Revenge, Hamilton, and Hockey Skates: The Off Campus Stars Quiz Each Other
VogueIn this episode of Vogue's Off the Cuff, Ella Bright and Belmont Cameli, who play Hannah Wells and Garrett Graham in Amazon Prime's hockey romance Off Campus, trade fast questions across four rounds: icebreakers, personal questions, questions about the show and their careers, and a closing look at past outfits and quick either/or picks. Most answers are short. Together they show how the two co-stars tease each other and what they think about their characters.
The video opens with a clip from later in the conversation. Asked about a toxic trait, one of them answers "Vengeance," and explains that an opportunity for revenge "really excites me." The other replies that they would probably be good at getting revenge, and the answer comes back: "I am."
Round One: Icebreakers
The first round stays light. Asked for an interesting fact learned recently, Cameli offers that São Paulo, Brazil, is the most populated city in the Americas, with about 22 million people in the greater São Paulo area. Bright confirms that Cameli had already shared this fact with everyone. São Paulo comes up again later. One of the pair says their phone background is a photo of themselves with "Mika" in São Paulo, both in blazers and standing ankle-deep in a pool. They describe it as straight from a press day: they kicked off their shoes and walked in.
The go-to car song turns out to be the entire Hamilton soundtrack, played in chronological order, which leads to a short performance of the opening lines. The first album purchase was Lana Del Rey's Born to Die, which was also that person's first vinyl. When the other asks whether "Video Games" is on that album, the two sing a bar, and one admits the lyric comes out whenever they're in a room with guys playing video games.
Asked which skill they wish they were better at, Cameli says ice hockey. Cameli is improving but wants "Garrett Graham level skill." Cameli also wishes they weren't afraid of heights, which is awkward timing because the pair are going to the Empire State Building that day.
Round Two: Getting Personal
The personal round starts with sleep. One of them says they wish they had learned sooner that they actually need sleep. As a kid they told people they had insomnia, and during lockdown they slept only every other night, which felt "so awesome" at the time. They now say they can't function without sleep. The two joke that Cameli's ideal amount is 12 hours: when friends suggest hanging out the next day, Cameli is "just sleeping all day," or, as Cameli puts it, off to "have 10 dreams."
Asked which reality show they would join, one picks Summer House. They say that while watching, they can't believe what reportedly happened after filming wrapped, which they describe as "pretty serious betrayal and infidelity." They hope it comes out at the reunion.
For worst habit, one confesses to fiddling with everything. If they're handed a paper prop, it ends up crinkled or ripped without them meaning to do it. The other confirms this from the set: "you do mindlessly destroy whatever you're holding. I've seen it in action." Vengeance comes up as the toxic trait here as well. One admits to having ghosted someone, saying they got stressed and blocked the person, but that it happened only once and they usually reply.
Gifts come up as something meant to be romantic that is secretly stressful. The person who answers calls themselves a bad gift-giver who gets stressed when it's time to give something. The co-star points out that they write "very beautiful letters," and they agree that a letter is their workaround. On love at first sight, one says they believe it could be real, though it hasn't happened to them. The other teases that it could happen at any moment, maybe at the Empire State Building with all its crowds. The ideal first date for one of them is running errands together.
Round Three: Off Campus and Career
Asked about the most "college" thing that happened behind the scenes, one points to the all-nighters the cast pulled at their house.
Since Off Campus uses a fake-dating setup, they're asked whether they would fake date to meet the love of their life. Both are doubtful. One argues that fake dating only works in movies because there, the person you're fake dating turns out to be the love of your life. In real life it seems risky. Their advice is to go after the person directly, because the love of your life will come toward you too. If that doesn't happen, they joke, leave them behind, block them, and ghost them.
Asked about a character choice they disagree with, the answer is a scene in Malone's after the fundraiser. Hannah again encourages Garrett to talk to Logan or his other friends about his history with his father, and Garrett replies, "That's what I have you for." The speaker says they don't completely disagree with the line, but it's a moment where you want to say, "Oh, come on."
On who broke character most, both agree it was Cameli. Cameli accepts the blame, though there's a suggestion that the other made them break. A hockey-term quiz follows. "The dangle" means stickhandling very well, juking an opponent by faking one way and going the other with fast stick movement.
Bright says fans may misunderstand Hannah. She has seen online discussion since the trailer came out, including from readers of the books, about how confident Hannah is. Bright describes Hannah as maybe not the most popular person at school but happy with who she is, quick-witted, and able to trade banter with Garrett. She expects that to surprise people who assume Hannah is a meek, nerdy character, which she says Hannah "really actually isn't."
Asked for a first role, with school productions allowed, one remembers summer camp theater and playing Willard in Footloose. Their co-star guesses any recording is on a VCR somewhere.
The music-term quiz asks for "glissando." The answer, a rapid continuous slide up or down between two pitches, gets a quick demonstration and a joking claim of piano mastery. The person answering explains that for the show they learned piano with their teacher Michael by watching him play and copying each move, then forgot it all once the scene was filmed. They knew the word glissando because they studied music at school for a few years.
