Sebastian Croft takes on the role of Archie Arnold in How to Date Billy Walsh, a British teen romantic comedy about childhood friendship, secret love, jealousy, and the difficult transition from school to adulthood. Released on Prime Video on April 5, 2024, the film follows Archie as he tries to confess his feelings for his best friend, Amelia Brown, only to face an unexpected rival when a charming American student arrives at their school.
Known to many viewers for playing Ben Hope in Netflix’s Heartstopper, Croft explores a different kind of teenage character in this film. Archie is romantic, awkward, imaginative, and often unsure of himself. He genuinely cares about Amelia, but his fear of losing her leads him to make decisions that threaten their friendship.
The story combines familiar romantic comedy elements with exaggerated school situations, embarrassing misunderstandings, and emotional moments. At its center is a question that Archie must eventually face: can someone truly build a relationship with the person they love if they are unwilling to be honest with them?
This article explores Sebastian Croft’s character, Archie’s relationship with Amelia, his rivalry with Billy Walsh, the Love Doctor scheme, and the film’s ending.
What Is How to Date Billy Walsh About?
How to Date Billy Walsh is a 2024 British romantic comedy directed by Alex Sanjiv Pillai and written by Alexander J. Farrell and Greer Ellison. The film stars Sebastian Croft, Charithra Chandran, and Tanner Buchanan in the central roles.
The story takes place at Heathbrook Academy, where Archie Arnold and Amelia Brown have been close friends since childhood. Their families know each other, and the two teenagers have grown up sharing experiences, jokes, and personal moments.
Archie has been in love with Amelia for years, but he has never found the courage to tell her. He worries that revealing his feelings could change their friendship and leave him without the person who matters most to him.
Just when Archie prepares to confess, a new student named Billy Walsh arrives at school. Billy is confident, attractive, and immediately popular with his classmates. Amelia quickly develops a crush on him, leaving Archie feeling that he may lose his chance to be with his best friend.
Rather than speaking honestly, Archie begins interfering with Amelia’s attempts to impress Billy. His increasingly complicated plan drives much of the film’s comedy and creates the central conflict.
Although the movie uses familiar romantic comedy situations, its main story is about a friendship that becomes complicated when one person wants something more than the other.
Who Is Archie Arnold?
Archie Arnold, played by Sebastian Croft, is the central character of How to Date Billy Walsh. His full name is Archibald Richard Randolph Reginald Arnold, and he is portrayed as a wealthy but unpopular schoolboy who has spent much of his life alongside Amelia.
Archie is not presented as the typical confident romantic hero. He is intelligent and imaginative, but he often becomes nervous when he has to express his feelings directly.
He is comfortable joking with Amelia and supporting her through difficult situations. However, when their friendship begins to change, he struggles to deal with emotions he has kept hidden for years.
His personality combines genuine affection with insecurity. He wants Amelia to be happy, but he also wants to be the person she chooses. These two desires become difficult to balance when Billy enters the picture.
One of the interesting aspects of Archie’s character is that he is not always right simply because he is the main character. His feelings are understandable, but some of his actions are selfish and hurtful.
This makes his journey more complicated than a straightforward story about a shy boy winning the girl he loves. Archie must learn that caring about someone does not give him the right to control their decisions.
Sebastian Croft’s Performance as Archie
Sebastian Croft brings an energetic and expressive approach to Archie Arnold. His performance moves between physical comedy, nervous humor, romantic enthusiasm, and moments of emotional vulnerability.
In an interview with AnOther, Croft described Archie as a character who is completely ridiculous at times, lives in his own world, and is nevertheless a romantic at heart. He also explained that Archie gets many things wrong before eventually working out what he really needs to do.
That description captures the contrast at the center of the character. Archie imagines himself as someone who understands love, but his actions frequently show that he has much to learn about relationships.
Croft’s performance relies on the difference between what Archie feels and what he manages to communicate. When he is with Amelia, he often appears comfortable and playful. When he tries to confess his feelings, his confidence disappears.
