Exclusive Interview: Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno, and Sean Kaufman Talk The Summer I Turned Pretty

Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno, and Sean Kaufman are three of the stars of the must-see new series, 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.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Christopher, Gavin, and Sean ahead of the show’s premiere to learn more about The Summer I Turned Pretty and each of their characters.

PC: Gavin, I wanted to start with you first. You’ve said in previous interviews that music plays a big part in how you prepare for different roles. What did you listen to as you stepped into Jeremiah’s shoes?
Gavin: Oh my gosh. The two songs that I listened to during the callback and chemistry read were “Cigarette Daydreams” and “Kilby Girl.” They fit the vibe of Jeremiah so perfectly. Those two songs really got me in the headspace and emotional state to jump into the scene and into the shoes of Jeremiah. Along with some Tyler, the Creator, Taylor Swift, and stuff like that. I would say those two songs really impacted me.

PC: Chris, Conrad is a character who internalizes a lot of what he’s feeling and going through. As an actor, how did you prepare to tackle that?
Chris: I had a lot of time. I found out that I was cast in March. We didn’t start shooting until July. It took me that whole time to be able to love him enough to play him because it’s hard sometimes to justify certain actions when you feel like you’ve grown past that in your own life. I’m like, “Well, I wouldn’t do that.” Then I was like, “I’m not seventeen anymore.” So creating that space was about being able to forgive someone for making a mistake before they learned that it’s a mistake—he’s going through a lot in his life—and to forgive him for being sad.

PC: Sean, one of the benefits of adapting a story into a television series is there’s the opportunity to flesh out these characters. While Steven isn’t a huge focal point in the first two books, he plays a much larger role in this show. What was the collaboration like working with Jenny as you expanded on Steven’s arc?
Sean: It was unbelievably amazing! Props to Jenny because she gave me and the entire creative team the creative liberty and freedom to make choices and figure out who Steven is. Because he’s not really fleshed out as much in the books as he is in the show. It was a measure of both of us figuring out who he is and finding out how he would react in these situations with everything going on. Jenny was absolutely amazing. She was there every day on set, so if I ever had a question or comment about something, she was always there to talk about it, and she was more than willing to.

PC: This is a question for all three of you. When you’re working on a project that’s being adapted from a popular book series, there are going to be comparisons that are made. What’s one characteristic of each of your characters that you wanted to make sure was carried over from the books? What’s something new that you brought to each of them?
Gavin: Wow!

Chris: That’s a great question!

Sean: I know for myself, right away, I wanted to keep that relationship with Steven and Belly intact. That sibling rivalry is surrounded in love. It’s always been that want. I wanted to keep that, and I tried to stay true to that. One thing that I brought was his romantic side. His ability for love in a romantic capacity for another person. That wasn’t really explored in the books, but it is in the show.

Gavin: I love keeping the life-of-the-party energy that Jeremiah has. He’s overly expressive and a goofy kid. I loved that. I loved trying to explore more of the deeper and darker parts of Jeremiah. I don’t think we really get to look into his headspace in book one. I think that you definitely get a taste of that in the first season. Man, it was so much fun exploring the different sides of who Jeremiah is.

Chris: My favorite thing that was carried over from the books, at least for Conrad, was his relationship with Laurel. That’s really important in terms of how he was raised and the person that he is and will continue to be. Those are some of my favorite scenes. There was one that was cut, but they’re still my favorite scenes. Jackie [Chung] is incredible.

As far as bringing something new to Conrad, it’s a beautiful thing to be able to see him change when he’s with Cleveland on the boat. He’s learning and making a friend and has someone to confide in. Cleveland isn’t in the books. In the books, you don’t get to see Conrad go through it. He goes through change, but you don’t really witness it. To see it in the series, it lends some insight to where he’s headed and where he’s been.

Make sure to follow Christopher (Instagram), Gavin (Twitter/Instagram), and Sean (Instagram). Watch The Summer I Turned Pretty today.