Surviving Summer is a popular teen surfing drama that debuted on Netflix in June 2022. The Australian coming-of-age series follows Summer Torres, a mischievous high school teenager who is expelled from her school in New York and is sent to stay with her mother’s friend in Shorehaven, Australia. As Summer adjusts to her new surroundings, she befriends a group of local surfers and learns a new subculture.
With Surviving Summer Season 2 arriving on Netflix on September 15, 2023, it’s time for a refresher on the main cast of characters and the young actors who portray them. Chances are, fans of the show will recognize the youthful cast from several other popular movies and TV shows.
Sky Katz as Summer Torres
Sky Katz plays the lead character Summer Torres. Summer is a troubled teen with a rebellious streak who does not like being told what to do and often marches to the beat of her own drum. When she is kicked out of high school in her native Brooklyn, Summer is sent to live with her mother’s old friend in the small coastal town of Shorehaven, Australia. Summer immediately ruffles the feathers of the local Australian surfers before slowly joining their clique and expanding her horizons.
One of the reasons Torres appears so comfortable and confident on-screen comes from Katz’s previous experience on the TV series Raven’s Home, a Disney Chanel sitcom starring Raven-Symone. Torres played Raven’s neighbor Tess O’Malley in 81 episodes from 2017 to 2023, providing the talented young actor an invaluable training ground to master her craft and comedic timing.
Kai Lewins as Ari Gibson
Kai Lewins plays Ari Gibson. Ari is a talented Australian surfer who befriends Summer when she arrives in town. Driven to be the best surfer in the world, Ari is recovering from a major injury at the start of the series and slowly works his way back into competition. As Summer helps Kai recover, the two form a tender teenage romance that forces Summer to choose between staying in Australia or returning home to New York.
Lewins began his career in 2011 by appearing in the Australian TV western series Wild Boys. Since then, he has appeared in everything from the shows Roar and The Twelve to such movies as Celeste and Moon Rock for Monday. However, Surviving Summer marks Lewins’ most significant starring role, appearing in all 18 episodes of the popular teen drama to date.
Lilliana Bowrey as Poppy Tetanui
Lilliana Bowrey depicts Poppy Tetanui. Poppy is a supremely talented Australian surfer who is driven to become a world champion. Poppy is peppy, outgoing, and has a quirky sense of humor that adds a lot of charm to the TV show. When it is revealed that Poppy has a crush on Ari, her relationship with Summer becomes complicated. Meanwhile, Poppy has brothers named Manu and Prawni who she leans on following the tragic death of their mother.
Believe it or not, Surviving Summer represents the acting debut of Lilliana Bowrey. Considering what a substantial role she plays in the popular coming-of-age TV series, it’s easy to assume that she has a wealth of acting experience. However, Bowery’s impressive surfing skills seen on the show stem from her professional status as a five-time Queensland Surfing Junior Champion. As such, Bowrey adds undeniable authenticity to Surviving Summer.
Savannah La Rain as Bodhi Mercer
Savannah La Rain portrays Bodhi Mercer. Bodhi is also a local Australian surfer who hangs out with Summer, Poppy, Ari, and the others. When Bodhi isn’t bolstering her social media profile, she is often the voice of reason in the group who keeps everyone calm when things spiral out of control. Despite gaining a professional surfing sponsor, deep down, Bodhi grapples with her teenage insecurities.
La Rain is a professional actor, model, and dancer who has mounted an impressive resume since 2014. While Surviving Summer marks her biggest recurring role to date, La Rain can also be seen in such TV series as Mako Mermaids and Big Shot to movies like Ocean Boy and Dora and the Lost City of Gold. With no signs of slowing down, La Rain will soon appear in the Untitled Woody Woodpecker movie.
Joao Gabriel Marinho as Marlon Sousa
Joao Gabriel Marinho plays Marlon Sousa. Marlon is a skilled Brazilian surfer whose sarcastic sense of humor often provides comic relief on the show. A natural-born showman, Marlon is a bit of a showboat on a surfboard. He also has a fierce competitive spirit that forces him to blame others when things don’t turn out as planned.