Round Four: Looks and Lightning Picks
The last round shows photos. One is a pink Joachim suit worn to the Los Angeles premiere of Based on a True Story. Another is from the LA premiere of Off Campus, about two weeks before the taping, where one wore boots modeled on hockey skates as an homage. They say the boots were hard to walk in, like real skates. A third photo shows a Bayside High T-shirt from Saved by the Bell ("Go Tigers") and someone holding a football. The final image confuses its owner at first, with guesses like Degrassi, before it turns out to be from The Crown. They call it a bad screenshot because they don't look like they're listening closely, and they say they were probably tired.
The rapid picks follow:
- Backpack over messenger bag
- A bunch of cool computer stickers as the go-to college accessory
- Instant chemistry over slow burn
- Sending texts over passing notes
On texting, one never passed notes but made many paper "chatterboxes." That person started texting in Year Three, at about eight years old.
Football beats hockey, with an enthusiastic "I love football." Adaptation wins over original, said, as the other notes, "with pure conviction." For "Shane or Ilya," one picks Shane and the other Ilya. Pop wins over rock. "Now or forever" splits too: one says "now" and the other "forever."
Asked whether the book is always better than the show, one says no, stressing the word "always." They watch a lot of TV but admit they should read more books and might answer differently later. For "yes or no," one picks yes. The other chooses no because they love saying no to things. Their co-star agrees they're good at it, and the episode ends on the line that "no is a full sentence."
Do you have a toxic trait? Vengeance. Oh, right. Yeah, if I have an opportunity for revenge, that really excites me. I feel like you'd be really good at getting revenge. I am.
Hi, I'm Ella. And I'm Belmont. And this is Off the Cuff.
Round one, icebreakers. If I were a sound effect, what would I sound like? Oh.
What's an interesting fact you learned recently? São Paulo, Brazil is the most populated city in all of the Americas. He did learn that. He told everybody that. I did. That was my factoid, and there's 22 million people in the greater São Paulo area.
What is your go-to song that you sing in the car? The soundtrack of Hamilton, in order, in chronological order. Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, Sir. This is the order. This is the order of the song. Yeah, okay, anyway.
What's the first album you bought? It was Born to Die by Lana Del Rey. Oh my God. Yeah, that was my first vinyl that I purchased. Oh, I love that. Yeah. Is Video Games on that one? Playing video games. Anytime I'm in a room with guys that are playing video games, it just comes out of my mouth.
What's your current iPhone background? Oh my gosh, it's a picture of Mika and I when we were in São Paulo, Brazil. We were in our blazers, and we were stood in the pool. It's so cute. I love it so much. Went straight from press, you just kicked your shoes off and just stood ankle deep in the...
You're going to have a lot of answers for this, so I hope you have a lot of time. What's a skill you wish you could be better at? Okay, that's just so unfair. Could be better at ice hockey. I wish I was better at ice hockey. Yeah, I'm getting better at ice hockey, but I wish I had Garrett Graham level skill at ice hockey. And I wish I wasn't afraid of heights. We're going to the Empire State Building today. Can't wait.
Round two, getting personal. Getting personal. What's something you wish you knew about yourself sooner? That I do need sleep. Because as a kid, I used to just lie to everybody, say I had insomnia, and would just stay up in lockdown. I slept every other night. And I thought it was so awesome. And I can't do it without sleep. He can sleep for... My ideal number of sleep is 12. We're like, "Oh my God, do you want to hang out tomorrow?" No, he's just sleeping all day. To go have 10 dreams, actually.
If you were to be cast in a reality show, what would it be? I would be in Summer House. As I'm watching it, I cannot believe the story of what happens after they're done shooting. There was some pretty serious betrayal and infidelity that happened after they were done shooting, which I'm hoping will come to light at the reunion.
What's your worst habit? Oh, I have a lot of bad habits. I fiddle with everything, so if you give me a prop, and it's a piece of paper... It's true. I will rip it. Subconsciously, it will just get crinkled or ripped. I truly don't mean to do it. Yeah, you do mindlessly destroy whatever you're holding. I've seen it in action. Yeah, it's bad.
Do you have a toxic trait? Vengeance. Oh, right. If I have an opportunity for revenge, that really excites me. Like you'd be really good at getting revenge. I am.
Have you ever ghosted someone? Mm-hmm. Elaborate. I have. Yeah. I just get really stressed out, and I just block. Oh, that's a serious ghost. Yeah. I think I've only done it to one person. I would just block them. Apart from that, I usually respond.
What's something that's supposed to be romantic, but is secretly stressful? For me, gifts. Yeah. Right. I'm just a really bad gift giver when it's time for gifts. I get stressed out. But you write very beautiful letters. Yes. So that makes up for it. But I can't do gifts. That's my workaround, is I'll just write you a letter. That's very sweet.
Do you believe in love at first sight? Yeah, I think I believe in love at first sight. It's not happened to me, but I think it could be real. What about you? It might happen to you. Happen at any given moment. Well, exactly. So, be prepared. Yeah, we're going to the Empire State Building and see a lot of people. Oh, that's right. You!
