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Another Simple Favor Director Talks Sean's Changed Role

The director of Another Simple Favor reveals the original plan for Henry Golding's character Sean and why it changed.



Article Summary

  • Director Paul Feig reveals Henry Golding's character Sean had a very different fate in early drafts.
  • Sean returns in Another Simple Favor as a broken man, deeply affected by past betrayals and loss.
  • Henry Golding suggested changing Sean's role, leading to his shocking early death in the sequel.
  • Sean's demise is pivotal, setting chaos in motion for Stephanie and Emily's wild new Capri adventure.

In A Simple Favor (2018), Paul Feig crafted a deliciously twisted thriller, with Henry Golding's Sean Townsend as the charming yet problematic husband caught between Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) and Emily Nelson (Blake Lively). A failed novelist and professor, Sean was oblivious to Emily's sinister secrets—her hidden twin, murders, and insurance scams—making him an unwilling pawn in her and Stephanie Smothers' (Anna Kendrick) twisted game. The film's $97.6 million global success and devoted fanbase paved the way for Another Simple Favor, which just dropped this month via Prime Video. And in this new installment, Sean returns as a shattered man, culminating in a (spoiler warning) unexpected demise that cements his tragic arc. But apparently, that wasn't always the plan.

Another Simple Favor:
Henry Golding stars as 'Sean' in ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon Content Services © 2025 Amazon Content Services LLCfilm,

Another Simple Favor Filmmaker on Sean's Return

Sean's transformation in Another Simple Favor is stark. Once a polished professor, he's now a bitter recluse, resentful after Emily's manipulations and Stephanie's betrayal in the first film. Set five years later, the sequel sees Stephanie attending Emily's Capri wedding to mobster Dante (Michele Morrone), where Sean's unexpected presence sets the stage for his doom. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Feig reveals, "In the first draft of the script, he showed up, but he was just getting pushed around a lot. And when I was talking to Henry, he was like, 'I don't know if I want to do that again.' So, when we came up with the idea that he would be the first victim, he loved it. It felt natural. His life has been destroyed by being with Emily and then getting wrapped up with Stephanie and getting played for the fool. It felt like a real natural progression. Our writers wrote him pretty bitter and mean."

Sean's gruesome murder in a shower, orchestrated by Emily's triplet Charity (also Lively), marks him as the first victim in a chaotic string of events (including more death). So, at least his death helped push the story forward, even if it's not what many were expecting. What are your thoughts on Sean's demise in Another Simple Favor?


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Aedan JuvetAbout Aedan Juvet

A self-proclaimed pop culture aficionado with a passion for all things horror. Words for Cosmopolitan, Screen Rant, MTV News, NME, etc. For pitches, please email aedanjuvet@gmail.com
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