Meet Carson MacCormac as Young Charlie in ‘Every Year After’

Prime Video has been delivering a wealth of romantic drama adaptations lately, and its newest offering is already sparking significant buzz online. ‘Every Year After’, the highly anticipated adaptation of Carley Fortune’s bestselling novel ‘Every Summer After’, premiered at the Tribeca Festival on June 8, 2026, and became available on Prime Video on June 10.

This eight-episode series unfolds a love story that spans nearly two decades, intertwining a present-day second-chance romance with emotionally resonant flashbacks to a sun-drenched summer in Barry’s Bay.

Central to these flashbacks are a trio of young actors who are essential in drawing audiences in before the adult drama unfolds. Through these childhood scenes, viewers are introduced to young Percy (Juliette Hawk), Sam (Blue Clarke), and Charlie (Carson MacCormac). Their performances carry significant weight, and early reviews indicate they largely succeed in this endeavor.

Among the trio, Carson MacCormac as Young Charlie has particularly captured the attention of fans exploring the full cast breakdown. Born on October 21, 1999, in Oakville, Ontario, MacCormac has been professionally active since 2017. While he may seem like a newcomer to some, he has been steadily building an impressive body of work for nearly a decade. Viewers familiar with teen and young adult content may recognize him from ‘My Life With the Walter Boys’, where he portrays Zach, and from ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’, where he played Brett Breyer.

His filmography extends beyond those highlights. MacCormac is also known for his roles in ‘Giant Little Ones’ (2018), ‘Luckiest Girl Alive’ (2022), and the horror film ‘Clown in a Cornfield’ (2025). His versatility across indie dramas, blockbuster franchises, and now a prestige streaming romance positions him as one of the more dynamic young actors in Canadian television and film today.

The flashback sequences in ‘Every Year After’ are far from mere filler. The narrative revisits 2011 and progresses toward 2016, showcasing Percy’s formative summers at the lake, where she first encountered Charlie and his younger brother Sam, along with bonfires with her friend Delilah, working at Sue’s restaurant The Tavern, and the stolen kisses that would shape the next decade of her life. This depth makes the younger performers vital to the emotional foundation of the entire series.

Critics have shown a notable preference for the flashback segments over the present-day storyline. In a review for RogerEbert.com, the reviewer remarked that young actors Juliette Hawk and Carson MacCormac are “adorably awkward in a way that makes it almost impossible not to root for their romance,” emphasizing that the earlier episodes strive to make the youthful connection feel authentic. Such critical recognition for a supporting role in a flashback narrative is a rare occurrence.

Screen Rant similarly praised the younger cast, noting that young Percy and Sam uplift the series with “the kind of earnest bubbliness only possible in early teenhood.” The consensus among reviewers is that the nostalgic, summer-filled sequences resonate with genuine warmth, even as the adult storyline receives more mixed feedback.

It’s also important to highlight the broader ensemble that MacCormac is part of. Author Carley Fortune expressed her delight over the full cast announcement in a July 2025 statement, stating that the auditions made her “laugh, swoon, and cry,” and conveyed her confidence that fans of the original novel would fall in love with their favorite characters once again. This kind of enthusiasm from the author indicates the care that went into assembling every layer of the cast, including the younger performers.

The series is often compared to ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’, as both are romantic dramas based on bestselling novels that center around first love, coming-of-age experiences, and emotional relationships. However, ‘Every Year After’ places a stronger emphasis on second-chance romance. For viewers seeking their next binge-worthy summer obsession, the warmth and authenticity of the young cast may be just what draws them in.

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