After a year away from Cousins Beach, it’s finally time to go back. And for Sean Kaufman, who plays Belly’s brother Steven in The Summer I Turned Pretty, that means more positive male bonding and growth.
Not to worry: The complicated love triangle between Conrad, Belly and Jeremiah is alive and well. But Belly isn’t the one dealing with drama and romance in Season 2 — so is Steven. And in-between teasing Belly and planning his future at Princeton, he’s thriving as the heart of the show.
While season 1 was largely steeped in the thrill of crushes and beach bonfires, the second season tackles the complicated emotions that come with grief after Conrad and Jeremiah’s mother Susannah passes away from cancer. The fallout, of course, impacts each of the Conklin and Fisher family members in its own way.
For Steven, that means making some selfish choices, but also becoming a better and more loyal friend. Mostly, he’s just a teenager slowly (but surely) learning from his mistakes. Ahead of the new season, we spoke with Kaufman about the show’s portrayal of male friendships, Steven and Taylor’s dynamic this season and his favorite musical moment this season.
Teen Vogue: Your character Steven is such a fun part of the show — perhaps the heart of it in a lot of ways. How did you first get into acting?
Sean Kaufman: It's a cheesy story. There was a girl who I had a crush on in middle school, as all great stories start with, and she was auditioning for the school musical at the time. And so my little adolescent brain was like, “What would be the best way to get to know her? I'll audition for the school musical so I can get in and spend time with her.” I ended up auditioning and getting one of the leads in it, and through the process of doing it, I was like, "Oh, snap. I really like this." The teacher ended up convincing me to follow up in high school and college. And my love just kind of grew, the more I kept doing it.
TV: The Summer I Turned Pretty was your big break. How did you end up landing that role after having some bit parts here and there?
SK: I just got very lucky. I was in college at the time, and my manager got me the audition. I didn't think too much of it. I knew Jenny Han from To All the Boys I've Loved Before, and I loved the movies, but I was like, "I'm a college kid. I'm not going to get this, so I'll just do it." I'll send it out, it'll go out into the ether, and I'll never hear back from it again. Then I was doing rehearsals for a play at the time in college, and I just remember hearing back and them being like, "Hey, we actually want you to call back for this chemistry read." The process just kept on going, and I was getting more excited and more ready for the eventual disappointment —and then it never happened! I ended up booking it. I ended up having to leave college for it, which was a blessing.
TV: Did you initially audition for Steven or were you interested in one of the other roles on the show?
SK: I went up for Steven right away. I just kind of fell in love with his character. I think he has such a big heart, and I relate to his relationship with Belly a lot, with my own relationship with my younger sister. It really helped me connect and understand the character off of two sides without even getting a script.
TV: Jumping off of that, how much of Steven is your personality?
SK: I mean, I'd like to say not a lot, but probably the realistic answer is a lot. He's a 17-year-old kid, and I think he makes dumb mistakes and learns from them. But I know when I was 17, all I did was make dumb mistakes, mess up and fall on my face over and over again. That's definitely something I can relate to, especially being a teeny bit older now and looking back on it, but I think the main thing was just his relationship with Belly. That brother-sister dynamic, I think, is so important for Steven, and it really is an outlet for him to show how much love he has in him. People maybe without siblings won't understand that when Steven looks at Belly and goes, “Ew,” that's him really saying, “I love you.” It's a weird concept to grasp, and the only reason I understand it is because I have a younger sister myself, and I will sometimes go "Ew," and in reality, I'm just being like, “I love you, you look beautiful.”
TV: Steven has a smaller part in the book than in the show. How much of the book version of him did you incorporate into your role?
SK: I would say, half and half. Because the books are written from Belly's perspective, you only get characters from her perspective. It was really important when Jenny and I sat down and talked about the character, to find [out] how she views him, how Belly views him, and then also, how I view him and what I can bring as, Sean the person, to Steven, the character. There was a lot of stuff that I took from the books — a lot of the same lines, a lot of the banter. That first car scene, I think they're just straight-up lines from the book, which is really, really fun.
