インタビュー | エラ・ブライト | Schön! Magazine

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A month ago, Ella Bright may not have been on your radar. Now, the 19-year-old-actor has become one of the breakout stars of the summer thanks to her role as Hannah Wells in ‘Off Campus’, Amazon Prime Video’s adaptation of Elle Kennedy’s beloved romance novel ‘The Deal’. Since the show’s debut, Bright has found herself at the center of a fan frenzy that continues to grow by the day.

The best way to describe Bright is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Despite a whirlwind week that included the show dropping, her Schön! shoot, a packed schedule of press appearances across New York, talk shows, a book discussion, and, finally, our interview, she remained just as enthusiastic about discussing ‘Off Campus’ and her role as Hannah Wells as she was about living this once-in-a-lifetime moment. “It’s really a dream come true for me in a lot of ways,” she laughs.

Bright got her on-screen start in ‘Malory Towers’, a whimsical children’s period drama about an all-girls’ boarding school in post-World War II England. As the lead character, she spent years and seasons immersed in a world of magic, school rivalries, lifelong friendships, and adventures. It was the type of role that allowed her to fully embrace the magic of make-believe at an age when imagination still felt limitless.

That sense of wonder hasn’t left her — clips from the series show the same wide-eyed enthusiasm and infectious energy that Bright still brings to conversations about her work today. Whether she’s discussing a beloved childhood book, her favourite films, or the challenges of bringing Hannah Wells to life, there’s a genuine excitement that makes it easy to understand why audiences have gravitated to her so easily. Even as her career enters a new chapter with ‘Off Campus’, Bright remains someone who clearly loves the simple joy of storytelling.

Fans of the ‘Off Campus’ books already know that Hannah Wells is not your stereotypical female YA lead. She is funny, witty, deeply loyal, and resilient in ways not often afforded to characters navigating trauma on screen. While her healing journey is central to ‘Off Campus’, Bright’s portrayal gives audiences a full 360-degree view of who Hannah is beyond her past. She is a songwriter, a best friend, a daughter, and a young woman experiencing first love as she learns to trust herself again. It’s a layered, emotionally complex role that allows Hannah to exist as a complete person rather than simply a survivor — the kind of character many actors spend years hoping to play.

Hannah has also become a character that Bright has already grown up alongside. “Hannah has changed my life in so many ways,” she says. “I was, in a lot of ways, very terrified to take on this opportunity. It’s the biggest job that I’ve ever had to take on in terms of the music, the content of the show, and just the overall weight and size of these sound stages. Everything just seemed really big, andd I am really proud of myself for doing it.”

Before jetting back to Vancouver to film the show’s second season, Ella Bright sat down with Schön!‘s Kelsey Barnes to discuss her role in the ‘Off Campus’ universe, depicting Hannah’s healing journey, and more.

dress. TIBI
shoes. Ferragamo
bracelet. MIRAKI
opposite
full look. Michael Kors
earrings. LADY GREY

Let’s start at the beginning — what books, films, shows, or stories resonated with you that made you want to pursue this career in make-believe?

Oh my gosh. I read the ‘Ruby Redfort’ book series when I was a kid, and that’s her being in two different worlds. She’s a spy, and she’s a normal teenager. I remember that when I was reading this. I was on ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’. I was a 10-year-old and I had the tiniest role ever, but I remember being like, “Oh my God.” I wouldn’t tell anybody. I was such a sneaky little kid, and I’d be leaving school early and being like, “I’m literally like the Hannah Montana of the West End.” 

A movie I’ve always loved and will always love, and it’s my favourite movie because my dad definitely shaped my music and film taste and made me fall in love with film in general, is ‘Good Will Hunting’. That’s my favourite movie. I will always refer back to that as a push toward understanding how films can really impact your life. I love movies and TV, and I’m so grateful to be in this position. It’s so cool.

You were thinking about going to university, and then you ended up getting this role. This was one of the last things you were throwing your hat into the ring for.

Yeah, I was definitely going to continue acting, but I just wanted to take some time to study because A-levels are the only thing you really work for in the UK in the last two years. I was like, “Okay, well, I need to really lock in here.” I did a couple of last auditions. ‘Off Campus’ was the last one. From there, I just started revising… And then I got a callback. I was like, “Okay, this is not the turn I was thinking it was going to take.”

