Learning from the best.
Beloved Netflix trilogy The Kissing Booth helped kick-start the careers of breakout leads Joey King, Jacob Elordi and Joel Courtney, while providing mentorship from the O.G. "queen of rom-coms" herself: Molly Ringwald.
The iconic '80s Brat Pack star was "the best," according to Courtney.
"She has been just one of the most honestly exciting people to be on set with, because she's like the queen of rom-coms from back in the day," Courtney exclusively told E! News about working with the Pretty in Pink alum. "Having her on set, it kind of felt like a generational passing of the baton from Molly to Joey a little bit. It was such a fun experience and hearing her stories, hearing her talk, hearing her wisdom, like her thought process, her work process acting, it was just like so surreal."
Courtney and Ringwald are slated to team up once more for thriller Pursued after The Kissing Booth 3, now streaming on Netflix.
Working on four movies together allowed Courtney to get used to being admittedly starstruck over the Riverdale actress.
"By the end, being friends and being comfortable in conversation, not really like idolizing her like I did in the first movie, like, ‘Oh my gosh, Molly's on set,' but for the second and third movie being like, ‘Molly's on set, we can have a conversation, we can talk,'" Courtney gushed. "We respect each other and connect a little bit. It was wonderful, wonderful having Molly on set."
In fact, according to Elordi, the entire production didn't feel like work at all. "The whole thing was like summer camp," he explained. "We did so many activities: we rode motorbikes, drove old cars, go carts. It wasn't like you're at work. As joyful as the movies look to watch, it was that much fun making them."
From King and Courtney's off-screen friendship (he adorably brought her smoothies every morning!) to the cast growing up alongside their respective characters, it's clear The Kissing Booth was a life-changing experience.
"I think you watch a young man grow up, you know what I mean, in those films, and that was such a pleasure to play while I was growing up at that the same time," Elordi explained. "So it kind of seemed poetic in that way of experiences."
King agreed. "I've spent such wonderful years with Elle. Every film that I've gotten to do, almost all three of these films, have come with such new experiences for me," she reflected. "I've played Elle each time at a different age which is so funny, but each new chapter of my life, I was always just so thrilled to come back to a character that I know and I love and who is also experiencing so much change with me."
Courtney concluded, "I've just had the greatest time being part of this franchise, playing Lee and being friends with Joey and Elle on and off camera, it's just been a wild and irreplaceable ride. Just having a huge, huge fan explosion, just so much support and love, I mean, my life has changed a lot since The Kissing Booth."
Watch the full interview above!
The Kissing Booth 3 is available on Netflix.