Two Years Later’s Phoebe Tonkin on the ordinariness of extraordinary love story

Australian actor Phoebe Tonkin sees a lot of similarities between her new series, Two Years Later, and the classic 1995 romantic drama, Before Sunrise.

“I rewatched the trilogy before we started, tonally, that was definitely a reference point,” she told The Nightly.

For one thing, both titles denote a moment in time, and secondly, the central couple in both projects meet on public transport.

In Before Sunrise, Jesse and Celeste lock eyes on a train from Budapest and then spend one night walking around Vienna, falling in love.

In Two Years Later, that mass transit is a bus. A Brisbane bus route, specifically, in which her character, Emily, and Brendan Thwaites’ character, Ryan, share. Over repeated work commutes, they make eye contact, working their way up to flirting, and then, the world locks down.

COVID interrupts their burgeoning chemistry and for two years, Emily and Ryan don’t see each other as work from home takes over their jobs.

As the city – and the world – reluctantly opens back up and employees are recalled back into offices and communal spaces, Emily and Ryan run into each other. Their lives have changed, they’re not necessarily the same people they were, but can they pick back up where they left off?

It’s an interesting premise for a romantic drama with comedic elements, and over six episodes, Two Years Later, created by Peter Bridges and directed by Emma Freeman, explore how two people in their mid-30s embark on a new connection but with old baggage.

“It was pitched as an anti-rom-com, a romantic drama,” Tonkin said. “It was a unique way of addressing the pandemic without it being a show about Covid. It’s more about how we all dealt with the aftermath of having being in isolation and dealing with loneliness, confusion and anxiety.

“These two characters are both flawed and in their 30s, and they’re coming to this time and this relationship with all the baggage that they come with.

“What this show does really beautifully is it not only explores their relationship but it explores what makes them, them. It also explores their family relationships and the way they were brought up, and what triggers them.

“All of that feeds into how you relate to a partner and especially when you’re getting to know someone romantically.”

For Tonkin, what makes Two Years Later distinct is that it’s actually not a wacky, high-concept romantic story with a thousand twists, time travel or heel-turn reveals. That it is ordinary is what’s extraordinary.

If you think about the billions of people in the world, the fact that two people can meet and fall in love is mind-boggling – and it happens all the time. Tonkin married her partner, Bernard Lagrange, in May last year.

In many ways, Emily and Ryan are like a lot of people you know. Maybe you are them. Each love story is its own thing, but the universality of a romance is what audiences have been drawn to for millennia.

“It’s a unique show, but the stories we’re telling aren’t unique. There are definitely lots of pieces in this show that people can identify with,” Tonkin said.

“I’m always really interested in something extraordinary happening in an ordinary environment. I like the idea of Sliding Doors, that something tiny can happen and it can absolutely change the trajectory of someone’s life.”

Tonkin called Two Years Later a more grounded romantic drama in which the characters don’t always make the best decisions, which is something an audience can more readily relate to. No one wants to watch perfect people.

It’s also a bit of a throwback romance. For all those daters who are sick of apps and technology-enabled “matches”, the idea that you can still meet someone IRL and build that potential chemistry through eye contact and not emojis is perhaps the most romantic prospect of all.

“I hope people meet on buses after this show,” Tonkin said, a smile spreading on her face. “Get inspired to talk to the guy or the girl on their local public transport.

“This era of dating where everything is over apps, there is something really magical (about the in-person meet-cute).

“You never know what could happen if you just go up and talk to someone. Energy is energy and if you feel a connection with someone, what have you got to lose?”

Two Years Later is on Paramount+ from June 4