I ended up getting it the next month, and it flipped my world upside down in the best way possible. I was going to uni — I had a place at Bristol University to do drama, and I thought, “Well, I would rather just do the actual drama. That would be really awesome.” I then took a whirlwind trip to Vancouver, and I’ve been pinching myself ever since. This is not how I imagined I’d be spending my time. It’s really a dream come true for me in a lot of ways.

I want to talk to you a little bit about your Canadian experience. Hockey is hardly a thing in the UK. I went to a hockey game at Ally Pally, and it was a little bit like a pee-wee league, with all due respect, when compared to hockey in Canada.

[Laughs] Oh my God, hockey at Ally Pally! That is hilarious. In terms of the ice hockey thing, I played field hockey in P.E. class growing up, and ice hockey was definitely not something I knew anything about. It’s really funny that ice hockey is having such a moment right now because, when we were filming, I was like, “This is quite literally the most niche subject possible.” I had my first hockey game on set — the fake one in one of the episodes — which was really fun.

In terms of Canada, weirdly, I was on a show that I grew up on called ‘Mallory Towers’, and we filmed part-time in Toronto, so I kind of grew up a lot in Canada. Vancouver, which we got to go to for season one, is quite literally the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. We had the greatest time. We went to Whistler as a group, just taking walks in Stanley Park. I was obsessed, and I can’t wait to go back very soon.

What I really love about Hannah is that she’s very confident despite everything that she’s gone through. When you first read for her, was that something that really surprised you when you were reading? 

Interestingly, it was never to do with Hannah’s backstory or anything. It was more of the character briefing. What I first gathered from ‘The Deal’ was that she’s the nerdy music character. I originally played her in my initial self-tape as quite shy and meek, and more insecure and quiet. I was told by our amazing casting directors that this isn’t Hannah. They saw something in me, which I’m so grateful for, but we worked on building this character of Hannah that is confident. She is quirky, and she’s bubbly, but she owns that, and she loves that about herself. She might only have Dexter and Allie, but those are the people that she trusts with her life, and she appreciates and loves spending time with them.

I just loved how comfortable she was in her own skin. Obviously, in terms of her backstory, she’s healed in a way that she thinks is done, which we get to see the holes in as the story progresses. We see how Garrett and Allie bring out different parts of her and growth she didn’t think she needed to still go on. It’s a really beautiful journey. I think she shuts down a lot of herself. In terms of her as a person, she’s not defined by anything that happened to her. She’s a survivor. It was always important to Louisa [Levy, show creator] and me that she never seemed afraid, timid or weak. She is very strong, and she is confident, and I just fell in love with her immediately.

full look. PUMA
necklace + ring. MIRAKI
opposite
full look. ADEAM
earrings. MIRAKI

It’s not often that you see a young adult series tackle such an important thing as sexual assault, but this really focuses on the healing journey, which is something that I really appreciated. What was most important for you when portraying her and this experience of trauma and recovery? 

I will also say how it incorporates Garrett and Hannah as a relationship, because they are both in very different places. They both have very difficult things that have happened to them, but they’re in very different spaces of the healing journey. Obviously, they both meet each other and go on this growth journey together in their own individual ways. For Hannah, what I really wanted to portray, in response to your question, is how she also helps Garrett get to the place that she might be in when we first meet her. 

Obviously, they have a break up in episode seven, but what I really loved is how they help each other get to a point. What really helps them feel like they’ve reached a very high point of healing is the fact that they confide in each of their individual friendships — Garrett and Logan, and Hannah and Allie — and that’s done separately from each other. That relationship was so impactful for each of them, but they were then able to take agency over their own lives and control it, and then see how it seeps into all of their relationships. Then they get back together, which I loved. I loved that they do the journey separately.

For Hannah, I just wanted to make sure that the story was as genuine and real as possible. I wanted to constantly be communicating with Louisa and with Elle [Kennedy], and really making sure that the people who might have sadly gone through what Hannah has gone through felt seen and felt represented accurately.

There’s a scene in the bedroom with Hannah and Garrett, and Hannah wants him to give her an orgasm. He’s more or less like, “Do it yourself. Let’s reclaim this,” which I thought was really, really beautiful. And the song “Back in My Body” by Maggie Rogers playing during it gave me chills. When you watched that scene back, what struck you most about it? 

