The talented Jackie Chung, best known for her role as Laurel in the hit Amazon series The Summer I Turned Pretty, returns as the beloved, steadfast mother of Belly and Steven in the highly anticipated third and final season. Premiering July 16 on Prime Video, the show's return is a major moment for fans—but for Chung, saying goodbye is "bittersweet."
Congrats on everything. The Summer I Turned Pretty is a huge hit. How does it feel to be part of something that's so loved?
"Oh, it feels so lovely. I feel like I meet fans around the world, and they're always just so excited and positive and passionate. It's really lovely to see."
And now we are at the start of the final season. How does that come with feelings of letting go, while also having this huge release coming out?
"Honestly, I'm excited to watch the whole thing with everyone and feel all the feelings. [laughs] Because I've been seeing my cast as we've been doing prep and revisiting the characters. It's been really lovely. I don't feel like I'm letting anyone go yet. It's really after the dust has settled. Probably after the last episode, when you realize, 'Oh, okay, I don't need to go back to the beach and film something else.' I'm going to see how I feel when the last episode airs."
You've been doing the press circuit and the glam that comes with that. Is that a fun part of the job for you, to get in the hair and makeup?
"Oh, yes. I think it's super fun. I love getting dressed up, but I'm very casual in my day-to-day life. I have two kids, so I never wear white! I pretty much avoid anything that can get dirty. When I go out with friends, I wear so much jewelry because I don't wear it every day. [laughs] It's been lovely having a team to do my hair and my makeup because it's not something I do in my everyday life."
Are there any products that you used on set the you like? The things that you rely on to take you from work back to your normal life?
"A good makeup remover is key! When we're filming, it's long days with a lot of makeup on your face. I generally don't wear any makeup, so I like to wash it all away when the day is done."
I'm assuming they are pretty good about sunscreen on set since you are filming on the beach?
"Oh, yes! We always have sunscreen on. Always. You also don't want to be one color at the start of the season and then a few shades darker by the end."
That makes sense. Do you have anything else that you're looking forward to this summer?
"I'm just looking forward to spending good time with my family. We're trying to get a trip somewhere. This is unrelated, but we're waiting and seeing because my dog is sick, so we haven't made any plans yet. I'm hoping we can travel somewhere. We can drive to bring him maybe for a—I don't want to say one last swim, but yes, spending time with him is a top priority for me."
