NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Jenny Han on the final season of 'The Summer I Turned Pretty'

Episode Date: July 24, 2025

In this episode of The Drink, NBC News anchor Kate Snow sits down with bestselling author and showrunner Jenny Han — the creative force behind the smash-hit series The Summer I Turned Pretty and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.Over peach iced teas at LODI in New York City (though Han insists the drink wasn’t a hidden Easter egg for fans!), the two dive into Han’s journey: growing up in Virginia, championing diversity in Hollywood, and what’s in store for the final chapter of Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah.The Drink is Kate Snow’s interview series featuring candid conversations with actors, authors, athletes, and visionaries — all over the beverage of their choice.Watch every episode of The Drink now at NBCNEWS.COM/THEDRINK.  

Hey everybody, it's Kate Snow. I am so excited for our latest episode of The Drink, my series all about how folks got to the top of their field. I sat down with author, screenwriter, and showrunner extraordinaire Jenny Han, who created the hit series, The Summer I Turn Pretty, and To All the Boys I've Loved Before. We talked over peach iced tea at the restaurant Lodi in New York City, although she swears that her drink choice was not an Easter egg for all you fans of her work.

Anyway, we cover everything from her childhood growing up in rural Virginia to her push for diversity in Hollywood, and of course, what fans can expect from the very last season of The Summer I Turned Pretty. It's out now on Amazon Prime. As always, you can watch all of our episodes online too at NBCNews.com slash The Drink. All right, Jenny Han.

Author, screenwriter, showrunner, all the things. We're in Lodi in New York City in Manhattan. What do we got? Cheers. Cheers. What's your drink? Peach iced tea. OK.

Refreshing. Let's see. Mm. Oh, I like the hint of peach. Nice. Very nice. On a summer morning, fantastic. Jenny Han, you are author, screenwriter,

showrunner, extraordinaire. You have basically built an empire, let's be honest. I would go that far. I would go that far. Thank you. Yeah. Lots of books and now lots of TV, movies for people that don't know. I always start with kind of, how did this happen?

How did you get here? I was thinking about that. I was watching the clips and I'm like, how am I going to answer that question, how did this happen? How did you get here? I was thinking about that. I was watching the clips and I'm like, how am I gonna answer that question, how did this happen? The short story is I was first a novelist and then one of my books was adapted to a movie from Netflix called To All the Boys I've Loved Before and I thought I wanna do it, but I wanna write it

and produce it myself. So you grow up outside in Virginia, Richmond area. Your parents are immigrants, right? Yes. From Korea. Yes. And tell me about childhood because it sounds like your parents worked really hard. They did.

Yeah, my parents were, I was a latchkey kid, I think like a lot of kids in the 80s. And your dad worked overnights? He worked a night shift. Night shift. So he would leave at 2 p.m. and come back at 11 30 p.m. So when I was little, like he used to say he used to only be able to come in and like give us a kiss while we were sleeping and, you know, see us on the weekend. Yeah. It's hard.

But and my mom worked late hours too. So she had a grocery store. She had a little grocery store, but first she had a little laundromat. Okay. So she'd be home at like nine. So after school until nine, you guys are on your own? Yeah. Although my grandparents lived with us until I was 10.

And so then from 10 on, it was just my sister and I. And so, I mean, I loved to read. I was reading constantly, writing stories. So that was always in me, but I think growing up in the suburbs in Virginia, I never really saw novelists. And I mean, book signings weren't really a thing until later. And probably not Korean American novelists. No, and it was very rare, and particularly young Korean American novelists as well.

I wrote my first book, I started in college. So I was really young when it first came out. And that was really important to me, I think, to be able to showcase that on the book, my pictures on the back flap. You put your picture on the back flap. Yeah, and it was kind of a bit more rare at that time for kids' books. But it was important to me. Why did you want it there?

Well, just because I had never seen that before. And I do think that in order to believe that something is possible, you need to see it. I never thought I could be a writer. No, it was like I'll be a teacher or maybe a lawyer. But nothing in the arts just because it didn't feel very, I guess, practical. And yet you started writing, you started writing as a kid. Like when you were what, like seven years old?

Seven, yeah. I had all my little stories in my books, my notebooks. They were usually about stuff I had no idea about. Like one was a girl who had leukemia. One- You're just making things up. Just making things up and like living in my imagination. And it's really fun that I get to keep doing that.

Did somebody at some point, like your mom or a teacher, or somebody say like, you're really good at this? Yes. They did, they did. Your stories are great. Yeah, I remember one of my teachers would always write in my story, like she wrote, I think my one of my teachers would always write in my story like She wrote I think in my yearbook. It said I expect to see your name on a book one day

When I was like, I think probably like second or third grade So I did feel very affirmed in being a good writer But like I said, it just wasn't didn't seem like something within my reach Wait, not not your yearbook like high school yearbook. Not my elementary school. Second or third. Yeah, I still have it. Wow, I love that. Yeah.

