Exclusive Interview: Sean Kaufman Talks The Summer I Turned Pretty, Steven’s Journey, and Season 2

Sean Kaufman is one of the breakout stars of 2022. This year, he blew audiences away with his nuanced performance in a little show you may have heard of called The Summer I Turned Pretty.

Based on the New York Times bestselling book by Jenny Han, The Summer I Turned Pretty is a multigenerational drama that hinges on a love triangle between one girl and two brothers, the ever-evolving relationship between mothers and their children, and the enduring power of strong female friendship. It is a coming-of-age story about first love, first heartbreak, and the magic of that one perfect summer. Sean shines as Steven Conklin, the protagonist’s protective brother whose journey in Season 1 finds him transitioning from boy to man.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Sean about The Summer I Turned Pretty, growing with his character, and what he’s most excited to explore in Season 2.

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting and storytelling?
Sean: In seventh grade, I had a crush on this girl. She wanted to be in the musical in middle school, which was Fame Jr. I was like, “That’s a good excuse to spend a lot of time with her. I’ll be part of the musical as well.” I auditioned for it. I was really excited to spend time with her and be part of it. Then I ended up getting one of the leads in it. I was like, “Ah, snap. This is way too much work.” But I think that was the first time that I realized, “Wait a minute. I like being on stage. I like forming these characters.”

My love for storytelling came a lot later. It wasn’t until college. I started reading these beautiful plays and watching these beautiful movies and really understanding the impact that actors and storytellers can have on this world, not only in affecting and changing it but in creating this relatability. It’s a safe place for people. That was my introduction to new literature. It built this fire inside of me. I was like, “Oh man, wow. I really want to do this.”

PC: You’re one of the stars of The Summer I Turned Pretty. The series has been incredibly well received. What do you think is resonating most with audiences?
Sean: I think it’s because it’s a coming-of-age story but in a much more realistic sense. A lot of times YA shows can be very light and fluffy. Jenny [Han] and the whole team made this a real show. The most beautiful part is that all of our characters, especially the younger characters, are all flawed—everybody from Belly to Jeremiah to Conrad to Steven. Everybody makes mistakes. That’s so beautiful to me. Because as a kid, it means a lot to see these characters on screen who are your age making mistakes. I made so many. You will continue to make mistakes your entire life. It doesn’t stop. It’s not about how you fall—it’s about how you get up.

PC: How did you celebrate the news that you landed the role? Was there a point during the filming process where you realized you were all creating something really special?
Sean: When I got the role, I was in college. I was moving out my junior year. The semester had ended, so I was ready to go back home. I was in my apartment alone because my roommate was getting a U-Haul to move us out. [laughs] I remember I got the call and I freaked out. It was the most gorgeous spring day and everything fell into place. It felt perfect. I freaked out. I had to take a moment for myself and go outside. I laid on some grass and stared at the sky. I was like, “Yo. This is happening. This is crazy.”

From the jump, we had an idea of how special this was. Throughout the course of filming, every little thing that happened added to it. Our connection as a cast added to the feeling that this was something special. The waiting game is so crazy though. We finished shooting and had to wait a whole year until it came out. I remember spending that whole year thinking, “Ah, man, are we crazy? Is this as special as it was to us? Did we just make something that wasn’t special?” [laughs] Then it came out, and the fan response has been amazing. It really seems to resonate with people. It was a big exhale for us that we weren’t crazy. This is something special. We put so much work into it.

PC: That sibling rivalry between Steven and Belly is so present in the book as well as in the series. How did you and Lola [Tung] build that bond and relationship?
Sean: We hung out a lot. That was pretty much it. Whenever we were not on set together, we were hanging out off set together. We were getting donuts, sneaking into places, and causing trouble. [laughs] For Lola and me, it was very, very important to get that sibling relationship right. I have a younger sister myself. I know what that was like for me with my sister, but I also understood that Steven and Belly aren’t my real-life sister and me. We leaped into each other’s arms wholeheartedly. We were willing to give and receive.

PC: When you’re adapting a popular book series for the screen, it creates the opportunity for you to flesh out these characters. We’re getting to see Steven’s romantic side, which is touched upon less in the book. What was it like working with Jenny and Minnie [Mills] as you brought that dynamic to life?
Sean: It was so awesome. Jenny and Minnie are amazing. Minnie made every single scene I did with her so easy. It was a piece of cake with her. She gave me so much to work with. It made my job so much easier. We became really, really close friends as well. It was super, super lovely to be so close with her in real life.

I’ve said this in the past, but Jenny made everything spectacular. She gave me so much creative freedom with Steven. I think because he’s not in the book very much, that allowed me to create this new character with her. She wrote this new storyline. She made it clear what she wanted but then also gave me free rein to do what I wanted.