Yeah, honestly, it was crazy because that was the first scene I had ever heard of from ‘Off Campus’. I searched for an online copy of ‘The Deal’ when I was auditioning and found the mutual masturbation scene. I was like, “Oh my goodness, great.” [laughs] Then, when I started to read more about what the scene meant for her and their relationship as a whole, I was genuinely so moved by this story and the way that it was done on screen. Louisa and Elle are just such incredible writers. 

I loved the dancing so much beforehand. I think that just shows how he gives her the space to be so comfortable and trust him, and I loved that. I loved filming that. I think that was one of the most beautiful moments of the show. It’s very unique to see an intimate scene where the two characters involved don’t touch. I thought that was really powerful. It was her reclaiming her autonomy and her body and feeling this pleasure. It’s not a taboo thing. It was really refreshing to have that on screen, and I feel very lucky to be able to portray that.

Honestly, we shot that scene for the entire day. It was done with so much care and integrity, and we made sure that every single plot point and every single moment was very much character and story-driven. Then, obviously, it ends up really sexy.

I wouldn’t say it’s an emotionally draining scene, but having to be on all day doing that is quite intense.

And you’ve got the moment in the middle where she kind of leaves her body, and she says, “This always happens to me.” Then it becomes a very emotional scene. It was more about really making sure that it was as genuine as possible. I loved it. I loved how that turned out. And with “Back in My Body” playing… All of the music across the whole show, I’m just in awe of them [music supervisors].

You sing quite a bit in this, so how did learning to sing and record help you connect to Hannah on a different level? It’s one thing to prep a character, but it’s another thing to give them an actual musical voice. It’s a different type of vulnerability.

Completely. I loved this whole journey because I felt that Hannah’s journey of this writer’s block that she goes on, and then how she finds her voice near the end — and at the very end, obviously, with the pop showcase — was very reflective of my own journey. I was very insecure and nervous to begin with when it came to the singing, and as Hannah is growing in her confidence and can sing and do the karaoke and the pop showcase, that was my moment of being like, “Okay, I can do this. I’ve got an amazing, supportive team who are helping me and guiding me with all of this.”

I really felt that in those moments. It was so cool to be able to take something from the books, where you read and imagine what the songs sound like, and then find the voice in real life, be able to hear that back, and now have this amazing soundtrack. It was so awesome and such a good process to be a part of.

Did you think you would ever have a song on Spotify?

Oh my goodness, no. I literally checked the Spotify count the other day, and I almost cried. I was like, “This is so insane.” If you told me I would have even been in a recording studio a year ago, I would have just laughed. I would have been in shock. It’s been really, really crazy. I love it.

full look. Michael Kors
earrings. LADY GREY
opposite
full look. Ulla Johnson
bracelet. Jenny Bird
bangle. BOHEME BY VERO
ring. MIRAKI

There are different moments throughout the season where people are asking, “What song makes you feel bold?” “What song do you listen to when you’re sad?” What three songs would that be for you? 

Oh, that’s hard!

I know you’re a big Taylor Swift girl. I did see that you went to the Eras Tour. What were your surprise songs? 

I went to two shows at Wembley. I can’t remember which pairing was which, but altogether it was “King of My Heart”, “End Game”, “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys,” and “I Did Something Bad”, which was the first time she sang it that tour. 

I had full-body chills. It was so good.

I was the same. It was life-changing. I dressed as a 1989 seagull for one of the days [laughs]. A nostalgic song is “Welcome to New York” by Taylor Swift from ‘1989’ because, as a kid, I remember going to that concert and listening to that. I was born in New York, and I thought that was the coolest thing ever. I just went around telling everybody, “Welcome to New York, guys. I’m from there.” It was hilarious.

For sad, I’m going to go with “The Gold” by Phoebe Bridgers. That song always makes me cry. And for happy — this is so hard; it’s such a good question. I love a good hype song, so I’m going to say “Welcome to Atlanta”. My sisters and I know all the words. It’s a rap/hip-hop song. I don’t expect anyone to know this song, but it’s by Ludacris. The three of us know every lyric and have been singing it since childhood.