So you go to college, you still don't really know what you wanna do in college when you get head off. I was a psychology major. Okay. So I thought maybe I would get my masters in. Be a psychologist. Yes.

Yeah. When does it turn? When did you think, okay, wait, maybe writing? I took a Writing for Children creative writing class at UNC Chapel Hill. And I just loved it. And that ended up being my first book, just during like our regular like class prompt. Yeah. We start the class off with like a sentence on the board and then you just start writing. And so that was the beginning of the book shook.

Yes, the book shook. And I think coming out of it, I was a senior when I took that. I thought, OK, I would love to be an editor or a librarian. I was really like, I'll take whatever I can get to be in this world of storytelling. But my first choice was to write. But you just never know. Yeah, yeah.

You can get a degree, but there's no guarantee that you're gonna come out and sell a book. Yeah, I mean, my field too. Like, get a communications degree, you don't know if you're gonna end up being a news anchor. Yeah, you're in grad school when you get the first book deal. Yeah, I think I was 24. 24?

Like, that's pretty amazing. That first book deal is probably huge for you, right? Transformative? It was. I remember when I got the call from my agent, she was like, there's an auction. I think it was like seven publishers who want to buy this. And I was cooking macaroni and cheese on a hot plate.

And I remember thinking, oh my gosh, my noodles are going to get soft. Because I was like, this is crazy. Oh my gosh, my noodles are gonna get soft. Yeah. Because I was like, this is crazy. After the break, more of my conversation with Jenny Han, we talk about how she went from being a children's book author to creating one of the most popular shows

on television right now. Stay with us. You're on a phone call, like, being told that your book's being potentially optioned by seven different publishers. Yes. I mean, and then does that launch you? Does that lead to the next series? I would say that, so with Shug, I wrote it and then I sold it and then I actually got a job in a library though, a school library on the Upper

West Side. Yeah, in New York City. In New York City because I liked having the stability and the routine of like I go into the city a few times a week and I'm working and the other days I'm writing. I think because... Gave you some structure. Some structure because I had never had a full-time job before I was like a nanny when I was in grad school and And then I really thought it would help me to just be like more focused on the writing I felt like I wasn't yeah done. I wasn't being very productive I used to pick out all the books and I would go to Barnes & Noble around the corner and just see what was up

And you're introducing your students. Yeah, I really like to Barnes and Noble around the corner and just see what was up. And you're introducing your students to these books. I really like to be able to have one of the kids come in and I can say, I know exactly what you're gonna love, and then give them something that I had read the day before. Is that when you really buckle down and start writing The Summer I Turned Pretty? Yeah, I think so. That doesn't become the TV series

that we know now right away. Well, so Summer I of Turn Pretty had had interest from people throughout the years. From producers and studios, but I didn't really love people's takes on it. And I just thought, you know, I'd rather wait until it feels right. And ultimately it was the right decision

because then I wanted to do it myself because I think nothing's gonna feel right if it's not coming from you when it's your story. Sure. I'm sitting here wondering what their takes were because it's so good now. I can't imagine. It was just a different like tone and it wasn't like that it was like a bad take. It just wasn't what I wanted to do. You wrote another series, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, ends up being one of the most streamed original movies, right? On Netflix.

Yeah. I mean, boom. Does your life change at that point at all? It was crazy. I mean, Netflix's reach, particularly globally, is really vast. And so it was really a kind of, it was an interesting experience going from writing the books and having this very, you know, it's more of a intimate audience where it's, I think there's not as many readers as viewers. Right, and readers it is more intimate because they're reading the page with you.

Absolutely, it's a different, different experience. It's like you as a storyteller are telling them a story in their ear and it's just one voice and I think that's why people feel very close to authors, because that is an intimate experience. I think the internet was smaller, too, in a way. There wasn't a TikTok yet. When I first started out, yeah, there wasn't any of that stuff. And people would write you a letter in the mail or an email.

With a stamp, yeah. Exactly. And now it's really different because people can immediately process or give their opinions on stuff. The movie To All the Boys I've Loved Before, you really wanted your lead character to be an Asian actress, right? Yes.

Did you have to push a bit for that? Yeah, I mean, people were not interested in casting with an Asian lead. Period. What did they want? They wanted a white lead. They wanted someone in their mind, it was somebody who can, you know, garner a big audience who already has a pre-established recognition. But the problem with that is, I think when you're dealing with young actors,

there isn't you're not going to have a Julia Roberts or George Clooney starring in your movie, because it's about a 16-year-old. So really nobody is going to be able to provide that. Yeah. You're looking at a pool of people that are probably more unknown. So it's like giving, you should be able to give people a chance, because it's not really a game changer.

