Photo by: Francis Hills
We caught up with Morgan Dudley who can be seen playing Robin in Netflix’s rom-com A Tourist’s Guide to Love opposite Rachael Leigh Cook and Scott Ly. Directed by Steven K. Tsuchida (Cobra Kai, In The Dark), the movie premiered on the streaming platform on April 21, and was filmed entirely on location in Vietnam. The film’s logline reads: “After an unexpected breakup, a travel executive (Rachael Leigh Cook) accepts an assignment to go undercover and learn about the tourist industry in Vietnam. Along the way she finds adventure and romance with her Vietnamese expat tour guide (Scott Ly) when they decide to reroute the tour bus in order to explore life and love off the beaten path.”
A Tourist’s Guide to Love also stars Missi Pyle (Galaxy Quest), Ben Feldman (Superstore), Glynn Sweet (Rosamunde Pilcher), Alexa Povah (The King’s Man), Jacqueline Correa (Graduate), Nondumiso Tembe (Zulu Wedding), Andrew Barth Feldman (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series), Quinn Trúc Trần (My Mr. Wife), and Nsưt Lê Thiện (Blood Moon Party).
Morgan’s upcoming projects include the highly anticipated film The Pocketwatch, a prequel to the popular Descendants franchise. Morgan will play Ella (aka young Cinderella) opposite Brandy Norwood who will be reprising her version of Cinderella.
We asked Morgan all about filming A Tourist’s Guide to Love in Vietnam, working with Rachael Leigh Cook, and more.
Check out our conversation below.
A Tourist’s Guide to Love was filmed in various parts of Vietnam; was this your first time there, and what was that experience like?
Morgan Dudley (MD): It was my first time there, but it was also my first time outside of the U.S! I’d always wanted to travel previously to the film, so traveling throughout Vietnam was really exciting for me. Each of the cities had their own unique charm and learning about them became a hobby during my time there.
Are there other parts of the world you hope to visit one day?
MD: Oh my gosh, I have an endless list of places I’d love to visit. Number one on my mind right now is Morocco, but it changes literally every single day. It’s a goal of mine to see as much of the world as is possible.
How would you describe your character in the film?
MD: I would describe Robin as an opinionated, unapologetic teenage girl who is used to getting things her way. She’s also someone who, to me, is not used to being forced out of her comfort zone, hence her protest of being in Vietnam in the first place. Throughout the movie, however, we get to see her adapt and start to enjoy more about her new environment. That was really fun for me to play with!
What was it like working opposite Rachael Leigh Cook?
MD: Rachael was such an awesome mentor! I had already heard great things about her and all of it turned out true. She’s incredibly humble and kind as well as a hard worker and talented actress. She really took not only me, but everyone under her wing as the lead of this film.
As an actor, were there any new learning experiences you gained from this film?
MD: I learned a lot about flexibility as an actor with this film! Our director, Steven Tsuchida, for one was great for bouncing ideas off of. There was also a lot of generally new experiences that came with shooting in Vietnam as opposed to shooting in the U.S that kept my mind open throughout!
We will soon see you in Disney’s The Pocketwatch. Are you able to share some of your experiences filming it and the excitement behind it?
MD: Oh my goodness, it was such a fun shoot! There’s so many fun dance numbers and songs and as a cast, we’re like a family! I wish I could share more about it, but just know it’s something you’re not going to want to miss.
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A Tourist’s Guide to Love is streaming on Netflix.
Follow Morgan Dudley: Instagram