Lola Tung has become a familiar face to television audiences through her performance as Isabel “Belly” Conklin in the romantic drama The Summer I Turned Pretty. Her portrayal of a young woman navigating love, friendship, family, and personal growth helped introduce her to a broad audience. As interest in her acting career continues, many fans search for information about her age, birthday, education, background, and professional journey.
Lola Tung was born on October 28, 2002, making her 23 years old as of October 23, 2026. She is an American actress who grew up in New York City and studied performing arts before landing her breakthrough television role. Her journey from studying acting to becoming the lead of a popular series reflects the value of preparation, opportunity, and a strong interest in performance.
How Old Is Lola Tung?
Lola Tung is 23 years old as of October 23, 2026. Her birthday is October 28, 2002, so she will celebrate her 24th birthday in five days.
Her age has attracted attention because audiences have watched her character, Belly Conklin, grow through different stages of life in The Summer I Turned Pretty. Viewers often compare the actress’s real age with the age of the character she portrays, but the two are not necessarily the same.
Tung began attracting wider attention in 2022 when the television adaptation premiered. At that time, she was 19 years old. Her performance introduced her to viewers who had already read Jenny Han’s novels and to new audiences discovering the story through television.
As her career has developed, fans have become interested in more than her age. They also want to learn about her education, early interest in acting, work outside the series, and plans for future roles.
When Is Lola Tung’s Birthday?
Lola Tung’s birthday is October 28. She was born in 2002 in New York City, New York, United States.
Her birthday places her zodiac sign under Scorpio in the Western zodiac system. Scorpio dates generally run from October 23 through November 21, although astrological interpretations are a matter of personal belief rather than scientific evidence.
Fans may search for her birthday to learn more about her personal background or to follow birthday celebrations shared publicly. However, details about private celebrations and personal relationships should not be assumed unless she or a reliable source has confirmed them.
Her date of birth also helps explain the timeline of her early career. She was still in her teens when she secured the role that would become her best-known television performance.
Who Is Lola Tung?
Lola Tung is an American actress best known for playing Belly Conklin in The Summer I Turned Pretty, the television adaptation of Jenny Han’s young adult novel series.
Born and raised in New York City, Tung developed an interest in performing arts before beginning her professional screen career. Her education included attending Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, a school known for its focus on artistic training.
She later studied at Carnegie Mellon University, where she pursued acting and musical theater. Her experience in performing arts helped prepare her for auditions and professional opportunities.
Tung’s career gained momentum when she was selected for the lead role in The Summer I Turned Pretty. The series follows Belly as she experiences changes in her relationships, family life, and understanding of herself. The story gave Tung the opportunity to portray a character whose emotions and decisions develop over time.
Her performance has become closely associated with the series, but acting careers can extend well beyond a single successful role. Tung’s continued work in television, film, and theater reflects her broader involvement in performance.
Lola Tung’s Early Life and Education
Lola Tung grew up in New York City, where she had opportunities to explore creative interests and performing arts. Her education played an important part in preparing her for a career in acting.
She attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. The school offers specialized training for students interested in areas such as drama, music, dance, and visual arts. Studying in an artistic environment can help students develop performance skills while learning about collaboration and creative expression.
After high school, Tung attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She studied in the university’s School of Drama, with a focus on acting and musical theater. Her time there formed part of her early professional preparation.
While she was studying, she auditioned for The Summer I Turned Pretty. The audition process included remote auditions and chemistry reads, reflecting how casting opportunities can reach performers even when they are not physically present in the production location.
After securing the lead role, she took time away from her university studies to focus on filming. Her experience demonstrates how a major professional opportunity can change the pace of a young performer’s education and career.
Lola Tung’s Breakthrough Role in The Summer I Turned Pretty
The Summer I Turned Pretty was the major breakthrough that brought Lola Tung widespread recognition. The series is based on Jenny Han’s bestselling novels and follows Isabel “Belly” Conklin during summers that change her relationships and outlook on life.
Belly’s story explores themes familiar to many coming-of-age dramas, including first love, friendship, family bonds, jealousy, uncertainty, and growing independence. The character’s experiences change as she matures, creating opportunities for an actress to portray a range of emotions.
Tung’s role required her to bring warmth, vulnerability, determination, and occasional impulsiveness to the character. Belly is not presented as someone who always knows what she wants. Instead, she learns through difficult choices and changing relationships.
The series also features a romantic conflict involving Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher. Their relationships with Belly contribute to the show’s central drama, while family connections and friendships give the story additional emotional depth.
The television adaptation attracted attention from fans of the original books as well as viewers who encountered the characters for the first time through the screen. Tung’s lead performance became a central part of the show’s identity.
How Old Was Lola Tung When The Summer I Turned Pretty Began?
When The Summer I Turned Pretty premiered in June 2022, Lola Tung was 19 years old. She was born in October 2002, meaning she turned 20 later that year.
This timeline is useful for understanding the beginning of her screen career. The role was a significant professional opportunity, particularly because it was her first major on-screen acting role.
Playing a central character in a television series can involve long filming schedules, emotional scenes, promotional interviews, and close collaboration with cast members and production teams. For a young performer, these responsibilities can provide valuable professional experience.
Tung’s experience also highlights the difference between an actor’s age and a fictional character’s age. Belly is a teenager when the story begins, while Tung was approaching adulthood during the production and release of the first season.
Actors regularly portray characters who are younger or older than themselves. Their performance depends on how convincingly they represent the character’s personality, circumstances, and development, rather than matching the character’s age exactly.
