The US-Canadian actress Anna Cathcart has big plans for her future. Whether directing or producing, Cathcart has her eyes set on success. For now, she’s an incredible actress. Cathcart first made us fall in love with her as Lara Jean’s little sister Kitty in To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy. Now, the 21-year-old stuns in Netflix’s sensation XO Kitty. The American romantic comedy first premiered in May 2023 and is a spin-off of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. The series follows Kitty Song-Covey and her move to Seoul to attend K.I.S.S, a high school in Korea – with the plan to surprise her boyfriend Dae. The second season just released on Netflix – and it’s even more packed with heartbreak, falling in love and family secrets. 

Cathcart sits down with 1883 to chat about the second season of XO, Kitty, her life off-set, her future ambitions and more. 

Anna, I’m so excited I get to chat to you! How are you today?

I’m good, I’m in New York right now. 

I imagine it’s cold there! I’m in the Southwest of France right now. It is warmer than anywhere else, so I’m enjoying that. That’s why I’m wearing a t-shirt. [laughs]

So, I have binge-watched XO Kitty. I’m familiar with the movies To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before I watched them when they came out years ago on Netflix, I felt so long ago, and I think it’s so cool that your character got her little show. I’m sure it feels so amazing for you as well that you got to do that. Why don’t we start talking about where it all started for you? Where did your acting career start, and when did you know that you wanted to become an actress?

I never thought I could be an actor. That’s one of the craziest things for me — I really couldn’t believe this could be my career. When I was younger, I loved the Disney Channel. I watched so much of it, and I remember thinking, I want to be one of those girls on TV. I thought it was so cool, but it felt completely out of reach.

I did a couple of commercials when I was younger because my sister did commercials, so I slowly dabbled in the industry. Then, when I got a bit older, my sister got a new manager. This person noticed her, and my mom said, “Oh, I have a younger one as well. Can she come?” I met with the manager, and she saw some sort of potential in me — something I’m so grateful for now because that’s really how it all started. My very first audition was for a PBS Kids show. At the time, I had never seen a script before — I couldn’t have been newer to acting. I didn’t know anything about it, but I ended up booking the lead, which was crazy. I moved to Toronto and did my first show for a couple of years. I learned everything on that set. It was completely unexpected — a surprise for the entire family. None of us saw it coming.

Once I started, though, I just loved it so much. I remember being 10 years old on one of my first commercials, turning to my mom, and saying, “This is the best day of my life.” Even at 10, I thought it was the coolest thing ever. So now, getting to do this as a career will always feel surreal. I don’t know if it will ever fully sink in because my 10-year-old self is still squealing constantly.

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You did amazing, both in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and XO, Kitty. Sometimes, I think I’m too old to watch teenage shows, but I swear I was so obsessed with XO, Kitty. Why don’t you tell me a little bit about how it felt filming season one and season two, which just came out on Netflix? What did you learn from filming both seasons?

Season one was a steep learning curve. I had so many new experiences I hadn’t gone through before. It was the first time I was an adult on set, which changed everything — the rules, the expectations. I was used to having my mom with me, which had always felt like a normal part of acting, but all of that shifted. It was also my first time being the lead in a show of this scale, with that kind of pressure. Plus, we were shooting in Korea during COVID, so there were so many extra hurdles to navigate.

I learned a lot during season one — I had to relearn and unlearn parts of my job that I had gotten used to as a kid because everything about the experience was different. It was a huge period of personal growth for me. Between filming season one and season two, I went through a lot of life changes. I went to university, and moved out of my family home — all these new adult experiences. I was growing so much as a person, and by the time I re-entered season two, I had a completely new mindset. It made such a big difference.

The dynamic with the cast also changed. We already knew each other by then, and we had season one as a foundation. With any show, the first season is all about figuring things out — what is this world, this universe we’re creating? But going into season two, it felt like, We got this. We understood the story we were telling. And knowing that people loved the show and were waiting for season two was incredibly motivating. It was so cool to see that excitement. It gave the whole team this “go-team” energy — like, Let’s do this together. It felt so good. I was really grateful for the chance to go back, approach it from a fresh perspective, and experience it all with a renewed sense of confidence and excitement.

How did it feel when you first found out you were going to be the lead in the spin-off? Can you remember that moment?

They first brought it up when we were shooting the third To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before movie. Honestly, I thought they were joking. It felt great — I’m glad they liked my character — but it didn’t seem like a serious thing when someone says, “I love your character! We should do a spin-off.” I didn’t think it was real at all.

