{"id":79428,"date":"2026-06-08T16:33:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T16:33:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/79428\/"},"modified":"2026-06-08T16:33:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T16:33:13","slug":"vancouver-actor-stars-in-highly-anticipated-romance-drama-every-year-after","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/79428\/","title":{"rendered":"Vancouver actor stars in highly anticipated romance drama Every Year After"},"content":{"rendered":"

The best-selling novel Every Summer After from Toronto writer Carley Fortune has made it to Prime Video<\/a> as the new\u00a0eight-part series,\u00a0Every Year After<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Filmed in Vancouver<\/a> and Bowen\u00a0Island,\u00a0the\u00a0romantic drama follows Persephone \u201cPercy\u201d Fraser\u00a0(Sadie\u00a0Soverall) and Sam Florek (Matt Cornett). Told across a six-year timeline of summers spent together, the story\u00a0explores their transition from\u00a0inseparable\u00a0childhood\u00a0pals\u00a0to lovers, and the dark secret that\u00a0ended it all.<\/p>\n

Vancouver<\/a>-born actor Joseph Chiu, who now calls Toronto home, plays Jordie Sam\u2019s best friend in the much anticipated series.<\/p>\n

Postmedia caught up with Chiu and asked him all about the new\u00a0series.<\/p>\n

The full series is available June 10 on Prime Video.<\/p>\n

Q: Have you read the original book?\u00a0<\/p>\n

A:\u00a0Yes, I read the book on the flight while preparing for the role. Carley Fortune also signed it for me when she came to visit the set!<\/p>\n

Q: Why do you think the book was such a huge bestseller?\u00a0<\/p>\n

A: I think people connect really deeply to stories about timing, memory, and the versions of ourselves tied to certain places or relationships. Every Summer After captures that feeling of looking back on a specific summer or person and realizing it shaped you permanently. I think there\u2019s also something very hopeful about the story. It asks the question: What if all those years of yearning, regret, and missed timing were actually leading somewhere meaningful?<\/p>\n

Q: Tell us a bit about Jordie. What kind of guy is he?\u00a0<\/p>\n

A:\u00a0Jordie\u2019s somebody who tries hard to keep things light and casual, even when\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0feeling things very deeply underneath. He was this hometown basketball prodigy whose life trajectory changed after an injury, and now he\u2019s back in Barry\u2019s Bay running his family\u2019s motel business while trying to figure out what adulthood looks like when it doesn\u2019t fully match the version you imagined for yourself.<\/p>\n

I love that\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0not the stereotypical brooding romantic lead.\u00a0He\u2019s\u00a0unintentionally funny, surprisingly shy, a terrible liar, loyal to a fault, and honestly a little emotionally chaotic in a way that felt very human to me.<\/p>\n

I always imagined him as the type of person who knows every hidden running route in Barry\u2019s Bay, randomly shows up with ice cream when you\u2019re having a bad day, or calls you at 5 a.m. to go on a hike because he\u2019s trying to process something difficult without fully talking about it yet. When it comes to romantic relationships,\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0the avoidant final boss.<\/p>\n

Q: Jordie has a basketball story that is similar to your own. Did you bring that story to the producers?\u00a0<\/p>\n

A: Originally, Jordie was written as a hockey player with a serious knee injury, but once Amy Harris, our showrunner, learned I played basketball and had suffered a major pec injury myself when I was younger, parts of that naturally started shaping the character.<\/p>\n

There were emotional aspects of Jordie\u2019s story that felt very personal to me. I\u00a0understood\u00a0the identity shift that can happen when something\u00a0you\u2019ve\u00a0built your life around suddenly changes. You start asking yourself bigger questions about confidence, purpose, and self-worth.<\/p>\n

Q: Do the years of being a top-level athlete inform your life as an actor?\u00a0<\/p>\n

