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Lola Tung opens up on love, growing up with Belly Conklin and why dating in 2025 feels tougher than ever.
Lola Tung as Belly in The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3, beginning a new journey in Paris.
Lola Tung is opening up about the lessons she’s learned from starring as Belly Conklin in Prime Video’s hit series The Summer I Turned Pretty. As the show nears the end of its third and final season, the 22-year-old actress reflected on how portraying Belly helped her navigate love, friendships, and self-growth.
Before landing the role, Tung remembered reading Jenny Han’s beloved novels while studying at Carnegie Mellon University. “There was a really dramatic single tear that rolled down my cheek,” she said. “I love this world so much. If I wasn’t in this show, I would watch this.” The series follows Belly as she experiences adolescence, love triangles, and life-changing decisions, culminating in a dramatic season 3 where she gets engaged to Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) but still struggles with lingering feelings for Conrad (Christopher Briney).
Tung on Dating and Independence
Despite her onscreen romantic chaos, Tung admitted that her personal love life is a little more grounded—and complicated. “It’s hard out here,” she quipped. “I’m not an apps girl. They’ve always scared me, even in my college days. My friends would be like, ‘Let’s play Tinder,’ and scroll through their Tinders. I’d be like, ‘OK, I’ll just look over your shoulder.’”
Tung emphasised that her approach is slow and intentional. “I’m of the mindset of, ‘it’ll happen if it’s right,’” she shared. “I’m hyper-independent, which is good and also sometimes not great. But some men need more time to grow, which is what we also learned from Summer. We’re so quick to try to rush things in life. One of my friends was like, ‘I can’t wait until we’re in our 30s and we’re… whatever.’ But I’m like, ‘Don’t rush it! We’re 22. We can take our time.’”
Lessons from Belly Conklin
Lola also explained how her character has shaped her perspective on friendship and personal growth. “I had these pillars in my life — cousins, my family, Taylor, Jere,” she said. “They made me feel like I was safe, like I was on solid ground. Now they’re gone. And it’s just me.” Fans will see Belly meeting new friends—and possibly a new love interest—in the upcoming season. The teaser hints at a dramatic moment as Conrad’s voice says, “Dear Belly,” leaving viewers wondering what the future holds for her first love.
Through it all, Tung emphasised the importance of embracing flawed, realistic characters. “Sometimes you’re frustrated with them, but you keep watching because it’s so raw and interesting,” she said, reflecting both on her character and her own life lessons.
Shrishti Negi is a journalist with over eight years of experience in the media industry. She leads the Entertainment desk at News18.com. She writes breaking news stories, generates feature ideas, edits copies, …Read More
Shrishti Negi is a journalist with over eight years of experience in the media industry. She leads the Entertainment desk at News18.com. She writes breaking news stories, generates feature ideas, edits copies, … Read More
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