Main Summerland initially featured a main cast of 8 characters. In the second season, after appearing as a recurring member in season 1,
Zac Efron was added to the main cast, making it 9 main characters. • Ava Gregory (
Lori Loughlin) is a woman in her mid 30s who is raising her niece and nephews, Bradin, Nikki, and Derrick Westerly, after their parents' tragic deaths. She lives in a beach house with the children, her on again/off again boyfriend Johnny, her best friend Susannah, and another close friend, Jay. Ava has a very hectic life and also faces the stressful task of raising three children, who are all devastated at the loss of their parents and who deal with their loss in very different ways. • Johnny Durant (
Shawn Christian) is Ava's ex-boyfriend who still remains her roommate until Season 2. He gets along tremendously with the kids and opens up his own restaurant. Despite hiding it, he is desperately still in love with Ava. • Susannah Rexford (
Merrin Dungey) is Ava's best friend, business partner and roommate. • Jay Robertson (
Ryan Kwanten) is an Australian, who lives with Ava in Playa Linda and is the "big brother" to the children. He was dating Erika, despite his notorious behavior for being a playboy. • Bradin Westerly (
Jesse McCartney) is the oldest of the three children. He copes with the loss of his parents by drinking, getting involved in drugs and earns a reputation as a wild child. He is also an exceptional surfer and is offered a sponsorship by many major companies but his personal problems seem to get in the way on more than one occasion. • Erika Spalding (
Taylor Cole) is Jay's girlfriend. She helps coach Bradin with his surfing. She leaves to take care of her mother, but returns and begins dating Bradin. • Nicole "Nikki" Westerly (
Kay Panabaker) is an exceptionally bright child. She starts off trying to take over the "mother" role, but eventually settling in and making many friends including Cameron, who would later become her on/off boyfriend. • Derrick Westerly (Nick Benson) is the youngest child. Despite being very close to his Aunt Ava, he can't quite get over the loss of his parents at such a young age. • Cameron Bale (
Zac Efron) is Nikki's best friend and on/off boyfriend. He lives with his troubled, divorced, alcoholic father (
C. Thomas Howell). In season two, Efron became a part of the main cast after appearing as a recurring star in season one.
Recurring • Sarah Borden (
Sara Paxton) is a troubled teen with an addiction to pot, and problems with pathological lying. She becomes Bradin's girlfriend and pressures him into using drugs and having sex. Sarah's parents eventually send her to rehab. • Mona (
Carmen Electra) is Johnny's partner, who invests in a bar with him and eventually asks him to move in with her. However, in a tragic automobile accident Mona is killed leaving Johnny heartbroken. He changes the name of his bar to "Mona's Sandbar" in memory of Mona who transferred her share of the property to Johnny before she died. • Callie (
Danielle Savre) is a girl from the Midwest who becomes one of Bradin's girlfriends and helps him recover from his relationship with Sarah. • Amber (Shelley Buckner) is Nikki's best friend, Carrie's ex-best friend, and Cameron's ex-girlfriend. Amber and Nikki didn't get along at first, but eventually they put their differences aside and become friends. Amber was once the most popular girl in school. • Chris (
Tyler Patrick Jones and Cole Petersen), is Derrick's best friend and often plays with Bradin, too. • Simon O' Keefe (
Jay Harrington) is Nikki's principal at Playa Linda Middle School. He and Ava go on their first date after meeting each other at Nikki's school and soon they fall deeply in love with each other. In the season 1 finale, Ava asks Simon to marry her, but in season 2 Simon calls off the wedding because he knows that Ava and Johnny still have deep feelings for each other. • Carrie (
Logan Browning) is Amber's ex-best friend. She is particularly mean to Nikki even after her and Amber become friends and often causes Nikki to be in embarrassing situations. Carrie is jealous of Nikki's friendship with Amber. She appears in Season 2 running for Class President against Cameron. ==Production==