Griffin Gluck Shared an Apartment With His “Cruel Summer” Costars During Filming: It Was Like “Camp”

Image Source: Freeform

In our Q&A series POPSUGAR Crush, we get to know some of our favorite celebs’ more intimate details – from their first celebrity crush to their best love advice. This month, we’re crushing on “Cruel Summer” actor Griffin Gluck.

For six months in 2022, Sadie Stanley, Lisa Yamada, and Griffin Gluck were roommates. The trio were filming the second season of Freeform’s hit mystery drama “Cruel Summer” in Vancouver, Canada, an experience Gluck now likens to “summer camp.” “Those people become like the closest thing you have to a family,” he tells POPSUGAR ahead of “Cruel Summer” season two’s June 5 debut.

“With a lot of the cast, we bonded really quickly, and Sadie, who plays Megan, and Lisa, who plays Parker, we actually moved in together,” the 22-year-old shares. “Rent in Vancouver was really expensive. And somehow it was cheaper for all of us to get a nice big penthouse together than to each live separately.”

They settled into a nice routine, which he recounts while chuckling. “Every morning we would wake up and say, ‘Good morning, roomies.’ And then we’d go to work and we’d spend every second of every day together. And then we’d get back in the car and we would all go home together, have dinner together, and maybe like a drink or something to unwind.” It made falling into character as a group of close-knit high schoolers easier – albeit with far less drama than their onscreen counterparts (save for maybe some household cleanliness issues, which he jokes is a “touchy subject”).

Another seamless off-to-onscreen transition? Playing son to one Paul Adelstein. It’s a role Gluck has had before, believe it or not. The young actor, whose former costars include Adam Sandler and Pete Davidson (who is the funniest one on set, Gluck tells POPSUGAR when pressed), appeared as Adelstein’s child in “Private Practice” beginning in 2011. In “Cruel Summer,” Gluck is Luke, a popular teen who has lost his mother but lives a life of privilege thanks to his successful father, played by Adelstein.

“The chemistry followed through after all these years,” he says. “It was just like putting on an old glove. It just fit, it worked, it felt right. Same with KaDee. It was just kind of like old times in a weird way.” Because yes, the reunion doesn’t end with Adelstein. KaDee Strickland also rounds out the “Cruel Summer” cast, playing the mom of Luke’s friend-turned-girlfriend Megan. In “Private Practice,” Strickland’s character was Gluck’s stepmother.

“And not to mention Bill Purple, the executive producer and director of the show for four out of the 10 episodes. He also directed the episode of ‘Private Practice’ that I was in with Paul and KaDee that was my first time on screen,” Gluck adds.

Related: KaDee Strickland on “Private Practice” Reunion With Paul Adelstein and Griffin Gluck in “Cruel Summer”

Gluck also has deep connections to his new show: He is close friends with Chiara Aurelia, who led “Cruel Summer”‘s first season. Admittedly, Gluck says he was a “bad friend” and didn’t watch the anthology series at first – until “the auditioning process.” “I loved it when I did,” he assures.

Keep reading for more revelations from Gluck, including which gifts he’s held onto from ex-girlfriends.

Image Source: Freeform

What is your favorite form of self-care?

A bath, a face mask, a candle, and a good movie. And a bath bomb.

What is your go-to movie-night movie?

“Step Brothers.” It’s my favorite comedy of all time. So many quotable moments in that movie. I could probably recite like every single line start to finish. I think I tried recently and I got pretty close to getting every single line right for the first 45 minutes. It used to be the only movie I had downloaded. So anytime I went somewhere or I was in the car and I wanted to watch something, I would just rewatch “Step Brothers.”

Dogs or cats?

I’ve grown up with dogs and cats. I’ve had so many dogs. I’ve had like 10 – no, OK, maybe eight dogs. And I’ve also had like, believe it or not – this is gonna sound terrifying – but like 30 cats. Once it was like 20 cats at the same time. But let me explain. We got two cats. They made babies and then like less than six months later they made more babies, and then it was impossible to get them all neutered. And then the babies grew up and they were old enough to have babies and then we were like, “Oh my god, we’re stuck with 20.” But I just love cats. There’s so much less maintenance and they provide just the same amount of love.

Do you prefer coffee or tea – and what’s your go-to order?

I drink coffee more frequently, but I enjoy tea more. My favorite tea is just a jasmine green tea, but the way I make it at home is I throw a pump of vanilla in there and I froth oat milk, and I make a jasmine tea latte, maybe add a pump of lavender. It’s kind of like a London fog but with jasmine tea. I call it a Tokyo fog because that’s what a coffee shop in Toronto called it. It was their specialty. And now I make them at home, and they’re my favorite.

What is your ideal first date?

Cirque du Soleil. I may have gone on a first date there once. It’s maybe one of the better first dates I’ve ever had. . . . When you go to a movie, there’s no talking because you’re both watching the movie. And if you go to a dinner or something, it’s all talking and there’s a lot of pressure to keep the conversation fun and interesting. What I liked so much about Cirque du Soleil is you got the perfect mix of talking and then enjoying something together. You get entertainment and conversation, and then you leave with a lot to talk about as well.

Do you prefer getting dressed up, or wearing comfortable clothes?

Both, but I would say day to day, I stay comfy. I’d say half my wardrobe is sweatpants, but really cool ones.

Favorite gift you’ve ever received?

It’s a tie between two. One, I got a camera for my birthday – actually, on two occasions. People know who know me really well got me cameras for my birthday. They got me Leicas, which, if you know cameras, they’re the best cameras. So I got a nice point-and-shoot from an ex-girlfriend of mine. And then I got a phenomenal analog from my family for my last birthday.

And then the other gift I would say is, I’m a big sucker for thoughtful gifts, and honestly, my ex-girlfriends, they have always given me great gifts. One of my ex-girlfriends gave me a handmade photo book with all of our photos printed out and then handwritten messages under each one. That was one of the most well-thought-out gifts I’ve ever gotten. . . . If your gift proves that you know me, then it’s a great gift.

Are you most likely to make the first move, and if so, what is it?

No, I actually don’t think I am. I get nervous around pretty girls that I like. I don’t have a fear of being rejected, because that’s what I do all day in my job. Every time I audition for something and I don’t get it, that’s like another rejection I have to face. So I’m used to that. My whole thing is, I’ve never liked being like blatantly hit on. I feel like a lot of people don’t love that. I’m very much a slow burn kind of person, where it’s like, “OK, well I’m not gonna flirt with you, but I would like to talk to you for maybe an hour or maybe more.” And then if we really, really get along, then let’s do this again sometime.

I kind of put in what I get out. I don’t like being the only one interested. So if the interest is reciprocated, then we’re in better territory. . . . Once it’s reciprocated and I have a stronger feeling that this is not just a one-way street, that’s when I’ll usually make the first move.

What is the best love advice you’ve ever received?

This one resonated with me – I can’t remember who told it to me, but I was at a rough point in a relationship of mine, and someone reminded me: is it you versus them right now, or is it both of you versus the problem? And that was really great advice. Something to like chew on in any argument. Are you looking to be right, or are you looking for a solution?

“Cruel Summer”‘s first two episodes premiered on June 5 and are now streaming. Weekly new episodes will premiere on Freeform at 10 p.m. ET on Mondays.

This interview has been condensed for length and clarity