Admit it, you spent the rest of summer obsessing over the “woah woah woah” and the beautiful mess of Lara Jean’s love letters, and you cannot possibly deny that you still rewatch the Netflix original of Jenny Han’s, the incredible author of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy, creation. It’s a relief to know that Lana Condor also finds herself still watching her movie over and over again. Without a doubt, anyone who has seen To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was captivated by Lara Jean’s character. Besides her #ootdgoals fashion sense and super cute facials, we were completely head-over-heels for her kind heart and genuine personality.
In an interview from this year’s Vulture Festival, Lana Condor shares her initial admiration for Lara Jean’s character. “What I was initially attracted to was her very good heart,” Condor replied when she was asked about her first reaction about her character. “She’s so unapologetic, quirky, but she’s [also] kind.” Condor was very eager to play the part of Lara Jean, and when she finally booked the part, she knew that she had to hold Lara Jean at a high regard. “I love her. I love her so much. I don’t think I’ll ever play a character who is such a good human.” Condor’s admiration goes far beyond the movie role; she wishes to have been the kind of girl Lara Jean was when she was still in high school. “This is who I want Lana’s best self to be,” she adds. All we can say is me too, Lana. Me too.
From Jenny Han’s perspective, she also absolutely adores Lara Jean. As she talks about Lara Jean’s character, Han explains the best aspects of Lara Jean. Han says the most compelling thing to Lara Jean is that she’s fine and perfectly content with who she is. She yearns, like any other teenager, but it is not a yearning to be different; Lara Jean wants to grow more into herself, let others see who she is and continue to expand her world. Han states, “that’s [Lara Jean’s] story. It’s not going from shy to being the life of the party. It’s just true to who she is.”
To show how perfect others think of Lara Jean, Condor recalls one her most memorable moments with her fans. One evening, Condor was out at a restaurant eating fish and chips, when she sensed the feeling of the older lady behind her watching her. It turns out to be a family of a mother, father, and young daughter. After their dinner, they approached her and the mother tells Condor, “More than anything in the world, I’m excited for my daughter to be able to watch this when she’s older because I really wish [that] I had seen a movie like this when I was younger. I would’ve felt seen and heard.” In other encounters, Condor appreciates how she can immediately connect with her fans through her character as Lara Jean, “It’s all been great. The fans of the movie have the most loving hearts, and they feel that Lara Jean is their best friend. When they approach me, they feel that we’re best friends, and I love that.”
Lara Jean is truly the embodiment of someone who younger boys and girls can look up to while watching To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. We definitely wish to be or have a friend like Lara Jean. Who wouldn’t? We’re all hoping for a sequel to the movie and watch Lara Jean grow. In the meantime, we’re going to pass time and read and re-read the entire trilogy: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, P.S. I Still Love You and Always and Forever, Lara Jean.