‘They were screaming and banging on the windows’ - Netflix stars reveal truth behind iconic scene

To All The Boys: PS I Still Love You was filmed at an actual school, during term – with rowdy students interrupting one of the most romantic scenes.

Bella Fowler

6 min read

February 13, 2020 - 6:30PM

What to watch on TV, streaming and at the movies – February 10th – February 16th

Floating back into the pastel-coloured world of Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky’s blossoming lovestory for the long-awaited To All The Boys sequel proves a treat as sweet as the baked goods Lara Jean famously makes for all her friends.

But behind the stunningly-styled set and puppy-love teen romance there’s a much less glamorous – and at times almost frightening – reality that comes with filming at a high school during term.

Speaking to news.com.au off the back of the film’s Thursday release on Netflix, Noah Centineo and Lana Condor revealed that one of the movie’s most romantic scenes took slightly longer than anticipated to film thanks to unruly students.

Lana Condor and Noah Centineo are back as Peter Kavinsky and Lara Jean. Picture: SplashNews.

The scene in question – which sees the chemistry-packed teen couple exchanging Valentine’s Day gifts – was filmed on the running track of Point Grey Secondary School in Vancouver, mimicking a scene from the first instalment.

“We were out there in the middle of this scene and we’re trying to get the timing right with the joggers so when we kiss there are people running past to match the first movie,” Centineo, 23, explained from their press tour in Singapore.

“Then suddenly we hear this (thud, thud, thud),” he said, banging his fist on the table for effect.

“And then we hear people screaming, just screaming,” he dramatically recalled.

“It turns out it was kids in their class banging on the windows and yelling in the background because they could see us filming, so it was obviously hilarious … the first couple of times.

“They ended up having the teachers pull all the window shades down, and put the lockers against the windows so we couldn’t hear the noise while filming,” he added.

In the first film, Peter approaches Lara Jean on the same very track after receiving her love letter. Picture: Netflix

Weighing in, Condor, the 22-year-old actress who plays Lara Jean, recalled being approached by an impostor student in the bathroom one day on set.

“Kids would stay back after class, and kids that weren’t even students from the high school would come in and say that they were students,” she said.

“I had a moment where I was going to the bathroom, and one of the fake students completely bombarded me when I came out,” she said.

“So it had its challenges, but it was only because we were filming during their class times.”

Given the popularity of the first film, it’s hard to blame the students for losing their heads over having both stars right there in their school grounds.

To All The Boys: P. S. I Still Love You is brimming with as many adorable romantic moments as the first film. Picture: Netflix.

To All The Boys: P. S. I Still Love You was released amid worldwide buzz after the immense success of its predecessor – a beautifully-filmed, sweet, simple love story that followed Lara Jean Song-Covey, a Korean-American teenager whose life is turned upside down when her secret love letters are posted to their subjects by her meddling little sister.

It became one of the most-watched movies on Netflix in 2018, hailed as a win for screen representation as the first mainstream teen romance to feature an Asian-American lead.

It also thrust its stars – Lana Condor and Noah Centineo – into the spotlight, the latter as the world’s new “internet boyfriend”.

“I’m a narcissist,” said Centineo, laughing, when asked how he felt about the title.

While both young actors’ social media followings surged into the millions amid the film’s success, Condor said being noticed on the street was when it really sunk in.

For Centineo, he felt the impact of the film’s success when suddenly, agencies that had never considered him for meetings before reached out to represent him.

So was there any pressure when creating its follow-up?

For Condor, not at all.

“Of course we wanted to deliver a product that we were proud of, but we just completely trust the cast and the filmmakers on the movie,” she said.

“We got really lucky because we know what we’re good at and that the story is in good hands, so I never felt any pressure or worried that it wouldn’t have the same effect that the first one did, because ultimately they’re two different products, and we knew we had the fanbase.”

“We probably should have felt more pressure,” Centineo joked.

A scene from the first film, To All Of The Boys I've Loved Before. Picture: Netflix.

Condor’s Lara Jean is many things: an avid baker, a teen with an enviable bedroom, a creative and introspective student, a sister and daughter in one of the most tight-knit, functional families ever seen on screen.

She’s also – adding to the film’s aesthetic charm – a killer dresser with and penchant for putting together bold and quirky sartorial looks.

Looks that spawned hundreds of fashion-inspo editorials after the first film’s release.

According to Condor, her sequel wardrobe was compiled with the viewers in mind for this very reason.

“We more conscious of wardrobe because we were aware that girls would go out and buy the outfits Lara Jean wears, so we were a little bit more specific about which pieces to pull because it needed to be accessible to the masses,” she explained.

Jordan Fisher stars as John Ambrose – another recipient of one of Lara Jean’s letters – in the sequel. Picture: Netflix.

John Corbett returns to the cast as Lara Jean’s dad. Picture: Netflix.

To All The Boys: PS I Still Love You introduces viewers to two new notable characters – John Ambrose, played by Jordan Fisher – one of the recipients of Lara Jean’s love letters who shows an instant romantic interest, and straight-talking retirement village resident Stormy, played by Holland Taylor.

Lara Jean befriends Stormy in the lush, art-deco retirement village Belleview in which she is a volunteer, making for some of the most stunning scenes in the film.

As it happens, “Belleview” is actually Casa Mia Historic Mansion, a 21,000-square-foot Spanish Revival mansion in Vancouver built in 1930 that, according to DH News, began to be repurposed as a senior care home in 2017.

It also sets the scene for where Lara Jean – who lost her mother and lives with her widowed dad and little sister – reaches for a mother figure in her life.

“I was so nervous the first day working with her,” Condor said of working with Two and a Half Men actress Taylor.

“But she makes everyone feel at ease, and she constantly questions, she’s always asking about different things and I think that’s just a testament to what a great actress she is.

“We shot her out pretty quickly because she’s a busy woman, but every single day she was on set she was so devoted to the character.”

She went on to say that observing Taylor on set “taught her a lot”.

“Even little things like watching her etiquette in the make up and hair trailer and watching her set etiquette taught me a lot about how I should conduct myself,” she said.

Playwright and actress Holland Taylor won an Emmy for her role in Two and a Half Men in 2008. Picture: AFP.

Despite the young cast, lighthearted subject matter and Centineo and Condor’s chemistry as off-screen pals palpable even through the phone, Centineo describes the vibe on set as “very professional”, at times almost boring.

“We’re friends, but it was a very professional vibe on set,” he said of his castmates.

“We had to film two films back to back and we limited our energy to ensure we were able to do that without exhausting our energy.”

Condor added: “Everyone always wants to hear funny stories on set, or who is the jokester on set, but it’s nothing like that at all. We were just so focused on making the movie … I don’t think people really know how boring it can be,” she said, laughing.

One of the biggest drawcards to the popular Netflix film franchise is undoubtedly Lana and Noah’s on-screen chemistry. Picture: Netflix.

And if you’ve already devoured the film in one greedy sitting, never fear – Lara Jean and Peter Kavinksy will be back for a third movie, T o All The Boys: Always And Forever Lara Jean, which is already in production.

#ToAllTheBoys: P.S. I Still Love You premieres February 12!

And a third film â€”To All The Boys: Always And Forever Lara Jean â€” is already in production!!! pic.twitter.com/EPfUYbOaKl
— See What's Next (@seewhatsnext) August 15, 2019