Valentine’s Day is still a month out, but Sara Waisglass (Ginny & Georgia) and Chase Hudson (Downfalls High) are already feeling the love in Tubi’s new rom-com How to Lose a Popularity Contest.
The charming film, which premieres on the streamer January 16, is the latest addition to Tubi’s new slate of YA originals. A classic tale of rivals-to-lovers and opposites attract, How to Lose a Popularity Contest centers on ice-queen overachiever Ellie (Waisglass), who strikes up an unexpected connection with popular slacker Nate (Hudson) after she convinces him to run for student body presidency as part of an elaborate scheme to win back their exes.
“Love is something everyone can connect to, and it’s so universal,” Waisglass, a lifelong fan of rom-coms, tells The Nerds of Color. “It’s something that songs are inspired by. It’s something that art is inspired by. I think no person falls in love the same way, and so there’s a million ways to tell stories like that.”
“You can really [have] a rom-com in any age bracket,” Hudson chimes in. “Like with Up, you see their whole lives in just that little tidbit scene. You could have anybody, any age, playing romcom [characters] and you’re still gonna feel that love, that connection, and that pain.”
“There’s something so universal about it, and people crave it,” the TikTok star adds.
Written by Kaitlin Reilly and Dorian Keyes, the film was featured as one of 2024’s The Love List “Best Unproduced Romance Scripts.” In addition to Waisglass and Hudson, the cast includes Graham Verchere, Lillian Doucet-Roche, Ecstasia Sanders, Kyra Leroux, Aiden Howard, Jana Morrison, Janelle Beadall, and Sebastien Roberts. As a cool bonus, Tubi also continues to deliver on the Pinoy and queer representation front, with both being featured heavily.
Ahead of the release of How to Lose a Popularity Contest, The Nerds of Color had the chance to chat with Waisglass and Hudson about the lasting appeal of the rom-com genre, their favorite scenes to film together, their favorite YA ships, and more. Check out the full interview below:
How to Lose a Popularity Contest premieres January 16 on Tubi.
