believe in that stuff, that might have something to do with it. We get on really well. She’s just such a fun, bubbly person who’s always in a good mood, but then you call, “Action!,” and she’s just straight into it. I really, really enjoyed working with Sydney. We didn’t actually get much time, at all, to prepare or work on the relationship much, but luckily, the script did a lot of the work for us, and she’s a great actor.
It seems you either get like a lot of rehearsal time, or you get none. It doesn’t seem like there’s ever much of an in-between.
FIENNES TIFFIN: That’s so true. I feel like you’re so right. I guess it depends on different directors’ styles and stuff, but you’re so right. It feels like it’s like three or four weeks of rehearsal, or none at all.
Your character’s interest in her is pretty immediate. He’s the one that notices her, and then finds a way to ensure that they meet. What do you think that pull is for him, before he even gets to know her? What do you think it is that he sees in her essence, that interests him in her?
FIENNES TIFFIN: I do feel like, when you first see someone and have that instant attraction, it’s obviously primarily based on their physical form because you haven’t gotten to know them yet. I don’t know if it’s pheromones, or if it’s something we don’t know about, but I’m sure there’s a deep science behind that. I do feel like sometimes you see someone and you just know. I don’t know what it is that he saw or smelt or felt, but I think it’s that feeling that you get that’s love at first sight. It’s a cliche, but it’s a cliche for a reason. He definitely saw something in her.
Your career really got a spotlight shown on it with the success of the After films, but when you went into that, obviously you hope that the film is successful so you can keep telling the story, but you don’t know if that’s actually going to happen. What has it been like to actually realize those films were getting the success that they were, that you could actually continue telling the story, and that you’ve gotten to complete the story? What has it been like to have that whole experience?
FIENNES TIFFIN: I feel like I’ve only been able to fully appreciate it as much as I should, as time goes on. I feel like when you are in it, it’s so overwhelming. We’re talking about an age that’s similar to the age that we’re talking about with First Love, and how high the stakes feel and how dramatic everything is. To go away to Atlanta for two months, for the first time, to film the lead in a film, and then wake up with a hundred thousand subscribers, it was all so overwhelming and daunting. I’ve never been someone who was like, “I want this number of followers. I wanna be known.” I’ve never really done that. So for me, I probably put the visor down and was a bit reluctant and took a step back. It’s only now, in the past two or three years, that I’ve really realized how incredible it is to have such a supportive fan base, and to have done so many films in the same story, which have allowed me to build myself so well, as an actor, because you really get the privilege of playing the same character, so many times. I feel like I’ve learned so much and have grown so much because of the story and the fan base and touring the world. It’s just been so rich in experiences. I feel like I’ve grown so much as a person, and I’m so grateful that we’ve been able to continue telling the story.
How do you figure out what the next thing will be? Do you immediately know, when you read something, if it’s something you want to do?
FIENNES TIFFIN: No, I don’t. When I did modeling ages ago, or even when you do editorial stuff, and you see the rail [of clothing] and you’re like, “I’m not wearing that, that’s not me,” you think about it and you’re like, “You’re a stylist. You know what you’re doing. I’m not supposed to be in black trousers and a white t-shirt on a magazine cover because that’s boring. No one cares about that.” So, I then put on the clothes and I go, “Actually, this fits and it looks really right.” It’s the same with films. You might doubt it, at first, until you meet the director, read the script thoroughly, and do your research. Even then, you might be unsure. You always hear stories about actors who said no to something that turns out to be great. I don’t know what’s next. I just know I’m gonna give everything, all the time, to really figure out if it’s the right thing, and never say never to doing any specific genre or character. I want to just keep on going where the work takes me, and if I feel drawn to it, I feel drawn to it. Essentially, what I’m saying is that I don’t wanna put myself in a box by saying, “The next movie is gonna be an action movie with a car chase, where I hold a MAC-10 and I’m this guy.” I really can’t stress enough how open I am to doing any type of film or genre. But if I had to name one, I’d happily do a crime thriller that’s a gritty drama, based in London.
Do you know what you’re doing next?
FIENNES TIFFIN: There’s a film, called The Climb, that I’m really excited about, but I’m so scared to talk about it because I don’t know how much I can say. And then, I shot The Woman King, which will be out in mid-September. I’m really excited about that. It should be an incredible film, I hope. I haven’t seen any of it yet, but I had such a good time filming. I can’t wait for people to see it, including myself. I did another film, called The Loneliest Boy in the World, which is a bit of a dark humor comedy, essentially about a bunch of people who get brought back from the dead and have to hide their undeadness to the world, and teach a guy to be more social without worrying too much. I’m really excited for people to see that one too. I’m in a really lucky position to have a bunch of different films coming out, which allows me to feel comfortable enough to keep pursuing whatever role feels right, as opposed to a role that’s specific to a genre or character that I really wanna play.
You mentioned not having seen one of the films you’ve done. How are you with that? Can you watch your work without totally cringing? Can you judge yourself with any kind of perspective?
FIENNES TIFFIN: I do always watch my work, but 99% of the time, I’m cringing. Weirdly, with First Love, I cringed a lot less, and I don’t really know why. I saw Jim as Jim, rather than as me, for some reason, when I watched it, more so than with other films. What I like doing is watching something back once, and then watching it with friends, so that I can watch them watching it. That’s more fun.
First Love is in theaters and on-demand.