It happens once a generation. A specific show drops on a streaming platform, and suddenly, every teenager (and, let’s be honest, half the adults) in the country is arguing about who a fictional girl should end up with. You know the vibe. Cousins Beach, white linens, Taylor Swift playing in the background, and the inevitable debate: Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah? At the center of this absolute whirlwind is Isabel "Belly" Conklin. But if you’ve been watching the series and wondering who plays Belly in The Summer I Turned Pretty, the answer is Lola Tung.
She's good. Like, surprisingly good for someone who basically walked onto a massive Prime Video set as her first professional job.
Lola Tung wasn't a child star. She didn't grow up doing commercials for cereal or guest-starring on Disney Channel. When Jenny Han—the mastermind behind the original book trilogy and the hit Netflix film To All the Boys I've Loved Before—was looking for her Belly, she wasn't necessarily looking for a household name. She was looking for a specific feeling. She needed someone who could play the "awkward-to-luminous" transition without it feeling forced or like a bad movie makeover.
The Breakout of Lola Tung
Honestly, it’s kinda wild to think about. Lola was a student at Carnegie Mellon University, studying drama, when the opportunity came up. She actually had to take a leave of absence to film the first season. Imagine being nineteen, mid-semester, and suddenly you’re the lead in a major adaptation of a beloved book series. That’s the reality for Tung.
Born and raised in New York City, she attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. Yes, that’s the "Fame" school. It shows. There is a specific kind of groundedness she brings to Belly that keeps the character from becoming a "Mary Sue" or just another boring teen protagonist. Belly is messy. She’s impulsive. She makes mistakes that make you want to scream at your TV. Tung plays those moments with a vulnerability that makes you forgive her, even when she’s breaking the hearts of two brothers simultaneously.
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Why the Casting of Belly Conklin Actually Worked
If you’ve read the books, you know Belly’s internal monologue is everything. Translating that to a screen is a nightmare for writers. Most shows rely on cheesy voiceovers, but while The Summer I Turned Pretty does use some narration, much of the heavy lifting is done through Lola’s facial expressions.
She has this way of looking at Conrad (Christopher Briney) that feels heavy with years of unrequited longing. Then, two seconds later, she can pivot to a playful, easy chemistry with Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno). It's a difficult tightrope to walk. If the chemistry didn't work with both, the entire "love triangle" premise would collapse like a house of cards.
Critics have pointed out that Tung’s portrayal feels authentic to the Gen Z experience. She doesn't look like a thirty-year-old playing a teenager. She looks like a kid who is still figuring out how her body works and how her heart fits into the world. That's a credit to both the casting directors and Tung’s own refusal to play the character as "too cool."
Beyond Cousins Beach: Lola Tung’s Growing Career
What do you do after you become the face of a massive franchise? If you’re Lola Tung, you go to Broadway.
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In early 2024, Lola took on the role of Eurydice in the Tony-winning musical Hadestown. This was a huge move. It proved that she wasn't just a "screen actress" who got lucky with a lucky role. Stepping into a production as complex and vocally demanding as Hadestown requires serious chops. Fans flocked to the Walter Kerr Theatre, and the reviews were solid. She brought a youthful, almost folk-like quality to the role that differed from the powerhouse vocals of the original cast, showing a range that bodes well for her career post-Belly.
She’s also become a bit of a fashion darling. You’ll see her at New York Fashion Week or appearing in campaigns for brands like American Eagle and Coach. But despite the glitz, she stays pretty low-key on social media compared to other stars her age.
Common Misconceptions About the Show's Casting
There’s often a bit of confusion regarding the ages of the cast. While who plays Belly in The Summer I Turned Pretty is a young actress, she is older than the character. In the first season, Belly is fifteen turning sixteen. Lola Tung was nineteen during filming. This is standard for Hollywood, mostly due to labor laws and the maturity required for long filming days, but it's worth noting because Tung does a phenomenal job of de-aging her energy to capture that specific mid-teens angst.
Another thing people get wrong? The idea that she was "discovered" on TikTok. While the show is a TikTok sensation (the #TSITP tag has billions of views), Lola is a classically trained theater kid. She put in the work at LaGuardia and Carnegie Mellon long before she ever stepped foot on a beach in Wilmington, North Carolina (where the show is actually filmed).
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The Cultural Impact of the Character
Belly Conklin is a mixed-race protagonist, which was a deliberate and important update Jenny Han made for the TV series. In the books, her ethnicity isn't explicitly detailed in the same way, but Han—as an executive producer—wanted the show to reflect a more diverse world. Lola Tung, who is of Chinese and European descent, has spoken about how much it means to represent that on screen.
It adds a layer of depth to the family dynamics. The relationship between Belly’s mom, Laurel (played by Jackie Chung), and the kids feels lived-in and real. It’s not just a "teen show." It’s a show about grief, motherhood, and the messy way families evolve.
What’s Next for the Series?
With Season 3 on the horizon, fans are losing their minds over how the story will conclude. Without spoiling the books (though they’ve been out for over a decade), the final chapter of Belly’s story involves significant time jumps and some pretty heavy emotional stakes.
We’re going to see Lola Tung move into a different phase of the character. No longer the girl following the boys around, but a woman making her own choices. It’s the ultimate test for an actor to play the same character across several years of development, and if her performance in Season 2—where she had to navigate the heavy theme of grief after Susannah’s death—is any indication, she’s more than up for it.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Actors
If you’re following Lola Tung’s career or just obsessed with the show, here is the reality of how these things happen.
- Training Matters: Don’t skip the basics. Lola’s background in performing arts schools gave her the stamina for a leading role. If you're looking to get into acting, look into local theater programs or specialized high schools.
- The "Han" Effect: Jenny Han has a track record of launching careers (like Lana Condor). Keeping an eye on authors who executive produce their own work is a great way to spot the next big "it" stars.
- Source Material: To truly understand the nuances of Tung's performance, read the Summer trilogy. You'll see where she sticks to the script and where she adds her own modern flair to Belly.
- Support the Theater: If you want to see the true range of these actors, watch for their stage credits. Broadway is where "screen stars" go to prove they have the technical skill to perform live every night.
Lola Tung has successfully turned a "summer crush" role into a legitimate career. Whether she stays in the YA world or pivots into heavy indie dramas, she has already cemented herself as the definitive Belly Conklin for a new generation of viewers.