With all those promises that The Summer I Turned Pretty would be different from the books, it should come as no surprise that even the cast didn’t know how the show would end while filming the final season.
During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Sean Kaufman revealed how much he knew about where his character Steven’s story was going in season 3.
“It was definitely open-ended. I had no idea. And Yana Grebenyuk Jenny [Han] likes keeping us all on our toes, which is always fun,” Kaufman, 25, teased. “I was just kind of along for the journey. It’s definitely one where — as an actor — I love to know where I end up so I can see the full arc and know where [my character is] headed.”
Kaufman found it an “interesting challenge” to switch up his approach.
“[It felt like] I don’t know where I am. I think I kind of related that to Steven in the moment where he doesn’t know where he’s at,” he noted. “Especially after the car crash, he actually doesn’t know what the future holds or what the next step is. So I tried to play with that uncertainty in adult life a little more.”
Based on Han’s book series, The Summer I Turned Pretty explores a love triangle between Belly (Lola Tung) and the Fisher brothers: Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno). Following the show’s Prime Video premiere in 2021, viewers have grown attached to other characters — including Belly’s scene-stealing brother (Kaufman).
Fans who read Han’s books have been waiting for We’ll Always Have Summer to be adapted in season 3. The show’s creative team and the cast have hinted, however, that the show isn’t just sticking to its source material.
“I will say Jenny has a lot of surprises. Some of the other actors maybe might not have [their arcs] as mapped out as you think,” Kaufman, whose role on the show was expanded compared to in the books, teased to Us. “You saw in seasons 1 and 2, so many scenes were obviously directly from the books, which is amazing. Fans love that and the writers love it, obviously.”
He continued: “But one thing that Jenny and the writers talked about with Rain [Spencer] and I was that whatever they want and whatever they choose, they can write. So I do think that that’s a beautiful part of Steven’s story.”
Season 3 reintroduced Us to Steven after a significant time jump. After graduating (early!) from Princeton, Steven is still figuring out what he wants to do in his professional life while working for Conrad and Jeremiah’s dad.
“There was a lot of thinking about finally being an adult. In the first season, I was playing 16 years old or 17 years old, and in real life, I was 21. So I was having to take it down a notch. I think that this season being closer to my actual age, I was really allowing myself to think about all that time, because four years is a big time jump,” Kaufman explained to Us. “I was thinking to myself, ‘Well, what happened in those four years for me? Some bad stuff and some sad stuff.’ I just allowed myself to go back to those dark places that often you don’t associate with an innocent child.”
With the character evolution also came different dynamics. Last time the audience saw Steven, he was closer to Conrad and hopeful about his future with love interest Taylor. Fast-forward to season 3, and Steven was closer to Jeremiah while in an off-and-on romance with Taylor.
“I know at the end of season 2, you see Steven and Conrad so close and there’s such a bond there. But I think people kind of forget that season 2 was one week — it all took place in one week and then Steven goes to college,” the actor noted. “And Conrad goes off to California and all this stuff happens. I don’t think that either one of them has bad intentions toward the other.”
Steven and Conrad’s awkward reunion — before the season 3 restaurant scene heard around the world — is meant to represent real friendships.
“It is both their faults because communication is a two-way street. So either one of them, obviously, could have reached out at any point. But I loved that. I loved that scene at the restaurant,” Kaufman recalled. “We haven’t seen each other in four years. Steven doesn’t know what to talk about or how to even with him anymore. I am sure if they hung out a little more, it’d be a little easier. At that point, Steven doesn’t even know that Conrad isn’t going right back to California, so he is like, ‘I’m never going to see this dude again for another couple of years. Why would I try even?’”
The issues don’t stop there for Steven. After putting himself out there with Taylor earlier in the season, Steven was shut down and ended up in a coma following a car crash. Steven woke up days later with a new outlook on life, which started with him giving up on his undefined romance with Taylor — for now.
“He doesn’t know if he is going to live. He thinks he’s going to die and the last thing that he remembers hearing before potentially everything ends is that this girl doesn’t want to be with him,” he pointed out. “To hear that right before you could have potentially died is earth-shattering and life changing. So when he wakes up, he takes a real look in the mirror and thinks about what he wants in life and what he’s been doing and how it’s not shaping toward what the future can hold for him.”
While The Summer I Turned Pretty will likely wrap up everyone’s story by the end of the season, that doesn’t mean there’s not room for more. Amazon executive Vernon Sanders recently walked back possible plans to expand The Summer I Turned Pretty, but some of Us still remain hopeful — especially if that means getting a Steven spinoff.
“There’s always more story to tell. It’s up to Jenny and what she thinks and if she does have more story to tell,” Kaufman teased. “I trust Jenny with all my whole heart. She knows what she’s doing more than anything. But it’s very mixed. I’m glad people want more and I hope that means we’re doing something right.”
For now, Kaufman is looking forward to other projects post-TSITP. He has already filmed a role on season 5 of For All Mankind and in the supernatural horror film Other Mommy.
“The only criteria [for each new project] is it has to be different. So I really liked stepping out of the comfort zone of a YA show and stepping into horror and this VFX world and sci-fi,” he told Us. “It was such a new challenge for me.”
Kaufman isn’t ruling out more romantic roles, though. In response to Us‘ pitch about him leading a rom-com of his own, Kaufman replied, “I would always be down. Never say never. I’d absolutely love that.”
The actor has also been exploring his passion for writing — playwriting, to be more specific — and hopes The Summer I Turned Pretty fans could possibly see the cast reunite in the future on stage.
“[To write something that stars my TSITP costars] would be a big dream of mine. If I could get them, are you kidding me? They probably wouldn’t do it,” he quipped. “I’d have to pay ‘em a lot. Chris is off-Broadway right now. He’s killing it. He’s incredible. Lola’s been on Broadway and Rain is doing these incredible plays in L.A all the time. So if I could get them, I’ll take them.”
The Summer I Turned Pretty airs on Prime Video Wednesdays.
