ELLE Exclusive: Dove Cameron And Avan Jogia Bring The Heat To '56 Days'

Some interviews are professional. Some are nostalgic. And some sit so squarely at the intersection of both that you spend the first five minutes quietly marveling at the fact that they're happening at all. Sitting across from Dove Cameron and Avan Jogia falls into that third category — two faces many of us grew up watching religiously, feels like the latter. Only this time, they’re not navigating high school crushes or teen angst. They’re leading 56 Days, an erotic thriller on Prime Video, that trades innocence for obsession and simmering romance for something far more diabolical.

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And yes, the chemistry is as electric as everyone says it is.

“Just dogs. Just bros.”

Ciara and Oliver’s relationship in 56 Days moves at breakneck speed — a supermarket meet-cute that spirals into something intense, intimate, and increasingly unsettling. So naturally, I ask Dove: when did she clock that her chemistry with Avan was going to set the screen on fire?

Her answer? Unexpectedly wholesome. “My first impression of Avan was that he was just a chill guy,” she laughs. “We were very much the same. Just dogs. Just bros.” Not exactly the origin story of a torrid thriller romance — and yet, maybe that’s the point. “You were very normal and lovely and grounded,” she tells him. “We just kind of got each other in a way that felt like, ‘I’d be friends with you.’”

That friendship became the scaffolding for everything that followed. Because when you’re filming a show that thrives on intimacy, paranoia, and emotional volatility, you need more than attraction,  you need safety.

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“Everyone keeps telling us our chemistry is insane,” Dove says. “We don’t actually know that to be true.” Avan grins. “But we’re glad you think so.” What they do know is this: trust made it possible. “Feeling really safe and knowing we were buddies was helpful,” Dove explains. “We had each other’s back. We could say, ‘Hey, this is really hard. How can I make this easier for you?’” It’s a quietly powerful insight. The heat works because the foundation is steady. The tension feels real because the actors feel secure.

Acting Is A Sport (Apparently)

If Dove frames their chemistry as friendship-fuelled, Avan frames it as a competitive sport. “Every acting relationship is like tennis,” he says thoughtfully. “You’re just looking for someone who wants to hit the ball back.” Sometimes you get a comfortable rally,  easy, safe, predictable. And sometimes you get a partner who wants to sweat.

“With Dove, it was like — okay, that’s good. But how much further can we take this? How much harder can we try to make it better?”

It’s the difference between coasting and committing. Between playing a scene and excavating it. That hunger shows up in Oliver,  who arrives on screen with a magnetic but faintly menacing energy. There’s an edginess to him, a quiet current running underneath the charm. And instead of softening that edge, Dove meets it head-on.

The result? Scenes that feel less like performance and more like psychological sparring.

From Teen Crushes To Twisted Romance

There’s also something deliciously meta about watching two former youth-culture favourites anchor an erotic crime thriller. For audiences who grew up with them, this evolution feels bold — almost rebellious. Gone are the glossy teen archetypes. In their place: morally murky adults navigating desire, secrecy, and unraveling trust.

And they seem to relish it. When I ask them to describe the show in three words, the answers come quickly. “Devious,” Dove says. “Diabolical,” Avan adds instantly. “And 56 of them,” he quips, unable to resist. Dove considers her final contribution carefully. “Simmering.”

Because 56 Days doesn’t rush its darkness. It builds. It tightens. It lets attraction curdle slowly into something dangerous. The romance doesn’t explode, it stews. And at the centre of it all are two actors who understand that chemistry isn’t just about sparks. It’s about rhythm. Challenge. Safety. A willingness to push each other beyond “good enough.”

What began as “just bros” somehow transformed into one of the most talked-about pairings of the season. Electric? Absolutely. But more importantly — earned.

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