Gavin Casalegno Keeps It Chill
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Gavin Casalegno’s first order of business — after introducing himself to everyone in the room — is cueing up SZA and Omar Apollo on his phone. The 23-year-old “The Summer I Turn Pretty” star is in New York for press and has come prepared with a curated playlist.
“Those are my two vibey go-tos [for a] chill photo shoot. I have other playlists for all kinds of things,” he says, pausing the music after his photo shoot to chat about the popular series, which returned for its second season in mid-July and will run through August. “Music’s big for me. I think music is the quickest way to get me in the mood for something. Most times I’m just listening to chill music or worship music; it kind of sets the tone for the day.”
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Music has been a constant for the actor, who’s been consistently on the move for the last few years. “I’m kind of vagabonding right now. Someone who wanders,” says Casalegno, noting that he’s only around the city for a few more days. “I’m based in Texas, but I’ve only spent I think 48 hours home this month. I travel a lot — New York, Miami, L.A., sometimes Europe. I’m kind of bouncing between cities and just living life and enjoying it.”
For several months last year, the actor’s home base was in North Carolina, where he filmed the second season of the teen series. “It’s a small little beach town. And the people are so nice. And the beach is amazing. I thrive there,” he says. “We’ve really developed a family, a good friend group out there while we were working. There’s something just so special about it.”
Casalengo stars as Jeremiah, one of two male leads and primary love interests for the show’s main character, Belly, portrayed by Lola Tung. The second season picks up the summer after the first season, and is centered around the aftermath of a shared loss.
“Jeremiah is undergoing a lot of growth. He went from being kind of a carefree teenager kid, to in season two really maturing. He’s had to handle a lot of really hard things,” Casalegno says. “He really stepped up to the plate and has taken on a big burden of responsibility for his family. And that leads to a whole other array of things.”
Since the first season debuted last summer, Casalengo, whose first job was a Sony commercial that he booked when he was five, has seen his profile within the industry rise with the show’s popularity.
“It’s been crazy. Very rarely can I go to a restaurant without someone having seen the show and enjoying it and talking to me about it. And that’s been so cool, because I’m a people person,” he says. “Getting to meet people from all walks of life, grandparents to four-year-olds…it’s just crazy. It’s really a blessing to meet some cool people that are really big fans of my work.”
Casalegno notes that he’s had to navigate people conflating him with the character he plays on the show, although that’s not always a bad thing. “It’s opened a lot of doors to projects that have similar characters. It’s really opened a lot of opportunities, and I’m grateful for it,” he says, adding that he gravitates toward stories with a positive impact.
“I now have the ability to choose what I’m passionate about, and what I’m passionate about is putting out a good message,” he says. “I want people to feel good at the end of every project that I want to do moving forward, and for them to really think about their lives and their actions.”
While Casalegno describes several yet-to-be-announced projects in the pipeline, it’s very likely that he’ll also return to the beach for a third season of “The Summer I Turned Pretty.” Although not yet confirmed, the show is based on a book trilogy by Jenny Han, and there’s still unfinished business to see play out on screen. The summer’s not over yet.
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