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Having garnered acclaim in hit shows likeThe Morning ShowandRussian Doll,Greta Lee once again came to the spotlight for her performance in the 2023 filmPast Lives. The movie follows the evolving relationship of two childhood friends as they meet after 12 years, earning praise for both its narrative and cast. Despite the film’s success and a 2024 Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress, Lee has revealed that the film was almost a missed opportunity, as she was initially rejected for the role of Nora Moon.
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Greta Lee Was Initially Rejected ForPast Lives
Greta Lee, who played the role of Nora Moon in the 2023 Oscar-nominated filmPast Liveshas revealed that she was initially rejected for the role. In an interview withDeadline, the actress shared that she initially received the script of the movie through mail from her agent.
Lee shared that she was skeptical about the movie, as the email’s subject line said,“Korean: Do you speak it?”and she had not done a project in Korean before. However, despite her reservations, she read the script in one sitting and felt a deep emotional connection.
“There was a lot of crying,”she said before adding,“I don’t think I’ve ever had that experience.”The Morningstar also emphasized that she knew thatPast Liveswould be something special and was determined to be a part of it. So, she recorded and submitted her audition.
However, her attempt was met with rejection.“I thought at the time, ‘Well, someone is going to be very lucky to be able to do this,’” the actress recalled. The rejection left her heartbroken, which she described as a“sad breakup.”It was around a year later when she got a callback and was eventually offered the role of Nora Moon in the movie.
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Greta Lee Was Eventually Offered the Role of Nora Moon
Greta Lee further reflected on the unexpected turn of events that led her to eventually secure the role inPast Lives. Almost a year later, the actress got a call asking if she remembered Celine Song and to fix a Zoom meeting with her. She explained that the casting had taken a different direction due to some creative changes, after which “they were looking for—older actors.”
Embracing the opportunity, Lee decided to join the film’s director for a reading session despite having no preparation. “We read some scenes together, and she ended up offering me the job on the spot that day,”she recalled. ThePast Livesstar also shared that her journey echoes the film’s core theme of ‘inyeon‘—destiny and connectivity.
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Directed by Celine Song, and starring Greta Lee and Teo Yoo,Past Liveshas earned widespread acclaim, gaining five nominations at the 81st Golden Globe Awards and now competing for Best Picture along with Best Adapted Screenplay at the 96th Academy Award.
Past Livesis available to rent or buy on Prime Video.
Laxmi Rajput
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3448
Laxmi Rajput is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, with over 3,300 articles published covering film, TV, and pop culture. With a degree in Broadcast Journalism and over three years of experience in content writing, she pivoted to entertainment journalism because let’s be honest, superheroes, sitcoms, and Netflix binges are way more fun. Laxmi frequently covers Marvel, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and popular TV shows, offering both fan-first enthusiasm and thoughtful analysis. Her work often dives into Marvel theories, revisits the genius of The Big Bang Theory, or unpacks the Netflix phenomenon of Stranger Things.
