Lana Condor Admits Those ‘To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before’ Kissing Scenes Were Her Favorite To Film

Actress Lana Condor is going to launch herself directly into your heart this weekend as she stars as Lara Jean Covey in the new teen romance film, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, now on Netflix. It’s the screen adaptation of the YA book series from Jenny Han, and Condor is charming and special from the very first moment we meet her character.

Decider caught up with Condor during a whirlwind week of press to find out which moment has been the most surreal for her, how she developed such convincing chemistry with her co-stars (including the hot yoga session we all have to thank), and why being the lead in this movie really helped her perfect her fainting scene.

I spoke to the casting director of this film, Tamara-Lee Notcutt, and she said when you had a chemistry read with Noah it was immediate that you two were the pair. But I also read that you rejected him before the audition when he asked to run lines with you because you were in your zone. Could you finally feel that chemistry once you did start reading in the room?

Absolutely. It was so funny because I remembered, oh no this is the guy I said I didn’t want to read lines with, and then the moment he walked through the door, his energy is so incredible. I knew immediately, I just felt so much chemistry with him. We did a couple reads but after the first sentence I knew because he’s just so wonderful and he’s so talented and charming. I’m so honored to have had him as a co-star and a partner. You can’t ask for a better co-star. He does everything. He’s very caring, he’s always looking out for how you feel a take went, it was totally a dream to work with him.

How did you cement your bond with each other?

We were pretty connected from day one. Very early on in the stages of production, we went to yoga together. It was hot yoga and I feel like that maybe was the moment where we became friends outside of work as well. You know, doing yoga with a person is kind of intimate so I think doing that [at the beginning of] shooting, really helped us connect and feel comfortable around each other. It’s like a weird ‘Hi nice to meet you’ icebreaker but it was very attractive and I love that memory because it’s just so fun.

Kissing scenes can be notoriously awkward to do, but the ones in this movie are so fun to watch. Was there a favorite one for you to film? 

That’s so hard because I love them all! But I think my favorite was when Lara Jean comes up to him and she’s like, “Let’s do this” and he just grabs her and kisses her in front of everyone, not caring at all what anyone else thought. I love that because it was so unexpected. But then also the hot tub scene was great because we got to spend the day in the hot tub. Filming kissing scenes with Noah was one of my favorite things.

You did a good job in the scene that requires you to faint on the track, there was an extra flourish with your legs. How did you perfect that faint? 

It wasn’t hard at all because I was exhausted. Being a lead in a movie, there’s a lot more responsibility and this is my first lead. It was a learning curve in terms of conserving my energy and whatnot. But when we shot that scene, that was in the middle of production and I was so tired, it’s really easy to just drop to the floor.

It feels as though there’s a special bond between the three sisters, how did that come to be? 

Very early on, Anna (Cathcart, who plays younger sister Kitty), Janel (Parrish, older sister Margot) and I had sushi dates and we hung out in my apartment. Janel and I were living in the same building and Anna was at her house. But Janel was literally right across the hall from me so I would go there and hang out and we would just talk. We all had a really awesome relationship outside of work as well and I think that’s why it’s really convincing. You can tell that we all just really, really get along and love each other because we made the effort to connect outside and hang out all the time. Definitely sushi dates, and Anna brought her little dog over to my place once and we played with the dog. It was a true dream come true, these girls are incredible and I think the kindest people I’ve ever worked with.

John Corbett was great as your cool dad, but I have to ask: had you seen Sex and the City, and are you firmly on Team Aidan now?

I hadn’t seen Sex and the City before but of course all the other women on the set had seen Sex and the City and they all love him deeply. But I think that I have to be Team Aidan right? It was funny, I did an indie movie after To All The Boys, and three of the cast members on that all had John Corbett play their dad at some point in their career.

Your character Lara Jean loves Sixteen Candles, but what is your ultimate rom-com?

I love The Devil Wears Prada — I’ve heard that’s not a rom-com, but I truly think it is. I love How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and I loved High School Musical so much.

There are many relatable moments in To All The Boys, but was there one that particularly hit close to home for you?

Yeah, absolutely. I think the one where Lara Jean goes to the cafeteria and she tries to find a place to sit and she can’t find one so she leaves and goes to sit by herself. That was the moment that brought me back because my experience in high school, I’ve definitely been that person where it’s like I don’t know where to sit and I don’t know who to sit with so I end up eating by myself. I really don’t mind being by myself. I’m one of those people that I’m easily entertained by myself. But in high school you never want to not feel like you have a place. That brought me back.

I love her fashion too, it really shows how unique she is: was there anything that inspired your own wardrobe?

Well, actually I took her shoes, the big platform ones, I stole those from set. I stole her loungewear. I stole a lot of her outfits because I really loved everything that she wore. I took a lot of the pieces from set because I wanted to wear them in real life.

You’ve had a pretty surreal week doing press in NYC and seeing your face in Times Square, but what’s been the craziest part of it all?

Definitely last night. They had a fan screening for the movie at Lincoln Square and I used to live in New York for a bit and as a kid I would go to the Lincoln Square movie theater all the time. It was so emotional and I wasn’t able to make the whole screening but I came in at the end because we had a Q&A. I sat on the ground in the back of the theater at the very end of the movie and listened to people’s reactions. Seeing it all come full circle and being in that very theater when I was a kid watching these movies that I so badly wanted to be a part of, it was so emotional. I just felt so grateful and lucky and couldn’t even believe it, and the audience was so loving and vocal and they were laughing and screaming and crying. And as I walked down the aisle to go to the front to do the Q&A, my parents were in the audience. This whole entire trip I’ve been trying to keep it together because it’s been so crazy and a true dream that I’m just trying not to cry all the time. It’s just so overwhelming, I never thought I’d be in this position. So being there last night and seeing my parents also trying not to cry, that was probably the greatest. It also hit me, oh wow, this is actually coming out and it’s coming out so soon.

Who was your first celebrity crush and what would you say if you wrote them a letter? 

My first celebrity crush was Zac Efron, for sure. I love him. I guess I would say in the letter: Dear Zac, Please marry me, Love, Lana.

Where to watch To All The Boys I've Loved Before