A: Absolutely. Sports taught me discipline, consistency, teamwork, and how to perform under pressure. Acting is obviously very different creatively, but there\u2019s still a similar mindset involved \u2014 preparation, trust, repetition, staying present in the moment. I\u2019m\u00a0still\u00a0very involved\u00a0with\u00a0basketball. I\u00a0captain\u00a0a rec league team in Toronto called The Callbacks\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0mostly made up of actors, which is either\u00a0very healthy\u00a0or\u00a0very dangerous\u00a0depending on the week.\u00a0I\u2019m actually answering these questions right now with my leg elevated after suffering a pretty bad ankle sprain during our final pre-season game, so I may officially have to retire from my rec league basketball career.<\/p>\n

Q: When did you decide acting was going to become your focus?\u00a0<\/p>\n

A:\u00a0I was originally studying Economics and Philosophy at the University of Toronto. Acting honestly entered my life a little accidentally. I switched from Philosophy to Drama in my third year just because I\u00a0couldn\u2019t\u00a0stay awake in lectures.<\/p>\n

Once I started doing campus theatre and working on student sets, I became obsessed with the process \u2014 character work, storytelling, collaboration, all of it. By the end of university,\u00a0I\u2019d\u00a0done everything from 12 Angry Men to Grease, Legally Blonde, Spring Awakening, Carrie, Cabaret, and All\u00a0in\u00a0the Timing, and I realized acting was the thing that made me feel the most alive.<\/p>\n

Q: Do you have a spot like Barry\u2019s Bay in your life?\u00a0<\/p>\n

A:\u00a0My Barry\u2019s Bay was Stanley Market in Hong Kong Island during my teens.<\/p>\n

Q: This is a classic love story, so do you have a favourite TV or movie love story?\u00a0<\/p>\n

A:\u00a0As Good as It Gets starring Helen Hunt and Jack Nicholson. I think it beautifully captures the idea of unconditional love, but in a very messy and human way. My favourite scene is when Melvin shows up at his therapist\u2019s office and just yells \u201cHELP!\u201d through the door.<\/p>\n

Q: What did you do for fun when you were not shooting Every Year After?\u00a0<\/p>\n

A:\u00a0I had multiple French onion soups at A La Mode. I played lots of pickup basketball at the YMCA and Kitsilano Beach. Aurora\u00a0(Perrineau)\u00a0and I went to a Chris Cornell tribute concert. I watched the Jeff Buckley documentary\u00a0at\u00a0VIFF. I made Matt\u00a0(Cornett)\u00a0try\u00a0octopus\u00a0balls. I have\u00a0a great video\u00a0clip of Michael\u00a0(Bradway)\u00a0swinging at an exploding golf ball. Sadie\u00a0(Soverall)\u00a0is really good at headstands in hot yoga. Abbey\u00a0(Cowen)\u00a0and I jammed on the guitar.<\/p>\n

Q: Do you have some favourite Bowen Island or Vancouver hangouts you like to frequent?\u00a0<\/p>\n

A:\u00a0There\u2019s\u00a0a magic\/prank shop on Granville Island called\u00a0Clownin\u00a0Around that I always visit when\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0in town.<\/p>\n

Q: What are you working on these days?\u00a0<\/p>\n

A:\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0working on decorating my apartment. I left my bike out on the balcony during the\u00a0winter\u00a0so I need to go fix that. I also have a Blumhouse project coming out later this year that\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0really excited about.<\/p>\n

Q: According to your bio, you have lived all around the world. Where is your favourite place to live and why?\u00a0<\/p>\n

A:\u00a0Wellington, New Zealand.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0where my\u00a0grandmother\u00a0Virginia\u00a0lived.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0peaceful in a way\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0hard to describe. I want to live next to a massive tree and get better at surfing.<\/p>\n

Looking for more titles to add to your 2026 viewing list? Check out our guide to B.C.-shot movies and shows to watch\u00a0HERE.<\/a><\/p>\n

Dgee@postmedia.com<\/a><\/p>\n

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