Teen Vogue

Anna Cathcart Won’t Let Hollywood Define Her

Anna Cathcart is part of Teen Vogue’s 21 Under 21 class of 2018, which spotlights extraordinary young women, girls, and femmes making waves in their industries or passions of choice.

“She’s my queen of all queens,” Anna Cathcart gushes to Teen Vogue of her dream future costar, Zendaya. “She’s not just a triple threat in the industry, she’s also an activist and she stands up for what’s important to her.”

Anna has become an overnight sensation in her own right, due in large part to her role as Kitty Covey in Netflix's To All the Boys I've Loved Before. The film was a major success and a notably important moment for Asian representation in Hollywood.

“It’s so important for everyone to see someone onscreen that looks like them, no matter what they look like, who they are, or what their race is,” Anna says. “It’s a very underestimated thing that’s not always well represented in the industry, and I think that’s what makes To All the Boys so special.”

She emphasizes the fact that the film features a biracial family without commenting on the interracial family dynamics or Asian identity of the characters. For Anna, this was an especially important part of creating an Asian-American family on film, because it doesn’t define minority characters by their race.

“Usually, [movies] focus on the fact that [characters] are Asian, or they specifically play up their culture and their background,” she explains. “In this movie, we’re an ordinary American family who just live our lives, and they don’t focus on our background and our race.”

Nevertheless, Anna appreciates the impact this film has made for Asians in Hollywood. “I certainly hope that, in the future, having Asian-American leads will not be a big deal...and it will just be happening all the time in the industry, and not just for Asian-Americans, but for every race,” she says. “No matter who you are, if you really want to follow your dreams you can, and it’s not just what you look like or what your background is — anyone has the opportunity to make their dreams come true.”

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📸: Teen Vogue

These Lara Jean Covey Halloween Costumes Show How Much Representation Matters

Halloween weekend may be over, but this year’s creative costumes will live on forever in photos and social media posts. And if you happened to make it out to a costume party this year, it’s likely you saw a lot of people dressed up as Lara Jean Covey, the endearing protagonist of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before portrayed by Lana Condor.

Author Jenny Han, who wrote the YA novel that inspired the hit Netflix film, took to Twitter on Saturday, October 27, to document several Lara Jean costumes she spotted online — and there are some seriously creative people out there, folks. What’s more, the writer highlighted the significance behind this year’s popular Halloween outfit: Lara Jean has offered representation to Asian people in a way that has sorely been lacking in pop culture.

“‘There are very limited options for Asian girls on Halloween,’” Jenny wrote, citing one of Lara Jean's quotes from the TATBILB novel. “‘Like one year I went as Velma from Scooby-Doo, but people just asked me if I was a manga character.’” The author ended her tweet by adding, “Not this Halloween, Lara Jean.”

And Jenny wasn’t kidding; her thread is filled with photos of young people re-creating moments from the film, complete with nearly identical outfits and poses. There was the iconic selfie moment from the house party, plenty of perfect calligraphy denoting Peter Kavinsky’s name on an envelope, and handshakes solidifying Peter and Lara Jean’s “relationship contract.”

Check out the costumes

📸: Netflix

Noah Centineo on How to Get Over a Breakup

Noah Centineo is one of those people who seems to have a permanently sunny disposition. In a new Glamour video, the star of the summer’s two most popular Netflix rom-coms reveals that he actually knows a lot about stress and heartbreak — and has some strategies for pulling through.

In the video, Noah reads tweets from fans. Some ask for life advice, some want book and music recommendations, or his idea of a romantic date. One fan asks, “Hey @noahcent how do you get over a heart break when you still love the person that left you?”

Taking a deep breath, Noah looks straight into the camera and says, “Focus on yourself.”

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📷: Getty Images

Noah Centineo Stars in New Sarah Bahbah Photo Series

To all the Noah Centineo fans who were just minding their own business, prepare to not be OK. Acclaimed artist and Internet darling Sarah Bahbah tapped the young actor, whom she calls "incredibly grounded and wise," as the muse for her latest photo series, titled “Dear Love.” The series came to be as a result of Instagram DM, but according to Sarah, "It's much more serendipitous than that." The two minds met for coffee on Friday, September 14 — and shot the series two days later. The duo released the first few images of the series on September 19 and will be releasing the rest of the series over the course of the next few days.

