Hero Fiennes Tiffin Explains How His New Romance Movie Is Totally Different From “After”

Hero Fiennes Tiffin has a new romance movie out. The 24-year-old stars alongside Sydney Park in “First Love,” which follows high-school seniors Jim (Tiffin) and Ann (Park) as they fall in love and navigate their impending departure to college. While the storyline may sound similar to Hardin and Tessa’s in the After franchise, which Tiffin is best known for, the actor assures us it’s totally different.

“The scripts initially are so different, but how they’re shot and brought to life is different,” Tiffin tells POPSUGAR. “Jim’s character is so different from Hardin’s character. I feel like they’re on the opposite ends of the spectrum, and that was definitely part of what drew me to doing another romance.”

Jim and Ann are complete opposites. Jim is quiet and mostly keeps to himself, while Ann is a social butterfly and looks forward to all the exciting possibilities that come with going off to college. Despite their different personalities, however, Jim and Ann fall hard for one another. Tiffin was initially reluctant to do another romance film because he wanted to branch out into other genres, but he was intrigued by the “different style of romance” in “First Love.” He explains, “I was slightly worried about doing so many romances because I’d be putting myself in a bit of a box, but I think I did the opposite of that by taking on another romance with such a different style.”

As Jim and Ann navigate their relationship and their own personal journeys, it’s hard not to be reminded of the magic of your first love. Like many couples, they go through a series of ups and downs but eventually find their way back to each other. “People should enjoy reflecting or anticipating being excited about their first love,” Tiffin says of the film’s message. “There is something special if you can make it work with your first love. I feel like it’s going to be really nice for people to reflect on their own past or look forward to their own future, depending where they are.”

And for those who already had their first love and it didn’t work out, Tiffin says watching Jim and Ann’s story play out will hopefully “allow people the confidence to know if it wasn’t meant to be, it wasn’t meant to be.”

Tiffin and Park’s onscreen chemistry is undeniable, which is impressive, considering they met just before they shot their first scene. “I feel like I got to know Ann before I got to know Sydney,” Tiffins says. “And then we had a couple days off, and we met for some food. We are both Scorpios, so I don’t know if that has an effect, but we are really good friends. She’s just so positive to be around on set when I’m usually a bit lost. I’m a bit grumpy, probably hiding it really badly, and she’s just singing a song in her chair, not taking life too seriously – and then they call action, and she delivers every time.”

Next, Tiffin will be stepping into Hardin’s shoes once again for “After Ever Happy,” which premieres on Sept. 7. While Tiffin couldn’t reveal much about the film, he did say, “There’ll be a lot more of the stuff you expect from ‘After’: fireworks, dramatic moments, and all that good stuff – so stay tuned. I really can’t wait for everyone to see that, too.”

Related: Everything to Know About “After Ever Happy,” the Final After Movie

Tiffin is also starring in “Woman King” alongside Lashana Lynch, Viola Davis, John Boyega, Jordan Bolger, and Sheila Atim. The film is set to debut on Sept. 16. “I had such fun filming it. I’ve always said I wanted to work with John Boyega, and I managed to do a scene across from him in that,” Tiffin says. “I think it’s going to be a massive, massive, epic, incredible film.”

“First Love” is out in theatres and available on-demand now.