‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Panel at the Teen Vogue Summit: Lessons on Love, Growth, and Relationships
With Cast Lola Tung, Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno, and Creator Jenny Han
By Natalie McCarty
At the 21st Annual Teen Vogue Summit, a panel featuring The Summer I Turned Pretty cast members Lola Tung, Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno, and author, creator, and executive producer Jenny Han offered fans a deep dive into the emotional journeys of the characters thus far, the wisdom behind their growth, and a sneak peek at what’s to come in season 3, which is set to drop in 2025.
As the panelists reflected on the complexities of love, loss, and growth, they shared how these themes connect deeply with the audience, offering both catharsis and inspiration for viewers navigating their own lives.
Lola Tung’s Advice to Belly: Communication is Key
For recent Broadway star Lola Tung, her advice to Belly is simple but powerful: “communication is key.”
Reflecting on her character’s journey of self-discovery, Tung emphasizes the importance of honest conversations. “Don’t jump to conclusions,” she would advise her character Belly to do, who often struggles with misunderstandings and the tension that can arise when assumptions take over. Tung stresses that communication is the foundation of trust, especially when it comes to those you love–a lesson she hopes Belly learns in the upcoming season.
Christopher Briney’s Advice to Conrad: Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself
As Conrad, the more introspective of the Fisher brothers, Christopher Briney wants to remind his character—and viewers—that we often make things harder on ourselves than they need to be.
Offering a much-needed message of self-compassion, Briney would say “Don’t be so hard on yourself” to Conrad, who’s character arc delves deeply into the mental toll perfectionism and guilt can take. His character often illustrates how often the biggest struggles aren’t external forces, but the destructive thoughts we harbor inside.
Briney’s approach to Conrad’s emotional depth is rooted in understanding. “The great thing about acting is justifying what the character does, especially when at face value it's difficult to justify,” he shared. Ultimately, Briney hopes that Conrad will learn to ease the pressure he places on himself and recognize that healing often starts with being kinder to our own minds.
Gavin Casalegno’s Advice to Jeremiah: Protect Your Heart, But Don’t Shy Away from Love
When it comes to love, newly married Gavin Casalegno offered his character Jeremiah some heartfelt advice: “Protect your heart, but don’t shy away from loving fully.”
As the eternal optimist and “life of the party” of the show, Jeremiah embodies a deep belief in love and connection; however, Casalegno’s philosophy extends beyond the screen. His message is all about finding a balance: protect your heart from pain, but don’t let past hurt close you off from the potential for genuine and meaningful relationships. Love may be risky, but it’s also where the beauty of life lies.
What the Show Has Taught the Cast
For Lola, playing Belly brought a huge shift in how she reacts to emotional situations. “Learning how you react in emotional situations forces you to grow, and it forces growth for your character,” she reflects. The three years of Belly’s journey in the show mirror a personal evolution for Lola, one that allows her to understand the complexities of handling emotions in real life.
Chris, who portrays Conrad, shared how the show helped him reflect on his own past. “It’s been cathartic for me to look at the way I’ve dealt with things, and to reflect on how I handle situations differently now,” he says. For Chris, playing Conrad allowed him to step into a space where he could confront emotional responses and develop a deeper understanding of personal healing.
Gavin, who plays Jeremiah, noted how the experience gave him a new perspective on love and grief. “It taught me how you grieve, how you comfort others, and how you love people,” he shared, emphasizing how playing Jeremiah challenged him to see relationships in a new light—especially when it comes to supporting those you care about.
Jenny Han: The Importance of Respecting Love
Author Jenny Han offered a poignant perspective on love and relationships, emphasizing the importance of both celebration and respect. “Love should be celebrated and respected,” she affirmed. Through her writing, Han has crafted characters whose romantic journeys are messy, raw, and deeply human. In her view, love, regardless of how it unfolds, deserves respect—an approach that she instills in every narrative she creates.
Reflecting on the complexities of her characters, Han shared, “We’re just with her every step of the way, hopefully having empathy for her and empathy for ourselves in moments where we’ve acted less than perfectly.” She acknowledged the challenge of watching characters, like Belly, navigate painful mistakes and regrets, but highlighted how these experiences are essential for growth—both for the characters and the audience.
For Han, true love isn’t about perfection; it’s about the journey, the missteps, and ultimately, the learning that comes from them.
Lola on Relationships and Representation
Lola Tung shared her deep reflections on the role of relationships in shaping our identities. “All the relationships you have, whether with family, friends, or romantic partners, shape you in different ways,” she explained, underscoring how every connection we form contributes to who we are becoming. For Tung, the journey of understanding the complexity of human relationships is integral to both her personal growth and her portrayal of Belly.
But beyond the influence of relationships, Tung also spoke candidly about a larger cultural issue that has long frustrated her: the way women in the media are often dismissed or not taken seriously. “Usually, women in the world are just taken less seriously,” she noted, referencing the cultural tendency to undervalue female characters’ feelings and experiences. She praised Jenny Han for how she wrote Belly’s emotions, emphasizing, “Belly’s feelings are taken seriously because of the way [Jenny] wrote it.”
In a media landscape where women’s emotional depth is sometimes minimized, The Summer I Turned Pretty stands out by giving its female characters the emotional space and respect they deserve.
Reflecting on her own growth, Tung shared how her time playing Belly has mirrored her own journey from adolescence into adulthood. “I started this process when I was 18 and I’m 22 now, and it’s just been cool because I’ve learned so much from her,” Tung said. “I’m bringing some of myself to her, and I understand that experience of just like teenage girlhood.”
A Show That’s More Than Just a Love Story
At its heart, The Summer I Turned Pretty isn’t merely a love triangle—it’s a profound exploration of growth, healing, and learning to navigate life’s toughest moments. If the panel today at the Teen Vogue Summit taught the audience anything it's that the series delves deep into the emotional landscapes of its characters, embodying the complexities of love, pressure, and self-discovery.
The show is a powerful reminder that the relationships we cultivate—whether with romantic partners, family, or even ourselves—are what truly shape us into the people we’re meant to become.
As Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah continue their journeys, their paths are about more than just love; they are about confronting personal challenges, understanding the intricacies of human connection, and ultimately, becoming the versions of themselves they were always destined to be.
