A little bit obsessed with The Summer I Turned Pretty?
Aren’t we all?
A lot bit obsessed with Gavin Casalegno, who plays Jeremiah Fisher?
You are so not alone.
Check out more The Summer I Turned Pretty on our sister site. But first, see more about this rising star and everything that there is to know about him:
Gavin Casalegno
Gavin blazed onto our screens and into our hearts. Gavin is a talented actor and an instant heartthrob. And through all of his layers of endearing humility, we hope that he knows how much his fans treasure him. It’s only natural that his rapidly growing fanbase wants to learn more about him, his life, and his career.
The Summer I Turned Pretty
Though Gavin began acting as a child actor, most know him for Amazon Prime’s breakout adaptation, “The Summer I Turned Pretty.” The hit series, adapted from the Jenny Han book trilogy of the same name, follows adolescent angst and love triangles. This particular romantic drama sees our lovely protagonist feeling torn between two brothers. Gavin plays one of the brothers, and he’s won over fans through this role as much as his character has won over Belly. (Yes, that’s her nickname)
How old is Gavin?
Whether you were merely curious or just doing some diligent double-checking before making a social media post that you might later regret, that’s a great question. His birthday is September 2, 1999. So, don’t panic; he’s a grown man in his twenties. He was already in his twenties before this show ever began filming. And even older fans, who might see a birth year starting with a “20-” and feel ancient beyond measure, can rest easy.
How tall is Gavin?
Whether you’re looking it up out of curiosity or thirst or to see if a life size cardboard cutout is reasonable or “too much,” we’ve all had this question. Gavin is 6 foot 2 (188 cm if you’re nasty), making him officially in the “tall” category. If you’re one of the cardboard cutout folks, just keep that in mind.
Where is Gavin from?
We all know that The Summer I Turned Pretty films on several gorgeous locations in and around WIlmington, North Carolina. That’s not Gavin’s hometown, however. Gavin hails from Lewisville, Texas. We wouldn’t be surprised to see international demand for his acting chops in the future. For now, though, he is known for working within the US.
And his ancestry?
If the Casalegno surname wasn’t a dead giveaway, Gavin is of Italian descent. In fact, in 2013, a much-younger Gavin tweeted about researching his ancestry. It sounds like some of his ancestors were from the village of Primeglio, which one can find in the Piemonte region. It’s between Turin and Milan, he mentioned, along with his intention to visit one day.
Gavin plays Jeremiah Fisher
His The Summer I Turned Pretty character has a special bond with his brother, Conrad. But both Jeremiah and Conrad end up falling head over heels for Belly … which creates a new tension between them. Nobody wants to tear apart two brothers, so this is an overwhelming position for Belly. Both Conrad’s actor (Christopher Briney) and Gavin deserve major acknowledgment for selling us this complex dynamic.
How old is Jeremiah?
Gavin is, of course, acting out a role. He is not literally Jeremiah in any sense, even if fans do spot some overlap here and there. And he’s not the same age as Jeremiah, who is only 17 when the story begins. Notably, Jeremiah is 25 by the time that the trilogy ends — numerous “pretty summers” later. Since the premiere, fans have expressed hopes that the show will be able to follow the whole story — even with the adaptation’s tweaks.
Speaking of changes from the books
On the Amazon Prime adaptation, Jeremiah is a queer character. We see him in relationships with girls and guys. While such a character could identify as bisexual — among other labels, including the “queer” umbrella — he does not ascribe to any single label. While some fans would love to hear him say the B-word (“bisexual”) on screen after so many years of so many shows dodging around it, not everyone prefers sexuality labels. And that makes it believable for a fictional character, too.
What about Gavin?
Sometimes, viewers conflate an actor’s sexuality with a character’s. Maybe it’s intrusive, or maybe it’s just a nod to how extraordinary an actor really is. Either way, Gavin has not commented on his sexuality or announced a label for himself (not unlike Jeremiah). No one has to, least of all a young actor. He has had at least one long-term girlfriend.
Gavin dated Larsen Thompson for several years
Gavin and Larsen’s photos are still up (and gorgeous) on social media, but they broke up in the summer of 2022. Why they split is entirely their business. Given that their pics are still floating around the internet, we’d have to guess that things were reasonably amicable. Some of Gavin’s fans came on a little too strong when it came to his relationship, but we hope that this was not a factor.
What is Gavin’s current relationship status?
As of about a year after Gavin’s split with Larsen, he appears to be single. Obviously, a lot of actors (and other entertainers, from Twitch streamers to models and more) try to keep relationships under wraps. Most fans are respectful and reasonable (whether they feel envious or not), but a small, vocal minority of stans can just take things too far. If Gavin’s quietly dating without announcing it, we don’t blame him a bit.
Just to highlight something important:
Sometimes, people’s eagerness to do the right thing can miss the mark. Gavin doesn’t have to share Jeremiah’s queerness in order to play the character. He clearly does an extraordinary and very respectful job in the role. And even if Gavin does have more in common with his character, he also doesn’t have to share that with anyone. There are specific nuances to tasteful casting in the acting world, make no mistake. But no role should ever require someone to out themselves to play.
Moving on to another important relationship: friendship
Gavin is close friends in real life with his castmate, Lola Tung. She plays Belly and is the star of the show, the titular “I” in The Summer I Turned Pretty. Sometimes, people lock lips on screen but wouldn’t exchange more than two words when cameras aren’t rolling. Other times, people end up falling for their on-screen love interest. Gavin and Lola didn’t fall into either trap, and have a heartwarming friendship. (Seriously, I cannot get enough of their shared interviews)
This is hardly Gavin’s first role
You may have seen him several years ago without even realizing it. During one of the show’s numerous flashbacks, Gavin played a young Damon Salvatore on The Vampire Diaries’ seventh season. He had the piercing eyes and general youthful good looks to convey a young Ian Somerhalder, but more importantly, he already had the acting skills for the role.
And of course, he’s played other roles
Gavin has appeared on The CW’s apparent hit, “Walker.” He has also acted in films, including “The Unhealer,” “Nine Seconds,” “Noah,” and even played the titular angel in “I Am Gabriel.”
Speaking of which …
Gavin is a pretty outspoken Christian, and it’s not uncommon to see him sharing this across multiple social media platforms. Christianity accounts for about 2.6 billion people’s beliefs worldwide, and roughly 60% of the American population. If you’re guessing someone’s faith, starting with the most common answer is a safe starting point. And in Gavin’s case, you’d be right! Some of his filmography has included specifically Christian projects.
Is that surprising? No
Some fans of Gavin’s work have expressed surprise on social media, because his faith surprised them. On the other side of things, some of his fellow Christians have questioned why he would take on his mainstream acting roles. But the truth is that his religious beliefs and his acting roles are clearly not in conflict. Just because some folks might use their religion as an excuse to be unkind does not mean that all adherents have to do the same. Gavin included. His fans are happy that he’s happy, and he clearly appreciates his fans from all walks of life.