Introducing Ella Bright, TV's Next Breakout Star
Before there was Heated Rivalry, there was Elle Kennedy's NYT best-selling romance series Off-Campus about a house of hockey-playing college roommates and the women who steal their hearts. Is it a coincidence that two steamy, ice hockey–related TV adaptations come out within months of each other? Perhaps. Do we care? Absolutely not. Who are we to turn down a great romantic drama with an ensemble cast of fresh, soon-to-be-everywhere talent?
With the likes of The Summer I Turned Pretty and We Were Liars, Prime Video has summer YA romance dramas on lock, and the streamer is sure to have another hit on its hands when Off Campus debuts on May 13. As with the books, each season will follow a new-but-connected couple, starting with the events of book one, The Deal, about a fake dating plot between Briar University's promising young musician Hannah Wells (fabulous newcomer Ella Bright) and star hockey prodigy Garrett Graham (equally fabulous Belmont Cameli).
Our spidey senses tell us Bright has an especially (excuse our pun) bright future in Hollywood. At just 19, the actress—who made her West End debut in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child before starring in the BBC series Malory Towers and playing a young Kate Middleton in the final season of The Crown—is poised for a major U.S. breakout moment as she wins the hearts of avid Off Campus fans and new audiences alike thanks to a performance that is equal parts heartwarming and vulnerable.
We caught up with Bright ahead of the Off Campus Los Angeles premiere to talk about the show's speed-dating audition process, her instant connection with Cameli, and mastering guitar.
Between Heated Rivalry and now Off Campus, hockey is really having a moment. What do you think it is about the sport that lends itself so well to a great romantic story?
I'm from London, and we don't have ice hockey. When I first joined this show and when we were filming, we were not aware of any of these other things coming out. Obviously, hockey's been around for a long time, but I was under the impression that a nice hockey romance was somewhat of a niche interest. It's so funny that it's having such a moment right now. It almost feels like the perfect time for us to be coming out. I'm such a big fan of Heated Rivalry. I think there's a certain mystery to these hockey players because they have [masks on]. You don't really get to know them as much as you might other sports players, and I think that mystery is definitely alluring to some people. It's very funny to be in this orbit of conversation.
Off Campus is based on the best-selling book series by Elle Kennedy. You are no stranger to book-to-screen adaptations, having previously starred in Malory Towers. What excited you about this adaptation?
For all of us, it was so exciting to have people invested in this story that we're telling, and it has been this really cool group of supporters following everything from the cast release to when we started production and everything since then. It's been such an honor, and we have so much gratitude because we have this built-in fan base, which is so cool, and that's a credit to Elle Kennedy's work. The jump from Malory Towers to Off Campus was quite significant. I think what really drew me to Hannah and also what I saw in Darrell is the complexity of these female characters that I felt so privileged to be able to play.
For Hannah, there is such a journey that she goes on this season, and a lot of that has to do with her past and with her music and her connection to that. Also, what really surprised me about the show is how much the friendships are such a driving force behind it. There are so many different aspects of the show that people might not be expecting, and [there are] so many themes that it covers and so many things that people can see themselves in. That was a really exciting challenge for all of us—this complexity of the story—and getting to play with that was so fun.
Take us back to your chemistry read with Belmont Cameli. Did it feel instant between you two?
That chemistry read was, honestly, the most intense day I think any of us have ever experienced because there were 28 actors in the room, and it wasn't just Garrett and Hannah that they were casting. It was the Allies, the Deans, the Tuckers, the Logans, the Justins. It was very obvious from the beginning that it wasn't just these romantic storylines that we're following. It is this group and this core ensemble and how formative any kind of relationship in college is to people's lives.
Belmont and I, we were reading with everybody. He was reading with the hockey team. I had just been reading with Mika [Abdalla] and a bunch of different girls up for Allie. I read with a few different Garretts when we were doing the audition process, but when Belmont came in and we did our scene, it was the scene in the weight room—Hannah and Garrett's first kiss scene. We didn't kiss in the actual chemistry read, but definitely, the energy changed. He is perfect for this role. I felt really good about the energy that we were creating, and you just pray and hope that the people casting feel the same. I'm really so lucky and grateful that they did. We hit it off from the very beginning, which made everything so easy.
I love that it was like a speed-dating audition process.
That's a perfect way to describe it. It was insane.
Did you and Cameli get to spend time together before filming to build on that natural chemistry and friendship?