Did you have to really stand up for that? I think it was more like just saying no. Like I'm not doing this other way. Yeah. And then I think because of that, I think it would have gotten made quicker. And people really weren't comfortable with it financially and making what they felt was a risk.

They thought it was a risk financially to have an Asian-American actor. Yes, because they didn't have the metrics, I guess, to compare it to. Because you could just go, well, this movie did this well. Because nobody had really done it before. No. And ends up being so popular on Netflix.

Ends up being really popular. Do you feel like you've maybe paved the way for some others? I think that... Now that you've kind of broken that norm? Well, when it came out, it was at a moment of... Crazy Rich Asians came out the same month, and so did Searching. And so I think there was a momentum happening within the industry um

But I have had friends say that they pitched something after to all the boys and they were able to point to it and say like Here's my thing with an Asian lead and they felt like it really helped them get something made After the break more from Jenny Han on what fans can expect from the final season of The Summer I Turn Pretty. How long did it take for you to find the right fit for summer? For The Summer I Turn Pretty. Well, I actually sold the rights to Summer I Turn Pretty

before the first movie of To All the Boys came out. Because I told my agents, I want to do it, I want to write it, I want to run the show. Yeah, be the show runner. Be the show runner and have it be fully mine. And they were supportive of that. I don't want to ruin it for people who haven't seen it. I love the show.

I think it's, I mean, I say that as a, you know, mom of 20-somethings now, right? Like I am not your target demo, probably, but I think that's what's- But I think you are. I think that's what's great about it, right? Is like, you can relate as a teenager, you can relate as a mom, you can relate at any age.

I think so. I think the audience is really quite diverse and vast. And I hear about or I see when I see it come up on social media, people watching it with their partners, their parents, grandparents, kids. I think that to me is really special to be able to watch it as a community and share it and like talk about it, cry about it. Cry about it.

It seems like you've been, you're very involved as a showrunner, right? You're like, you're there when the actors are... I was reading something about having to put sweaters on because it was a winter scene but it was summer outside and you're like, put the sweaters on! Are you detail-oriented or is that just the showrunner job? I don't know. I mean, it is a showrunner job and I am detail oriented. I'm really specific.

Like I have, I'm like, I need, you know, if there's juice in a scene, it's gotta be specific. It's gotta be something that Susanna or Laurel would buy at a small market, you know, in this town. You're picking the juice. Yes, exactly. Season one, season two, in this town. You're picking the jigs. Yes, exactly. Season one, season two, we are on season three.

It's gone gangbusters. Like, it is all over TikTok. I don't even know how to categorize how huge the show is. Did you expect it? I think the books were popular and the audience was really passionate. It was, it's interesting because they also were really popular overseas. I think because the main character,

she's I think someone that you can put your feet in their shoes, and you could picture yourself on your beach in Sweden or in Mexico or wherever, and imagine yourself there. And I think that's why it like resonates because it is really a story about a girl's coming of age and how I think that is universal. Yeah, and it's for people that haven't seen it. It's summertime, they go to the same beach every summer.

She knows these two boys her whole life. They've grown up together, but now it kind of becomes a love triangle. And there is that aspirational quality to it I think that also draws people in because like who doesn't want to have a beach house. Yeah exactly yeah I was gonna say you know people like fighting over you and like swimming in a pool every day sounds great.. So she's so without giving away too much by season three, it's kind of like, who is she going to choose? Which of these brothers is she? I think it's more like who's she going to choose and like more what will she choose and like, you

know, yeah, I'm just realizing something that like, I ordered peach tea, but that was not an Easter egg for the show. This is, I just like peach iced tea. Fans are always like reading the tea leaves. Oh. First up. And so there's like a peach scene in the books. And so people are going to be like, oh, she was like, oh. They're going to think that this is peach because of.

No, but I just really like peach iced tea. All right. So what are you saying? It's not an Easter egg. It's not an Easter egg. It's not related. It's not an Easter egg. You hear us? Okay. You're very close to a lot of the actors that you work with. Is that on purpose? It's not an Easter egg. It's not an Easter egg. It's not related. It's not an Easter egg. You hear us? Okay.

You're very close to a lot of the actors that you work with. Is that on purpose? You just take people under your wing? I think you end up working these long hours together. And for us, we were in Wilmington, North Carolina, this like small beach town, and you end up just spending a lot of time together. And I think you look out for each other in ways. This is the final season. And it's, it's been like a really lovely road to get here. You know, they were really like Lola was 18 when we shot the first season.

