Bit by the acting bug in middle school, Bethany Davenport’s road to an acting career was what you might call circuitous. She studied education in college, married her college sweetheart, quit her full-time job, enrolled in acting classes, and finally got an agent. After a few short films, a TV series, and a music video, she landed a lead role in the nostalgic drama “Summer of ’67.” In this one-on-one interview, Davenport reveals her commitment to faith, her feelings about “Summer of ’67,” and the challenges she faced in pursuing her acting career.
“Summer of ’67” is a faith-based drama in one of our history’s most troubled times. What attracted you to the role of Kate?
Bethany Davenport: I’ve always been interested in period pieces. I’ve read a lot of historical fiction, but I really didn’t know a whole lot about the Viet Nam war. Mostly, it was World War II and before. So this was a learning opportunity for me. My sister served in the military, so I really have great respect for what they do. The honor of what our soldiers did drew me into the film. It also sounded like such a fun movie to do—the ‘60s and everything.
Many actors have a love-hate relationship with auditions. Did you audition for this role? If so, what was that like?
BD: I did audition for the role. When I submitted for this film, I missed the deadline and I almost didn’t submit. But my husband said what are they going to do? So I eventually did submit for both Milly and Kate’s role. But I wasn’t sure which role I wanted because I hadn’t read the script. They liked my looks for Kate, so I submitted a self-taped audition within a couple of days, and a week later, I got the part.
What did you draw from to portray a teen who had lost a mother and may soon lose a young man she is falling in love with?
BD: Both of my parents are still alive, thank the Lord. So I did quite a bit of research on the psychological impact of losing a parent for someone in Kate’s age range. And how that impacts them later in terms of developing a relationship. It’s really crazy. There’s a huge difference in how such a loss impacts someone in Kate’s age range vs. Millie age. I read your review of the movie and Kate is as you described—standoffish. She’s not really a people person. She doesn’t let people into what she’s thinking or feeling. So I knew that whatever relationship she would have, especially romantic, would be slow to start. I don’t think she would really dive into anything. She seems to be kind of a thinker and lives in her head a bit. While we don’t get to see a whole lot of Kate and Peter’s relationship, we know that they’ve been together for two years by the time he leaves for war. So it’s been building for a long time and I think we show just how much she’s come to care for him even though she doesn’t show it very well.
There were a number of nostalgic scenes in this film. What was your favorite?
BD: My favorite was the dinner scene. I just love the tension when families are all together. Especially when there’s some underlying tension. I just love that dynamic. We have such a great cast and having so many of us there was a lot of fun.
What did you find most challenging about being in this film?
BD: It was just trying to get and stay in the headspace for the more emotional and dramatic scenes when things start to go awry for Kate and Peter. While we have a lot of fun in the film, when it comes time to get in that space, you have to get there and stay there. So just tapping into those challenging emotions and being able to stay there and bring it over and over.
I imagine as a young adult, it’s rough to descend into those teen years to bring out those emotions.
BD: Yeah. When I first got the script—and they sent me the entire script for the audition, which often you don’t get—they asked me to read for two separate scenes. Having read the script and being able to break her down was so helpful because Kate is kind of an enigma. My first impression of Kate was that she’s really young and has a lot of growing to do.
Kate has her issues, but she is generally likable and sympathetic. How are you like Kate and how are you different?
BD: I think I’m like Kate in that I’m generally a quiet person. I want to be the observer in a group. I kind of listen more and then engage in a conversation when I feel I can contribute or if someone asks me a question. I feel that she and I are introspective people. And overall, she has this great relationship with her sister. Much of the film centers on their relationship. Rachel and I met a month before shooting and we started spending time together. She is definitely one of my best friends. Kate and I differ in that she doesn’t have much of a filter. She’s not afraid to show you that she doesn’t like you. I did have a lot of fun with that side of her.
You studied education in college. Do you ever think about becoming a teacher?
BD: My day job is actually substitute teaching 7th– and 8th-grade math. My parents wanted me to get a degree in something so I could fall back on a career. When I told them in high school that I wanted to be an actor, they were not too thrilled. They said, go to college, get a degree in something useful and if you still want to be an actor after all that, then go for it. So I graduated college, got married and kind of forgot about acting. But then, I just couldn’t let it go. So I told my husband, who didn’t know that I was interested in acting, and he said go for it.
What were you like in high school?
BD: I was kind of shy. I had my close group of friends. I didn’t do theater, I was kind of a band kid, but I mostly did sports.
Tell us about the importance of faith in your life? Has it helped you with the problems and issues that face most young adults?
BD: Yes. 100 percent. I find my faith especially reassuring when things aren’t going the way I wish they would or according to my timeline. But then I get these little blessings—like this project I got to be a part of. I feel like I’m honoring the Lord doing what I’m doing.
“Summer of ‘67” addresses a number of important issues. What do you see as the film’s core message?
BD: I feel it’s about family and hope. There are lots of other different things, especially since we follow three very different women. Each person can connect with these different women. When I read the script, I realized Kate is not for everybody. But then you have Millie, who is a wife and mother and dealing with a difficult mother-in-law. And then there’s Ruby Mae, who has so much strength and faith.
What can you tell us about your next two films—“Finding Grace” and “The Perfect Race”?
BD: I just got back from Florida filming “Finding Grace,” which was my first supporting role. It’s a faith-based family film. It follows a girl who just turned 18 and she gets in trouble with the law. But instead of sending her to jail, they have her do community service in a nursing home. There, she meets this silly, cantankerous old lady, and in facing some challenges, they both help each other out. I play the nursing home director who introduces them and oversees the community service side of things and who gets the girl to become more involved in what’s going on. “The Perfect Race” is kind of a follow-up movie to “Remember the Goal,” which came out in 2016. But instead of being about cross-country, it’s about college track. My character has been on the cross-country team in high school and is now a distance track runner. Through different circumstances, the cross-country coach ends up becoming my coach to help me train and qualify for nationals.
“Summer of ’67” will be in theaters June 29th Check out the trailer
Alex A. Kecskes is a published author of "Healer a Novel" and "The Search for Dr. Noble"—both now available on Amazon. He has written hundreds of film reviews and celebrity interviews for a wide variety of online and print outlets. He has covered red carpet premieres and Comic-Con events for major films and independent releases.
