If you're thinking a The Summer I Turned Pretty movie or show prequel featuring Laurel and Susannah's friendship origin story sounds intriguing… well, you're not alone. Jackie Chung, who plays Laurel, and Rachel Blanchard, who plays Susannah, both find the idea exciting — even if there's no real plans yet for a spinoff per Jenny Han.
“I'd love to see how Laurel's Adam became Susannah's Adam,” Chung tells Teen Vogue. Blanchard even has an idea for who could play young Susannah: Maddie Ziegler.
As Laurel and Susannah, these two actors form the bedrock for all the drama and childhood nostalgia that Belly, Conrad, Jeremiah, and Steven go on to experience at Cousins Beach. Their friendship chemistry is crucial; the more self-serious, grounded Laurel is balanced by the effervescent, party-planning Susannah, and vice versa. It’s possible we might even get more backstory in the Summer I Turned Pretty movie.
While in Paris with Teen Vogue, Jackie Chung and Rachel Blanchard shared their reactions to the finale — which they watched live with fans and their fellow cast at Théâtre Marigny — and why they hope more context for Susannah's letters makes into the TSITP movie.
Jackie Chung: Wild.
Rachel Blanchard: It was so fun. I wasn't expecting all the audible commentary, which was amazing.
JC: And the passion.
JC: We don't know anything about the film, so we can just imagine, but I would love it if we could have some flashbacks to that time.
JC: So much of it is in the writing. The scenes in season 2 when [Susannah's] gone are just so… not dark, but heavy, and she's not reaching out to people. And then in this third season, I have some joyful scenes [that] gave me an opportunity to play with the cast, which was really such a gift. It was about bringing more levity to this season and opening up her heart a little more.
RB: In a similar way, it's in the writing. Jenny has such a clear idea of who each character is, and for Susanna, she had a very clear idea of who she is in each given moment, and then it felt like coming home. I've been in situations where you come in periodically and it's an adjustment period, but it just felt very comfortable.
JC: It's also fun that they're flashbacks, because I put on my long hair and we kind of jump into our dynamic, which is fun.
RB: The death scenes, or when I was sick, those were just so sad to shoot. Sometimes you'd come home tired, but then the other ones were fun, then sad again.
RB: I think she would've been really sad to know that this was the result of what they interpreted her wishes to be, because I don't think if she had been around long, I don't think she thought that maybe they were taking it as literally, that you need to end up together at all costs. I think truly she wanted them to all follow their heart and end up either by themselves or with the right person. She may have thought that Jeremiah and Belly were too young to get married, so I think she had a different intention and it got a bit lost in translation.
RB: That definitely happened. When you're young and you go through really intense emotional things, especially a parent dying, you hold onto them in a different way. You don't have the gift of perspective and of being older, so you might think that things that are said are like the law, or you have to sort of misinterpret what the person was telling you. So I think [Belly] was holding on too much to this or too tightly to Susannah's messages, and Susannha would've been heartbroken to know that.
JC: She loves Susannah so much and looked up to her so much. It's like she etched her words in stone and just held them.
RB: I think Susannah forgot that she was so young or that she was taking it so seriously. I think she didn't realize that.
JC: It was so hard because they were so earnest and full of hope, but I feel like Laurel is a realist and a pragmatist, and it's true. You really don't know. You can sort of idealize this version of Susannah, what she would've wanted, but we really don't know, and I think Laurel would think that Susannah would also think it was early. I mean, she'd probably take a different approach than Laurel, but I feel like she knows her well enough that they would probably agree, and so I think she wanted to talk to them, but she wasn't ready to have this full conversation and to have to go there, so it was hard.
RB: Interesting. I wondered if there was love triangle. I would be curious to see that in a prequel.
JC: I'm curious how they all started out too, for sure. I guess it could be parallel in a way.
JC: I just love working with Tom. We joke around a lot, and I think they have known each other a long time. Their families are close, and he is funny, and I think they do butt heads a lot and are at each other's throats, but they technically are one big family, so they do have moments where they can laugh together and enjoy each other's company.
JC: I don't know! It seems like they've kind of gotten into their old roles again and maybe doesn't feel like the right fit, but you never know with Laurel.
JC: Cleveland. I miss Cleveland. Yeah. It'd be funny if he pops back in. Yeah. I might be very busy soon.
JC: Laurel is so excited for Belly to be out in her own and exploring her options in her life and making new friends and taking responsibility, working a job, and doing her studies online, and I think she's really proud of her. Of course, as a parent, she's maybe a little nervous, but I think she's mostly proud that she is doing this on her own, and I feel like Laurel has grown because she's like, “I love you. I'm going to set you free a little bit. I'm going to let you do this on your own. I'm always here for you. You can always call me. I'll always help, but this is your life. You can go live it and own it.”
RB: Just the moments where Susannah says, I feel like she did say “follow your heart” and things like that, but it doesn't just mean Conrad, it can mean follow your heart for whatever makes you happy. I'd like to see that moment where there was misinterpretation or...
JC: I feel like they've gotten to see a lot of growth out of Laurel and a lot of her connections. I do hope that they gather how complicated... all relationships are, messy and complicated, but how, I don't know, when you factor in adult life and children and how that can affect your life and your decisions.
RB: Maybe that's the moment that you see that Susannah wasn't so committed to one outcome. Maybe that's the moment where she liberates Belly in a way. [Also] even though I think the letter was accidentally put in the wrong envelope, I really admired Laurel for not peeking at them.
JC: I know everyone's like, did Laurel switch them on purpose? I'm like, no, No. I didn't do anything.
RB: It would be so mean. I had heard someone say that Susannah wanted Jeremiah to get Conrad's letter, and that would be so incredibly mean.
RB: Well, and also when you're sick, you're literally not thinking clearly when you're dying, actively dying.
JC: They recognize that these are parents who love their children. You never try to hurt them. They're only trying to help.
