The To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before Sequel (based off the book sequel, P.S. I Still Love You) recently cast the adversary for Lara Jean’s heart, and I am so excited about who Netflix chose for the John Ambrose character! Jordan Fisher is not only incredibly cute, but he is super talented and charming. It was a great casting choice for Netflix because they needed a real star to compete with their rising heartthrob, Noah Centineo.
Jordan Fisher started with Disney Channel and landed in Fox’s live production of Grease. He recently scored a top spot in the live rendition of Rent and also the latest Broadway sensation and Tony-winning musical, Hamilton. Fisher is also a very talented dancer who won season 25 of Dancing With the Stars. Fisher even has a promising music career with original songs, such as “Mess,” and he was even featured in Moana’s “You’re Welcome” with Lin Manuel Miranda. He has also received acting credits for the hit horror video game, Until Dawn and for Netflix’s She-Ra. Ariana Grande even gave Fisher a shout out in an interview, calling him her favorite vocalist she knows. If that does not convince you of his talent and range, then I don’t know what will.
Fisher and Lana Candor (who plays Lara Jean) are both trained dancers, which will hopefully be seen in the upcoming sequel. In P.S. I Still Love You, there is a scene where Lara Jean and John Ambrose go to a USO-themed dance. I, for one, would love to see a cute 1940s dance sequence between the two, as it would play to their strengths and allow us to see what I think will be real chemistry between them.
This casting, however, did not come without controversy. Fisher was a recast for this role, as the after-credit scene of the first film shows Jordan Burtchett in the role of John Ambrose. It was hinted that he would not be John in the sequel when the next film was announced. While there has been a lot of positive feedback, some fans are angered with the recasting. Personally, I feel that the negative reception came from fans who wanted John Ambrose to remain as white as he is in the novels. Casting Jordan Fisher, who has both a Polynesian and African-American background, is actually fixing the author’s past mistakes, as Jenny Han was previously criticized for making all of Lara Jean’s crushes white.
As the original John Ambrose, Burtchett did not have much of an acting background to make for a real competition for Lara Jean’s heart. It would not be convincing to have Lara Jean question her romantic connection with Peter Kavinsky (Centineo) if the role went to a model with no acting credit behind him. Jordan Fisher was a smart choice precisely because he is multi-talented, and his ability to act, dance and sing will lead to a more realistic and hard decision to be made within the love triangle that many book readers know will be happening in this upcoming adaptation. John Ambrose in the novel is portrayed as perfect and classic, so it is easy to see why Lara Jean’s feelings were complicated in the novel.
I am not saying that I am no longer rooting for #Covinsky, but I do know it is going to be a tough choice between John Ambrose and Peter Kavinsky in the upcoming sequel for To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. I know that after the first film, everybody was falling in love with Noah Centineo, but I have a feeling that after the sequel, there will be a lot of steam generated for Jordan Fisher as everybody’s new imaginary boyfriend.
Here is a little sample of how talented and amazing Jordan Fisher is: