The Summer I Turned Pretty (2022) characters.
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Main Characters
The Conklins Belly Conklin
Isabel Susannah "Belly" Conklin
“For me, everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August”
Portrayed by: Lola Tung
16-year-old Belly is a shy and sweet girl, who doesn't know she's beautiful. She has been in love with family friend Susannah Fisher's oldest son Conrad since she was little, but starts developing feelings for her best friend, Conrad's younger brother, Jeremiah. Belly feels most at home during summers at Susannah's house in Cousins. She loves night swimming at the summer house and is on her school's volleyball team.- Affectionate Nickname: Despite Belly already being a nickname for her given name, Isabel, she is often called 'Bells'. Taylor calls her 'Cinderbelly' sometimes.
- The Baby of the Bunch: How everyone, except Jeremiah, treats Belly in Season 1. As the story starts, Belly is turning 16 and feels a little sheltered and like others treat or see her as a "little kid" too, compounded by her being the youngest of the kids. She wants to have her first kiss and experience life.
- Character Narrator: Belly narrates about the relationship between the families and her thoughts and feelings.
- Childhood Friend Romance: Belly falls in love with both Fisher brothers, whom she's known her whole life.
- Girl Next Door: A protagonist, but very much fits the kind, open, unassuming, wholesome archetype. She is the love interest variety to Jeremiah and Conrad, as they grew up together.
- Nice Girl: Belly is kind and sweet to people and well-liked.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Nobody ever calls her Isabel.
- Race Lift: Belly is white in the books and East Asian on the show.
- Rich Suitor, Poor Suitor: Cam is working class, in contrast to the wealthy Fisher brothers.
- She Is All Grown Up: Where the story starts, the summer when Belly turns 16. Both Susannah and Jeremiah react like this to Belly, although Conrad seems to notice as well.
- Sibling Triangle: Belly falls in love with both Fisher brothers and vice versa, leading to a lot of strife and complications between the Conklins and the Fishers.
- Tomboy: Belly doesn't really dress up and states that boys never notice her, but instead notices her friend, Taylor. After a guy at the Cousins market does, she lets her hair down and puts on lipstick.
Steven Conklin
Steven Conklin
Portrayed by: Sean Kaufman
Steven is an outgoing and popular guy, who works over the summer before his senior year at the ritzy Cousins Beach Club with Jeremiah. Not well-off like the Fishers, Steven is saving for college. He falls for one of the rich girls at the club, Shayla. He is protective of his younger sister, Belly.- Big Man on Campus: Steven is very popular at his high school, as well as being a good student who is the valedictorian.
- Book Smart: Steven is bright and knows it and has aspirations for his future. He does well in school and works for the summer before his senior year to save for college.
- The Charmer: He is smart, attractive, charming, and he knows it. He is very cheeky and often gets away with it.
- Childhood Friends: With Jeremiah and Conrad. They spent every summer together since they were little. In Season 1, Steven and Jeremiah spend the most time together as they work at the country club, and Conrad is distant as he is secretly dealing with his mother's illness. In Season 2, the Fishers cut contact with Steven after their respective fallouts with Belly. When Steven comes to Cousins to be there for them, he only seems to reconnect with Conrad, but no explanation is provided for this.
- Race Lift: Steven is white in the books and East Asian on the show.
- Tall, Dark, and Snarky: The tallest of the boys, with jet-black hair. He has no trouble flirting with and attracting girls. He also often runs his mouth and knows how smart and cute he is.
Laurel Park
Laurel Park
“You know, boys might come and go, but a best friend is once in a lifetime”
Portrayed by: Jackie Chung
Laurel is very structured, practical and organised, sometimes a bit too in her head, which is balanced by her best friend Susannah's wild and daring spirit. She is an author. Laurel is divorced from the father of her children and doesn't seem to have considered him a great love. Their split was amicable.- Adaptation Name Change: Laurel's surname is Dunne in the books. Due to the Conklin family's Race Lift, her name is changed to Park.
- Amicable Exes: With John Conklin, the father of their children. Although Laurel admits to Belly it wasn't a 'fireworks' kind of love for her, and so it may have been inevitable.
- Deadpan Snarker: Laurel always makes dry comments in situations, especially when Belly joins the deb scene to contrast Beck's enthusiasm.
- Most Writers Are Writers: Laurel is an author and her book in Season 2 is even called It's Not Summer Without You, the title of the second book in the trilogy from which the show was adapted.
- Race Lift: Laurel is white in the books and East Asian on the show.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: With Beck. Laurel is the rational, serious, responsible one (blue), while Beck is the emotional, fun-loving, daring one (red).
- Too Upset to Create: In Season 1, Laurel is grieving Susannah's imminent death, as Susannah has cancer again and refuses to suffer through treatment again.
John Conklin
John Conklin
Portrayed by: Colin Ferguson
The Fishers
Conrad Fisher
Conrad Fisher
Portrayed by: Christopher Briney
Conrad is a very stoic and serious guy, who is lauded by everyone around him, notably his dad who openly prefers him to Jeremiah. He is the object of Belly's affection since they were little, but realizes he returns her feelings the summer before he is off to college. Conrad learns about his mother's illness and his father's affair simultaneously and keeps it to himself, while pushing everyone around him away.- Character Shilling: Every character seems to worship the ground Conrad walks on; his dad, while an absent cad, openly prefers Conrad to Jeremiah (whose existence he barely acknowledges); Laurel calls him 'her special guy'; Belly, obviously, has had feelings for him since she was 12; Steven looks up to him as a big brother figure and in Season 2 basically argues that Conrad can do no wrong despite Steven being there to comfort Belly when Conrad broke her heart; Jeremiah, by his own admission, almost felt like he had no choice but to admire his big brother because everyone else was always going on about him.
- Cigarette of Anxiety: In Season 1, Conrad is smoking, which Belly calls him out on as he used to deride it.
- Drowning My Sorrows: In Season 1, Conrad gets drunk at parties to deal with his turmoil.
- His Own Worst Enemy: Things going badly for Conrad are always a result of his inability to communicate his feelings, retreating into himself, and shutting people out. For example, after everyone learns the truth about Susannah and she agrees to try treatment, Conrad doesn't know how to deal with his feelings, which leads to his relationship with Belly ending, and further strains his relationship with his brother.
- Like Father, Like Son: Adam has trouble dealing with or expressing his feelings, which Conrad emulates in his personal life.
- Sour Outside, Sad Inside: Conrad is a jerk to everyone, especially Jeremiah and Belly, as he doesn't know what to do after he learns that his mother has cancer again and that his parents are divorcing because his dad cheated. He feels like the adults are lying to him and it makes him disillusioned. He doesn't tell anyone for the entire summer that he knows, until he gets a panic attack and tells Cleveland.
Jeremiah Fisher
Jeremiah Fisher
Portrayed by: Gavin Casalegno
Jeremiah is a sweet, popular, social butterfly, who can easily charm his way into most hearts. He looks up to his brother, and is always trying to connect with his disinterested father who only cares about Conrad. Jere feels he lives in Conrad's shadow, that everyone expects him to be sunshine always, and no one really sees him. The summer before his senior year, he realizes his feelings for Belly.- Adaptational Sexuality: Jeremiah is bi and makes out with both guys and girls on the show. In the books, he is straight.
- Always Second Best: How Jeremiah feels in comparison to his older brother, because of how their parents, especially their dad, treat them.
- Beneath the Mask: His mother describes him as a "golden retriever" and calls him her sunshine boy, for his warmth, kindness and optimism. Inside, Jere feels he lives in the perpetual shadow of his older brother, whom his parents, Laurel, Steven, and Belly especially, all practically worship and focus on, while nobody sees Jere. Especially with his dad. Belly and Susannah are the only two people Jere feels really see and love him as he is. This is especially sad given Susannah dies, leaving Belly as the only person left who he can rely on.
- Big Man on Campus: Jere is popular, good-looking and inspires some jealousy in Steven because of it. In Season 2, it's mentioned that he was crowned homecoming king in his senior year, which is referred to as having been 'practically a given'.
- The Charmer: Jere is sweet, chivalrous and flirtatious. Pretty much every girl in his vicinity fawns over him.
- Chick Magnet: He always has lots of girls lusting after and crushing on him.
- Mr. Fanservice: Especially in Season 1 where he's pretty much constantly shirtless. It is summer, but still.
- Nice Guy: Jeremiah is friendly to people he meets and cares deeply about others, always trying to make them feel good about themselves and help out.
