Lana Condor on her Farewell to Netflix’s “To All the Boys” Series and More

In this month full of love and so much more, Netflix releases To All the Boys: Always and Forever, the finale of the teenage romance trilogy. Adapted from the eponymous novel by Jenny Han, the movies revolve around Lana Condor’s Lara Jean, whose life is thrown into massive chaos when the boys she has loved before receive love letters she has been keeping to herself. If the previous two movies are about the scrambled feelings before a new relationship, the new release taps into Lara’s discovery of her roots and future, as well as what she wants outside her relationship with Peter.

At the crossroad of adulthood, Lana the actress is not afraid to venture into the unknown. "We leave her off in the third movie where she’s very much ready to step into the world," she tells L'OFFICIEL. "You know, she’s gonna live in New York by herself! Lara Jean is just ready to leap and find herself and even more so than she already has."

With Girls’ Generation’s "Gee" as the opening song, the movie truly knows its way to the heart of a teenager (and someone who has been there). Our favourite pop culture references—from Oasis to Blackpink and Lauv—run throughout the movie, and whether you’re a sucker for coming of age romance or not, Always and Forever could be a pat on the back for the once clueless kid in you. It hits even more for those who who have always had New York City in their heart.

L'O: This is also the first time Lara Jean and her family go back to where her mom came from.

LC: Yes! It’s beautiful. I think it really helps to sculpt her identity. After we wrapped in Korea, my family and I actually went to Vietnam for the first time (I’m adopted from Vietnam) to retrace my steps.  I see how my parents found my brother and I at the orphanage. I can go on and on about ways I feel very connected and parallel to Lara Jean, but I think the most major one is definitely that trip of self-discovery.

L'O: Where do you picture Lara Jean in ten years?

LC: I love thinking about where she would be. In the third movie we leave her off where she’s very much ready to step into the world. You know, she’s gonna live in New York by herself! It takes a very specific person to do that. Lara Jean is just ready to leap and find herself and even more so than she already has. I hope that she is in publishing or some literary medium. I hope that that’s her future and profession just because I know how much her life has spent just absolutely loving books, letters and writing—the best way she knows how to communicate. I am very hopeful that Peter and Lara Jean will be the endgame. I just believe in my heart that they will be together and be each other’s person, Whether that means they might have to go on their separate ways to grow and learn and find themselves as individuals so they can come back to each other fully ready to start their life together. 

L'O: Tell us more about growing up with Lara Jean.

LC: Well, I feel like we’re one. TATB is lifechanging, all the good and the bad that has come has been a huge blessing. And I’m a huge fan of this chronicle, I love Lara Jean and I put so much of my heart into her simply because I believe in her and her story. What Lara Jean taught me is not to wish my life away and grow up too fast. I think right now, in particular, I look at young people in middle school and I see them growing up so fast—wishing they could just skip everything and become adults immediately. I understand that with the influences of social media and everything, everyone is just trying to go really fast, but Lara Jean isn’t that way. She wants to take things slowly. I think she has this wonder in the ways she looks at the world, that she just wants to go day by day and not change herself or get rid of her little quirks. Also in terms of her relationship, like learning how to handle the topic of virginity which I feel is very tough these days. We need to have more actual conversations about virginity and sex, because it should be a conversation and it should feel right for you even when you’re ready for it. I really appreciate that Lara Jean has been so honest about what she feels comfortable with. The way she’s okay being a 16-year-old girl has taught me to live in the moment more and not to skip the great things.