- OK, obviously, Noah, it is the end of an era
and I wanted to know if you're a thief.
I want to know if you stole anything from set.
- Absolutely.
I steal something from almost every set.
We have to.
I feel like it's a rite of passage.
I've stolen three books.
I stole the jersey thing
from the shot for shot 'Big Lebowski' that we did.
- Whoa!
- I have that, and then I have the cast chair name thing.
What did you steal?
Did you steal anything?
- There's a picture of Lara Jean and Peter
that she has by her bedside.
I took the frame of it.
- That's really cool.
- 'Cause I liked the frame
and I thought it would look cute at my house,
but I didn't take our picture. [Laughs]
- Right, right, right.
Makes sense.
That's cool. That's cool.
[Noah] After having so many eyes on the first two films,
did you feel any amount of pressure
going into doing the third film?
- I didn't really feel any pressure
because I think we, kind of, just seamlessly went in
from two to three, so my, kind of like, body
and my mind hadn't really left 'To All the Boys' world.
I think it was more about when I walked away
from the film when it was all over.
I want it to feel like I did everything that I could for it.
- I also feel like, I don't know about you,
but I felt very relaxed going into it.
It was such a familiar world.
- Yeah, all of us were very comfortable around each other,
there was - - If they had replaced me,
or replaced, like, someone in the cast and it was a different actor,
that would have been like, "Oh, like -"
- I literally just got a shiver
down my leg thinking about them replacing you.
I was just like, "That actually sounds like a nightmare."
[Laughs]
So, what do you think makes our characters,
Lara Jean and Peter,
so unique and different and compelling to watch?
- I don't know, it's hard to say.
But, I remember Jenny Han was asked a similar question
and she replied that they are both such good people,
through and through.
They're warm people.
There's not any toxic masculinity.
I think that's an interesting take on it, too, is that
you know, Peter, he's a jock, but he's not a douche bag,
if you will.
Ignorant sometimes to Lara Jean's needs.
Yeah, for sure in this movie.
I think he wants to believe something so much,
and so much so that he, like, refuses to kind of notice
that Lara Jean's feeling a different way,
which is compelling.
But, I think it's the fact that you have these two
kids that are young, experiencing true love
for the first, time and figuring it out in a very,
like, real way. You know, the pitfalls of the relationship.
Also the highs, the romanticism behind your first love.
I think Jenny Han has done an excellent job
of creating a universe that is vibrant and colorful and fun,
but also anchored in reality.
And I think that the filmmakers that adapted her book
to the series were able to do that story justice.
So, I think, you know,
when it comes down to it, it's really Jenny Han's characters.
- I'd like to say it's really such a blessing when
you get to be a part of a project
that has the pre-existing source material.
You kind of have this cheat sheet, if you will,
that you could always kind of refer to.
And Jenny Han's writing is very specific.
She paints all these characters very well,
so that you kind of know what to do.
And I think that, you know, most of it has to do
with the fact that she's just created such a beautiful story
and she's captured young love really, really well.
And I think that, you know, Lara Jean and Peter,
they are not people that ever want to hurt anyone.
Like, they are good, just like you said Noah,
I think their intentions throughout all three of the films
is that they really don't want to hurt anyone.
I think that's very sweet because I think that,
you know, in relationships, of course, you know
that there's jealousies, of course there's things that,
you know, squeeze at your heart.
But ultimately, I don't feel like they ever played,
you know, any games.
I know that the first one, you know,
it's all fake and whatnot, but at the core of it,
they actually started the contract
because they wanted to help each other.
I think the base of the relationship was simply
that they want good for each other
and they don't have any malice.
That's why it worked.
- I actually want to piggyback on that.
I think a lot of it has to do with you,
Obviously, you know, you're the through-line of this.
Jenny Han did an incredible job setting up the characters,
but the way that you portray Lara Jean is so endearing.
- Thank you. - You know, you're so likable,
you know,
you're adorable
and you just,
I think Lana, you have this really natural charisma to you.
It's almost like you try to hide it with LJ, but it comes
through so effortlessly. You know,
outside of Jenny Han's groundwork, of course, and blueprint
for the role and the description, like, I think your ability
to bring it to life in the way that you did,
I mean, the whole movie is about you.
The whole trilogy, the series,
it has everything - so, to not mention you -
- Noah, I didn't realize that
you were going to be so nice to me!
[Laughs]
- To not mention you as a reason as to why
is kind of, like, missing one of the cornerstones
of the entire
project.
So yeah, I definitely think that needs to be noted.