- The Un-Favourite: Everyone seems to prefer or only pay attention to Conrad and his needs, which leaves Jeremiah with low self-esteem and always feeling like he has to be cheerful to be loved.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: Jeremiah keeps trying to get affection and attention from his father, but his attempts are futile as Adam only cares about Conrad, leaving Jere heartbroken over and over.
Susannah Fisher
Susannah "Beck" Fisher
Portrayed by: Rachel Blanchard
Susannah is a playful, wild and fun-loving person, sometimes too reckless or overdoing, which is balanced by her best friend Laurel's grounded and organised character. She doesn't deal with conflict or negative things well, which has a negative impact on her sons. Susannah divorced her boys' father after he cheated on her and they are not on good terms.- Affectionate Nickname: Laurel calls Susannah by her maiden surname, Beck.
- For Happiness: Deconstructed. Per Laurel, Susannah doesn't want to deal with conflict, and Conrad mentions how she always wants them to be happy. This ends up causing huge issues for her sons, who either try to deal with every problem alone and suffer in silence (Conrad), or always be happy, friendly, and outgoing as to not be a bother while secretly hiding their pain (Jeremiah). In Season 2, after Susannah has died, her older half-sister, Julia, wants to sell the beach house, which is revealed to be a result of the pain Julia suffered because of their dad, which Susannah refused to deal with because she wanted everyone to be happy. This also results in the whole debacle of the beach house almost being sold, which hurts Susannah's sons, all of which could've been avoided if Beck would just deal with conflict.
Adam Fisher
Adam Fisher
Portrayed by: Tom Everett Scott
Adam is the rich father of Conrad and Jeremiah. He is very absent from their lives and plays favourites with his sons (Conrad over Jeremiah) without bothering to get to know them.- Follow in My Footsteps: Adam wanted Conrad to play football like him, which Conrad does until he discovers that Adam cheated on Susannah.
Skye
Skye
Portrayed by: Elsie Fisher
Skye is Jere and Conrad's maternal cousin, whom they haven't seen in a decade. Skye is socially awkward at first, but eventually develops friendships with the group. They are non-binary. Julia
Julia
Portrayed by: Kyra Sedgwick
Julia is the older paternal half-sister of Susannah. She and Susannah have a complicated history.Others
Cleveland Castillo
Cleveland Castillo
Portrayed by: Alfredo Narciso
Cleveland is an author who awkwardly meets Laurel when he overhears her making fun of his perceived superficiality. He is staying in Cousins for the summer. Shayla Wang
Shayla Wang
Portrayed by: Minnie Mills
Shayla is the socialite daughter of rich parents, doing debutante season in Cousins. She and Steven start a relationship.- Fashionista: Shayla cares about fashion design and how she appears. When Steven compliments her on being the best dressed in Cousins, Shayla gestures around in disbelief and says it's not hard to be.
- Nice Girl: Shayla is nice and helpful to others. She helps out Belly on her first day in "deb training".
Taylor Jewel
Taylor Maddison Jewel
Portrayed by: Rain Spencer
Taylor is a popular girl who is Belly's best friend at home. Where Belly is shy, Taylor is outspoken and flirtatious. She speaks her mind and calls it like she sees it.- Belligerent Sexual Tension: In Season 2, she and Steven constantly bicker and insult each other.
- Promoted to Love Interest: In the books, Taylor only appears in Belly's narration of flashbacks as they don't spend time together anymore. In the TV series, Taylor is present and has a lifelong crush on Belly's older brother, Steven.
Recurring Characters
Cam
Cameron "Cam"
Portrayed by: David Iacono
Cam is a sweet and nice guy, who grew up in Cousins. He knows Belly from Latin camp a few years ago and they strike up a romance when they meet again the summer Belly turns 16. Cam is from a working class family and dreams of becoming a Marine Biologist.- Black and Nerdy: Cam introduces himself to Belly with an obscure Latin textbook reference to their 7th grade camp. He has a passion for Marine Biology and wants to provide answers to the mysteries of the ocean.
- Interclass Friendship: With the rich Fishers, as Cam is from a working class family.
- Nice Guy: Cam is a sweet, down-to-earth and kind person, who gets along well with everyone and treats others with respect.
