Stephen Kalyn as Dean Di Laurentis in ‘Off Campus.’ Liane Hentscher/Prime Logo text [This story contains spoilers from Off Campus season one.]
The internet loves Off Campus’ lovable party boy Dean Di Laurentis, that much has been made clear in the past week since the college-set series premiered.
Dean, played by 28-year-old Stephen Kalyn, is the best friend and hockey teammate to the season’s leading man, Belmont Cameli’s Garrett Graham. There’s more to the free-spirited hockey player than meets the eye, however, which becomes evident in the show’s sixth episode.
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The episode focuses on the budding romance between Dean and Allie Hayes, the best friend to Garrett’s better half and season one’s leading lady, Hannah Wells, played by Ella Bright. It’s also a great barometer to see where the character Dean is at when viewers find him in the story. “I’m Six Flags, baby,” Kalyn’s Dean tells Abdalla’s Allie in episode six as the pair share a joint. “Everybody wants a ride. They come for a good time, not a long time.”
Kalyn points to a notion Dean has about his life in Elle Kennedy’s Off Campus books that the show is based on — he’s just doing what he wants. “That’s a line that I’ve always kept with me for every scene in season one,” the actor tells The Hollywood Reporter on a recent Zoom.
Dean’s having the time of life, as Kalyn sees it, and he didn’t expect what was to come next. “To catch feelings for Allie was an interesting turning point too for me. I learned a lot of things about him through that process of him meeting somebody that he genuinely [likes],” he says.
“Dean always gets what he wants, but Allie puts him in his place,” Kalyn says. “He doesn’t quite understand that, but he’s attracted to it. He’s following that feeling as the show progresses in season one until he’s like, ‘I like you, and I’m done with this. I just want to be with you, Allie.’”
Kalyn loved getting Dean to that point. “It’s fun to do party scenes — it’s fun to have fun — but it’s great to get to the heartfelt moments,” he says.
Kalyn as Dean Di Laurentis in Off Campus. Jeff Weddell / Prime Dean, much like Garrett’s other close friends and teammates John Logan (Antonio Cipriano) and John Tucker (Jalen Thomas Brooks), leads another novel in the Off Campus series. The Score, the third book in Kennedy’s string of novels, centers around Dean and Allie’s romance.
While Off Campus intends to adopt the Bridgerton model of handing over the main character mantle to a new couple each season, it’s unclear which of Kennedy’s books season two will cover. Regardless, Kalyn, Cipirano, Brooks and Abdalla are all aware that their time is coming eventually, as long as the show continues to be renewed.
“I’m just so grateful to learn from Ella and Belmont and watch those two great, phenomenal actors lead season one,” Kalyn says.
The book series Off Campus, which begins with The Deal, follows a new-but-connected couple in each book. The show, which follows The Deal’s storyline, plans to keep that model. Season one dives headfirst into the age-old romantic trope of fake dating with music student Hannah Wells, who, in true hockey fashion, is often called Wellsy by her love interest, Garrett Graham. Graham is the son of a professional hockey legend and captain of Briar University’s hockey team.
Louisa Levy serves as the creator and co-showrunner, executive producing alongside fellow showrunner Gina Fattore. Wyck Godfrey, Marty Bowen and James Seidman executive produce for Temple Hill. Leanna Billings of Billings Productions and Neal Flaherty also serve as executive producers on the series.
All episodes of Off Campus are streaming now on Prime Video. Read THR‘s show coverage here.
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