For All Mankind Star Opens Up About The 'Dream Come True' On Apple TV+ After The Summer I Turned Pretty Drama

Sean Kaufman has transitioned from the teen romance of The Summer I Turned Pretty to the sci-fi drama of For All Mankind.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 11:21pm

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Sean Kaufman, who recently starred in the Amazon Prime series The Summer I Turned Pretty, has now taken on a role in the Apple TV+ series For All Mankind. Kaufman spoke about the transition from the teen drama of TSITP to the more serious sci-fi tone of For All Mankind, saying he embraces the feeling of being uncomfortable as an actor and sees it as a 'dream come true' to be able to learn new things on the job. Kaufman also reflected on his early acting credits, including small guest roles on shows like Law & Order: SVU, and how those experiences were a 'rite of passage' that led him to his current series regular roles.

Why it matters

Kaufman's transition from a teen romance drama to a sci-fi series highlights his versatility as an actor and his willingness to step out of his comfort zone. The contrast between the tones of the two shows also speaks to Kaufman's range and his desire to continuously challenge himself. His comments about embracing discomfort and seeing it as an opportunity to grow as an artist resonate with the experiences of many actors navigating different roles and genres throughout their careers.

The details

Kaufman has taken on the role of Alex, the son of Cynthy Wu's character Kelly Baldwin, in the fifth season of For All Mankind. This role represents a significant tonal shift from his previous work on The Summer I Turned Pretty, which focused on the messy drama of teen love triangles. Kaufman shared that he made a rule for himself as an actor to 'live in the feeling of being uncomfortable,' as he sees that as the key to growth and success. He described the experience of working on For All Mankind as 'flying by the seat of [his] pants,' with a lot of new knowledge to absorb, which he found exhilarating.

  • Kaufman is expected to appear in the upcoming Summer I Turned Pretty movie, even as he continues his role on For All Mankind.
  • For All Mankind Season 5 premiered on Apple TV+ on March 27, 2026, with new episodes releasing weekly until the finale in late May.

The players

Sean Kaufman

An actor who has transitioned from a role in the teen drama The Summer I Turned Pretty to a role in the sci-fi series For All Mankind on Apple TV+.

Cynthy Wu

An actress who plays the character of Kelly Baldwin, the mother of Kaufman's character Alex, in For All Mankind.

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What they’re saying

“It's fun. One rule that I made for myself as an actor is live in the feeling of being uncomfortable. I think anytime I can be uncomfortable, I know I'm doing the right thing. I think comfort is kind of the death of an artist, and I think that going from a tone like that to another kind of tone, it was fun.”

— Sean Kaufman, Actor

“I felt like I was flying by the seat of my pants. There was a lot of stuff that I was learning on the fly and I didn't know, and I think that there was something about that where I was like, 'This is awesome.' The fact that I don't know, and I feel like the best actors are sponges, and I feel like if I can be a sponge and absorb new knowledge, that's a dream come true.”

— Sean Kaufman, Actor

What’s next

It remains to be seen if the time jump ahead to the sixth and final season of For All Mankind will be short enough for Kaufman to continue playing the role of Alex.

The takeaway

Kaufman's transition from the teen drama of The Summer I Turned Pretty to the sci-fi world of For All Mankind showcases his versatility as an actor and his willingness to step out of his comfort zone. His embrace of discomfort and desire to continuously learn new things reflects the mindset of many successful actors navigating different roles and genres throughout their careers.