Netflix's adaptation of Emily Henry's People We Meet on Vacation (2026) can't come soon enough (no seriously, I'm counting down the days. Is it January yet? It's no longer a want at this point, it's a need.)
Full of ridiculously exciting adventures and a slow, slow burn, best friends-to-lovers romance, the movie is going to be a real treat for anyone who loves the tropes, and maybe even those who hate it, too. Because casting matters, and there simply aren't enough words to express that Emily Bader and Tom Blyth feel like they were shaken straight out of the book.
While Poppy and Alex are the story's key players, they aren't the only significant characters. The cast is full of some incredible stars, and we're breaking down where you know them from, as well as where to watch their best roles on platforms like Prime Video, Netflix, and more, before the movie comes out.
Emily Bader - My Lady Jane (2024)
Emily Bader is the next it girl—mark my words. She's the one whose face we're going to see more of, and it was obvious how indescribably gifted she is from the moment she steps onto the screen in My Lady Jane. Bader's ability to fool everyone into thinking she actually has an English accent is a skill in and of itself, but the range in which she brings to life complex and nuanced women is where she shines. I'm ready to watch her name go up in lights after People We Meet on Vacation, but we also need to scream about her work as Jane Grey.
The full range of emotions that Bader delivers ensures that the reimagining of history is not only extraordinarily memorable but deeply profound. She gives us something totally new and unique, making the show an incredibly popular series that still has a large following, even while it was unfairly canceled too soon. Bader proves that her ability to embody a character comes from a place of deep understanding. My Lady Jane is perfect for fantasy rom-com lovers, and maybe even the shapeshifter loving girlies.
Tom Blyth - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023)
Tom Blyth already has such an unbelievable filmography that it's a little overwhelming, with shows like Billy the Kid (2022) and the film adaptation of Susan Collins' The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. President Snow isn't an easy character to play when you're following in the footsteps of a legendary actor like the late Donald Sutherland. Yet, every minute that Blyth is on screen, he escapes into the role with astonishing nuance.
As Alex Nilsen, he's about to be quieter, more dorky, and so unbelievably charming that I don't think any of us are ready to see Blyth in this kind of a role (I'm already emo thinking about it.) A top-tier book boyfriend, and he's about to come to life by an actor whose single expressions hold a thousand words. To truly get a sense of how impeccable his range is, watching The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes might be a riveting contrast to how he'll be in Emily Henry's world.
Jameela Jamil - The Good Place (2016-2020)
Jameela Jamil has done quite a bit in the last few years (most notably advocating for body positivity on social media), but for many of us, she'll also always be Tahani Al-Jamil from The Good Place. A near-perfect show full of perfectly complex characters, and for fans of the latest rom-com, Eternity (2025). Jamil masterfully gave us a nuanced, heartfelt character who managed to go from someone we were slightly suspicious of to one we adored deeply by the end.
So much of the reason Tahani is as loved is in large part because of how Jamil ensured that she'd never be one-dimensional. It was always easy for her to come across that way, yet through careful choices and excellent writing, she ensures that she's layered instead. Swapna is a big name in People We Meet on Vacation, and though she's Poppy's no-nonsense boss, casting Jamil easily gives her a lot more nuance than we've gotten in the books, so there's a good chance we can appreciate and understand her even more.
Miles Heizer - Boots (2025-present)
From Parenthood (2010) to the recently released Boots, Miles Heizer is another actor whose face you've likely seen around in a few lovely properties. But this year, Boots has gained favorable reviews and is one of the best shows that has aired as a brilliant showcase of a character-driven drama that thoughtfully explores surviving a flawed system and making concrete changes.
He'll be playing Alex's brother David in People We Meet on Vacation, the character whose wedding is the location of some of the most prominent book scenes. Here, Heizer's character is also a gay man, which allows him to continue to embody LGBTQ+ roles with thoughtful care and nuance, making each of them memorable in monumental ways. If you loved Boots and want something that'll ensure a happy ending, don't miss his portrayal of David.
Molly Shannon - Saturday Night Live (1975-present)
Countless actors and actresses from Saturday Night Live have had such a large career throughout the years that it's nearly impossible to pin down a single role where viewers might know them best from. Funnily, to me, Molly Shannon is all Christmas because of her role as Betty Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) and Eve from Serendipity (2001)—two movies I watch religiously around the holidays.
But Shannon's career is so big that you likely know her from Saturday Night Live. And if nothing else, her fantastic body of work there tells us that she's an actress capable of tremendous comedy and range, which is important for the role of Poppy's mother, Wanda. We don't get too much of Poppy's parents in the book, so the fact that we have someone like Shannon for the movie likely signals that whatever we see of her will be undoubtedly hilarious.
Alice Lee - Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (2020-2021)
I think about Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist at least once a day for its brilliant depiction of grief and its equally stunning inclusion of multi-faceted, nuanced characters with actors that each had ample room to shine. It's a gorgeously unique must-watch series for musical theater fans. There, Alice Lee plays Emily (there are a lot of Emilys in this list), and she delivers one of the most unforgettable moments in an episode titled "Zoey's Extraordinary Mystery."
A main character's best friend isn't just a secondary character, despite how often rom-coms from the past attempted to touch on dated tropes, but in many ways, she's so much more. In the book, there aren't many people who really get Poppy the way that Rachel does, and knowing how much Lee is capable of delivering, I have a feeling she's going to surprise us the most by making the book character even more memorable.
Alan Ruck - Succession (2018-2023)
From Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) to Succession, like Molly Shannon, it's impossible to pinpoint exactly what role you know Alan Ruck from because the chances are that you've seen him in plenty. But considering how revered Succession was and how it's one of the greatest shows of the last decade, there's a good chance that, for a while, many people will ironically remember him as the forgettable Roy brother. After all, his wedding episode does result in one of the best episodes in the show's run, so there's also that.
Like Shannon, it's going to be so fascinating to see him as one of Poppy's parents, and how we'll touch on their involvement in the short period of time is undoubtedly going to be rich because of Ruck's ability to ensure that every role he plays is different from the one before. Most importantly, I personally can't wait for his interactions with Blyth's Alex.
Lucien Laviscount - Emily in Paris (2020-present)
Lucien Laviscount is so charming that only an actor like him can make Trey from People We Meet on Vacation endearing. He's the other guy, we aren't supposed to be rooting for him. But with how great Laviscount is at portraying Alfie in Netflix's Emily in Paris, there's a good chance that we'll get to see some more layers to the character based on Laviscount's abilities as an actor.
In some ways, Poppy and Emily are a bit similar, and while there's a lot more drama in Emily in Paris, it's still a fun show to dive into for its romantic relationships and friendships. It can be a delightfully fun series to binge, especially since there's a different setting that takes an American to Europe. Courtesy of author Emily Henry, we know that we'll be spending more time in Barcelona than in Palm Springs, so it can be a nice escape to watch another property airing elsewhere.