Sarah’s sixth sense for Instagram virality is no secret, and her latest collaboration makes me wonder if she’s trying to break the Internet for good. (Just 10 minutes after Noah posted about the series on his account, Sarah had already gained 20,000 new followers.) But it should be noted that this isn’t the first time Sarah channeled a young icon (and the Internet’s collective thirst) to pull on our heartstrings with truths about love you didn’t know you needed. She previously worked with Dylan Sprouse on a photo series that continues to pop up all over Tumblr and Instagram.

In an exclusive interview, Sarah talked to Teen Vogue about the DMs that came before she and Noah sent each other, what they talked about over coffee, and more. And after you read the interview, check out Teen Vogue's exclusive look at the next round of images she hasn’t posted online just yet.

Teen Vogue: So, to start: Did Noah slide into your DMs first or did you DM him?

SB: I guess there was a DM from him first, but I wouldn’t say that was our first engagement. I woke up one morning in New York and had remembered seeing Noah in my dream. It sounds intangible, but you can imagine how strong the dream and the feeling was because it manifested itself into this reality. I remembered that I had seen him on Netflix before, so I did some research and found him on Instagram. He was already following me and had already sent a message, but I initiated the shoot.

TV: You said there was a coffee meeting that led to the shoot. What did you talk about at coffee and why did you decide he was the right guy for the job?

SB: My intuition led me to working with Noah. He is incredibly grounded and wise. I was drawn to this, so I followed my instinct, and this trust revealed to me a beautiful soul to collaborate with. Over coffee, Noah and I related on so many levels. We had this intense comfortability; we effortlessly moved through conversations of life, dreaming, and the importance of deep human connection. We were on the same page, it felt right, and the art simply flowed.

TV: The series is called "Dear Love," but Noah’s character seems to be over being in a relationship. Is this a celebration of being single?

SB: This is a series that celebrates the complications of all aspects of human connection — connections [that are] shared and connections within yourself. In this series we watch the protagonist search past surface-level connections. We watch as he turns introspectively and begins to understand himself and his needs. "Dear Love" holds our hands as we come to understand the worth and weight of the reality of solitude, dreaming, and manifestation. It’s better to be alone and love yourself than be with someone and feel lonely.

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📸: Sarah Bahbah

This "To All the Boys" Fan Account Will Make Waiting for a Sequel That Much Easier

Since its release in August, Netflix's To All the Boys I've Loved Before has been a gift to the internet, blessing us with internet boyfriend memes, endless Noah Centineo interviews, and much-needed discussions about the importance of representation in Hollywood. That's a lot to get out of one movie, and fans have been clamoring for sequels basically since the film came out. But thanks to one Twitter account, more To All the Boys-centric content is just a click away.

Newly-viral Twitter presence @IncorrectTATBIL is, in a sense, a type of fanfiction for To All the Boys I've Loved Before. But instead of longer stories about these beloved characters, the account imagines short, fictional conversations between Lara Jean, Kitty, Margot, and Peter Kavinsky that almost feel like they could have been outtakes from the film. In one early hit tweet, Kitty tells Lara Jean, "Here's my wall of inspirational women," to which Lara Jean responds, "Is that a picture of you?" Kitty then proclaims, "I'm big enough to admit I'm often inspired by myself." The moment feels so perfectly in character with Anna Cathcart's Kitty Covey, a bold, sharp, comic presence in the film.

Like many good internet things, @IncorrectTATBIL was started by young web friends: Vanshika, 19, and Laura, 21, who started tweeting their TATBILB-inspired conversations in August after the movie's release on Netflix. They quickly racking up thousands of followers. "I could probably write you a whole book on what I love about the movie, but what really inspired me to make the account were the characters," Laura told Teen Vogue. "I adored them a lot and I wanted to see more of them."

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📸: Netflix / Twitter

Noah Centineo Wants You to Find Your Own Peter Kavinsky

If you have spent the past month or so wishing for your own personal Peter Kavinsky, I have good news for you: Noah Centineo, who plays him, thinks you stand a very good chance of finding your Peter Kavinsky, whoever they may be.