Okay, quick. What's an ideal first date for you? Running errands together. Cute.
Round three, Off Campus / career questions. What's the most college thing that happened behind the scenes? I think probably the all-nighters that we did at my house.
Would you fake date to meet the love of your life? No. But to meet the love of your life? I don't think it's a very useful idea. It's hard. I know. I can't see it working out, because I think it only works out in movies because the love of your life is the person you're fake dating. In practice, it seems risky. Yeah. Yeah. Just go after the love of your life. Get it, because if it's the love of your life, they'll come to you, too. Yeah. And if that doesn't happen, leave them behind. Block. Ghost them. Goodbye. Goodbye.
What's one decision your character made that you totally disagree with? Hannah and Garrett are in Malone's after the fundraiser, and Hannah encourages him once again to confide in Logan and/or his other friends about his story with his father, and Garrett says, "That's what I have you for." It's not that I totally disagree with that, but it is a moment where you're like, "Oh, come on. Come on."
Who broke character the most? Me. You. It is his fault. It's my fault. So, actually, you made me break the character.
I don't even know what this is. What is the dangle? A hockey term in brackets. To dangle is to stickhandle really well. It's like to juke somebody out. Okay. With your stickhandling. Going this way and you go that way. Yeah. You ever see how they go really fast? They go whap whap. Nice. Yeah, that's the dangle.
What's something your fans will misunderstand about your character? I've actually seen a lot of discourse online because of the trailer coming out and people who read the books. Yes. And they are surprised at how confident Hannah is. Yes, she's maybe not the most popular person in school, but she loves—that's what she's happy with. She's quick-witted. She's got that banter between her and Garrett, and I think that's going to surprise people who might think she's kind of the meek, nerdy character, which she really actually isn't.
What was your first role ever? School counts. I did do some summer camp theater stuff. Nice. When I was a kid. And so my first role, I think, was Willard in Footloose. Great. Yeah. Do you have the video? I imagine it's on a VCR. Nice. It's somewhere.
What is the glissando? Music term. Is it like that on the piano? It's a musical technique involving a rapid continuous slide up or down between two pitches. Boom. Yes. Nice. I'm so good at piano.
Yeah, wow. Did you learn that word when you were... No. The way I could learn piano with Michael, my amazing piano teacher, I was like, you just have to play it in front of me, and then I'll repeat everything you do, and I'll forget it as soon as we filmed it. So I would film it, and it's gone now. I couldn't play it again. But then how the hell did you know the glissando? Because I did music in school for a few years. Okay. Glissando. Yeah, it sounds like a glissing sound. Like what it is.
Round four. What is this look from? That is a pink Joachim suit that I wore to the Based on a True Story premiere in Los Angeles. Wait, hilarious. There's me. Can I take this home? Yeah, yes.
Well, this is a very funny picture. What's this look from? That was the LA premiere of Off Campus two weeks ago. It's pretty familiar. Yes. Hockey skate boots. Yeah, it's like an homage. They were really hard to walk in. The skates? Exactly. Were serving. Incredible stuff. Thank you very much.
What about this? Oh, I know what this is. Yeah, do you? I do. Yeah, that's my Bayside High T-shirt. Saved by the Bell. Go Tigers. Aw. Holding a football. So you know I play sports.
I have no idea. I wonder if you will just know what this is. What's this from? Wait. It's like Degrassi or something? It might be from The Crown. Oh, yeah? I think. Wait. Oh my God, it was. Wait. Wow, that's a bad screenshot of me. You don't even look like you're listening earnestly. Yeah, maybe you might be tired. I probably was tired.
All right, backpack or messenger bag? Oh, backpack. Great. Go-to college accessory? A bunch of cool computer stickers. Instant chemistry or slow burn? Instant chemistry. Passing notes or sending texts? Sending texts.
Did you ever do the passing notes? No, but I did a lot of the chatterboxes. Yeah, they have a note in the number that you'd pick. I wonder, how old were you when you got your first phone? When did you start texting? I started texting in year three, so I was eight. Holy...
Hockey or football? Football. Football. I love football. Original or adaptation? Adaptation. She says with pure conviction.
Shane or Ilya? I know what my answer would be. I'm going to go Shane. Oh. I'm actually going to go Ilya. Pop or rock? Pop. Nice. Nice.
Now or forever? Oh, now. Now? Oh my God, I love now. Yeah, that's good. Honestly, forever.
Is the book always better than the show? No, it's not always. Keyword being always. Yeah. So I love the show because I watch a lot of TV. But I should read more books, and then I might have a... You might come back, and I will have a different answer for you.
Yes or no? Yes. Yeah. That's awesome. I would say no, I think. I love saying no to stuff. You're really good at saying no. A good no will get you far. Yeah, that's true. No is a full sentence. Yeah.
And on that note, thank you so much for watching. This has been Off the Cuff with Vogue. Yeah. Nice.
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