Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno, and Sean Kaufman Introduce the Boys of ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ [Interview]

Jenny Han’s latest adaptation, The Summer I Turned Pretty is a coming-of-age series about those perfect summers in between and the ache of young love. 

With any romance comes a cast of swoon-worthy love interests. There’s Steven (Sean Kaufman), Belly’s recently lovestruck brother; Conrad (Christopher Briney), an aloof summer boy Belly has crushed on for years; and his brother Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno), Belly’s close confidant and the beach’s biggest flirt.

During the press junket for The Summer I Turned Pretty, I spoke with Briney, Casalegno, and Kaufman about what sets were a blast to shoot on and what an honor it is to have fans ship their characters.

The series has lots going for it, with stellar chemistry and a knock-out soundtrack, but it’s the sets that capture the essence of this cozy beach town. As for what filming locations were the most fun for the cast to hang out on, each actor had their preference.

“I got to shoot on a boat which was cool. I don’t know if you can beat that,” Briney admitted.

For Casalegno, the show’s more formal festivities at the country club stood out as his favorite. “I’d have to say the debutant scene, the whole ball sequence. I felt like I was in a wedding ceremony or a big celebration, which in reality, it was.”

Watch the full interview with Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno, and Sean Kaufman:

“I’m gonna be honest — the studio,” Kaufman said, bringing attention to the beach house at the heart of this series.

“I mean, I had never been in a studio before, so walking in and seeing an entire house that they had built from living room to kitchen to bedroom. It was so realistic and life-like that it was a dream come true. And it helps you dive into that world as an actor; you’re taken right there,” he explained to nods of agreement.

Briney went on to say the house felt like it had been “plucked out of the books.”

The Summer I Turned Pretty delves into whirlwind romances that can blossom over one summer. In a bid for Belly’s heart, the show also resurrects the trusty teen love triangle, reigniting an age-old query for fans: Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah?

For Briney, there’s a third option we need to consider. “I think people are sleeping on Team Cam,” he said, and Kaufman quickly agreed, “That’s what I’m saying, man!”

“Cam is pretty amazing,” Casalegno confirmed. “It’s hard for us to wrap our heads around the amount of people who are already coming out in favor of teams. I mean, obviously, we’re both a little biased, but it’s just so sweet, and it shows how much people care about the series. There’s no better feeling than when you’re a part of that project and have people supporting it already.”

“We can just hope that people get invested enough to pick a team. I think that’s mostly what I’m hoping for,” Briney concluded.

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The first season of The Summer I Turned Pretty is streaming now on Prime Video. Want even more cast content? Check out our interview with Jenny Han and Lola Tung!

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