New Camper Hailey Sole Talks Joining Netflix's Star-Studded 'Wet Hot American Summer' Prequel!

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Netflix

"What's Wet Hot American Summer?"

Those were the first words running through actress Hailey Sole's mind upon learning that she had been cast in the most highly anticipated TV series of the summer.

Before all you diehard fans scoff at Sole's naivete, keep in mind that this talented starlet is only 13-years-old and the original movie debuted two years before she was even born. (Who else is feeling extremely old right now?)

"At first I didn’t know how big of a deal it really was," Sole said of being cast in Netflix's eight-episode prequel series to the cult classic flick. "My friend and I looked it up I was like, 'Well that's embarrassing.' I didn’t even know how big of a role that it was, so it's cool because after I found that out I was really excited."


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Sole plays Amy a first-timer at Camp Firewood, who shares scenes with Molly Shannon, Michael Showalter, Zak Orth, Janeane Garofalo and many more of Wet Hot American Summer's favorite counselors.

"It was a lot of fun," Sole spilled of her time on set. "I was excited to work with the whole cast because they're all really amazing actors."

While the 2001 film took place on the last day of camp, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp shows what the counselors and campers are up to when they first arrive at Camp Firewood in the summer of 1981.

Sole, who is best known for her time on the CBS drama Criminal Minds, was excited to dive into the world of improvisation alongside some of Hollywood's best and brightest comedy stars.

"They're shorter episodes so weren’t allowed to improvise a ton, but we definitely did throw some things in there," Sole revealed. "A lot of times we'd shoot the scenes the way it was written and then we'd improvise and do all these different things. [The campers] would joke around and just go along with it."


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Even during the series' most off-the-rails moments, Sole said the actors were pros at keeping their composure. "We all did a really good job of keeping it together," the Texas native said. "There were always a few moments where Zak or Shannon would get stuck in the middle and start laughing and then keep going, and we would all burst into laughter afterwards."

Speaking of laughter, Sole promised that each half-hour of the eight-episode season is "absolutely hilarious" and will definitely live up to WHAS fans' high expectations.

"It's a lot of backstories. If you ever wondered why a character was a certain way, well now you get to find out," she explained. "You get to see how these characters became who they were [in the movie]. You'll see all the new loves seeds that were planted on the first day, and how they became the characters you saw on the last day of camp."

Despite the fact that she has now worked side-by-side with Camp Firewood's finest, Sole still has not watched the R-rated flick just yet. "It's a little too risqué for me," she admitted. "My parents are protective, and there's nothing wrong with that, so I'm fine with not being able to watch it right now. Maybe in a couple of years."


Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp
premieres on Netflix Friday, July 31.

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