The physical comedy also plays an important part in the role. Archie finds himself in increasingly embarrassing situations, from failed attempts to impress Amelia to the chaotic events surrounding the school ball.
Croft discussed some of these experiences in interviews, including scenes that involved being covered in cake and hanging upside down from a sports post. He described the production as an experience that required him to commit fully to the comedy.
The role gives Croft an opportunity to combine romantic storytelling with broad comedy, creating a character who can be both frustrating and sympathetic.
Archie’s Relationship With Amelia Brown
Amelia Brown, played by Charithra Chandran, is the person who matters most to Archie. They have been best friends since childhood, and their connection is built on years of shared memories and trust.
Archie has supported Amelia through different stages of her life. He knows her habits, understands her sense of humor, and often recognizes when something is bothering her. Their friendship is comfortable because neither has needed to explain every part of themselves to the other.
However, Archie has developed romantic feelings that Amelia does not initially share. For him, their closeness creates both hope and fear. He believes that they could become a couple, but he is afraid that confessing his love might destroy their friendship.
Amelia, meanwhile, sees Archie as her closest friend. She appreciates his support and enjoys spending time with him, but she does not immediately recognize how deeply he feels about her.
This difference in their expectations creates the emotional foundation of the film.
When Amelia becomes interested in Billy, Archie realizes that the relationship he has imagined for years may never happen. Instead of accepting that Amelia has the right to choose whom she loves, he begins trying to influence her romantic decisions.
The situation becomes painful because Archie and Amelia genuinely care about each other. Their friendship is not fake or meaningless; it is simply affected by feelings that they have not discussed honestly.
For Archie, the challenge is learning to express his love without treating Amelia’s feelings as something he can manage or change.
The Arrival of Billy Walsh
Billy Walsh, played by Tanner Buchanan, is an American transfer student who arrives at Heathbrook Academy and quickly attracts attention.
He is confident, good-looking, and naturally comfortable around other students. His popularity grows quickly, and he becomes a central figure at school, including through his involvement in sports.
Amelia develops an immediate interest in Billy. For the first time, Archie has to watch his best friend become excited about someone else in a romantic way.
Billy is not initially trying to take Amelia away from Archie. He does not know the full extent of Archie’s feelings, and his interest in Amelia develops naturally as they spend time together.
This distinction is important. Billy is not simply a villain who deliberately destroys a friendship. He is another teenager who becomes interested in someone and wants to get to know her.
Archie, however, sees Billy as a threat. Billy has the confidence and popularity that Archie believes he lacks, and his arrival makes Archie’s own insecurities more obvious.
The rivalry also creates some of the film’s funniest moments. Archie compares himself with Billy, becomes frustrated by Billy’s success, and tries to find ways to make himself appear more attractive to Amelia.
Yet the more Archie focuses on defeating Billy, the less attention he pays to what Amelia actually wants.
His rivalry is therefore less about Billy’s behavior and more about Archie’s fear of rejection.
The Love Doctor Plan
One of the central storylines in How to Date Billy Walsh is Archie’s decision to impersonate the Love Doctor, a supposed expert in romantic relationships.
Amelia asks Archie for help with her efforts to attract Billy. Rather than telling her how he feels, Archie uses the opportunity to create a false identity and give her misleading advice.
The plan is intended to make Amelia appear unattractive to Billy and prevent their relationship from developing. Archie hopes that if Billy loses interest, he may still have a chance with Amelia.
The deception creates a series of awkward situations. Amelia trusts the advice she receives, unaware that the person behind it is her closest friend.
Archie’s plan is also increasingly difficult to maintain. Every time he gives Amelia bad advice, he risks damaging her confidence and reputation, as well as the friendship they have built over the years.
The Love Doctor storyline is the main source of the film’s romantic comedy misunderstandings. It allows the movie to create exaggerated situations while showing how far Archie is willing to go because he cannot face an honest conversation.
But the scheme also reveals a serious flaw in his character. Archie believes that he is protecting his chance at love, when in reality he is interfering with Amelia’s ability to make her own choices.
His feelings may be genuine, but his actions are not fair to her.
