Sean Kaufman lives in the in-between
From "The Summer I Turned Pretty" to "For All Mankind," the actor talks mixed identity, imposter syndrome, and taking roles that scare him
Sean Kaufman (left) as Alex Poletov Baldwin and Costa Ronin as Leonid Polivanov in "For All Mankind."
Apple TV+
Words by Angela Wong Carbone
Mixed Asian Media: JoySauce is proud to present something very special—a partnership with the ultra talented team over at Mixed Asian Media. In JoySauce’s mission to cover stories from the Asian American and Pacific Islander diaspora, we’ve always considered it incredibly important to include mixed AA+PI perspectives. Since their team already has that piece on lock, we’re delighted they were willing to join forces to help us share even more fresh, funny, interesting, irreverent stories each week. Take it away, MAM!
Sean Kaufman is entering a new frontier. Best known for his breakout role in The Summer I Turned Pretty, the actor joins the expansive sci-fi world of Apple TV+'s For All Mankind for its fifth season which premiered on March 27, a sharp departure from the coming-of-age drama that first brought him recognition.
But for Kaufman, the shift is intentional. As a mixed-Asian performer, he's drawn to roles that challenge him and to characters who exist in the in-between—much like his in For All Mankind, set in an alternate-history space race that has already stretched humanity to Mars.
In conversation with Mixed Asian Media, Kaufman opens up about identity, imposter syndrome, and why discomfort is the point.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Angela Wong Carbone: I feel like I'm speaking to mixed-Asian royalty right now. This is so cool.
Sean Kaufman: Oh, I feel like if you want to talk about mixed-Asian royalty, talk to Darren Barnet or something. I'm just happy to be here.
AWC: Your star is definitely rising! This role feels like a real departure from things you’ve done, given the genre shift.
SK: Yeah. It was the most amazing experience. It is very different from The Summer I Turned Pretty, and I try very hard to choose projects that are complete 180s from each other. I love uncomfortable things. I love new things. I love things that I can learn from and fail at. Why would I not dive headfirst into it? The moment I want to stay comfortable is the moment I should give this up. This was a joy. My favorite part was stepping into the sets; the production design was absolutely incredible.
The green screens were massive, and the sets and costumes were so realistic. My job as an actor is made so easy because I can just walk into it and be like, "Oh, I'm on Mars." I don't even have to imagine.
Cynthy Wu and Sean Kaufman in "For All Mankind."
Apple TV+
AWC: What would you say was the biggest challenge moving to a production like this with such an ambitious scale?
SK: The biggest challenge was making myself feel like I'm not taking up people's time. You can clearly tell how much they put into this, and it's so easy to be like, "I really hope I don't suck."
It was really important for me to learn from some of the other cast members. Joel (Kinnaman) talked to me a lot about pressure and anxiety. We talked about how I deserve to be there, to take up space, and that I've earned my spot.
It eased my nerves to the point where I was like, "All right, I got this. I'm not wasting people's time."
AWC: That's a feeling mixed people carry; there's an inherent sense of imposter syndrome because we’re always moving between cultures and code-switching and trying to understand how people see us. Do you feel any of that was applicable to your character?
SK: I think that relates to (Alex’s) whole life, where he constantly feels like he's in between. He's in between Russian and Vietnamese. He's between Earth and Mars. He's between adulthood and childhood. He’s at such a turning point in his life where his identity is foreign to him. He doesn't understand who he is yet. Identity absolutely plays a part in that. He also grew up on Mars in this multicultural way; he speaks more Russian than he does Vietnamese. He connects to the world of Mars and his culture differently from people on Earth.
Joel Kinnaman and Sean Kaufman in season five of "For All Mankind."
Apple TV+
AWC: If you could take anything to space with you to ground you, what would you take?
SK: Sushi, a nice omakase set, because we all know that there are no fish on Mars. If I could bring some, that would make all the difference. God, it would drive me crazy.
AWC: What are some challenges that you want to be able to pursue in your next project after this?
SK: Anything different. Anything that I can feel uncomfortable doing. If I can read a script and be like, "Oh, that scares the sh*t out of me," that's what I want to do. I would love to preferably do something where I play my own heritage, my own ethnicity. That's something that I've rarely had the chance to do. As an Asian person in this industry, that’s a rarity. And I really would love the chance.
From left, Ruby Cruz, Barrett Carnahan, Yael Chanukov and Sean Kaufman in "For All Mankind."
Apple TV+
Published on April 8, 2026
Words by Angela Wong Carbone
Angela Wong Carbone (she/her) is a decorated actor and writer. Her writing has been recognized by AT&T Hello Lab, Hillman Grad’s mentorship program, The Gotham, Slamdance and others. Raised in New York by an immigrant Chinese mother and Italian American father, Wong Carbone’s personal curiosity toward identity saturates her writing and she has contributed to Eileen Kelly’s Killer and a Sweet Thang and Lulu Gioiello’s Far Near. As an actor, Wong Carbone has starred in NBC’s Chicago Med, AppleTV+’s WeCrashed and IFC Films’ Resurrection. In 2020, she was selected for the 19th annual ABC Talent Showcase. Wong Carbone holds a degree in architecture from Cornell University and makes a mean lasagna.