Costume really helps inform a character and helps you get into that mindset. Was there a specific item that you felt, when you put it on, you really felt like Hannah?

Before ‘Off Campus’, I had always been on shows that were period pieces, and I never got to wear jewelry, and jewelry is my life. I remember the first thing I got to wear was the little H necklace that Hannah wears, and that really resonated with me. I tried to take it home, and I wasn’t allowed to. I was very sad about it. But because you get to wear that in pretty much every scene, it really helped me enter into her headspace. I also loved her little moments of red because that’s in the books. She’s the girl who loves to wear red, so we had a red cardigan, we had red shoes in the very first episode, and that was definitely indicative of what the book series says.

For me, a personal story is something that is in the pop showcase, which is such a cathartic moment for her at the end of the season and for me, because the music was, like I said, such a cool thing for me to be able to do. My grandma was super supportive throughout my life. She’s passed away now, but I got to wear her silver bracelet in the scene. That was a really special moment for me. I didn’t tell my parents until they watched the screeners back. I wanted to wear it because it was my good luck charm, and it represents my friends, my family and everybody who’s been supporting me on this journey. Getting to wear that was really special.

So lovely. It must have been so nice for your parents to see that as well.

Yeah. It was emotional, for sure [laughs].

That lyric in her showcase song “I am the girl that I am because of the girl I used to be” feels incredibly defining for Hannah. I like to think actors grow alongside their characters a bit, so when you look back from the Ella that started filming the show to now, how would you say you’ve grown?

Being at the end of this press tour has been super emotional and very reflective. When the show came out, we were all in New York, and it was 3 a.m. our time when the show came out. Belmont, Jalen, and I put our phones away, and we just spoke about this incredible journey that we’ve all been on together. We talked until like five in the morning.  I was crying a lot, looking back on it. I was, in a lot of ways, very terrified to take on this opportunity. It’s the biggest job that I’ve ever had to take on in terms of the music, the content of the show, and just the overall weight and size of these sound stages. Everything just seemed really big, and I am really proud of myself for doing it. I love these people. I’m so proud and excited to watch everybody continue on the show. I’m so happy I met everybody.

Hannah’s changed my life in so many ways, and it’s been really awesome to get to go on this press tour and celebrate that, which is an opportunity I’ve never gotten to have before. I’ve never been able to do a press tour, so I’ve just loved every second. I’m feeling very nostalgic now!

Thankfully, we have season two in the works and another press tour to come!

I know! Which is so cool. That’s what’s so lovely. It’s such a privilege to have that comfort blanket of knowing that we get to do it again with these people, and we get to have fun and appreciate spending time together. That’s really lovely.

Knowing what you know about Hannah’s arc over the season, if you could give her a piece of advice from Ella, what would that advice be?

I’m going to say it’s not my advice — it’s the words that are said to Hannah — but it’s always going to resonate with me: “We need to cling to the people who see us and smile.” That is one of my favourite lines. I think it really helps her confide in Garrett and Allie. I love those words. I’ve definitely used that sentiment a lot in my own life, for sure.

I know this year has already been such a dream for you, but if you could manifest something for yourself this year, what would it be?

Oh my goodness. That’s such a good question. I hope to be working, but also finding time to spend with family and friends, and really appreciating when looking back and being proud and in the moment of what the first season has done for me. I want to be reflective and try not to get too caught up in everything, and just be present in the moment. I’m excited for season two and manifesting that it all goes well, that it’s fun, and that we can do it all again and again.

I can’t believe you’re heading into production again in a few days. That’s crazy.

It’s crazy, I know. I was saying goodbye to everybody because everyone’s flown home now. I’m pretty much the only one left in New York, but I’ll see them all again in three days.

It’s like going back to summer camp.

Yeah, it really does feel that way. It’s so cool. I love it.

