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XO, Kitty cast: Meet the characters of the To All the Boys spin-off

Netflix's XO, Kitty is here at last, and we couldn't be more excited for the new To All The Boys spinoff series.

Initially announced back in October 2021, the YA dramedy focuses on Lara Jean Covey's little sister Kitty, played by Anna Cathcart, as she leaves Portland, Oregon, for Seoul, South Korea. The series' official logline reads as follows: “Teen matchmaker Kitty Song Covey thinks she knows everything there is to know about love. But when she moves halfway across the world to reunite with her long-distance boyfriend, she'll soon realise that relationships are a lot more complicated when it’s your own heart on the line.”

The first season of the show will have ten half-hour episodes, with the series pilot co-written by YA author Siobhan Vivian and To All The Boys I've Loved Before author Jenny Han — who also serves as a co-showrunner and executive producer on XO, Kitty.

Back on March 10, star Anna Cathcart shared an Instagram pic of herself in Seoul with the caption: “Home for the next few months.” XO, Kitty has now officially started filming in the South Korean city, and Netflix has shared the first look of the show's cast.

Joining Anna Cathcart in XO, Kitty is actor Minyeong Choi, who will play Kitty's boyfriend Dae. You might remember the character Dae from the third instalment of the original trilogy, To All the Boys: Always and Forever. While Lara Jean, Margot, Kitty, and their dad visit Seoul during spring break, Kitty asks a cute stranger to take the family's photo in front of the lock fence at Namsan Tower. Right then, Kitty and Dae have the ultimate meet-cute, and the rest is history.

Kitty's very own show is definitely well-deserved, as the character is a TATB fan-favourite. We can't wait to see what the witty and ambitious young feminist will get up to in South Korea. When news of the series first broke, Anna Cathcart wrote on Instagram: “Grab your helmets kids this is gonna be a wild ride.” And if there's one thing you should always do, it's listen to Kitty Song Covey — just ask Lara Jean.

Anna Cathcart as Kitty

Teen Vogue's May cover star Anna Cathcart has officially returned as Kitty, helming her own series. Kitty is as fearless as ever, traveling across the world to find out more about her late mother and follow her heart in the process. But the course of true love never did run smooth… and her reunion with long distance boyfriend Dae might not go as planned. Luckily, there are new friends, potential love triangles, and family mysteries aplenty to keep her busy while studying in Seoul.

"I kind of grew up with Kitty by my side,” Cathcart told Teen Vogue's Michelle Hyun Kim earlier this month. “[We’re] learning through each other, which is really cool.” The Vancouver native began her career in children's media, acting in the Descendants franchise before heading to To All the Boys and her own short-lived show, Zoe Valentine. As XO, Kitty premieres, Cathcart has also just finished her freshman year of college, where she's studying sociology and creative writing.

Follow her on Instagram here.

Minyeong Choi as Dae

Previously portrayed by Hoyoung Jeon, the role of Dae was taken over by Minyeong Choi as Kitty's Harry Potter-hating long-distance BF. If you're a K-drama fan, you'll recognise the South Korean actor from a slew of roles in Twenty-Five Twenty-One, Itaewon Class, and Strong Girl Bong-soon. XO, Kitty is Choi's first U.S. production, and he's found himself drawn to the ordinary loveliness of Dae, who is a committed student, brother, son, and friend.

“He's an ordinary guy. He's not special. He doesn't have a crazy talent,” Choi told Teen Vogue's Sara Delgado ahead of the premiere. "But what I loved about Dae was that he just had a warm heart. He knew how small gestures are important and how important love is. That was the main idea about Dae for me. He knew how important love is so he could give up things for love. I'm not only talking about Kitty only, but love for his younger sister, his family, his friends, and maybe himself."

Choi has acting goals that involve musical theatre, as well as dreams beyond acting, including becoming a singer-songwriter and running his own company.

Follow him on Instagram here.

Gia Kim as Yuri

Gia Kim's Yuri is an It girl from the moment she enters XO, Kitty — and even Cathcart's Kitty is a little stunned. Confident, well-dressed, and effortlessly chic, Yuri knows who she is… even though she isn't always allowed to be that person. Early in episode 1, we discover that Yuri is reeling from her parents discovering a romantic relationship between her and her best friend Juliana, news that made Juliana transfer schools. Underneath the self-assured exterior is a heartbroken teenage girl.

