‘Past Lives’ Star Greta Lee On Her “Slow-Release” Breakthrough In Celine Song’s Critically Acclaimed Long-Distance Romance
26.12.2023 - 22:59
/ deadline.com
The standout movie at Sundance this year, Celine Song’s indie hit Past Lives has touched the parts of the human heart not reached since Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy. Starring Greta Lee, it tells the story of Nora, a Korean-born playwright on the brink of breakout success in New York, who is taken by surprise when, out of the blue, her childhood sweetheart from Seoul, Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), makes contact on social media. Will it lead to some light nostalgic fun? Or is there something deeper — Koreans call it inyeon, the idea that some things are meant to be — that makes them soulmates?
DEADLINE: When did you first get involved with Past Lives?
GRETA LEE: I read the script a few years ago. It was sent to me by my agent, and the subject line just said, “Korean: Do you speak it?” To be honest, at the time I felt like, “Oh god, what a drag. I don’t know.” I was immediately stressed out at the idea of doing a movie in Korean, frankly. I hadn’t done that before. But, anyway, I went in blind. I didn’t know who Celine Song was. Even though we both have a theater background in New York, I wasn’t aware of her. But I finished with the script in one sitting.
There was a lot of crying. I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever had that experience, just trying to read while by being blinded by my own tears [laughs]. But I totally fell in love with that script. It felt like I immediately knew it was going to be something special, and I was desperate to be a part of it. So, I put myself on tape — and I didn’t get the job.
DEADLINE: What?
LEE: Yeah, I did not get the job. I thought at the time, “Well, someone is going to be very lucky to be able to do this,” and I tried to erase it from my memory, like a bad breakup. And almost exactly a year