At 19, British actress Ella Bright is having a moment. The New York-born, London-raised performer has just landed her breakout role as Hannah Wells in Prime Video’s upcoming hockey-romance series Off Campus, based on Elle Kennedy’s bestselling novel The Deal. The show follows Hannah, a music-obsessed sophomore, as she navigates a slow-burn romance with Garrett Graham, Briar University’s star hockey player.
Bright was still studying for her A-levels when she got the call. After multiple audition rounds, Zoom callbacks, and chemistry reads with co-star Belmont Cameli, she learned she’d landed the part during what she thought was a casual meeting about the show’s music. “I just sobbed my eyes out,” she recalled.
Getting Into Character: Music, Instruments, and Real Chemistry
Playing a songwriter meant serious preparation. Bright worked with vocal coaches and learned piano and guitar specifically for the series, often practicing alongside Josh Heuston, who plays Hannah’s on-screen crush, Justin Kohl. She performs the instruments herself on screen. “I feel very happy to say that it was all me,” she said.
The casting process had its own dramatic undertones. Bright admitted she was already a fan of Josh Heuston before joining the project, which helped her channel Hannah’s feelings for Justin. Her chemistry read with Cameli, though, created instant sparks—casting directors wanted to “feed into the tension” between them.
Slow-Burn Romance Meets Campus Life
Season 1 centers on the classic “opposites attract” dynamic between Hannah and Garrett, set against a backdrop of college hockey, campus drama, and emotional tension. Kennedy adapted The Deal for television while keeping the core vibe and character dynamics intact.
Prime Video has already greenlit a second season, though the next central couple hasn’t been confirmed yet. Both Bright and Cameli plan to continue in supporting roles, with Bright hinting that Hannah’s character will have more edges to explore in future seasons.
From BookTok to the Small Screen
The Off Campus book series has long resonated with romance readers and gained serious traction on TikTok. The adaptation rides the wave of successful hockey-romance shows like Heated Rivalry, aiming to capture that same yearning tension and college energy for streaming audiences.
Premiering May 13, 2026, Off Campus marks Ella Bright’s first major leading role and positions her as one of the promising young stars in the current boom of romantic campus dramas.
