Ella Bright made it clear she knew what she signed up for when leading Prime Video’s new romance drama “Off Campus” at the age of 19.
During Tuesday’s appearance on the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast, the actress, who plays lead character Hannah Wells, shared she was aware of the concern regarding her age, given she was only 18 when she filmed the steamy Season 1. Not to mention, her on-screen love interest, played by Belmont Cameli, was nearly 10 years her senior.
However, as Bright told host Amanda Hirsch, the age gap with Cameli was never a concern for her, defending she knew what it would take to lead the TV adaptation of Elle Kennedy’s spicy book series.
“I came into this job and during the chemistry reads with more than enough information and knowledge and understanding of what this role required and the show,” Bright said. “And I just fell in love with Hannah and these scripts immediately. There was never a question that I wouldn’t want to do this.”
As Bright continued, she admitted that she understood the concern, but defended that she “not once” felt “left out from being younger than everybody.”
“We’re all such a family and like everyone was just more than perfect,” she added. “And I couldn’t be more comfortable on this set with these people. So, it is funny when they say that. I’m like, ‘I’m good.’”
Watch her defense below.
It’s a good thing the content of “Off Campus” didn’t scare Bright off, as it’s become an overnight success for Prime Video.
As we previously reported, “Off Campus” has joined the ranks of Prime Video’s top premieres, with its freshman season ranking as the streamer’s No. 3 most-viewed debut season in history, outpacing “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”
Specifically, Season 1 of the romance series earned 36 million viewers worldwide in its first 12 days, including two full weekends on Prime Video, per internal data from the streamer.
“Obsession is officially in session at Prime Video, thanks to the fans who have embraced ‘Off Campus,’” Amazon MGM Studios global TV head Peter Friedlander said in a statement. “We couldn’t be happier to see such a passionate community come together around Season 1 of creator Louisa Levy and co-showrunner Gina Fattore’s interpretation of Elle Kennedy’s beloved story. When you earn trust and deliver for an audience, they show up — and they’ve certainly done so for ‘Off Campus.’”
Season 2 of “Off Campus,” which was greenlit before the series debut in mid-May, is set to begin production soon.
