Exclusive Interview
‘Off Campus’ Stars Dish on Building Chemistry, Who’s the Best Skater & More (VIDEO)
What To Know
- The Prime Video adaptation of Elle Kennedy’s Off Campus hockey romance series premieres on May 13.
- In addition to romance, it centers on the strong friendships among the “Core Four” hockey teammates.
- Antonio Cipriano (Logan), Stephen Kalyn (Dean), and Jalen Thomas Brooks (Tucker) reveal how they built their on-screen chemistry.
Readers may come to Elle Kennedy’s Off Campus book series for the romance, but they stay for the friendships. Prime Video’s upcoming adaptation will follow Hannah Wells (Ella Bright) and Garrett Graham’s (Belmont Cameli) romance, but we’ll also get to know Garrett’s teammates and best friends. Just like they do in The Deal, Garrett, John Logan (Antonio Cipriano), Dean Di Laurentis (Stephen Kalyn), and John Tucker (Jalen Thomas Brooks) all live under one roof.
Off Campus Season 1, which premieres on May 13, showcases the strong bonds between what fans have dubbed the “Core Four,” since each member has their own book in Kennedy’s series. Swooon caught up with three-fourths of the group — Cipriano, Kalyn, and Brooks — to learn about their process of developing that friendship chemistry. “We did everything [together],” the trio agreed, almost in tandem.
“He actually brushed my teeth sometimes,” Kalyn added, pointing to Cipriano. “That’s how close we got.”
During filming last summer in Vancouver, they spent their free time doing “touristy things,” relaxing at the beach, golfing, and going to bars — they have that last pastime in common with their characters. A two-week hockey camp, though, came first. “So, that was kind of like the first moment for the four of us, at least, to really get that bond as teammates and as actors together, so that was great,” Cipriano said.
Kalyn is the only member of the group with hockey experience, having played the sport growing up. “Watching them all fall on their butts in hockey camp was a really great moment for me to watch,” he said. “A bunch of grown men learning how to skate for the first time. It was probably really humbling for you guys.”
Kalyn added that Cipriano was the best player out of the three newbies, though Brooks “improved quite a bit.” Brooks quipped, “Hockey’s hard.”
What about Cameli, Mr. Garrett Graham himself? Though he “could barely stand upright for the first week,” per Teen Vogue, Cameli claimed to be the fastest out of the four of them by the end of training. While Brooks backed up Cameli during his interview with Swooon, Kalyn had the opposite reaction. “I can’t do this anymore,” Kalyn said. “I’m crushing this. He is not the fastest. He is the worst player by far.”
Fans will get to judge the quartet’s skating for themselves when Off Campus arrives in just under a week. Get excited, and let us know what you’re most looking forward to in the comments section below!
Off Campus, Season 1, May 13, Prime Video
