Jackie Chung, Rachel Blanchard, and Kyra Sedgwick portray Laurel, Susannah, and Julia in The Summer I Turned Pretty, which is based on the book series by Jenny Han. All episodes of season 2 are streaming on Prime Video and the show has already been renewed for a third season.
Belly used to count down the days until she could return to Cousins Beach, but with Conrad and Jeremiah fighting over her heart and the return of Susannah’s cancer, she’s not sure summer will ever be the same. When an unexpected visitor threatens the future of Susannah’s beloved house, Belly has to rally the gang to come together—and to decide once and for all where her heart lies.
“I love this idea of portraying somebody who had a different experience in the same house than her sibling,” Sedgwick shared while discussing her new role. “It was just a completely different idea of their childhood and I think that it happens a lot with siblings, and I don’t think you see that a lot.”
“I just feel really lucky that Rachel and I got to portray this beautiful friendship and that I got to do it with Rachel because she’s very easy and fun to work with,” Chung expressed in regard to bringing the relationship between Laurel and Susannah to life. “It is beautiful to see a long-lasting, firm, and strong female friendship that has ups and downs, and that the support and love is constant no matter what.”
Additionally, Blanchard told me what it was like to film that final flashback scene between her character and Belly, explaining, “Sometimes those scenes don’t feel very sad to film, like [when] you’re in them, but that one felt really sad to film. Part of it is having Lola as a scene partner and then, part of it is also knowing that so many people experience this and when you really think about that or saying goodbye to your children, it’s devastating.”
I asked the trio about what they’ve each personally learned from the relationships on the show, this season’s most emotional moments, and their characters’ storylines.
Watch my interview here:
Please note: this interview was done prior to the SAG-AFTRA Strike. In support of the strike, please donate to the Entertainment Community Fund.