Yeah. She's 22. That's the actor who plays your lead. That's our number one belly. And that's a really big time of growth. 18 to 22. Yeah, sure. And also to be at the helm of a show and have a lot of responsibility on your shoulders. But she's really handled it with such grace.

And also, I was so lucky to work with Lana Condor onto all the boys. And she was a young woman who I think really handled her success with a lot of elegance and aplomb. And with some guidance from you, I imagine. Well, I think, you know what, but I think they're so already so mature and smart and sophisticated that I also have learned so much from them too.

And I think it's really great to be able to work with such smart young women and really be supportive of each other. Yeah, and some young men too. Yeah, them too. I wonder for you what this feels like. For you, this chapter is almost over. The season's out and it's coming to an end.

I know, and this is what we've been working toward. I just feel like I'm just so filled with joy and pride about the season because we all worked so hard and we wanted it to be so good for the fans. And I want it to be good for me too as somebody who really loves these books and loves also these actors and these characters And you just want to do it justice What is the message that you want people to take away from this season? I think um I hope that they Feel like they were on a real journey With these characters and got to see them evolve and grow.

And I think hopefully, you know, the characters make a lot of mistakes. They slip and stumble. They're human. Yeah, as people do. And so I hope that people could maybe have grace for that and for themselves ultimately. So I say just like buckle up, buckle up and get ready for the ride. Get ready for the

roller coaster. What happens now? What do you do next? I've heard that maybe you might be working on an adult rom-com. I have a couple, like several things. Is that one of the things? Yes, that is one of the things. Please, will you do that? Because we haven't had a really good rom-com in a while. I love the romantic comedy. I do. As a viewer, I do. I wish we had more of them. I feel you being very careful about this.

You can't say too much, right? Okay, I get it. I get it. I get it. But yes, I have a couple different things. Books? Books honey? It's harder for me.

Harder because it takes a long time. And you've been busy. I have to get in such a different head space to write a book. It is a full time, more than a full because it takes a long time. And you've been busy. I have to get in such a different headspace to write a book. It is a full-time, more than a full-time job, doing a TV show. Do you have time for a personal life, Jenny? I think, yeah, I mean, I was gone last year because I had two shows at one point that I was show running.

Yeah. But I was gone like 10 months out of the year in Korea and in North Carolina. So it's a lot. I would love to be able to sit there and take time and go to Italy and write a book for six months. Luckily, I love what I do. I love working and I love writing and I love telling stories.

So I think when you do what you love, it doesn't feel so much. Like work. And it's energizing and I'm sure you feel the same way. Yeah, I do and I work hard too. I get it. Cheers to that. Cheers to that. Does any of your personal life inform the stories that you tell? Like is there any other parallels between you and Summer I Turn Pretty? I think in that it's a coming of age and that you know I also had that moment of feeling, like, sort of in between stages.

And I think everybody has that moment. But yeah, I had so many crushes on people at that age. And at that age, I was writing a lot of, like, poems and plays and, like, stories about everything. I was, like, writing my own fan fiction of my own life. Your own fan fiction of my own life. Your own fan fiction? Yes. But I would say, I guess to all the boys, it's probably something that I took from my own life and that I wrote love letters. To people that you're crushes? But I didn't send them.

You did not get them sent? Yes. That didn't happen to me, luckily. But there's some parallel there, yeah. In that I took that from my life. But I really do write fiction. Nothing is like a direct parallel. This has been so much fun.

I love to do a speed round. Mm-hmm. This one we've used before. You may have heard it. Weirdest thing about you? I'm allergic to nickel, so I don't really wear much jewelry. No earrings? No earrings. I've had them pierced three times,

and they always, like, close up. Okay. Okay. I don had them pierced three times and they always like close up. Okay, okay. I don't know if that's weird. It's kind of unlucky, but yeah. Yeah, it's unlucky. Yeah. Okay, your favorite rom-com? Playbuzz in Seattle.

Yes, classic. I know you're a baker. Favorite thing that you bake? I really like to bake muffins and And I also like to bake cinnamon rolls. And, oh, I also like to bake banana bread. Oh, me too. Yeah. That's good. Team Jeremiah, team Conrad.

Team Belly. Team Belly! Yes! Absolutely. Absolutely. Is there a piece of advice that you would give to younger, maybe younger women, maybe younger women like you, you know, that they could hold on to? I think the advice I would give is to just like go for it, you know, and pursue your dreams.

And I think try and quiet the outside voices and just listen to your own voice. Love that. That is a great piece of advice. Jenny Han, this has been awesome. Thank you so much. So nice to meet you. Yeah, great to meet you too. Thank you, Kate.