Netflix fans fell in love with Lana Condor in the hit movie, To All The Boys I've Loved Before [1]. With the release of the highly anticipated sequel, To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, it's a perfect time to learn a little bit more about the woman behind the beloved Lara Jean Covey.
Lana's character is relatable, sweet, and a hopeless romantic, which isn't too far off from who she is off screen [2]. When the Vietnamese actress — who has played roles in Atalia: Battle Angel, X-Men: Apocalypse and starred in the dark Syfy television show, Deadly Class — is not posting her delicious meals on Instagram [3] or joking around [4] with P.S. I Still Love You co-star Noah Centineo, you can count on this Taurus girl to keep it real. Keep reading for more facts about Lana.
Her First Heartbreak Had to Do With High School Musical
Remember the days when Troy Bolton was all of our boyfriends? Lana sure does. She recalls the split between Troy (Zac Efron [6]) and Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens [7]) as her very first heartbreak [8], and even remembers crying to her father saying, "I was like 'Dad! I'm dying! I don't want this in my life!"
She's Passionate About Education For Young Women
Lana loves giving back to Vietnam, where she was born, and developed a scholarship program that allows girls in her hometown to go through all four years of high school. This scholarship program was set up through The Asia Foundation [9], and aims to support and empower young women. Her budding philanthropy even paired her up with Michelle Obama [10]! The two of them travelled to Vietnam together to speak to young women in Lana's birthplace about the value and importance of a strong education.
Lana Is an Avid Supporter of Body Positivity
Lana keeps it real in her interviews, and isn't afraid to be authentically herself — which makes her the perfect addition to Aerie's team of role models for 2020 [11]. She spoke with Marie Claire about her genuine love for the brand and even gave some body positivity tips about how to reframe negative thoughts, "Nope, nuh-uh. Michelle Obama [12] has the strongest, most broad shoulders, so you should think to yourself, I have Michelle Obama shoulders."
She Was Once Asked to Be More Like Hello Kitty — Yikes!
During an audition, Lana was asked to be more like Hello Kitty [13], which she immediately called out as a racist comment. In an interview with Variety, she expressed her issues with this request. "As a woman, I'm like, 'One, you want me to be more like Hello Kitty, but she doesn't have a voice.' That's so insulting to me." Lana has displayed an openness to talking about race in interviews, explaining and exposing racism against Asian actors and actresses in the industry.
She Has a Major Crush on Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
In a YouTube video all about Lana's firsts, she confesses her deep love for Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson [14]. She admits to stalking him online, sliding in his mentions on Twitter, and even has a video of him waving to her saved on her phone. Now this is a rom-com I'd like to see!
You Can Catch Her With Her Nose Buried in a Thriller Novel
In an adorable interview with her To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You co-star Noah Centineo for Wired, Lana confessed to being obsessed with any and all thriller books [15]. Her love for twisted, heart pounding reads is so intense that her family jokes she will read anything with the words "murder, dead, or girl" in the title. See, she is just like us!