- Thank you.
- Do you think that 'To All the Boys' has done anything new
to the rom-com space, in the way that the audience would feel
in reaction to rom-coms?
- I feel like the basic equation
of a rom-com kind of stays true
and stands the test of time.
The main difference would definitely be having
the lead a woman of color.
I think that is maybe not what we are used to seeing.
And I will say now, though,
there are awesome, awesome rom-coms out,
and that continue to come out, that are featuring, you know,
diverse casts and leading actors of color.
So, that's great.
So, I think that's the,
kind of, the main difference in the rom-com genre,
but in terms of the way that I'm hoping make people feel,
I think rom-coms are supposed to make you laugh
and supposed to make you cry
and supposed to make you hopeful for love.
That's kind of, like, the secret sauce.
And then, you know, you just hope you get
that cast that can really pull it together
and do it right
because there's a fine line in rom-coms,
that you really have to toe
between perfect and appropriate for the genre,
and then also cheesy.
So, there's that fine line that is difficult
And I really do think that it comes
down to, obviously, the writing and the, you know
cinematography and everything,
but I think you do have to get a cast that can
understand that and find that, kind of, sweet spot.
But in terms of, like, do I feel like it's changed,
you know, the genre?
I feel like it's opened up doors for other actors of color,
and for producers to see that and studios to see that.
But, I think your general feeling when you come
out of a rom-com is typically you're happy, you're sad,
now you're filled with love.
And I think that stands the test of time.
- So, 'To All the Boys 3' has a really big theme that deals
with college, moving on to the next stage of life.
Do you remember, kind of, what it was like for you, you know
when you were in that stage of, you know, going
from high school to maybe college, or ever at that age, ever
being so sure of how you thought your life was going to turn out?
Do you have any sentiments that kind of align?
- My path in schooling was always
definitely, like, "I'm going to college."
Like I, 100%, you know, was on that path and, you know,
did all the applications and, you know, all of that stuff.
And that really was my world.
But then, as a second semester senior,
I was auditioning, kind of, in secret.
And just because it's, like, LA and I was like,
"Oh, everyone's, you know
"everyone's doing it. So, I love to entertain people,
\"so let me do it too.\"
And then I got my first job on 'X-Men'
and I graduated early and just left school.
- That's crazy!
Your first job was 'X-Men.'
- Right! - That's so insane.
- I was like, "Lana, you have one year to work again.
"You have one year to dedicate yourself fully
"and take this unconventional path.
"Dedicate yourself fully and try your hardest."
And it's really frickin' hard in Hollywood.
So, if this one year, you know, goes by and -
'cause I very much thought, like, \"Oh my god,
\"am I like a one-hit-wonder type person?\"
Because it was just such a surreal experience to
get that gig.
And so, I think, in a way, like parallel
to Lara Jean, Lara Jean is, you know, making the choice
that she feels lights up her life and energizes her.
So, when she's in New York,
you see her come to life and that's undeniable.
We see a new Lara Jean, where she is filled
with energy and filled with life,
and she knows that she needs to chase that.
And it's a scary choice, but that's kind of how
I felt. Like, \"OK, I love doing this.
\"I'm going to try, I'm going to try and do it,
\"and if it doesn't work, then I'll go
\"to college and, you know, figure out what's next.\"
- Yeah. I stopped going to school
sophomore year of high school.
I did independent studies.
So, I kinda, my big moment, I guess, was moving to L.A..
And that was when I was sure that I wanted to be an actor.
I looked my parents in the eyes and I said,
"This is what I want to do with the rest of my life,
"so I gotta get to L.A.."
It's a great feeling when you finally are aligned
with purpose, or you think you are at least, and
you start acting on it.
What are you going to miss most about working with me?
- I'm going to miss most
of how empathetic you are and how you always could sense
if I was going through something.
It allowed me not to always have to be on.
I think you could really tell if I felt weird
or needed some time or needed some space.
And you always showed up and you always picked up the slack,
and allowed me to, like, have a minute,
which I'll miss the most.
- Thanks, Lana.
I mean, I think what I'm going to miss the most, Lana,
is the level of comfort that we got to
working with each other.
We got into such a good routine.
You know, there was never any sort
of animosity or friction, at any point, between you and I,
which I think is really beautiful.
And sometimes you want that, I guess, depending
on the film you're doing, and for this type of movie,
you definitely don't want any of that anywhere near you.
And we never did.
And I think it just was very seamless
and effortless between you and I,
and I don't know if I'll be able to find that with everyone.
So, I will probably miss that a lot.