It took a while for it to feel concrete. I think the first time it felt like a real, true possibility was around the time the second To All the Boys movie was premiering. As the final movies were coming out, the spin-off started to feel more like something that could actually happen. But even then, because of the way this industry works — with all its ups and downs — I didn’t want to get my hopes up. I tried to protect myself, thinking, I don’t know… that’s just an idea. I’ll believe it when I see it.

It wasn’t until 2022 that we had scripts in hand and were actually getting ready to head to Korea. I remember being at the airport, realizing, I’m going to Seoul. This is genuinely happening. It was so surreal — I had heard about the spin-off for two years, but suddenly, there I was. It didn’t feel real until that moment.

I can imagine! What was the transition like — going from playing Lara Jean’s younger sister in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before to leading your own spin-off?

It was a completely new experience. I had to relearn and unlearn parts of my job. Being number one on the call sheet — being the lead of a show like this — comes with a very different level of responsibility, both to the project and to the cast. Instead of being a smaller piece of the puzzle, you become the piece that the puzzle is built around. That was something I had never experienced before.

When I talk about pressure, a lot of it came from myself — not even from external sources — because I just really wanted to get it right. I wanted to make Kitty proud, to do this franchise proud, because I love To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before so much. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I adore those movies, and I wanted to make sure XO, Kitty felt just as special in its own way.

Another part of the transition was reconnecting with Kitty as a character — but this time, as a teenager. In the movies, we knew her as this confident, clever younger sister, but now she’s older. I had to figure out: Who is Kitty in high school? What does it mean to be her at 16 and 17? It felt like re-meeting an old friend and asking her, Who are you now? Of course, there are still pieces of the Kitty we saw in the movies — we carried those traits with her into the series — but a big part of the process was exploring how she’s grown and changed. It was a really exciting journey.

It must be so special for you to grow up not just as a person, but alongside your character, Kitty. What was it like to reunite with Noah [Centineo] and Janel [Parrish], who played Peter and Margot?

It was so special. I felt so grateful that they came on the show. I’ve looked up to both of them for such a long time — little 14-year-old me was in awe of them — so working with them back then meant so much. To now work with them as an adult, in this brand-new setting where we’re re-establishing our characters, was surreal.

It was also incredible to collaborate with people I think so highly of. They were my role models for so long — people I’ve learned from — so to be in this position where they were now on my show, working alongside me in this new environment, was just crazy. It was such a full-circle moment. I have so much love and respect for both of them. They’re truly awesome.

I loved the scene in season two when Kitty reunites with Peter, and “I Like Me Better” plays — it’s such a throwback to the movies. People on TikTok were freaking out, saying, “Oh my gosh, this moment was amazing.” It’s so nostalgic! The second that song plays, you’re immediately brought back to the To All the Boys movies. It really hits you with all those memories.

Speaking of that moment, do you have a favourite memory from filming Season Two that you’ll always remember?

One of the most special things about season two was that, since it wasn’t filmed during COVID, we got to go out more as a cast and explore the city. A memory that really sticks out to me is when we all went to a baseball game one weekend. It felt like we were a group of international school kids — almost like college friends — all coming from different parts of the world and just hanging out together. It was such a fun, carefree day. Originally, I planned the outing with just the cast, but then I thought, “Why not invite some of the crew too?” The guest list just kept growing and growing, and in the end, there were about 60 of us at the baseball game — cast and crew all together. It was amazing.

Now that I’m older, I’m also building friendships with the crew and the people working behind the scenes. When I was younger, there was more of a gap — they felt so much older than me — but now, there’s this connection, and we got to bond outside of work. That felt really special.

Another standout moment was when we all went to watch Michael K. Lee — who plays Professor Lee — perform in a musical in Seoul. It was on one of our weekends off, and we all showed up to support him. It was so sweet, and he was incredible. I look up to him so much — he’s so talented — and it was amazing to cheer him on and show how much we love and appreciate him. It was just such a wholesome, bonding experience for all of us.

Seoul sounds like an amazing city to explore when you’re not filming. I haven’t been myself, but I have to go at some point, for sure. Speaking of which, can you recommend any favourite spots in Seoul?

Absolutely! I found the coffee shops in Seoul to be so original and unique — I already love coffee shops, but some of them were just next-level. There was one café where you could write a letter to your future self — which, honestly, feels so on-brand for XO, Kitty. You’d write your letter, choose the date you want it mailed, write down your address, and then place it in a little cubby. I think I set mine to arrive at the end of this year, so at some point, I’ll be getting a letter from that café. It was so sweet. What made it even more special was the atmosphere — everyone in the café was quietly writing their letters, and they gave you a card with prompts like: “What’s the weather today? What are you wearing? How do you feel?” It’s such a beautiful way to capture a moment in time, knowing you’ll revisit it in the future.