How the Plan Affects Amelia
As the Love Doctor’s advice begins to influence Amelia, her attempts to impress Billy become increasingly unsuccessful.
She follows suggestions that make her behave in ways that do not reflect her real personality. The situation becomes embarrassing, particularly when her efforts to get Billy’s attention go wrong.
At one point, Amelia’s public apology over the school intercom becomes a significant moment in the story. She shares personal and embarrassing details with the entire school in an attempt to make things right after a misunderstanding.
For Archie, the situation is no longer just a private romantic rivalry. His deception has contributed to Amelia’s humiliation in front of her classmates.
This is where the consequences of his behavior become clearer. Archie wanted to prevent Amelia from becoming involved with Billy, but his actions have caused her distress and damaged her trust.
Meanwhile, Billy and Amelia eventually begin a relationship. Archie’s attempts to separate them have not produced the result he wanted.
The experience forces Archie to confront the fact that his plan has failed. More importantly, it shows him that he cannot build a healthy relationship with Amelia while hiding behind a false identity.
His decision to distance himself from Amelia after she begins dating Billy is another sign of how difficult he finds the situation. He tries to accept that his feelings may remain unreturned, but he has not yet fully addressed the harm caused by his deception.
Archie’s Character Development
Archie’s journey is about more than finding the courage to tell Amelia that he loves her. He must also understand the difference between loving someone and trying to control their life.
At the beginning of the film, Archie is convinced that his long-standing feelings give him a special place in Amelia’s life. Because they have been friends for so long, he believes that he might eventually become her boyfriend if he can find the right moment.
When Billy arrives, that belief is challenged. Archie realizes that Amelia can develop feelings for someone else, even when he has been there for her throughout her life.
His response is initially driven by jealousy. Instead of accepting the situation, he creates the Love Doctor identity and attempts to influence Amelia’s choices.
This decision reveals his immaturity. He wants the rewards of a romantic relationship without taking the emotional risk of being honest.
As the story progresses, Archie begins to understand that his approach has hurt the person he claims to love. His friendship with Amelia is at risk, and he has to accept responsibility for what he has done.
The character’s development is not entirely straightforward. Even when Archie eventually confesses his feelings, the damage caused by the Love Doctor scheme cannot simply disappear.
His final apology matters because it acknowledges that his behavior was wrong. The story presents his growth as a movement away from secrecy and manipulation toward openness and accountability.
The Ending of How to Date Billy Walsh
Spoilers ahead: This section explains the film’s ending.
The final part of How to Date Billy Walsh takes place around the school’s June Ball, where the relationships between Archie, Amelia, and Billy reach their turning point.
After spending time with Billy, Amelia begins to reflect on her feelings for Archie. She realizes that her childhood friendship with him means more to her than she had previously understood.
Rather than attending the ball with Billy, Amelia goes to Archie’s home to tell him how she feels. She wants him to accompany her to the event, and Archie is delighted by the unexpected opportunity.
For a brief moment, it appears that the two friends may finally begin a relationship.
However, Amelia soon discovers that Archie was the person behind the Love Doctor messages. The discovery changes the situation completely. She realizes that her romantic experiences with Billy were affected by someone she trusted.
Amelia is angry and hurt because Archie deliberately misled her. She leaves for the ball without him, making it clear that his confession does not automatically erase the consequences of his actions.
Archie then attempts to reach the ball himself. On his way, he is confronted by members of the swim team, who beat him and leave him hanging upside down from a flagpole.
In an unexpected moment, Billy comes to his aid. Rather than continuing to treat Archie as a rival, Billy encourages him to go after Amelia and tell her the truth.
Billy’s decision is significant because it shows that he is not interested in punishing Archie for the romantic competition. He recognizes that Archie needs to take responsibility and make an honest attempt to repair the damage.
Archie reaches the ball and makes a public speech. He apologizes to Amelia, admits his mistakes, and declares his love for her.
The film ends with Archie and Amelia kissing and beginning to dance together. Billy also moves on, and the story resolves the central love triangle with Archie and Amelia together
The ending is deliberately romantic and exaggerated, in keeping with the film’s comedy style. However, the emotional point is that Archie finally says what he has been hiding throughout the story.
