Aaron Taylor-Johnson is revisiting one of his most memorable early roles, and he is standing by the character despite fresh criticism from fans.
While discussing ‘Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging‘ more than 15 years after its release, the actor responded to claims that Robbie Jennings did the wrong thing and explained why he believes viewers simply see the story differently as they grow older.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson Addresses ‘Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging’ Backlash
During an appearance on BBC Radio 1, Aaron Taylor-Johnson looked back at ‘Angus, Thongs and Perfect‘. That’s when the conversation took an unexpected turn when a fan shared that her opinion of Robbie Jennings had changed after rewatching the film as an adult.
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The caller argued that Dave “The Laugh” was wronged in the story. She said, “Dave ‘The Laugh’ (Tommy Bastow) deserved better,” leaving Taylor-Johnson briefly puzzled.
“Dave ‘The Laugh’? Who’s that?” he asked before she reminded him about the character. After hearing that Dave spent much of the movie longing for Georgia Nicholson, the actor simply replied, “Does he? Poor Dave.”
Well, Georgia crushed hard on Robbie and Dave didn’t quite understand her state of mind. To be honest, who can clearly crack the code to teenage behaviors anyway? Robbie also wavered in his feelings, and looking back, many fans find it difficult to love the characters.
The Actor Explains Why People Have Changed Their Mind About Robbie Jennings
The fan then focused on Robbie’s actions in the film. She pointed out that Robbie has a girlfriend for most of the story before eventually ending up with Georgia, even though Dave has feelings for her. She questioned Robbie’s behavior by asking, “What mate takes another guy’s crush?“.
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Taylor-Johnson first joked about his character by saying, “He’s a wrongen‘,” before offering his own theory to the caller, who was also named Georgia. “I almost feel like, Georgia, you didn’t feel like that back in the day. I think you’re lying. I think that you didn’t care for Dave at all, not one bit, when you watched that movie. And now, when you recently watched it, you went ‘aww’ and you just felt sympathetic for poor Dave. And now you’re thinking, ‘Well actually…’“.
The caller admitted that he had a point. She confessed that when she first watched the film, she agreed to “go for the heartthrob” and believed Georgia “made all the right decisions.” Looking back now, however, she sees the story through a very different perspective.
For an underseen 2008 teen film, ‘Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging‘ is still inspiring conversations, with Taylor-Johnson now defending Robbie as fans continue to revisit the character with fresh eyes.
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