PC: This is the longest that you’ve lived with a character. Has anything surprised you about the experience? What’s been the biggest takeaway thus far?
Sean: I guess how much things can bleed into life outside of being on set. When you’re doing day player or recurring guest roles, you’re able to shrug it off at the end of the day. With Steven, I lived with this character for four months. I know that I get to go back to him at a different point in my life. That’s so wonderful. I know that as I grow, he will grow. He will be in a different place strictly because I will be in a different place in my life. That’s beautiful because I know that everything that happens in my life as Sean will affect the character.

PC: Great answer. This industry has made slow progress in terms of diversities, but shows and stories like The Summer I Turned Pretty are bringing much-needed representation on screen. What has it meant to you to be a part of a project that’s pushing these inclusive storylines forward?
Sean: It’s meant the world to me. Man, it really has. I go back to this a lot, but Steven Yeun in The Walking Dead was the first time that I ever saw an Asian face on American television. That was crazy because he’s not even Japanese. I’m Japanese. But it was the fact that there was someone up there who looked like me. I was like, “This is something that’s possible.” That’s something that Lola, Jackie [Chung], Minnie, Jenny, and I have tried to push across. We want to push across Asian American faces on screen to any young person who is watching at home so they can be like, “I can be an actor.” That’s something beautiful that we try to offer.

PC: Jenny threw a lot at Steven in Season 1, from new relationships to touching upon themes like gambling addiction and discrimination in the workplace. As an actor, how rewarding is it to know that your showrunner trusts you with these heavy topics? Did you feel any nerves bringing those storylines to life?
Sean: Absolutely. There were nerves because those thoughts creep into your head. You want to do it right. You know how important these issues are. If you’re not doing it justice, that’s such a weight that you have to carry. But I got over it. When it comes time for them to say “action,” you just have to put yourself in those circumstances. I can’t speak for everyone, but I feel like a lot of Asian Americans that I’ve talked to have experienced some racial injustice in the workplace, whether it’s microaggressions or physical or verbal attacks. That’s something that I’ve experienced in my real life, so it was interesting that I built that pressure for myself. I realized, “Wait, this has happened to me in real life. I don’t have to pull from some other place to make it feel real. I just have to take my experience and put it on screen.” I appreciate Jenny writing that storyline and trusting me to do it. It means a lot.

PC: You did such a fantastic job throughout the series. With Season 1 now out on Amazon Prime video, what were your favorite scenes to film? What were the most challenging?
Sean: The most challenging was the scene at the very end. It’s Lola, Jackie, and me. We’re embracing each other and crying. That was the most difficult because it was the first time I’d ever put myself in that kind of setting on camera. I remember that day the prep was very, very, very intense. The crew was amazing. They gave us our space. They gave us a room where we were shooting and said, “We won’t bother you. Do your thing.” That meant the world because that was the hardest day of filming. I remember I finished filming and it was still there. A lot of actors talk about the fact that you need to hang up the coat after you finish a scene. That was definitely one where I was like, “I can’t take that coat off. It’s still wrapped around me.” On the van ride back to base camp and home, I was like, “I need to have a drink or something.” I need something to get out of it. That was the most challenging.

My favorite scene to film is a very small scene in Episode 4 with Gavin and me on the beach. It was this master shot with just the two of us. That was my favorite scene because the sun was setting. It was gorgeous. I was just acting on this beach with Gavin in front of this sunset. It was amazing. He’s amazing. He made that scene so fun. It was one of the scenes that I felt like everyone has had at some point—where you’re having a conversation with a friend and you’re like, “This could be a movie or TV show.”

PC: You touched upon this already a little bit earlier, but the series has already been picked up for a second season. Congratulations, by the way. As you prepare to step back into Steven’s shoes, what are you most excited for?
Sean: Thank you. I’m excited to see how much he’s grown and will grow. His journey in Season 1 was him going from a boy to a man and figuring himself out. That never stops. I’m still trying to figure myself out at 22. People are still trying to figure themselves out at 50. That never stops. But you know that he’s made progress and he’s learned and grown. Going into Season 2, I’m very excited to see if he continues that process. It’s going to be exciting. He’s not in Book 2 very much. Jenny and I have had conversations about his story. It’s really like writing a new character because he’s not in it. There’s so much creative freedom for the writing team and I’m excited.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Sean: The Boys.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Sean: The Grand Budapest Hotel.

PC: Favorite book?
Sean: Minnie Mills gave me this book called The Sunflower. It’s a story about a Holocaust survivor who was brought to the deathbed of a Nazi soldier and basically was asked for forgiveness from this Nazi soldier. It’s a real story too.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Sean: August: Osage County and Long Day’s Journey into Night. I love good American family dramas. And for musicals, it has to be In the Heights.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Sean: Taylor Swift.

PC: Dream role?
Sean: That’s such a good question. I want to originate a role. I would also love to be in a movie where I’m the lead and it’s heavy on the drama.

To keep up with Sean, follow him on Instagram. Watch The Summer I Turned Pretty today.

Photo Credit: Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Prime Video