His confession becomes meaningful only after he acknowledges that he has hurt Amelia and must be honest about his behavior.
Main Cast and Characters
The film’s central relationships are supported by a cast that brings together young performers and established British and international actors.
| Actor | Character | Role in the story |
| Sebastian Croft | Archie Arnold | Amelia’s childhood best friend, secretly in love with her |
| Charithra Chandran | Amelia Brown | Archie’s best friend who develops feelings for Billy |
| Tanner Buchanan | Billy Walsh | The popular American transfer student |
| Daisy Jelley | Amber McKenna | A popular student at Heathbrook Academy |
| Lucy Punch | Lilly Arnold | Archie’s mother |
| Tim Downie | George Arnold | Archie’s father |
| Kunal Nayyar | Rupert Brown | Amelia’s father |
The film also features supporting characters who contribute to the school’s social atmosphere and the comic situations surrounding the central romance.
Why the Role Matters in Sebastian Croft’s Career
Sebastian Croft has played a variety of characters in television, film, and theatre. His role as Archie Arnold adds a romantic comedy to a career that includes fantasy, drama, and coming-of-age stories.
Croft is widely recognized for playing Ben Hope in Heartstopper. Ben is a character whose relationships are shaped by insecurity, confusion, and difficulty expressing his feelings. Archie shares some of those emotional struggles, but the two characters are very different in how they approach relationships.
Archie is more openly romantic and often expresses his emotions through exaggerated behavior. His insecurity leads him to create elaborate plans, while Ben’s story in Heartstopper explores a different set of personal and emotional conflicts.
In How to Date Billy Walsh, Croft has to balance humor with the more uncomfortable aspects of Archie’s behavior. The character’s actions are sometimes frustrating, but the performance also shows why Archie struggles to be honest with Amelia.
The role demonstrates Croft’s ability to move between different genres and play a character whose development depends on both comedy and emotional vulnerability.
His work in the film also places him alongside Charithra Chandran and Tanner Buchanan, whose performances help shape the central love triangle.
Frequently Asked Questions
What character does Sebastian Croft play in How to Date Billy Walsh?
Sebastian Croft plays Archie Arnold, a schoolboy who has been in love with his childhood best friend, Amelia Brown, for years.
Who plays Amelia Brown in the film?
Charithra Chandran plays Amelia Brown, Archie’s best friend and the person at the center of the film’s romantic storyline.
Who plays Billy Walsh?
Tanner Buchanan plays Billy Walsh, the American transfer student who becomes Amelia’s love interest and Archie’s romantic rival.
Does Archie end up with Amelia?
Yes. At the end of the film, Archie apologizes to Amelia and confesses his feelings at the school ball. They reconcile and share a kiss.
Where can viewers watch How to Date Billy Walsh?
The film was released on Prime Video on April 5, 2024. Availability may vary by country and streaming service catalogue.
Conclusion
Sebastian Croft’s role in How to Date Billy Walsh centers on a teenager who must learn that love cannot be built on jealousy, secrecy, or manipulation.
Archie Arnold begins the film believing that his long friendship with Amelia gives him a chance at a romantic relationship. When Billy Walsh arrives, his fear of losing Amelia leads him to create the Love Doctor identity and interfere with her decisions.
The plan causes embarrassment, damages trust, and nearly destroys the friendship Archie has valued for years. His eventual confession matters because he finally accepts responsibility and speaks honestly about his feelings.
Croft’s performance combines awkward humor, exaggerated romantic gestures, and emotional vulnerability, making Archie a memorable part of the film’s central story.
Although the ending follows the familiar romantic comedy pattern of bringing the main couple together, Archie’s journey is also about growing up, accepting rejection as a possibility, and understanding that genuine affection requires honesty and respect.
Through this role, Sebastian Croft adds another romantic comedy performance to his filmography while exploring a character whose greatest challenge is not winning a romantic rival, but learning how to be truthful with the person he loves