Another favourite was a vinyl record coffee shop. Every table had its own record player, and there was a massive library of vinyls to choose from. You’d grab a coffee, sit at your table, and listen to a record with headphones on — like you were in your own little world. It was such a cozy, intimate vibe, and I had never seen anything like it before.

That sounds like such a cute idea! Do you remember the names of the cafés?

I wish I did! I’m pretty sure if you look up “Letter Café” in Seoul, it’ll pop up — I don’t think there are too many of them.

I’ll definitely do my research and add them to my list — 100%! You’re still quite young, and you’ve been balancing school and acting. You just finished a semester at the University of British Columbia. How do you manage both?

It’s definitely been a balance, but I’ve been lucky with the timing over the last few years. XO, Kitty has had this on-and-off rhythm — we’d have an intense shooting schedule, and then when filming wrapped, I’d have time to focus on school. Of course, I’m always working in some capacity, but it’s not the same level of intensity as when I’m on set. It worked out that I could do a semester at UBC, then switch gears to do press for XO, Kitty, and go back and forth like that. I’ve been doing this for about three years now.

Going to university was something I really wanted for myself. It’s important to my family too — my parents went to UBC, and my sister went there, so I always dreamed of going to the same school. I wanted that experience — to grow as a person, find my independence, and just have that phase of life where you’re figuring out adulthood. Growing up as an actor means you’re often surrounded by people much older than you, and you’re in a very different environment from most kids. University was a way for me to experience that sense of normalcy — to be around people my age, who are also figuring things out and don’t have it all together. It felt grounding.

That said, for the first time in my career, I’m not balancing school right now. I decided to take this semester off — and I’m not sure when I’ll be going back — because I wanted to fully focus on work. I’ve never had the chance to just dive into acting without having school in the background. It feels like a shift into a new stage of my life, and it’s freeing up so much mental space. I’m excited to see where this full focus on work takes me.

That makes so much sense. It’s definitely nice to step away from studying for a bit and focus on something you’re passionate about. It’s so admirable that you’ve managed to balance both. Now, thinking about your character, Kitty — would you say there are any similarities between the two of you?

Definitely! I think Kitty and I both care deeply about the things we love — we have really big hearts. Kitty gets so excited so easily, and I relate to that — I’m the same way. But where we differ is how we act on that excitement. Kitty is very impulsive — if there’s something she wants, she just goes for it without thinking it through. Sometimes, that leads her straight into chaos or messy situations. But I love that about her — she lets her heart guide her. I, on the other hand, tend to get stuck in my head. I overthink, overanalyze, and worry a lot. Even though we both have this deep sense of care and enthusiasm, Kitty leads with her emotions, while I often hesitate, trying to figure everything out first. At the root of it, though, we’re both just big-hearted people who care a lot — we just go about it in different ways.

When you think of playing alongside so many other amazing actors and actresses, is there anything that you learned from them?

For sure. I think we’re constantly learning from each other all the time. Something very cool about our cast is that we’re very diverse in our experiences, backgrounds, where we grew up, and even our ages. We’re all over the map, and having such a dynamic group of people who can all bring different perspectives impacts both our friend group and our cast so much. Because we all have different angles on an experience, going through this crazy journey hand in hand with everyone meant we all left feeling like we’d had conversations we never had before. It opens your eyes to everything. You see people from all over, and we all have different acting experience levels. Where we entered the industry is all from different points. It’s cool because, on screen, the show values diversity, but as people, we do as well. As a group of friends, we all embrace that, so it definitely reflects in the show and makes a really big impact.

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Absolutely. You learn so much from each other, especially when you’re in different age groups. They all seem so amazing. I loved watching it, and I loved the story in itself. The slow burn. I knew it from the beginning when Kitty met Minho — I thought, this is going to be an enemies-to-lovers story.

You called it! Everyone loves that trope. It always works. People always find it so fun.

On TikTok — I spend too much time on that app — I love all the edits. People are freaking out over the ship.

I get it! I watch way too many of them as well. I don’t know if it’s healthy for me to watch, but I think it’s so fun to see that people care this much and love these characters. People in the comments are arguing and saying things like, “No, I think this should happen. Did you notice this?” And everyone is making friends online. It’s so cool to see there’s a little community of people who love our show so much. That’s so sweet.

What would you like the audience to take away from season two?

I think something XO, Kitty has always been great at portraying is that growing up is messy — and it’s messy for everybody — and that’s okay. It’s expected. Part of what makes it so beautiful and so great is that you’re figuring things out. You’re always coming of age, and always going through new experiences, and you don’t have to have it all figured out right now. I think young people especially get into this mindset of, “I need to know who I am, know what I want to do, know where I’m going.” There’s a lot of internal pressure to have it all figured out. I know a lot of my friends experience that too. But the truth is, you don’t have to have everything sorted. These characters are in the process of figuring themselves out — and they always will be — and that’s so okay. There’s so much joy in that mess as well.

