Emily Bader says she had to let go of every filter to play Poppy in Netflix’s Ppeople we meet on holiday.
The 29-year-old actress stars in the upcoming adaptation of Emily Henry’s 2021 best-selling novel, opposite Tom Blyth, who plays her longtime best friend Alex.
Speaking at Elle’s Women in Hollywood event on November 17, Bader said she immediately felt connected to Poppy’s chaotic, open-hearted energy.
“There’s a lot of me in Poppy,” she said. “She doesn’t edit herself, and that’s something I’m always working on. She lives fully and authentically, and stepping into that meant removing the insecurity and relying on my director and Tom. I had to be the biggest, loudest, most annoying version of myself, but in a grounded, real way.”
Bader added that their on-screen dynamic felt natural because she and Blyth became good friends off-camera.
“Poppy and Alex are friends above all, and so are we,” she said. “There’s a 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 were shooting on the Costa Brava, swimming on the beach or eating beignets in New Orleans.”
Blyth previously praised Bader’s performance eloquently People in October that she “has that quality where she can go off the rails, and you still fall in love with her,” calling her playful, endearing and perfect for the role.
