“He’s very different from Harden and that confuses Tessa.”
Dylan Sprouse’s major return to the big screen couldn’t have come in at a better time and now even more fans will get a chance to see him in action as Trevor thanks to Netflix. The big After sequel, After We Collided, is finally available on the streaming giant, which means fans will get the chance to see what happens next in Tessa and Hardin’s relationship. But now that Trevor is in the picture, things are no doubt going to be even more complicated and it’s all thanks to Dylan’s performance as the iconic book character.
In the second part of our interview, Seventeen got the chance to talk to Dylan about Trevor’s past, his complicated love triangle with Tessa and Hardin, and what he really thinks Trevor’s motives are.
17: Obviously, there’s some kind of connection between Trevor and Tessa. What is it like getting involved in this love triangle?
Dylan Sprouse: I think it’s easy to think that someone in this kind of love triangle — if that’s even apt word to describe it — could be seen as a bad guy. But, Trevor’s really not. He’s complicating the issue between Harden and Tessa, but not in a way that’s deliberately malicious. Just by the merit of being himself and who he is, he’s very different from Harden and that confuses Tessa. And that confusion confuses Trevor. That’s a really real take in terms of how these kind of things might play out in real life. I think Trevor does like and have feelings for Tessa and he sees himself a little bit in her too. He is kind of hoping for her to have the best of everything. He’s a very upwardly mobile guy and knows exactly what he wants. I would say he’s pretty mature in that respect. And, and in that regard, he is kind of looking out for Tessa, to a degree but maybe putting his own feelings into it a little too much.
17: The viewers’ idea of Trevor changes when he talks about his sister’s own past and deals with addiction. How was it bringing that to light?
DS: [Director] Roger [Kumble], [Author] Anna [Todd], and I talked about that a little bit on how on that would kind of manifest. I think that it really deepened the character, obviously, for me because having that as his backstory, and having some sort of experience to read his interactions with Tessa, obviously makes their dialogue more complicated and interesting. His interactions with Tessa are really coming from kind of a loving place or really a cautioned place to it. He’s hoping that the same thing doesn’t happen [to Tessa] and, at the same time, I think maybe he’s starting to confuse his allure to her and his protection of her into his feelings for her as well by the end of it.
17: A lot of Trevor and Hardin’s past is really hinted and not seen. Do you think we’ll see more of what happened between them?
DS: I think so. There’s definitely some some sort of complicated past there, in general. But, again, I don’t think it’s necessarily malicious. It’s coming from a place of understanding it with adult eyes and seeing it for what it is. Even towards the end of the movie and the final scene, Trevor doesn’t condemn Tessa and Harden. He’s coming at it from a mature angle and he’s hoping that no one gets hurt in the process. That’s kind of the best you can hope for in Trevor’s position.
17: At the end of the film, Tessa sort of hesitates when she decides whether or not to follow Hardin or stay with Trevor. Do you think there’s something deeper there as well?
DS: One hundred percent. On the surface, it looks like a decision to either secure her job in the future, on one level. But really, this is a decision between what looks right on paper and passion. She decides for the passion in this case, which is something that everyone should personally. That’s something that everyone should try to do in their lives.
17: There are obviously two more films coming. What are your hopes for Trevor in the future?
DS: I don’t know what I’m allowed to say, so I might have to jump over this question and say I’m wanting more.
