The spin-off to the popular Netflix trilogy based on the books by Jenny Han, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, follows the story of Lara-Jean’s younger sister, Kitty. XO, Kitty takes us all the way to Seoul, Korea as the youngest Song Covey sister chases down the boy she loves and also aims to connect with her mum and her Korean heritage. So who is involved in the series?
XO, Kitty is a ten-episode series following Kitty who, adamant that she is a great matchmaker given her successful interference in both her sister’s love life as well as her father’s, is now off to secure her own match. This spin-off was somewhat set up in the final film, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before: Always and Forever, where Kitty meets the sweet Dae on a family trip to Korea.
Kitty, now a few years older, has continued her long-distance relationship with Dae, and after unearthing some of her mother’s possessions discovers that he actually attends the exact same school her mom did in Korea. She applies and gets accepted for a scholarship to the school, taking Kitty off on an adventure to the bustling city of Seoul.
The series follows the ups and downs that Kitty faces, discovering that whilst she may have been a high performing student in the States, she isn’t up to scratch in Korea (a slightly scathing indictment on the American education system), that her “boyfriend” is with another person, that she may not be as sure of herself as she once was, and that her mother may have more secrets than she ever could have imagined.
We are also introduced to an international cast of teachers and students studying and working at the Korean Independent School Seoul, or KISS for short (ah they couldn’t help themselves could they). So let’s take a look at the expansive cast of XO, Kitty and where you may have seen them before.
Kitty Song Covey: Anna Cathcart
The role of Kitty is retained by actress Anna Cathcart who has played the youngest Song Covey sister since the first To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before film back in 2018. Kitty is a little bit of a troublemaker, interfering in her sister’s love lives under the impression that she knows best. She has been very self-assured of herself and her abilities, but transferring to Korea brings about some unexpected new challenges for her.
Cathcart is only 19 but already has a couple of roles under her belt aside from Kitty. The Canadian actress first started out in the TVOKids series Odd Squad from 2016-2019, which earned her a Canadian Screen Award. You may have also seen her in the Disney Channel films Descendants and Descendants 2, playing the character of Dizzy. Alongside acting she also attends The University of British Columbia majoring in Sociology and Creative Writing.
Dae Heon Kim: Minyeong Choi
The role of Dae was recast for the purposes of the series, with the role having originally been played by Ho-Young Jeon in the film. It is now played by Korean actor Minyeong Choi. Dae is stuck in a near-impossible position at the beginning of the series, between his studies and money woes and his love for Kitty. Every time we think he is going to finally get around to straightening things out the cliche interruption happens and we are left groaning in frustration.
Minyeong has predominantly appeared in other K-dramas starting his career back in 2016 aged only 14 years old. He has appeared in such popular shows as Mr. Sunshine, Itaewon Class, and You Are My Spring. This is his first international role.
Yuri Han: Gia Kim
Yuri is an interesting character, born into a wealthy but unhappy family she must keep her sexuality hidden lest it jeopardize her father’s business. She manages to play both the antagonist, friend, and even love interest all in one season making her one of the more dynamic characters in the show. The role is played by Gia Kim, an actress who works between L.A. and Korea.
This is Gia’s first major role and she was actually waitressing on tables when she received the news that she had landed the part, telling Tudum, “When he told me I got the part, I broke down in tears. I didn’t care if people were watching — I will never forget that moment.” The actress is 29 years old, one of the older cast members playing students.
Min Ho: Sang Heon Lee
Here we have your classic wealthy pretty boy character in Min Ho. Born into wealth and privilege he also has the cliché trope of coming from a broken family with a mother far away in L.A. He cares a lot about appearances and is very on top of his skincare routine. He continually antagonizes Kitty but begrudgingly comes to care for her.
The character of Min Ho is played by Sang Heon Lee, a Korean actor who has traveled extensively including spending some time studying in the United Kingdom for University, which is likely why he has a more English RP accent. This is Sang Heon’s first credited acting role and he will also be playing a part in in the film adaptation of video game Gran Turismo.
Quincy “Q” Shabazian: Anthony Keyvan
Q is another American student studying at KISS and an early ally of Kitty’s. He comes out as gay early on in the series and Kitty immediately puts her matchmaking skills to work getting him together with French student Florian. He acts as a continual supporter of Kitty’s but also reminds her when she has become too absorbed in her own life.
Keyvan is a Filipino Iranian actor (the showrunners decided to stick with this for his character as well) and has been working since 2015. He has appeared in small roles in American shows such as The Rookie and Fresh Off The Boat, as well as taking on bigger roles such as in the Disney series, Love, Victor.
Jina Lim: Yunjin Kim
Jina is Yuni’s mother and the headteacher of KISS. She also has a strange connection with Kitty’s mother that she really doesn’t want to discuss, leaving Kitty desperate to figure out this mystery.
Jina is played by Yunjin, a Korean actress who has been working in the industry for a while now. American audiences might recognize her as Sun in Lost but she has played a breadth of character in Korean dramas. Most recently, prior to XO, Kitty she starred in Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area.
Professor Lee: Michael K. Lee
Professor Lee reminds us a little of Professor Snape, leaving us all wondering why on earth he became a teacher when he seems to hate children so much. The Professor has a distinct dislike for Kitty, borderline bullying her in front of the other students. There is more to him than meets the eye though.
He is played by Michael K. Lee, an American-born actor who now lives in Seoul. He is predominantly known for his musical theatre work, notably Miss Saigon and also George Takei’s Allegiance. He has also starred in a number of TV series and films both in America and Korea.
Madison Miller: Jocelyn Shelfo
Madison Miller is the daughter of the Miller family business, whom Yuri’s father is trying to secure a deal with. She is always upbeat and just a little eccentric, planning to have as much fun as possible in her time in Seoul.
She is played by Shelfo who is no stranger to author Jenny Han’s works having starred in another of her adaptions, The Summer I Turned Pretty. She is also starring in the film May December alongside Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore.
Alex Finnerty: Peter Thurnwald
Alex is a new staff member at KISS. Much like Kitty, he is also there to discover more about himself as he was adopted my white Australians after having been given up for adoption at birth.
Thurnwald, just like his character, is also from Australia and has starred in such Australian shows as Bump and Young Rock.
Florian: Théo Augier
Florian is the romantic interest of Q, a French/Turkish student facing his own family troubles in that his parents are currently going through a messy divorce and he is stuck in the middle, with his life in Seoul hanging in the balance.
The role is played by Augier, an actor who has starred in numerous French dramas including the series Endless Night and the film The French Boys.
These are the key cast members of the series so go check them out in the series XO, Kitty now streaming on Netflix.