Ahead of the finale for the drama-filled third season of The Summer I Turned Pretty, actress Jackie Chung is reflecting on the ways that playing Laurel Park has made her think about her own parenting goals and approach.
In a recent interview on New York Live, Chung said, “Playing Laurel has actually helped solidify the kind of parent I want to be.”
She went onto explain that while she may agree with where Laurel is coming from when discussing her daughter’s engagement, she would likely go about handling things differently if she were in the same situation in real life.
“At the end of the day, what she hopes for her kids is what I hope for, is that you can raise them to become independent and to make decisions on their own and hopefully support them. But, you know, offer guidance along the way. You gotta let them fall, even though it’s so hard to watch them,” Chung continued in the interview.
Throughout the show, fans have had mixed reactions to Chung’s character and her handling of the drama that has unfolded between the characters so far.
Some fans have been supportive towards Park, given that she has been experiencing intense grief following the death of her best friend Susannah Fisher, played by Rachel Blanchard. However, others have criticized Park for not being there enough for her daughter Isabel “Belly” Conklin, played by Lola Tung, during her difficult teenage years.
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“I’m only here to say Laurel is my FAVORITE character,” one fan commented on a recent Instagram post by Chung that featured selfies with her cast mates on set.
“Love the actress, I just never liked Laurel as a parent,” another fan commented on the New York Live interview.
In a People exclusive, Chung weighed in on her character’s recent growth, saying, “[Laurel’s] story is just — her becoming her own person. I mean, she and Susannah were kind of co-dependent, as close as they were, but I think she looks to John sometimes, she got advice from Conrad this time, but she’s having to find it in herself, how to be the parent that she wants to be and be the person that she wants to be and to build the life and relationships that she wants. I feel like she grows over the season.”
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The season three finale of The Summer I Turned Pretty will be released on Prime Video on Wednesday, September 17.
