Yahoo News XO, Kitty star Anna Cathcart is ready to take the lead
Anna Cathcart isn't the kid sister anymore.
The actress, 19, is officially emerging as a star in her own right, starring on Netflix's XO, Kitty, a spinoff of the streamer's beloved To All the Boys trilogy. Cathcart has been acting since she was a kid, making her debut in 2016's Odd Squad: The Movie. But, since the first Boys installment in 2018, audiences have watched her and her character Kitty Covey grow up on screen.
Netflix 'XO, Kitty' star Anna Cathcart
Kitty began as the classic annoying and meddling little sister. In fact, it's her antics, mailing off the secret love notes that her big sister Lara Jean (Lana Condor) wrote in private, that put the plot of the entire series in motion. Thoughout the films, Kitty remains a lovable, if also irritating sibling, sticking her nose in Lara Jean's business, teasing Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo), and providing plenty of comic relief.
But now with a new spinoff series, both Kitty and Cathcart have grown up. Kitty's first romance blossomed in 2021's end to the trilogy To All the Boys: Always and Forever after she met Dae (Choi Min-yeong) on a family trip to Korea. XO, Kitty finds her traveling to attend boarding school at an international school in Seoul, reuniting with Dae and discovering that love is a lot more complicated than she thought.
We caught up with Cathcart to talk moving into the driver's seat as the star of the show, portraying a more mature Kitty, and where she sees her career going from here.
Katie Yu / Netflix Anna Cathcart
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What is your earliest memory of performing?
ANNA CATHCART: My sister and I used to make fake commercials and fake little shows in our house all the time. This is like little, little. That is where it started. From day one, I have loved this industry without even knowing it.
What was your first professional project?
I guess my very first was a Campbell Soup commercial, and I was like seven and I just ate soup all day. But I remember finishing another commercial — I think I was like 10 and it was for Crayola Chalk and I didn't even have lines — and it was a very simple day, and I left being like, "Mom, that was the greatest day of my life." I distinctly remember it being the most momentous day for me. It meant so, so much. It was so farfetched. I did not think that would ever happen.
Park Young-Sol/Netflix Minyeong Choi and Anna Cathcart on 'XO, Kitty'
Coming into the role of Kitty Covey, were you a fan of Jenny Han's novels or know anything about them?
I had heard of the books, but I hadn't read them then. But I did read them when I was in the process of getting cast. We didn't know there was going to be a sequel. Of course there were three books and we all knew that, but it was like, "Oh this is a one-off movie."
Across those three films you're the little sister, an endearing troublemaker. What has it been like moving from that mischievous supporting role to now being the lead and the central figure in her own story?
It's so surreal, honestly. I like to say that I'm seeing an old friend because it's like catching up with someone that you know and you're familiar with, but it's also been many years so there's new parts you need to learn about that person, and unlearn, and relearn. It's a very different stage of her life. When she was young, she's super confident and super sassy and knows who she is and is very sure of herself. That's starting to shift a little bit and she's starting to be uncertain for the first time. Things feel like they're all over the place, and she doesn't really have it under control. It's a new environment for her to be in and a new dynamic for her to try and figure out.
Bettina Strauss/Netflix The Covey family in 'To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You'
She's now getting her own love story. How did your understanding of her shift finding her in this romantic situation that we haven't really seen her in before?
Trying to figure that out — the balance of what I know about her already and then what I'm learning about her and discovering now was definitely interesting. The whole idea of "Oh, when it's your own heart on the line, things are a little more complicated." They're a little bit more overwhelming when you're in the center of it. Kitty's facing that.
Is it humbling for her? Like, now she understands what Lara Jean was going through?
There's a couple little references. She's like, "Oh my god, I'm turning into LJ. What is happening?" It's like, "Oh, I get it now and I take it back." That's happened to me too in real life with my older sister. There's things that I'll go through and she's like, "Do you remember when I was doing this and you were a little kid and you would get mad at me? Now you're doing it." That's how it goes. That's part of growing up. Sometimes you have to experience it for yourself to get it and to fully understand it. That's definitely what Kitty's going through.
Park Young-Sol/Netflix Anna Cathcart on 'XO, Kitty'
How much of the show did you shoot on location in Korea?
We were there for four months and we shot the whole show except for a couple scenes in the Coveys. We were living there for a while, which was a wild experience too — to get to really embrace a new culture and be far away from home and meet new people. I've been saying that I kind of got international school, like I got to do the same thing as Kitty and go on this big new adventure and follow this new path. It was such a special time in my life.
What was your favorite part of shooting there and what was the most challenging part of shooting there?
I loved that we got to see different parts of the city and shoot in different little locations. We were based in Seoul but we would drive out a few hours and stay for a few days when we were shooting at some location. Getting to be a tourist while working was fun. But it was challenging being away from home for so long. Adjusting to such a big change and a different position being the lead, and now working as an adult versus as a little kid when we were doing the first movies, it was a very steep learning curve and me figuring out what that looks like. I grew a lot as an actor and as a person in my own life.
Park Young-Sol/Netflix Anna Cathcart on 'XO, Kitty'
What has it meant to you getting to be a part of and evolve a character that is so important for representation?
The moments that it hits me the hardest is when I hear from fans that it's impacted them or when I hear from someone who maybe even lives on the other side of the world. That it's helped someone feel understood and seen and and represented is such a powerful thing that cannot be taken lightly. It's very special to be a part of that for somebody. It's just a story about a girl who happens to be this race. It's not seen as a conflict or as an issue, which I love.
Do you feel like that's been elevated further by the show's Korean setting?
Yeah. Our show is filled with a lot of diversity and a lot of Asian diversity. We have a K-drama-esque feel to the show, which was a very intentional mix of those two types of genres. Even the dialogue is in Korean and it's spoken in Korean when those characters are talking to each other and when they're at home.
Did you know any Korean going into it?
I did not know any, and I learned not as much as I should have. I can say like, "My name is Anna," and I can say hello and thank you. There's other little phrases that cast mates tried to teach me. I would love to learn more.
Park Young-Sol/Netflix Anna Cathcart and Choi Min-yeong in 'XO, Kitty'
What's your favorite project you've done so far?
They've all been so special for different reasons. When I got to be a part of Descendants 2 and 3, those were such special projects for me because I was the biggest fan of the first movie and the Disney Channel in general. Going from that perspective of like, "Oh my God, I'm breathing the same air as these people that I've idolized and now we're coworkers." I had just turned 13 when that was happening and I literally used to sign up for contests of "You could go to a Disney Channel set." Being such a fan made it something that was unparalleled. It was a different type of special.
What's a moment where you've felt like you've made it?
It blew my mind to be on Sesame Street. I loved Sesame Street growing up. I was like, "Oh, only super cool people get invited to go there." It's an honor that I was chosen. I'm still living in Vancouver and I'm going to university right now. My life is happening at the same time. So then going back and forth between that and my work life, my friends are always like, "You're Hannah Montana." Which helps me appreciate both sides.
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