Exclusive Interview

Hunter Davenport Speaks! Charlie Evans Talks ‘Off Campus’ Finale Twist & Season 2

Carter St. James V can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Because he doesn’t exist.

Off Campus viewers, especially those who’ve read Elle Kennedy’s books, were left too stunned to speak when the Season 1 finale revealed that the mysterious (but very handsome) stranger Allie (Mika Abdalla) hooked up with was none other than the Hunter Davenport, played by Charlie Evans. Yes, that Hunter Davenport from the books, the one who becomes a leading man in The Play.

The Prime Video series, which debuted on May 13, deviated from the source material with Hunter’s introduction and how involved he is in the Allie and Dean (Stephen Kalyn) situationship. There’s also the long-simmering beef between Hunter and Dean that involves Dean’s little sister, Summer. Needless to say, the Hunter Davenport twist was a real barnburner, to put it in hockey terms.

So, what does the surprise man of the moment have to say for his character? Charlie Evans spoke with Swooon about stepping into the role, Hunter’s backstory, whether or not he’s Team Dean, and how Hunter’s going to react once he finds out about Dean’s feelings for Allie.

Swooon: Did you know from the audition that this role was Hunter Davenport? 

Charlie Evans: I didn’t know. No, I went in for Carter St. James V, and I knew he was wealthy. I knew a little bit [that] he played for a rival team, things like that, just vague details. But no, I only found out after I got the job who he actually was.

Swooon: Did you audition for any other Off Campus roles? 

Evans: I went in for just this random guy, and he turned out to be who he was, which was very cool.

Swooon: Were you aware of Elle Kennedy’s books before getting cast? 

Evans: I wasn’t aware, and I haven’t read all of them, but there is quite a big mountain of them to read.

Prime Video

Swooon: Have you read The Play yet? 

Evans: I’m reading it.

Swooon: Have you been told about Hunter’s backstory in the show? 

Evans: Once I found out who he was, I went and did a lot of research on him, and I learned about his history, specifically with the sport. You know, how a lot of his character drama comes from his time in high school with hockey and all of that stuff. It was a cool, cool backstory. He’s a really interesting character.

Swooon: Hunter’s entrance in the show is a shift from the book. There’s this very intense beef between Hunter and Dean, and we know it involves Dean’s sister, Summer, in some way. Is there more to that than meets the eye?

Evans: Well, what I know is that Louisa [Levy] has a pretty stellar layout for Season 2 that she’s ready to shoot, and it’s all about Dean, and it’s all about Dean’s world and Dean’s history, and everyone close to him, and not so close to him, and I’m very excited for people to see that story.

Prime Video

Swooon: In The Score, Hunter and Dean do forge this really great bond. Do you think that’s even possible now, given the Allie twist? 

Evans: I think anything’s possible. I think the way that we’re doing this show, Louisa has very cleverly set up these characters to be malleable and to react to their environments. There’s a lot of topical, beautiful story shifts that she’s made that translate incredibly well on-screen, and that she’s going to continue to make. I mean, she really knows everything about the future of this story and how she wants it to be told, and I’m so grateful to be a part of that because it is comprehensive. I’ve been in those rooms and seen the boards, and they have the books out, and they’re pulling pages, and it’s really impressive.

Swooon: Let’s talk about Episode 7. There’s that moment in the bar between Hunter and Allie, and it’s very subtle, where he tells her that he understands when she says she doesn’t want to hurt anybody with her hookups. Is this a nod to what happened with Summer?

Evans: I really love that scene. And I love Mika. Honestly, she’s such a joy to work with. She’s so funny and so generous. I see that moment as more of a window into Hunter and giving him a chance to kind of show some empathy and take a break from being this aloof, blasé kind of guy, and show that he does have sympathy, and he has the capacity, at least, to be nice when he wants to.

Swooon: At the end of the season, Hunter, thanks to a little call from John Logan, has decided to help save the team. Are you going to be doing the hockey training camp with the guys?

Evans: I already did a whole hockey training camp. We went much more extensive in preparation for Season 2. We went up to Vancouver for a couple weeks, and it was really intense, but such a joy, and obviously, I’m doing it with the best guys in the world, and I am coming in late. They have had time to be on the ice together and bond in that way, but it didn’t feel like I was late at all. The second we all stepped on, we were all on different levels, but still there for each other and still getting tips and helping each other out. It’s such a seemingly insurmountable sport to learn at first, but everyone, the coaches, and the whole Off Campus team, they were very supportive.

Swooon: The best hockey player amongst the cast is a highly contested topic. Who is the best player, in your opinion? 

Evans: Stephen. Stephen knows it’s Stephen. He’s an actual hockey player. He’s crazy on the ice. We’ll definitely get more highlights of that, and he’ll get his chance to show off. I’m excited for that opportunity.

Prime Video

Swooon: Hunter and Allie do have a really fun chemistry. Hunter seems to be pretty happy with keeping this no-strings-attached situation with Allie, but will knowing Allie’s history with Dean — or maybe he doesn’t even know at this point — make Hunter more or less interested in her?

Evans: By the time of the fight, I don’t think he knows. I think it’s more just his stuff with [Dean], but I’m honestly kind of ashamed to say I am Team Dean. I think most of us are Team Dean. I do like what Hunter represents for Allie, though, in her story, and her trying to find some fun, I guess, or some detachment, or some path that she hasn’t treaded 1,000 times, and I like that I get to explore that with her, and hopefully we’ll see where that goes for Season 2.

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Swooon: How do you think Hunter will react once he finds out about Allie and Dean?

Evans: I think it’s clear that Hunter and Dean aren’t the best of friends right now, but it’s definitely ammunition for Hunter. If he were to find out, I think he’d have a little pride in that, or a little gotcha.

Swooon: The finale ends in the middle of the action. Were there alternate endings discussed, or was it always going to end with the Hunter and Dean fight?

Evans: Not that I was aware of. This was always the setup for Season 2. We knew the plan when we started, and that was where we went. I think we were pretty clear about that from the beginning. We wanted a big climactic ending. We wanted everyone in the same place. I mean, Louisa plans this stuff well in advance. She’s got the next five books down, ready to go.

Swooon: Is there anything that you’re excited to dive into more with Hunter in Season 2? 

Evans: All that stuff with Allie, that vulnerability and that trauma, honestly, because he does have a bit of a sad history and letting those walls break down a bit, and seeing him just drop the BS and get into a place of realness, just kind of shedding all of these structural walls that he’s built up because of his family and what’s expected of him, and all of that stuff, and just kind of finding who he is.

Swooon: Have you screen-tested with potential Summers, perhaps? 

Evans: Oh, we’re so far away from that realm. No, we’re so far away from making those decisions.

Off Campus, Season 2, TBA, Prime Video