Lola Tung’s Acting Style and Screen Presence
One reason audiences connect with a lead character is the ability of the actor to communicate emotions in a believable way. Lola Tung’s performance as Belly involves a mixture of confidence, insecurity, affection, and confusion as the character navigates relationships.
Coming-of-age stories often rely on small emotional changes rather than dramatic events alone. A pause in a conversation, a difficult decision, or a change in the way two characters interact can communicate as much as dialogue.
Tung’s role allows her to portray a character who is still discovering her preferences and boundaries. Belly sometimes makes decisions that create conflict, but those decisions also form part of her development.
Her performance is closely linked to the series’ themes of growing up and understanding relationships. As the story progresses, Belly must consider what she wants rather than simply reacting to other people’s expectations.
An actor’s screen presence also depends on collaboration with directors, writers, fellow performers, and the wider production team. A successful television character is created through a combination of performance and storytelling.
Lola Tung’s Career Beyond Television
Although The Summer I Turned Pretty remains her best-known role, Lola Tung has also pursued work beyond the series. Expanding into different projects gives performers opportunities to explore characters, genres, and production styles that differ from their original breakthrough roles.
Tung made her Broadway debut as Eurydice in Hadestown in 2024. The stage production draws on Greek mythology and combines music, storytelling, and theatrical performance. Working in live theater requires a different set of skills from acting for television, including sustained performance before an audience and responding to the rhythm of a live production.
She has also been associated with film projects, including Forbidden Fruits and The Young People. Film roles can provide actors with opportunities to work in different genres and reach audiences who may not be familiar with their television work.
Exploring different types of performance can help an actor build experience and avoid being defined exclusively by one character. Television, film, and theater each offer different creative demands, and moving between them can broaden a performer’s professional range.
As with any evolving career, upcoming projects, release dates, and casting details may change. Readers who want the latest confirmed information should check reputable entertainment publications and official production announcements.
Lola Tung’s Family Background and Personal Life
Lola Tung was born and raised in New York City. Public biographies have described her family background as including Chinese and Swedish heritage on her mother’s side and Eastern European heritage on her father’s side.
Although fans are often curious about an actor’s family, public figures do not necessarily share every detail of their personal lives. Information about relatives, relationships, and private family events should be treated carefully, particularly when it comes from unverified social media posts or celebrity gossip websites.
Tung has spoken in interviews about her acting experiences and her connection to the characters she plays. Her professional interviews provide a more reliable way to understand her interests and working life than speculation about private matters.
Respecting this distinction allows audiences to appreciate her work while recognizing that she has a personal life outside the public attention surrounding her performances.
Why Fans Search for Lola Tung’s Age
Celebrity age searches are common, especially when an actor becomes well known through a television series that follows teenage characters. Viewers may want to compare an actor’s real age with the age of the person they portray.
In Tung’s case, her role as Belly Conklin has encouraged interest in her age, birthday, education, and career timeline. Fans may also want to understand how she moved from studying performing arts to becoming the lead of a major adaptation.
Her career illustrates that a performer’s professional journey does not always follow a single predictable route. Formal training, auditions, preparation, timing, and the right role can all influence the opportunities available to an actor.
Age is only one detail in that story. Education, skill development, experience, and the willingness to explore new creative challenges are also important parts of a performing career.
Lola Tung’s Future Career
At 23, Lola Tung has already gained experience across television and live theater, with film work adding further variety to her career. Her next professional steps may involve roles that build on her existing strengths or challenge her to explore different kinds of characters.
For an actor associated with a popular coming-of-age story, choosing varied projects can be one way to demonstrate versatility. Dramatic roles, comedies, independent films, and stage productions can each offer different opportunities for growth.
Audiences may continue to associate Tung with Belly Conklin, but an actor’s career can evolve as new projects introduce different aspects of their abilities. Future roles may also allow her to work with new directors, writers, and fellow performers.
No career outcome can be guaranteed, and specific plans should not be assumed without confirmation. What is clear from her work so far is that she has moved beyond her initial studies into professional television, film, and theater opportunities.
Final Thoughts
Lola Tung is 23 years old as of October 23, 2026, and she will turn 24 on October 28. Born and raised in New York City, she studied performing arts before landing her breakthrough role as Belly Conklin in The Summer I Turned Pretty.
Her education at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and Carnegie Mellon University helped form part of her early development as a performer. Since becoming widely known through television, she has also explored stage work and film projects.
While her age and birthday are among the details fans frequently search for, her career is about more than a number. Her work across different forms of acting reflects an ongoing professional journey, and future projects may introduce audiences to new sides of her performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Lola Tung in 2026?
Lola Tung is 23 years old as of October 23, 2026. She was born on October 28, 2002, and will turn 24 on October 28, 2026.
When is Lola Tung’s birthday?
Lola Tung’s birthday is October 28. She was born in 2002 in New York City, United States.
What is Lola Tung famous for?
She is best known for playing Isabel “Belly” Conklin in the television adaptation of Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty.
How old was Lola Tung when The Summer I Turned Pretty premiered?
She was 19 when the series premiered in June 2022. She turned 20 in October of that year.
Where did Lola Tung study acting?
Tung attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City and later studied at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama.
Has Lola Tung acted outside television?
Yes. She made her Broadway debut as Eurydice in Hadestown in 2024 and has also been associated with film projects, including Forbidden Fruits and The Young People.