It took quite a while to find the perfect actors to play Alex and Henry in Prime Video’s new movie, Red, White & Royal Blue.

In a new interview, director Matthew López opened up about the importance of getting the right guys in the roles for the fan loved book turned adaptation.

Keep reading to find out more…

During his chat with The Wrap, Matthew opened up about how it all came together once he had met both Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine.

“I was casting this film, and Alex and Henry specifically, for about five months,” he admits. “It took that long. We saw literally hundreds and hundreds of actors, especially for Alex.”

Matthew said that once he met Taylor and Nicholas, “they instantly popped for me. They captured my attention and they really made a very strong case for themselves as these roles.”

“They both understood these characters implicitly,” he added, saying that they both were perfect for the roles. “That, for me, was the most important thing. The reason I wanted to make this movie was those two characters.”

“I knew that I couldn’t get this wrong,” Matthew says. “I knew that I wasn’t going to find them overnight. I knew that we needed to be patient, and if they were out there, we would find them. There was something really beautiful about the way these two very different types of actors came together to create this partnership. There was a real sense of trust and respect for one another.”

Taylor and Nicholas previously opened up about landing the roles and filming their streamy scenes together.

Find out all the biggest differences between the book and the movie.