The Absence of Tessa in After Everything: A Closer Look

Tessa's Limited Role in After Everything

The After film franchise has been incredibly popular since its 2019 debut, and viewers were quick to notice that one of the key parts to its success, Josephine Langford who played Tessa, was barely present in the final installment, After Everything. The films followed Tessa and Hardin's complicated romantic journey, but this final film took a detour in storyline. Rather than focusing on the couple that dominated the first four movies, After Everything focuses on Hardin attempting to make amends with an ex-girlfriend of his named Natalie, who he was childhood friends with. Hardin leaked her sex tape when they were younger, which caused her to lose her scholarship and have to move to London. The movie chooses to focus on Hardin's personal growth and desire to become a better person, rather than on him and Tessa. The ending of After Everything was satisfying in many ways, as it answered the biggest question of whether or not Tessa and Hardin end up together. However, Tessa's absence cannot be ignored. Though Hardin's complicated backstory was interesting, the After series is built around Tessa, and it felt like a glaring issue that she was not a part of the final movie. Considering how impactful Tessa was to the franchise, it is natural that there is much curiosity surrounding Josephine Langford's unexpected absence.

Hardin looks at his phone in After Everything

Though disappointing given how involved Tessa has been in the After series, her limited role in After Everything makes sense. Tessa has been a central character of the After books and films since their beginning, serving as the main female protagonist. Audiences had the opportunity to see her relationship with Hardin grow and change, which is why it was surprising that her role was so limited in After Everything. Given the storyline, though, it does seem natural that Tessa takes a step back in After Everything and viewers see her much less. This is because After Everything is entirely told from Hardin's perspective, instead of Tessa's. The past films were all either from Tessa's perspective or split between her and Hardin's, which is why viewers saw much more of her. This film is much more focused on Hardin's journey to make amends with someone he hurt in the past. It serves as an opportunity to highlight Hardin's personal growth, rather than one to take another look at Tessa's story.

Tessa wears a red dress and sits on Hardin's lap in After We Collided.

Although Josephine Langford's Tessa is seen significantly less in After Everything than in prior films, she still plays a role within the film. Tessa was in After Everything for about 15 minutes and can be seen during the proposal scene. She is also seen through flashbacks through Hardin's memories, but these scenes utilize old footage from the previous four films. While it was not a significant cameo, it confirms to viewers that Tessa is still a part of Hardin's life (though in a much more limited role than in the books) and that she is doing well.

Josephine Langford as Tessa Young in After We Fell

The Shift in Perspective: After Everything Isn't Based On An Anna Todd Book

Part of the reason for Tessa's limited role in After Everything is because, unlike the previous movies, After Everything is not based on a book by Anna Todd. Todd first wrote the After series on Wattpad, and it started out as fan fiction based on Harry Styles and the band, One Direction. The series was then published by Gallery Books, which is an imprint of Simon & Schuster. The first four books in the After movie series were based on books that Todd wrote and that were published. This was not the case, however, for After Everything. Instead, the story was created later after seeing the movie series' large amount of success. This meant the actors had originally only signed on for four movies rather than five. This most likely played a part in Langford's very diminished role in After Everything and why there was a switch to Hardin's point of view. In an interview with StyleCaster in 2021, Langford expressed that she would only return to the franchise if it made sense and was important. She explained that she does not believe in a character or actor overstaying their welcome and unnecessary returns of characters can harm a franchise. Given this sentiment, it is very possible that Langford chose not to renew her contract and return to the franchise following the conclusion of the fourth movie.

Josephine Langford's Explanation for Her Cameo in After Everything

Although Josephine Langford's Tessa is seen significantly less in After Everything than in prior films, she still plays a role within the film. Tessa was in After Everything for about 15 minutes and can be seen during the proposal scene. She is also seen through flashbacks through Hardin's memories, but these scenes utilize old footage from the previous four films. While it was not a significant cameo, it confirms to viewers that Tessa is still a part of Hardin's life (though in a much more limited role than in the books) and that she is doing well. In an interview with StyleCaster in 2021, Langford expressed that she would only return to the franchise if it made sense and was important. She explained that she does not believe in a character or actor overstaying their welcome and unnecessary returns of characters can harm a franchise. Given this sentiment, it is very possible that Langford chose not to renew her contract and return to the franchise following the conclusion of the fourth movie.