Since To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, the movie adaptation of the novel by Jenny Han, popped up on Netflix, what seems like entire swaths of the internet are now dying to meet their own Peter Kavinsky who, is now more than a character, but also a concept and is often referred to by his full name. He’s smooth, he’s considerate, he moves the popcorn bowl before engaging in a pillow fight with Lara Jean Covey’s little sister! It's proof that the little things are enough to inspire emotion in even the darkest heart, and Noah is taking everything — including the listicles, and the fact that "finding Peter Kavinsky" is now a hashtag-goal — in stride.

“Really? I love that,” he tells Teen Vogue just a few days after the film premiered, seemingly in awe of the collective thirst he, or Peter, or both, have inspired. “I think it's cool, man. I feel like as far as relating to someone, I think Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky really relate to each other and have such a beautiful dynamic by the end of the film. To find that, I'm totally behind that concept. Finding your own Peter Kavinsky, finding your own Lara Jean. I'm 100% behind that.”

He’s quick to temper that with a little reality check of his own: “I feel like everything that happens on the internet nowadays is so fleeting that, sure, maybe getting a Peter Kavinsky is a goal now, but I wouldn't be surprised if a week from now it really dies down.”

I tell him I’ll check in in a week. He laughs. It’s a bet.

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📸: Emman Montalvan

Fans Want Mark Ruffalo to Play Peter Kavinsky's Dad in a "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" Sequel

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📸: Awesomeness Films / Netflix

Noah Centineo Says He'll Be Spider-Man for Halloween — If Tom Holland Is Peter Kavinsky

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📸: Composite: Getty Images / Columbia Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

Kitty Covey Has Been Dubbed a “Feminist Icon” for Her *To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before* Necklace

It's been nearly one week since To All the Boys I've Loved Before hit Netflix and by now you've probably totally memorized every line and plotted on shopping every outfit, scrunchie, and bedroom decor piece that appeared in the film. However, there's one tiny fashion detail that you might just have missed.

We already know Kitty Covey as the movie's most adorable cast member (besides Peter Kavinsky, of course), but you might not have realized that Kitty is a proud feminist. As pointed out by Twitter users, Kitty is frequently spotted wearing a necklace that reads 'Feminist' in the film. And Kitty sports the gold chain and script font necklace quite frequently.

The fashion moment has left many on social media with a new appreciation for the 11-year-old, with one person writing, "Kitty? An intellectual!!! Did y’all noticed her necklace??? It says ”FEMINIST” and she’s only 11, YES WE STAN A LEGEND." Others also couldn't believe Kitty was already supporting feminism, writing, "I just realized Kitty has a "feminist" necklace. And she's only 11. What an icon!" The student has even been dubbed a "feminist icon."

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📸: Awesomeness Films

The Story Behind the "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" Photo of Lara Jean and Peter Napping

By now, you've probably (hopefully!) seen what is arguably the best rom-com ever to hit Netflix, To All the Boys I've Loved Before. If so, you might have noticed there's a scene where we briefly get a glimpse of on Lara Jean's phone's lock screen toward the end of the movie, which has a picture of her and fake-boyfriend-turned-real-boyfriend Peter Kravinsky taking a nap together. And now we finally know the backstory.

During an interview with Entertainment Tonight this week, director Susan Johnson was asked about the sweet photo of Lara Jean and Peter. Earlier in the film, we see Lara Jean and Peter snap pics of each other to use as their lock screen photos, but we never witness the creation of this napping snap, and it's sent TATBILB fans speculating relentlessly about its origins. In the interview, however, Johnson set the record straight — and it's purer and more precious than anything you could've ever imagined.

"I don't think this will blow any magic in telling you what happened with that. That was actually one of our crew members who took that photo," she told Entertainment Tonight. "The two of them were in the green room on set at the high school location, in the area where we put the actors. They actually were sleeping on the couch in that room like that, so we just stood over them and took that picture and it's so friggin' cute."

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📸: Getty Images

How to Dress Like Lara Jean Covey From “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before”

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before might be getting attention for being the love story we all needed right now (because truly it is), but TBH that's not the only reason we're loving it. Have you seen the main character Lara Jean Covey's outfits? They are truly one of the best parts of the movie and with that, the character, played by Lana Condor, is out newest back-to-school inspiration.

