In this episode of the Young Entertainment Podcast, Mordechai and Daniella are joined exclusively by actor Peter Thurnwald, who stars as Alex Finnerty in XO, Kitty! Peter reveals which character he originally auditioned for, what it was like to work with Jenny Han and Anna Cathcart, and even teases some potential storylines in season 3, which is out on Netflix April 2!
If you’ve ever wanted a podcast to learn from the stars and get the best masterclass tips and tricks for launching your own career, you’ve come to the right place!
Season 3 of XO, Kitty picks up after the dramatic love triangle cliffhanger, as Kitty returns to Seoul for her senior year at KISS, destined to define her relationship with Min Ho and reconnect with family. Yet when surprise revelations derail these plans, she will have to learn to embrace the unexpected. The main cast returns, with three new cast members also joining this season.
Peter revealed that he actually first auditioned for the role of Min Ho, going through callbacks, directors meetings, and even a chemistry read with Anna Cathcart, who stars as Kitty! In conversation with Jenny Han, it was agreed that Peter had a lot in common with the character Alex, and so it worked out perfectly to step into that role instead.
Peter: “I originally went through the entire process auditioning for Min Ho!”
It is rare that you find a creator and executive producer as hands on and receptive to feedback as Jenny Han is, and Peter had nothing but great things to say about their working relationship. He called Jenny a ‘fairy godmother’ on set, as she was receptive to his own adoption story, and he felt like he was seen and heard in his input for Alex.
Peter: “For Jenny (Han) to still be able to come to Korea and spend time with the cast, to have input in the show, it is so great to have such an amazing creative on board.”
Peter was first introduced to Anna very early on in the casting process, and he said throughout the three seasons of the show, Anna has been nothing short of a professional, and is also incredible at finding time to hang out and bond with all castmates off set.
Peter: “Anna is such a beautiful example of being number one on the call sheet and being welcoming and friendly and creating that family feeling that XO, Kitty has.”
After an emotional season 1 for Peter’s character Alex, through his journey to find his biological parents to connecting with his students, Peter thinks Alex has become way more sure of himself over the course of the series.
He also teased a bit of what’s potentially to come in season 3, including Kitty’s senior year bucket list. One item is Kitty being a matchmaker for Alex and Jiwon, and Peter revealed that this will be in full force this season.
Peter: “The entire story is so fun and all of the characters have elements of them that are so lovable.”
Peter also reveals whether he thinks Kitty and Min Ho should be endgame (you’ll just have to watch to find out) and we end the episode by playing a game of kiss or miss, XO, Kitty style.
Peter was a joy to chat with and we can’t wait for season 3. Make sure to follow him on his Instagram at @peterthurnwald. And as always, this podcast is for you, the fans! We want to know who you want to hear and learn from and have many exciting guests and stories coming up in future episodes, including a part two reaction to XO, Kitty! We’ll be releasing episodes each week so don’t forget to subscribe and stay tuned!
Consider this:
- When you have free time while filming a project, go to set if you can and just watch! Observing things, from other people’s acting techniques to even the cameras and producers in action, you can learn a lot and become more well rounded to how different projects work.