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necklace + ring. MIRAKI

‘Off Campus‘ is streaming now on Prime Video.

photography. Julia Sariy
fashion. Laura Spriet
talent. Ella Bright
hair. Jacob Rozenberg
make up. Misha Shahzada
casting, production + interview. Kelsey Barnes
video. JP Blair
fashion assistants. Anisa Belle Ruiz + Gabby Garder
video assistant. Weston Flemmons

full look. ADEAM
earrings. MIRAKI

A month ago, Ella Bright may not have been on your radar. Now, the 19-year-old-actor has become one of the breakout stars of the summer thanks to her role as Hannah Wells in ‘Off Campus’, Amazon Prime Video’s adaptation of Elle Kennedy’s beloved romance novel ‘The Deal’. Since the show’s debut, Bright has found herself at the center of a fan frenzy that continues to grow by the day.

The best way to describe Bright is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Despite a whirlwind week that included the show dropping, her Schön! shoot, a packed schedule of press appearances across New York, talk shows, a book discussion, and, finally, our interview, she remained just as enthusiastic about discussing ‘Off Campus’ and her role as Hannah Wells as she was about living this once-in-a-lifetime moment. “It’s really a dream come true for me in a lot of ways,” she laughs.

Bright got her on-screen start in ‘Malory Towers’, a whimsical children’s period drama about an all-girls’ boarding school in post-World War II England. As the lead character, she spent years and seasons immersed in a world of magic, school rivalries, lifelong friendships, and adventures. It was the type of role that allowed her to fully embrace the magic of make-believe at an age when imagination still felt limitless.

That sense of wonder hasn’t left her — clips from the series show the same wide-eyed enthusiasm and infectious energy that Bright still brings to conversations about her work today. Whether she’s discussing a beloved childhood book, her favourite films, or the challenges of bringing Hannah Wells to life, there’s a genuine excitement that makes it easy to understand why audiences have gravitated to her so easily. Even as her career enters a new chapter with ‘Off Campus’, Bright remains someone who clearly loves the simple joy of storytelling.

Fans of the ‘Off Campus’ books already know that Hannah Wells is not your stereotypical female YA lead. She is funny, witty, deeply loyal, and resilient in ways not often afforded to characters navigating trauma on screen. While her healing journey is central to ‘Off Campus’, Bright’s portrayal gives audiences a full 360-degree view of who Hannah is beyond her past. She is a songwriter, a best friend, a daughter, and a young woman experiencing first love as she learns to trust herself again. It’s a layered, emotionally complex role that allows Hannah to exist as a complete person rather than simply a survivor — the kind of character many actors spend years hoping to play.

Hannah has also become a character that Bright has already grown up alongside. “Hannah has changed my life in so many ways,” she says. “I was, in a lot of ways, very terrified to take on this opportunity. It’s the biggest job that I’ve ever had to take on in terms of the music, the content of the show, and just the overall weight and size of these sound stages. Everything just seemed really big, andd I am really proud of myself for doing it.”

Before jetting back to Vancouver to film the show’s second season, Ella Bright sat down with Schön!‘s Kelsey Barnes to discuss her role in the ‘Off Campus’ universe, depicting Hannah’s healing journey, and more.

dress. TIBI
shoes. Ferragamo
bracelet. MIRAKI
opposite
full look. Michael Kors
earrings. LADY GREY

Let’s start at the beginning — what books, films, shows, or stories resonated with you that made you want to pursue this career in make-believe?

Oh my gosh. I read the ‘Ruby Redfort’ book series when I was a kid, and that’s her being in two different worlds. She’s a spy, and she’s a normal teenager. I remember that when I was reading this. I was on ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’. I was a 10-year-old and I had the tiniest role ever, but I remember being like, “Oh my God.” I wouldn’t tell anybody. I was such a sneaky little kid, and I’d be leaving school early and being like, “I’m literally like the Hannah Montana of the West End.” 

A movie I’ve always loved and will always love, and it’s my favourite movie because my dad definitely shaped my music and film taste and made me fall in love with film in general, is ‘Good Will Hunting’. That’s my favourite movie. I will always refer back to that as a push toward understanding how films can really impact your life. I love movies and TV, and I’m so grateful to be in this position. It’s so cool.

You were thinking about going to university, and then you ended up getting this role. This was one of the last things you were throwing your hat into the ring for.

Yeah, I was definitely going to continue acting, but I just wanted to take some time to study because A-levels are the only thing you really work for in the UK in the last two years. I was like, “Okay, well, I need to really lock in here.” I did a couple of last auditions. ‘Off Campus’ was the last one. From there, I just started revising… And then I got a callback. I was like, “Okay, this is not the turn I was thinking it was going to take.”

