Stephen Kalyn about the second season of ‘Off Campus’, his hockey past

Off campus star Stephen Kalyn is no stranger to the hockey world.

The 28-year-old actor spent much of his young adult life on the hockey rink, playing the sport since the age of 6 and finishing his minor hockey career at the AA level. “That’s what I wanted to do as a kid and throughout my adolescence, that’s the kind of life I wanted,” he says. The Hollywood Reporter on a recent Zoom.

The actor manages to exude a level of charm through a computer screen that would post his own Off campus character Dean Di Laurentis to shame. He seems genuinely excited to talk about his character and is always ready to shower love on his co-stars.

By the end of high school, it became clear to Kalyn that hockey was not going to be a success. “I could have kept playing and trying, but I knew it wouldn’t be like that,” he says.

“I could still love the game regardless, whether I play it or not. Luckily I found acting,” says Kalyn. He has been able to integrate hockey throughout his career. But it still feels like a fate that he has encountered in Prime Video’s new series Off campusthe latest hockey romance series to hit streaming.

The Markham, Ontario native found acting through a casting call for his high school production Fat – he played Danny Zuko, of course. “When the school day ended at 1:30, I spent the next two hours rehearsing with my drama teacher. I just fell in love with the whole process,” he says.

“I was always interested as a kid, but I never really got into it. I put more focus and energy into hockey,” says Kalyn. “It was that moment where I decided I was going to do this. I don’t know how I was going to do it, but I was going to do it.”

He has been steadily building up credits in recent years, including stints on Prime Videos The boys spinoff Gen V And Motorheads. Kalyn has always considered himself an actor, but it wasn’t until 2023 or 2024 that he was able to consider it as a career. Amazon, he realizes during this conversation, must have become aware of him and enjoyed his performances because he started getting bigger roles. Of course all roads led to Off campus.

In the TV show created by Louisa Levy, based on the book series by Elle Kennedy, Kalyn plays Dean, a lovable party boy and member of the Briar University hockey team. Off campus‘ first season revolves around Kennedy’s first book in the series, The agreementwith future seasons focusing on different couples, just like in the books.

Kalyn originally auditioned for the role of John Logan, played by Antonio Cipriano – auditioning for other roles within the show seems to be a common thread for the large ensemble cast. He sent his tape, had a good feeling about it and didn’t hear much back after that.

“I thought, ‘Oh, I guess that’s not going to happen.’ And a few months later, I think it was April, they sent something for Dean,” he says. The actor got a callback again and things were chaotic, so he told his manager he wasn’t sure he could land the audition. Kalyn adds, “My manager said, ‘You have to do it. Do the Zoom. Don’t make a self-tape. We’re going to get you with the American casting, and you’re going to be great.’”

Obviously it was great and things started moving quickly. He remembers auditioning on Wednesday and getting a call on Thursday saying the team wanted to meet on Friday. “I was at the gym on the treadmill listening to Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club.” I thought, OK, let’s lock this up,” he says, setting the tone.

After the meeting and the hours of chemistry lectures that followed, he booked the role. “I was hyperventilating a little and getting a little light-headed, but eventually I caught myself,” he says. “To this day it is one of the most beautiful days and one of the most beautiful moments of my life.”

Hockey, of course, became a big part of Kalyn’s preparation for the series. Unlike his Off campus costars, he already knew that. Amazon had the four main men – Kalyn, Belmont Cameli, Cipriano and Jalen Thomas Brooks – attend a two-week hockey boot camp. He believes that he and the other men, whose dynamic is the thread of the series, strengthened their chemistry and bond there.

“For me it was definitely fun because I knew what I was doing, but for them I could see that it was very frustrating because it is a very difficult sport to learn, especially when you are older,” he says.

Kalyn was able to get back to work straight away. “I was there every day to support my fellow players. I helped them as much as I could. Sometimes I even tied their skates,” he says.

