Adults star Jack Innanen has opened up Paul Baker and Anton’s swoonworthy romance and steamy season finale kiss.
Back in May, TV enthusiasts were finally treated to the hilarious FX comedy created by Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw.
Adults follows five friends – Samir (Malik Elassal), Billie (Lucy Freyer), Issa (Amita Rao), Anton (Owen Thiele), and Paul Baker (Innanen) – as they navigate the chaotic highs and lows of adulthood while living in Queens, New York.
Since its release, the series has garnered widespread acclaim from critics and viewers, with many praising the cast’s chemistry and the show’s unhinged comedic moments.
However, one of the most beloved elements of Adults has been the introduction of Paul Baker and Anton’s adorable romance.
At the start of the series, the two beloved characters share a tight, platonic bond, as Paul Baker is in a relationship with Issa and is a relatively new addition to the group of friends.
However, their friendship slowly takes a turn into romantic territory, with tension building up in the season’s penultimate episode.
In one moment, Anton and Paul Baker almost share a kiss after the former held the latter’s chin and assured him that his moustache was “perfect.”
In another scene, Paul Baker described Anton as “the coolest person” he’s ever met while discussing his life in New York.
FX
The romantic tension reached an all-time high in the season finale after Anton married Paul Baker, who is Canadian, to help him stay in the U.S.
As their friends celebrate the ‘fake‘ wedding, they pressure the pair to kiss to make it official. Though initially hesitant, they ultimately kiss — passionately, shocking Issa, Samir and Billie.
In a recent interview with GQ, Innanen opened up about the beloved Paul Baker and Anton dynamic, revealing that their storyline was “originally supposed to be a lot more.“
“We knew it was going to be Paul Baker and Anton [getting together], but it was originally –– actually, I don’t know how much I can say about that,“ he explained to the publication. “The car scene at the clinic was going to be a lot more as well, and what’s in the finished product is a lot more stripped back.“
FX
The TikTok star went on to say that the cast had no clue about how the season was going to end until the week of shooting, adding that a lot of their moments were backed by “genuine chemistry.”
“The beauty of that was we didn’t actually know we were setting this thing up. It was almost genuine flirting of how these two are figuring each other out as we are figuring out what this means. It wasn’t like, ‘Okay, here you’re going to touch his back, and that’s signalling something for the next episode,” Innanen continued.
When asked about Paul Baker and Anton’s steamy kiss in the season finale, the 26-year-old actor revealed that it was the last scene they all shot and took everyone by surprise.
“I think a lot of those reactions were real. It was amped up, and Owen and I were like, ‘Oh, it’s the day,‘ he recalled.
“I think it was so beautiful how we did it because those feelings are real, like, ‘Oh, this is my friend, but we made out and then we’re in front of our other friends. Even when they called cut, everyone was still like, ‘Whoa.‘ It was so fun.“
FX
While Adults and Panton have continued to gain viral success, the bosses at FX have yet to renew the series for a second season.
Fortunately, Kronengold and Shaw are prepared if the network greenlit’s sophomore entry.
“We’re really hoping there will be. We have so many more stories to tell with these characters. We have fallen madly in love with them and want to see what they look like in relationships and out of, and at work, and navigating new friendships, and friendships falling apart,“ Shaw told Collider in a recent interview.
Check out the best fan reactions to Panton here.
Latest