I ended up getting it the next month, and it flipped my world upside down in the best way possible. I was going to uni — I had a place at Bristol University to do drama, and I thought, “Well, I would rather just do the actual drama. That would be really awesome.” I then took a whirlwind trip to Vancouver, and I’ve been pinching myself ever since. This is not how I imagined I’d be spending my time. It’s really a dream come true for me in a lot of ways.

I want to talk to you a little bit about your Canadian experience. Hockey is hardly a thing in the UK. I went to a hockey game at Ally Pally, and it was a little bit like a pee-wee league, with all due respect, when compared to hockey in Canada.

[Laughs] Oh my God, hockey at Ally Pally! That is hilarious. In terms of the ice hockey thing, I played field hockey in P.E. class growing up, and ice hockey was definitely not something I knew anything about. It’s really funny that ice hockey is having such a moment right now because, when we were filming, I was like, “This is quite literally the most niche subject possible.” I had my first hockey game on set — the fake one in one of the episodes — which was really fun.

In terms of Canada, weirdly, I was on a show that I grew up on called ‘Mallory Towers’, and we filmed part-time in Toronto, so I kind of grew up a lot in Canada. Vancouver, which we got to go to for season one, is quite literally the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. We had the greatest time. We went to Whistler as a group, just taking walks in Stanley Park. I was obsessed, and I can’t wait to go back very soon.

What I really love about Hannah is that she’s very confident despite everything that she’s gone through. When you first read for her, was that something that really surprised you when you were reading? 

Interestingly, it was never to do with Hannah’s backstory or anything. It was more of the character briefing. What I first gathered from ‘The Deal’ was that she’s the nerdy music character. I originally played her in my initial self-tape as quite shy and meek, and more insecure and quiet. I was told by our amazing casting directors that this isn’t Hannah. They saw something in me, which I’m so grateful for, but we worked on building this character of Hannah that is confident. She is quirky, and she’s bubbly, but she owns that, and she loves that about herself. She might only have Dexter and Allie, but those are the people that she trusts with her life, and she appreciates and loves spending time with them.

I just loved how comfortable she was in her own skin. Obviously, in terms of her backstory, she’s healed in a way that she thinks is done, which we get to see the holes in as the story progresses. We see how Garrett and Allie bring out different parts of her and growth she didn’t think she needed to still go on. It’s a really beautiful journey. I think she shuts down a lot of herself. In terms of her as a person, she’s not defined by anything that happened to her. She’s a survivor. It was always important to Louisa [Levy, show creator] and me that she never seemed afraid, timid or weak. She is very strong, and she is confident, and I just fell in love with her immediately.

full look. PUMA
necklace + ring. MIRAKI
opposite
full look. ADEAM
earrings. MIRAKI

It’s not often that you see a young adult series tackle such an important thing as sexual assault, but this really focuses on the healing journey, which is something that I really appreciated. What was most important for you when portraying her and this experience of trauma and recovery? 

I will also say how it incorporates Garrett and Hannah as a relationship, because they are both in very different places. They both have very difficult things that have happened to them, but they’re in very different spaces of the healing journey. Obviously, they both meet each other and go on this growth journey together in their own individual ways. For Hannah, what I really wanted to portray, in response to your question, is how she also helps Garrett get to the place that she might be in when we first meet her. 

Obviously, they have a break up in episode seven, but what I really loved is how they help each other get to a point. What really helps them feel like they’ve reached a very high point of healing is the fact that they confide in each of their individual friendships — Garrett and Logan, and Hannah and Allie — and that’s done separately from each other. That relationship was so impactful for each of them, but they were then able to take agency over their own lives and control it, and then see how it seeps into all of their relationships. Then they get back together, which I loved. I loved that they do the journey separately.

For Hannah, I just wanted to make sure that the story was as genuine and real as possible. I wanted to constantly be communicating with Louisa and with Elle [Kennedy], and really making sure that the people who might have sadly gone through what Hannah has gone through felt seen and felt represented accurately.

There’s a scene in the bedroom with Hannah and Garrett, and Hannah wants him to give her an orgasm. He’s more or less like, “Do it yourself. Let’s reclaim this,” which I thought was really, really beautiful. And the song “Back in My Body” by Maggie Rogers playing during it gave me chills. When you watched that scene back, what struck you most about it? 