I hope that’s a comforting takeaway, and I also hope people find more bravery to be themselves. Kitty is a great example of someone who is her authentic self. She embraces new parts of herself that might even be scary — like her journey in discovering her sexuality in season one and how that continues into season two. She approaches it with excitement and curiosity, not fear. She doesn’t try to shove parts of herself away. If that can inspire anyone to be braver, more courageous, or feel stronger in themselves, that would mean the world.

Can you imagine diving into other worlds beyond acting? I read that you want to explore producing and directing.

Growing up, I always thought I wanted to be a screenwriter as well as an actor. Once I started acting, I thought, “I’m going to be a writer one day.” I studied creative writing at university, and as I was learning, I realized the things that excite me most in this industry — outside of acting — aren’t necessarily about writing the plot. What I’m most passionate about is how stories are visually portrayed — how colour represents emotion, the small details that bring a scene to life, and the way performances, sets, and environments are crafted. So much of that comes from the amazing crew, but a lot also comes from directors — especially those who are also producers — because they’re the ones realizing those details and shaping how the story is reflected on screen.

I would love to dive deeper into that. Acting allows you to contribute to the creative process, but ultimately, you’re part of a team and don’t always have control over how something is presented. I think producing has been a really cool learning experience for me so far, and I’m just starting to dip my toes into that world. Directing feels like a further goal because I have so much to learn about cameras and the technical side of things, but it’s something I’m really excited about. I have so many ideas and so much passion for it.

That’s so exciting — and you’re still young, so you have time to explore so many creative paths. You’re already at the heart of this world. I’m excited to see what you’ll dive into next. When you think of other creatives in the industry, who inspires you?

Oh my goodness, there are so many people. From a fan-girl perspective — but also someone who really inspires me — is Zendaya. She’s one of the coolest people. I loved her as a kid — I had posters of her on my wall when I was 11 because of Shake It Up and all her Disney Channel projects. But what’s even more inspiring is how she’s transitioned from Disney to the next phase of her career. She did it so smoothly and smartly, and she’s been so gracious through it all. The way people respect her and view her — I dream of having even a sliver of that one day. I look up to her so much.

Another person who inspires me is Dan Levy. I don’t know if you’ve seen Schitt’s Creek, but I love that show so much. He’s not only an amazing actor but also a producer — he co-created the show with his dad and worked on so many small details. I’ve watched a lot of behind-the-scenes interviews with him, and you can see how much he cares about his work. That passion really comes through. He’s also hilarious and incredibly talented — and he’s Canadian! Having that kind of Canadian representation in the industry is so exciting. I look up to him, and I really hope I get to work with him one day.

And one more person I absolutely love is Sandra Oh. I want her to play my mom. I feel like that would work visually — it just makes sense. I’m putting it out into the universe: one day, I’m going to play Sandra Oh’s daughter in something.

Manifesting always works! And she’s amazing. There are so many incredible creatives in the industry. Why don’t we talk a little bit about your life outside of acting? How would a perfect day look for you when you’re not working?

A perfect day? Well, I think I would sleep in — I always need more sleep. A lot of my time is spent with people, and I’m lucky to have so many good people in my life — great friends, and I’m super close to my family and my sister. So I would spend the day with them. I would eat good food — food brings me so much joy. We’d either go to a great restaurant or have my mom’s cooking — that would definitely be part of the day.

And if it’s an ideal day, we’d go to a concert. That always brings me so much happiness. Live shows energize and inspire me — I always leave feeling so alive. So honestly, a day with food, friends, a concert, and getting to sleep in sounds absolutely perfect.

That really does sound perfect. Since you mentioned concerts — who’s your favourite musician?

I have a few! I love Noah Kahan — he’s amazing. I went to his concert in March, and it was incredible. I’m also a huge Olivia Rodrigo fan. I love her so much — she’s so cool. I went to her show last summer, and it was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. The energy in that room was unreal. She doesn’t have a massive discography yet, but every single person there knew every single word of every song she sang. It felt like we were all at this big summer party — a whole crowd of people just having the best time together, singing along, and sharing the same love for her music. It was so energizing.

Season one and two of XO, Kitty are now streaming on Netflix — and has been renewed for a third season. 

Interview Maja Bebber
Photographer Julia Sariy
Stylist Laura Spriet
Make Up Jenny Smith
Hair Charles McNair
Stylist Assistant Isabella Magana, LJ Jaeger