TV: How does Steven change in Season 2?
SK: He undergoes a lot of personal growth. It's a good couple of hours of him really digging into his past, reconciling with mistakes that he has previously made and [figuring out] how he can make amends. The new season also presents a lot of new opportunities and challenges for him — stuff that I don't think he's ever been through in his life. Everybody in the show is growing up and leaving certain years behind them, and I think that just presents a whole new set of challenges, as well.
TV: Steven and Taylor are such a fun duo to see banter on-screen. How does the relationship dynamic between them change the season?
SK: It changes in a very, very big way. But there's a lot of stuff that they have to air out between the two of them. I think there's a recognition of like, “Hey, we've [screwed] each other over in the past, how are we able to get past the past?” I just think there's a lot of love between the two of them, whether they know it or they don't. It's just a very exciting time for them to either come together or not. But either way, deal with it together.
TV: What was the most challenging scene to shoot emotionally this season?
SK: My favorite scenes to shoot, were probably with either Chris [Briney] or Rain [Spencer] this year. I didn’t have that much work with Chris in Season 1. I love him as a human being, and I think he's a tremendous actor. And working with him on some very challenging and difficult emotional scenes was just such a joy, like, he's such a joy to work with. He makes my life as an actor, so easy. And Rain is the exact same way where it's like, when we're just bouncing off each other, it feels like there's like no script involved, and we just trust the other person to catch what we're saying and dish it back to us. So without being too specific, and giving away stuff that I would get fired for, it shooting with Rain and Chris probably.
TV: It's interesting you talk about filming with Chris being some of your favorite scenes to shoot. There's a really wonderful theme of vulnerable male friendships and a conversation around mental health this season.
SK: That specific scene, actually, I was going to bring up because that was one of my favorites if not my favorite scenes to shoot this season. Chris and I lived together in a house in Wilmington, and every chance we got, we would sit on our porch like old people, and we would just work on that scene. To the point where on the day, it was so ingrained in us, and we were so ready. And I do think it's very important: Mental health, in general, is just not as commonly talked about as it should be. It's a beautifully-written scene, and it depicts a very healthy male friendship in that sense where Conrad is able to, for maybe one of the first times in the show, open up about this stuff to a fellow friend.
TV: As someone starring in a YA rom-com, I have to ask, are you a rom-com fan yourself?
SK: Yeah, definitely some older ones. The first one that pops to my head is 10 Things I Hate About You. Before I saw The Dark Knight Rises, I saw Heath Ledger and I was like, "Man, you're so gorgeous and so talented." I love that one. Absolutely, classics like Twilight. Who doesn't like Twilight? I feel like you have to be lying to yourself If you don't.
TV: Were you Team Edward or Team Jacob?
SK: I was Team Jacob. I feel like that might get some hate. I just think he was hot. And I was like, "Oh, yeah, I'm team whatever you are Taylor Lautner."
TV: Music is so integral to The Summer I Turned Pretty. What is your favorite musical moment of the series?
SK: My favorite musical moment, without a shred of doubt, was the "Moon River" moment between Steven and Taylor. It is simply my personal favorite needle drop. It's just a beautiful moment highlighted by beautiful camerawork. I think Frank Ocean's cover of it is so gorgeous, and it fits so well.
TV: Beyond The Summer I Turned Pretty, who do you dream of collaborating with?
SK: Oh my god. Oh, I have like such a list: Steven Yeun, Andrew Scott, Mia, Goth Tilda Swinton, Jack O'Connell, LaKeith Stanfield. I mean, I really respect a lot of artists who choose their own path, whether it's to failure or to success, and I think those are all people who are very selective about their filmography.
TV: What are your hopes for Steven's character in Season 3?
SK: I hope he's happy. Steven gets clouded a lot by external, and especially, monetary factors. I think he's very concerned with going to the top college, making the most money, getting the best job. It's a very external-driven life. I really look forward to the day that he can sit on a beach, relax and be happy with where he's at.