Much like Summer, Marlon is an outsider in Shorehaven, which allows them to lean on each other in times of need. Given his solid performance on the show, it may surprise fans to know that Surviving Summer is the only acting credit of Marinho’s young career thus far. While he’s not a professional surfer like Lilliana Bowrey, Marinho grew up surfing as a child, and his comfort in the water is partially why he was cast as Marlon in the acclaimed 2022 Netflix show.
Chris Alosio as Manu Tetanui
Chris Alosio plays Manu Tetanui. Manu is Poppy’s older brother who is trying to keep their lives from unraveling following the death of their mother. Manu is also an instructor at the Tetanui Surf School, where Poppy also teaches beginner courses. When Manu isn’t helping others improve their surfing skills, he’s often encouraging Poppy to refocus her competitive spirit and overcome her post-traumatic stress.
Alosio is a fast-rising Australian actor who recently starred in Talk To Me, the A24 horror movie that has been hailed as the scariest event of 2023. Alosio can also be seen in Taika Waititi’s upcoming underdog soccer drama Next Goal Wins. As such, it’s safe to say Alosio’s career is about to take off. Fans can also see Alosio in such TV series as The Messenger, North Shore, and Fighting Season.
Cantona Stewart as Prawnie Tetanui
Cantona Stewart portrays Prawnie Tetanui. Prawnie is the brother of Poppy and Manu who also has an affinity for surfing. He is kind and caring and goes out of his way to offer Summer a ride to the airport when she voices her desire to return to New York. However, Prawnie’s chance to get close to Summer is interrupted when she helps Ari deal with his panic attack and misses her ride to the airport.
Stewart is an Australian actor who most famously played the stand-in for the 16-year-old version of Arthur Curry in the popular DCEU movie, Aquaman. A talented surfer in real life, Stewart’s other notable credits include the TV series Harrow. Following his most visible role as Prawnie in Surviving Summer, Stewart is scheduled to appear in the upcoming romance film Carnal Vessels from writer and director Angus Kirby.
Asmara Feik as Honey Gibson
Asmara Feik depicts Honey Gibson. Honey is Ari’s younger sister and the daughter of Thommo and Abbie Gibson. When Summer encourages Thommo and Abbie to allow Ari to surf again following his tragic accident, Honey supports Summer’s efforts and the two soon become fast friends. Part of their friendship involves Honey teaching Summer how to use a skateboard.
Feik has been extremely busy since 2022. After appearing in the holiday rom-com Christmas on the Farm in 2021, Feik appeared in four different TV series in the past year. In addition to Surviving Summer, Feik has starred in Ginger and the Vegesaur, Upright, and most recently, La Brea. With eight total credits amassed since 2019, Feik is one of the busiest cast members in Surviving Summer.
Mitchell Hardaker as Griff Temple
Micthell Hardaker plays Griff Temple. Griff is a cocky local Anchor Cove Team surfer in Shorehaven who becomes one of Poppy, Bodhi, and Marlon’s main rivals in the series. Griff hangs out with other rival surfers such as Lily Tran and Sheridan Morehouse, two mean-spirited teens who antagonize Summer and her friends as soon as she arrives in town.
Similar to Bowrey, Surviving Summer marks the first acting credit of Hardaker’s career. Despite his lack of previous experience, he lends authenticity as a talented real-life surfer whose wave-riding skills are featured prominently in the series. To find out if Griff’s role has been expanded or reduced in Season 2, be sure to tune into Surviving Summer when it returns to Netflix on September 15, 2022.
Charli Wookey as Sheridan Morehouse
Charli Wookey plays Sheridan Morehouse on the now-streaming Netflix TV show. Sheridan is a typical mean girl who instantly bullies Summer when she arrives in town. For example, Sheridan runs over Summer’s skateboard with her car in the pilot, launching a fierce rivalry between the two that only gets more complicated as the series advances. Sheridan is also a surfer on the Anchor Cove team along with Griff.
Wookey is a relative newcomer who made her screen debut in Surviving Summer. She can also be seen in the 2023 Australian adventure series Crazy Fun Park, in which she plays the role of Siobhan. Given her prominent roles in two concurrent TV series, fans can expect to see a lot more of Wookey on the big and small screen in the future. Until then, hopefully, fans get to see more of her in Surviving Summer Season 2.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