XO, Kitty is Kim's first major production to date, and the South Korean actor found out about the opportunity through an open casting call, like several of her castmates. “As soon as I saw the breakdown for the character, I thought this was really refreshing. I'd never seen a character like Yuri before,” Kim told Popternative. Yuri is sure to be a fan favourite, so get to finishing season 1 of XO, Kitty ASAP.

Follow her on Instagram here.

Sang Heon Lee as Min Ho

And if Yuri is an It girl, Min Ho is an It boy… or at least he thinks he is. In episode 1, Kitty meets Min Ho at the airport, clocking the KISS emblem on his jacket — though he ignores her and pretends not to speak English as a way of avoiding her. But is there more under the surface? Listen, every teen drama school needs a cocky boy with a secret heart of gold.

Playing Min Ho is Sang Heon Lee, a Korean-born and Hong Kong-raised acting newcomer who has long loved movies like The Dark Knight to Guy Ritchie comedies to Korean noir films like Friend, he told Teen Vogue's Gabe Bergado in an interview. Lee studied performing arts at the University of Northampton in England, and he's already booked his next project: the feature film Gran Turismo, starring David Harbour and Orlando Bloom.

Follow him on Instagram here, on his separate rock climbing account here.

Anthony Keyvan as Q

As the friendly jock Q, Anthony Keyvan plays Kitty's close friend and confidant, a safe space her inside the tumultuous drama at KISS. He's also dealing with romance troubles of his own — and matchmaking Kitty is more than willing to lend a hand in setting him up with his French classmate Florian.

A veteran actor, Keyvan has been performing since he was a kid, with early roles in the original iCarly, Grey's Anatomy, and HBO's Generation. The southern California native recently appeared as Rahim in Hulu's YA dramedy Love, Victor, one of his biggest roles to date.

Follow him on Instagram here.

Peter Thurnwald as Alex

Australian actor Peter Thurnwald plays Alex, a young teacher and mentor to Kitty who turns out to be at the center of one of XO, Kitty's mysteries. Along the way, he's another source of stability for Kitty as she experiences growing pains in a different country.

Thurnwald grew up in Gold Coast, Australia and was a theatre kid who studied physics at the University of Queensland for a time, until he was found by a casting agent who kickstarted his acting career. He's since been a featured extra in King Kong: Skull Island and Thor: Ragnarok, with bigger roles as of late in the Australian series Bump and now, XO, Kitty.

Follow him on Instagram here.


Théo Augier Bonaventure as Florian

Théo Augier Bonaventure plays Florian, a classmate of Kitty and Q's who is also the object of Q's affections. Thanks to Kitty's matchmaking skills, the couple is well on their way to love… but can love conquer all potential problems?

Rising star Théo Augier Bonaventure has acted in a slew of French productions since moving to Paris at 18 to follow his acting dreams. The French and Greek actor has also directed a short film that he also wrote, Haut et Fort.

Follow him on Instagram here.

Jocelyn Shelfo as Madison

Actor Jocelyn Shelfo is no stranger to a Jenny Han production — she previously acted in season 1 of The Summer I Turned Pretty as Marisa. In XO, Kitty, she plays an often meddlesome character named Madison, who is an American obsessed with K-pop and Korean culture to a cringey extent. Prior to XO, Kitty, she appeared in the shows American Soul and Your Worst Nightmare, in addition to a few shorts.

Follow her on Instagram here.

Regan Aliyah as Juliana

Regan Aliyah plays Juliana, girlfriend to Yuri, though separated by school after their parents found out about their romance.

Aliyah has a few credits to her name, including a TV series called BF for Hire. But her biggest role is still to come — she's set to act in the upcoming Disney+ series Ironheart, plus we can't help but hope to see more of her in a potential season 2 of XO, Kitty. Hint: a love triangle might just be on the way…

Follow her on Instagram here.

This story originally appeared on Teen Vogue.

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Larita Shotwell

Update: 2024-07-26