Yeah, honestly, it was crazy because that was the first scene I had ever heard of from ‘Off Campus’. I searched for an online copy of ‘The Deal’ when I was auditioning and found the mutual masturbation scene. I was like, “Oh my goodness, great.” [laughs] Then, when I started to read more about what the scene meant for her and their relationship as a whole, I was genuinely so moved by this story and the way that it was done on screen. Louisa and Elle are just such incredible writers. 

I loved the dancing so much beforehand. I think that just shows how he gives her the space to be so comfortable and trust him, and I loved that. I loved filming that. I think that was one of the most beautiful moments of the show. It’s very unique to see an intimate scene where the two characters involved don’t touch. I thought that was really powerful. It was her reclaiming her autonomy and her body and feeling this pleasure. It’s not a taboo thing. It was really refreshing to have that on screen, and I feel very lucky to be able to portray that.

Honestly, we shot that scene for the entire day. It was done with so much care and integrity, and we made sure that every single plot point and every single moment was very much character and story-driven. Then, obviously, it ends up really sexy.

I wouldn’t say it’s an emotionally draining scene, but having to be on all day doing that is quite intense.

And you’ve got the moment in the middle where she kind of leaves her body, and she says, “This always happens to me.” Then it becomes a very emotional scene. It was more about really making sure that it was as genuine as possible. I loved it. I loved how that turned out. And with “Back in My Body” playing… All of the music across the whole show, I’m just in awe of them [music supervisors].

You sing quite a bit in this, so how did learning to sing and record help you connect to Hannah on a different level? It’s one thing to prep a character, but it’s another thing to give them an actual musical voice. It’s a different type of vulnerability.

Completely. I loved this whole journey because I felt that Hannah’s journey of this writer’s block that she goes on, and then how she finds her voice near the end — and at the very end, obviously, with the pop showcase — was very reflective of my own journey. I was very insecure and nervous to begin with when it came to the singing, and as Hannah is growing in her confidence and can sing and do the karaoke and the pop showcase, that was my moment of being like, “Okay, I can do this. I’ve got an amazing, supportive team who are helping me and guiding me with all of this.”

I really felt that in those moments. It was so cool to be able to take something from the books, where you read and imagine what the songs sound like, and then find the voice in real life, be able to hear that back, and now have this amazing soundtrack. It was so awesome and such a good process to be a part of.

Did you think you would ever have a song on Spotify?

Oh my goodness, no. I literally checked the Spotify count the other day, and I almost cried. I was like, “This is so insane.” If you told me I would have even been in a recording studio a year ago, I would have just laughed. I would have been in shock. It’s been really, really crazy. I love it.

full look. Michael Kors
earrings. LADY GREY
opposite
full look. Ulla Johnson
bracelet. Jenny Bird
bangle. BOHEME BY VERO
ring. MIRAKI

There are different moments throughout the season where people are asking, “What song makes you feel bold?” “What song do you listen to when you’re sad?” What three songs would that be for you? 

Oh, that’s hard!

I know you’re a big Taylor Swift girl. I did see that you went to the Eras Tour. What were your surprise songs? 

I went to two shows at Wembley. I can’t remember which pairing was which, but altogether it was “King of My Heart”, “End Game”, “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys,” and “I Did Something Bad”, which was the first time she sang it that tour. 

I had full-body chills. It was so good.

I was the same. It was life-changing. I dressed as a 1989 seagull for one of the days [laughs]. A nostalgic song is “Welcome to New York” by Taylor Swift from ‘1989’ because, as a kid, I remember going to that concert and listening to that. I was born in New York, and I thought that was the coolest thing ever. I just went around telling everybody, “Welcome to New York, guys. I’m from there.” It was hilarious.

For sad, I’m going to go with “The Gold” by Phoebe Bridgers. That song always makes me cry. And for happy — this is so hard; it’s such a good question. I love a good hype song, so I’m going to say “Welcome to Atlanta”. My sisters and I know all the words. It’s a rap/hip-hop song. I don’t expect anyone to know this song, but it’s by Ludacris. The three of us know every lyric and have been singing it since childhood.

