While watching To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before on Netflix, Anna Cathcart‘s character, Kitty Covey, quickly became a fan-favorite, but now fans will get their Kitty fix when XO, Kitty debuts on Netflix on Thursday, May 18.
This time around, Cathcart is front and center as viewers get to watch Kitty embark on her adventure to find love. “We see Kitty in a new environment. In the movies, she’s with her sisters and family, but now we’re seeing her in this different time in her life. It’s a new world. She’s going to international school in Korea, and she’s in high school now and dealing with teenager things,” the 19-year-old exclusively tells GRAZIA USA. “In the movies, she’s very confident in herself, which is something I’ve always admired about her. But now she has to face these new challenges and learn how to navigate life while following her heart and figuring out who she is. It’s something a lot of people can relate to.”
In the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before movies, Lana Condor‘s character, Lara Jean, bares her soul when she writes letters to her five crushes but accidentally ends up mailing them out. Kitty gives advice to her older sister and tells her to follow her heart. Similar to Lara Jean, Kitty doesn’t have the love department down just yet, according to the rising star. “Now that it’s her own heart on the line, things aren’t as straightforward,” she says. “She’s learning that is part of the process and the beauty of growing up and learning these different experiences is when things get complicated, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it is bad. It just means you can grow through that,” she explains. “I love this storyline that she is going to Korea and starting this new adventure; she’s going there because her mom [who passed away] used to go to this school. It’s her time to spread her wings and explore.”
When the idea of a spinoff was brought to the actress, she thought it was a great idea — but never thought it would actually come to fruition. “It’s still pretty mind-blowing to me that I’ve gotten this opportunity to come back to this character that I’ve played for so many years,” she says. “It’s crazy to think about me auditioning in years ago and now knowing the universe I was about to enter and the journey I was about to go on. I’ve grown up with her, and I am going through stages of my life that are similar to hers.”
After working with Condor for so many years — in addition to John Corbett and Noah Centineo — Cathcart feels like she’s gained a big sister in real life and off-screen. “I turned to Lana for advice, especially during the first movies. She was someone I looked up to and someone who was always there for me,” she gushes. “She was there when I needed help or to just hang out with me at lunchtime. I learned so much from her as an actor and just a person. I’m so grateful I could lean on her. It means so much to me.”
As for what Condor’s words of wisdom were prior to filming XO, Kitty, she notes, “Learning how to take care of yourself is something that is really important. Lana taught me that. Sometimes you can be lost and might need to stand up for yourself but also take those times to rest and make sure your heart and head is OK.”
In the first three flicks, Kitty is always sure of herself, but this time around, she is realizing that things are more complicated than they seem. “She doesn’t have it figured out by the end of the season,” the brunette beauty says. “She’s learning to be OK with that, and I think that’s really cool. I am proud of Kitty for being honest with herself and others. It can be really difficult, especially in the teenage years where there’s a lot of pressure and so many different overwhelming aspects of life happening. Kitty does things for herself, which I think is such a beautiful part about her. I’m happy I get to help portray a character like that.”
Though Cathcart has played Kitty before, she didn’t know what she would be like to meet her during this time period. “I had to figure out how to keep her spirit from the movies but also recognize that she’s different because time has passed,” she states. “It was interesting to figure out. In terms of filming, I was so lucky. I love the cast so much and it was wild to go to Korea to shoot as well. I attend my own international school, so I know what it’s like to be far away from home and have to make new friends.”
Cathcart has grown up in the industry, but she still feels grateful to be nabbing these types of roles. “When I was younger, I would have killed for any of these opportunities,” she says. “I think about that a lot. I am like, ‘Wow, little Anna watching TV would go on to become an actor.’ It used to feel so impossible. Even though I’ve done this for years, I still feel relatively new at it. I learn so much through every experience, and I don’t think that will ever stop. I hope it never stops with every new job or opportunity. With To All the Boys, I truly did not know where this would bring me. It’s been almost seven years now. It still hasn’t sunk in.”
“We never expected it to have this type of reaction,” she says, referring to how beloved the movies are. “We were so proud of it, but we didn’t know that so many people would love it in the same way we did. I didn’t know there were going to be sequels — that was the hope and dream, but we didn’t know it would actually happen. I am constantly in awe of the fans. I feel so lucky to be part of it.”
Additionally, it’s been thrilling for the Canada native to be part of a mixed race family on screen and be part of a bigger movement. “It meant a lot to me,” she admits. “It made me feel really confident in myself, and I can see the direct impact it’s had on someone. Those moments put it into perspective, and it can change someone for the better. Kitty is really courageous and brave at times, even when she doesn’t realize it — that’s something to look up to.”
It can be daunting to be a role model, but Cathcart always tries to lead with positivity, love and acceptance. “That’s something the world needs more of,” she notes. “I hope that shines through with our show and with me as an individual. Our show has a lot of diversity and a lot of characters with different backgrounds. That is really special.”
As for what the Netflix star hopes to do going forward, she admits she has “a lot of different dreams” she hopes to live out. “I’m focused on XO, Kitty and going to school, but I am open to a lot of different things and think it would be fun to explore different genres and different types of characters that I haven’t gotten to play yet,” she says. “I’m excited to see what happens next!”
XO, Kitty premieres on Netflix on Thursday, May 18.