There wasn't much time before we started production. We got each other's numbers, but I don't live in the States, so it was not easy for all of us to meet up beforehand. But we all met up in Vancouver, and it felt super organic straight away. … The first time we all went out as a cast, Belmont and I spoke for like five hours and talked about everything ever that we had gone through. We know each other really well, and that was such a fun experience because we left everything out on the table to build these pillars for creating this story between the two characters. Honestly, there wasn't one day I didn't spend in that whole filming process that I didn't see at least one of [the cast members]. Even on the weekends, we spent almost every day together, and we had so much bonding time and really enjoyed each other's company, which is so much more than you can ask for on a set like this, especially with such a large ensemble. It really felt like lightning in a bottle in many ways.
How was it working with Cameli on the more intimate scenes?
It became very easy because we were so connected right away that we were able to trust each other so much and give each other that space to be super vulnerable. What was so important to all of us and the team who created this, who wrote this amazing show, was that those sex scenes are very character driven and very story driven and so important to the story that we're telling. It couldn't really be done without it, and therefore, we had a lot of important conversations and helped drive that forward. We were able to talk so openly and honestly with each other about everything. We had an intimacy coordinator on set with us at all points. Our directors were so involved, and we just wanted to make sure that the sets were so comfortable. It felt like a very safe space to express anything, and it actually made the whole process so easy.
In what ways could you relate to Hannah?
I definitely relate to Hannah in so many ways. I think that's what really connected me to the character immediately. She is super quirky and fun, and she's nutty but owns it. She's very confident in the fact that that's just who she is, and I love that about her. We definitely share differences, though, in her musical ability. I had to undergo a lot of training to get to somewhat of her level.
For me, I was about to go to college, and then I got this part in this whirlwind experience, and I didn't get the opportunity to go. But I do feel I got my college experience in a weird, fun, and way cooler way than I could have ever imagined.
What initially jumped out to you about Hannah that was important to bring to your performance?
The thing I will always remember is the first tape I sent in. … During the audition process I just read a synopsis and only parts of the book, and then I read the book after I had gotten the call. I played her at first very unsure of herself and more into her insecurity around Justin. She was a bit shier. The advice that I got was that Hannah is nutty, and she has a small group of friends who she trusts, and she is so confident in that. So then, I was like, "Okay, I understand her more, and now, I get to play with her sassiness," and I really loved that. I think my favorite part of the relationship between Garrett and Hannah is the banter that they have between them. Getting to really go there in some of those scenes was so fun. I think it's a new change from the books, especially in her characterization.
Were there any scenes or episodes that you were nervous to film?
There were so many vulnerable and daunting scenes throughout the whole process, but they were always taken with such care and made it such an easy and collaborative experience. But for me—because it was at the very end of the show and we didn't actually get the scripts for the later episodes until about halfway through the process—it was the pop showcase. I wanted to get that right. It's in the books, and I was like, "Oh my goodness, I don't know what song we're gonna do." It was written by Amy Allen, which was so freaking cool because she's the greatest of the great, and it was so awesome to be able to perform her song. And for Hannah, it's a very cathartic experience. It ended up being okay, but it was definitely something I was nervous about.
Are you really playing piano and guitar in the show?
I learned piano and guitar. I had an amazing teacher called Michael, and we were very stubborn about the fact that we didn't want any hand doubles for the scenes. I'm so happy that he trusted me to be able to give me the space to learn all of these pieces and to sing basically. It was a fun training experience.
Any word on season 2?
We haven't even read any scripts from season 2 at the moment, so I'm excited just as much as anyone, honestly.
What were the romantic dramas that raised you?
I grew up with all the… They're not really romances. Maybe that's not the genre but all of the Disney Channel shows I grew up with and Nickelodeon. I feel like it reflects Off Campus in a way because there are those romantic arcs, but it's also just about those formative years of school—high school and college—and how it really does affect your character in such a way. The romances but also the friendships. So Victorious and iCarly and Jessie, all of those ones definitely raised me.
You're only 19 and have so much ahead of you. What are you itching to do next? How do you look at your career beyond this project?
I love my job so much. I feel so much gratitude that I'm in this position. This is so new to me, all of this. We're on the press tour right now, and I've never done any of this before, so I'm still learning. I would love to explore other genres, like action, and I love a psychological thriller and horror. That's my kind of thing. I'm a huge theater kid as well, so that's also really exciting to me. But just meeting new characters and keep getting to do this job would be more than a dream come true. I hope people enjoy this season.
Off Campus premieres on Prime Video on May 13.
Photographer: Zackery Michael
Stylist: Laura Spriet Brown
Makeup Artist: Mia Jones Siegel
Hairstylist: Lona Vigi