Costume really helps inform a character and helps you get into that mindset. Was there a specific item that you felt, when you put it on, you really felt like Hannah?

Before ‘Off Campus’, I had always been on shows that were period pieces, and I never got to wear jewelry, and jewelry is my life. I remember the first thing I got to wear was the little H necklace that Hannah wears, and that really resonated with me. I tried to take it home, and I wasn’t allowed to. I was very sad about it. But because you get to wear that in pretty much every scene, it really helped me enter into her headspace. I also loved her little moments of red because that’s in the books. She’s the girl who loves to wear red, so we had a red cardigan, we had red shoes in the very first episode, and that was definitely indicative of what the book series says.

For me, a personal story is something that is in the pop showcase, which is such a cathartic moment for her at the end of the season and for me, because the music was, like I said, such a cool thing for me to be able to do. My grandma was super supportive throughout my life. She’s passed away now, but I got to wear her silver bracelet in the scene. That was a really special moment for me. I didn’t tell my parents until they watched the screeners back. I wanted to wear it because it was my good luck charm, and it represents my friends, my family and everybody who’s been supporting me on this journey. Getting to wear that was really special.

So lovely. It must have been so nice for your parents to see that as well.

Yeah. It was emotional, for sure [laughs].

That lyric in her showcase song “I am the girl that I am because of the girl I used to be” feels incredibly defining for Hannah. I like to think actors grow alongside their characters a bit, so when you look back from the Ella that started filming the show to now, how would you say you’ve grown?

Being at the end of this press tour has been super emotional and very reflective. When the show came out, we were all in New York, and it was 3 a.m. our time when the show came out. Belmont, Jalen, and I put our phones away, and we just spoke about this incredible journey that we’ve all been on together. We talked until like five in the morning.  I was crying a lot, looking back on it. I was, in a lot of ways, very terrified to take on this opportunity. It’s the biggest job that I’ve ever had to take on in terms of the music, the content of the show, and just the overall weight and size of these sound stages. Everything just seemed really big, and I am really proud of myself for doing it. I love these people. I’m so proud and excited to watch everybody continue on the show. I’m so happy I met everybody.

Hannah’s changed my life in so many ways, and it’s been really awesome to get to go on this press tour and celebrate that, which is an opportunity I’ve never gotten to have before. I’ve never been able to do a press tour, so I’ve just loved every second. I’m feeling very nostalgic now!

Thankfully, we have season two in the works and another press tour to come!

I know! Which is so cool. That’s what’s so lovely. It’s such a privilege to have that comfort blanket of knowing that we get to do it again with these people, and we get to have fun and appreciate spending time together. That’s really lovely.

Knowing what you know about Hannah’s arc over the season, if you could give her a piece of advice from Ella, what would that advice be?

I’m going to say it’s not my advice — it’s the words that are said to Hannah — but it’s always going to resonate with me: “We need to cling to the people who see us and smile.” That is one of my favourite lines. I think it really helps her confide in Garrett and Allie. I love those words. I’ve definitely used that sentiment a lot in my own life, for sure.

I know this year has already been such a dream for you, but if you could manifest something for yourself this year, what would it be?

Oh my goodness. That’s such a good question. I hope to be working, but also finding time to spend with family and friends, and really appreciating when looking back and being proud and in the moment of what the first season has done for me. I want to be reflective and try not to get too caught up in everything, and just be present in the moment. I’m excited for season two and manifesting that it all goes well, that it’s fun, and that we can do it all again and again.

I can’t believe you’re heading into production again in a few days. That’s crazy.

It’s crazy, I know. I was saying goodbye to everybody because everyone’s flown home now. I’m pretty much the only one left in New York, but I’ll see them all again in three days.

It’s like going back to summer camp.

Yeah, it really does feel that way. It’s so cool. I love it.

full look. PUMA
necklace + ring. MIRAKI

‘Off Campus‘ is streaming now on Prime Video.

photography. Julia Sariy
fashion. Laura Spriet
talent. Ella Bright
hair. Jacob Rozenberg
make up. Misha Shahzada
casting, production + interview. Kelsey Barnes
video. JP Blair
fashion assistants. Anisa Belle Ruiz + Gabby Garder
video assistant. Weston Flemmons