E! News: Unfortunately, we don’t see many Asian American leads, but you stood your ground when it came to Lara Jean and her family. How does it feel to know you created an icon for many women?
Jenny Han: It’s such an honor, honestly. I feel really lucky that people connect with Lara Jean, that they connect with the story. Fans, sometimes even older ones, say to me they’ve never seen themselves onscreen or that they wish they had this when they were in high school. To be able to give that moment to somebody who maybe didn’t even realize they needed it is really moving for me.
E!: What made Lana your perfect Lara Jean?
JH: She first came on my radar when she was cast in the X-Men movies. I checked out her Instagram and she had posted this picture of herself at a soda fountain. It was this retro 1960s photo. And I thought, “She’s so sweet. There’s something just so Americana about the photo.” So when I went meet with Awesomeness, who made the movie, I immediately was like, “Let’s really consider her.”
When she came in to read, she blew everybody away. She has this magnetic energy to her. If you meet Lana, she’s very confident. She’ll say whatever she’s thinking. In many ways, she’s very different from Lara Jean, but she brought this sparkle to her that just worked.