The actor jokes that he would do what his father used to do for him. “Like [the skate] was too loose, and I saw them go up and saw that their ankles were a little wobbly. I’d say, ‘Jalen, come here,'” he continues.

In the same way that it feels preordained that Kalyn, a lifelong hockey player, found a show that allowed him to realize two of his dreams in one, Dean’s role was also a bit of a manifestation. Just not from the actor himself. As a fan of Kennedy’s book series, Kalyn’s fiancée may have inadvertently sealed his fate for Dean. ‘I knew it [Off Campus] was popular through Victoria [his fiancée]. She read these books a long time ago, and her favorite book was The score,” he says.

“She made a comment on Goodreads years ago. She wrote something like ‘Lean, mean and all about Dean,'” Kalyn says. “She just loved Dean. What a privilege it is to step into those shoes. I don’t get to fulfill that alone.” [the role of Dean] for the fans, but more importantly for my fiancé.”

Luckily, she told Kalyn that he had done a good job in his portrayal of her favorite character. “Just the approval I needed,” he says. Swooning to say the least.

Kalyn clearly loves Dean. He can identify with the character in a way: he’s trying to have fun; he likes hockey; and he has a bit of a crazy side – and can’t relate in any other way. “I’m not that impulsive. I wouldn’t say I’m that confident. Plus, I’ve been in relationships all my life, so I don’t know what it’s like to be single and go out and chase a lot of women,” he says.

“I would say it’s very 50-50 with me and Dean,” Kalyn says. “We are similar in a way, but actually we are not the same at all.”

Dean takes center ice The scorethe third book in the series, alongside his love interest Allie Hayes, played by Mika Abdalla. Fans immediately loved the duo and it’s no surprise that they have been tapped to lead the second season. The pair knew from the beginning that they would lead season two, but their story became a huge part of season one until the next episode.

Kalyn and Abdalla worked on getting that chemistry early on. “Louisa had a great idea to suggest her and I go out to dinner,” he says. Instead, the couple opted to have Kalyn participate in a Pilates class with Abdalla because the actor thought it would be funny, and then they would go to dinner. Unfortunately for Kalyn, that didn’t go as planned.

‘I was late to pilates class and they wouldn’t let me in. Apparently they won’t let you in if you’re two minutes late,” he says.

The actor remembers seeing Abdalla in class. “I was like a worried mother looking through the window at her child and saying, ‘Hey.’ She made the Mika roll her eyes, then grabbed her things and walked out,” says Kalyn.

Kalyn apologized profusely. “She just said, ‘Let’s go.’ I felt like a kid in trouble,” he says, laughing about the incident. In the end, it worked out for the best. The pair went to dinner across the street from the Pilates studio. He adds, “We ended up talking for hours and getting to know each other. That was a really good start and a warm-up for the scenes we had together this season.”

While Kalyn continues his Off campus Throughout his journey, there are certain messages that he hopes get through to viewers. As his costars and the show’s creator noted: Off campus aims to tackle toxic masculinity in this world.

“I hope that eventually girlfriends will drag their boyfriends along to watch this show, especially if they are athletes, because I know a lot of men can be very guarded and protective about how they feel,” says Kalyn. “I hope we can connect with the entire audience to show that it’s okay to feel how you feel. Don’t be afraid to talk to someone and lean on them, whether it’s a partner, a friend or a family member.”

He took that message to heart. “An important lesson I also learned is that you don’t have to be afraid to express those feelings,” says the actor.

“I think the show has a lot of layers and a lot of emotions and feelings. It’s a great game changer in the YA world of television, and that’s what made me want to read the scripts right away,” he says. “I get teary-eyed reading some of the scenes between Hannah and Garrett. It’s very special.”

Looking ahead, Kalyn knows that Off campus is a great stepping stone and something he has always seen for himself. Ryan Gosling is a reference point for the kind of career he would like to have – varied. But for now, he’s focusing on season two, which is about to start filming. “It’s going to be very sweet, loving and heartbreaking,” he says of what’s to come. “I only see beautiful things.”