From overalls and striped shirts to the chicest bomber jackets, we want to wear every single look over and over again. Of course, the magic of the movies is a great wardrobe stylist and a large rack of clothes, so we have decided to step in and break down some of our favorite looks from the film and offer up killer shopping alternatives to master the style as you head back to campus in just a few weeks (or less!). A low key mix of fast fashion and vintage; eclectic yet sophisticated; whimsical and tailored all rolled into one, it’s just the wardrobe we needed to be served up right about now.

Find out how to dress like Lara Jean

📸: Netflix

The To All the Boys I've Loved Before Cast Recreated Iconic Rom-Coms and I Cannot Deal

Since its release last week, Netflix rom-com To All the Boys I've Loved Before has been giving the internet a lot of feelings. Adapted from Jenny Han's popular novel, the movie tells the story of shy high school junior Lara Jean Song Covey (played by Lana Condor), whose five private love letters to previous crushes get sent out, leaving her to deal with the fallout.

In the movie, Lara Jean is a true romantic, immersing herself in the world of classic '80s movies like Sixteen Candles. It's fitting, then, that author Jenny Han made sure the movie's actors payed homage to other iconic teen movies during filming. On Aug. 19, Jenny shared a series of behind-the-scenes clips where cast members each took on a different influential '80s or '90s movie, ranging from The Breakfast Club to Say Anything.

"When I was on the set of #ToAlltheBoysIveLovedBefore, I coerced the cast into making these teen movie moments bc I’m a pushy queen," Jenny wrote on Twitter. She then included a short gif of Noah Centineo, who plays Peter Kavinsky, hoisting up Lana Condor in the seminal lift scene from Dirty Dancing, while "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" played in the background (BRB, swooning forever).

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📸: Netflix

Jenny Han Says Some Hollywood Execs Tried to Whitewash "To All the Boys I've Loved Before"

Like the romance novels with which its heroine is obsessed, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is practically picture perfect. Lara Jean Song Covey (Lana Condor) writes a love letter to each crush she has, and keeps them in a hatbox left to her by her late mother. When, one day, the hatbox turns up empty and the letters reach the boys they’re written to, Lara Jean’s life gets turned on its head, as her past crushes come back to haunt her.

The film, which directed by Susan Johnson, is an utter charm. Adapted from Jenny Han’s novel of the same name, it’s the perfect romantic comedy. It’s funny, it’s relatable, and it’s compelling. And it just so happens that its all-American heroine is Asian-American.

Ahead of the film’s release on Netflix on August 17, we spoke to Han about the ups and downs of getting the movie made, Lara Jean’s sense of fashion, and food as cultural connective tissue.

Teen Vogue: The book To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was first optioned as a movie adaptation four years ago; what has the road from page to screen been like for you?

Jenny Han: It’s definitely been a long road. Four years isn’t that long if you think about it in terms of how long it takes to get a movie made; I think once the team was in place, then things moved very fast. But up until that point, it was always kind of up in the air. It’s fairly common to get something optioned, but really rare to actually see it become a movie. It took casting to begin and for them to be doing stuff on location for me to actually believe that it was happening.

TV: Did you ever doubt that it was going to get made?

JH: I did. I think that one of the biggest struggles with it was to find the right partners who would agree to cast an Asian-American family, and to have Lara Jean, specifically, be Asian. That was the biggest challenge. I think that oftentimes what people say is, “We need an actress who’ll be able to greenlight a movie,” and my counterargument to that is always that, when it comes to a teen movie, you have very few people who can greenlight a movie. It’s not going to be Tom Cruise or Julia Roberts — those are the people who greenlight movies, and in terms of young talent, it’s going to be a gamble no matter what you do. Even if it’s somebody with a really big social media following, you just don’t know if that’s going to translate into the movie getting made.

With Asian-Americans actors, specifically, there’s been fewer opportunities for them in TV and film, and fewer that have the ability to actually make a career out of it. It becomes a bit of a chicken and egg situation, where they’re like, “Oh, but they’re not famous names,” but they haven’t had a chance to be in anything yet, either. You want to give people a chance to grow and evolve as well.

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📸: Netflix

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