Noah Centineo Reveals How His Peter Kavinsky Cameo inXO, KittySeason 2 Came About — and What Lana Condor's Reaction Was (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Noah Centineo and Anna Cathcart attend the Los Angeles Special Screening of Netflix’s “XO, Kitty” on May 11, 2023.Photo: Elyse Jankowski/Getty Images

Thereturn of Peter Kavinsky inXO, Kittyseason 2was a dream come true forTo All The Boysfans, but it felt a little risky toNoah Centineo.The 28-year-old actor reprised his role as the beloved boyfriend of Lara Jean Song Covey (Lana Condor) in an episode of theAnna Cathcart-led spinoff series, which premiered Jan. 16, and he tells PEOPLE it was “kind of daunting” stepping back into Peter’s shoes.“Not kind of — it is daunting. It’s extremely scary,” he admits. “Peter KavinskyandTo All the Boys, I mean that franchise is so beloved, that you kind of don’t want to touch it.“Eager to not “mess it up” as it’s “been a couple of years” since he played the character, who Jenny Han created in theTo All The Boys I’ve Loved Beforetrilogy book series, Centineo calls the cameo “a bit of a risk” — but not one he would ever really decline.“I love Anna so much. She’s just doing such an incredible job and [I’d do] anything to support her,” he says of Cathcart, 21, who leads the series as the younger sister of Peter’s girlfriend Lara Jean.Anna Cathcart as Kitty Song Covey and Noah Centineo as Peter Kavinsky in episode 206 of ‘XO, Kitty’.Netflix © 2024"I just support everything she’s doing,” he continues. “She’s such a hardworking actress and such a professional. I joke and say she was literally the most hardworking person, most prepared person on all the films forToAll the Boys. And she works so hard [onXO, Kitty]. She deserves it all.“The cameo came about largely due to timing. Centineo was already in Seoul, South Korea to filmseason 2 ofThe Recruit—a Netflix series where he stars as troublemaker CIA lawyer Owen Hendricks — when producerMatt Kaplancalled. “[He] just said, ‘Hey, you’re shooting in Seoul at the same time we are. Would you do this [cameo inXO, Kitty]?’ I said, ‘Absolutely.'“His former costar, Condor, 27, was equally excited about the return of the beloved Peter Kavinsky. He says he texted the Lara Jean actress to tell her the news and she thought it was “awesome” and “so great.“In a behind-the-scenesvideofrom Centineo’s day on set, Cathcart told Netflix it was “wild” to reunite with her friend, as the pair hadn’t been on camera together since she was 16 while filming the final film of theTo All the Boystrilogy.“The best part is getting to now work together but at such a different stage of our characters’ lives but also our own lives,” she said.Noah Centineo as Peter Kavinsky in season 2 of ‘XO, Kitty’.NetflixWith a reprisal of one of Netflix’s fan-favorite fictional boyfriends — albeit brief — now under his belt, Centineo is shifting his focus back to international espionage, as he gears up for the premiere ofThe Recruitseason 2 on Jan. 30.Past Lives' Teo Yoo joins Centineo in season 2, as his character Owen is “pulled into a life-threatening espionage situation in South Korea, only to realize that the bigger threat just might be coming from inside” the CIA, per the official synopsis.Getting to film on-location in South Korea “elevates” the season, he told Netflix’sTudum, but also gives the show “fertile ground for all the vicious and life-threatening fun Owen loves to find himself in the middle of.“Noah Centineo and Anna Cathcart attend the Los Angeles Special Screening of Netflix’s “XO, Kitty” at the Tudum Theater on May 11, 2023.Elyse Jankowski/Getty ImagesAs for what’s next for Centineo, who got his start onThe Fostersbefore his breakout role in theTo All the Boysfilms, it’s unlikely thatXO, Kittyis the last of his romance days.“At some point, I would like to go back to romance,” he tells PEOPLE. “I don’t know if it would be YA, but I do want to go back to romance.“In the meantime, though, his “goals are to work with filmmakers that I love and that I think are incredible and just kind of follow that. So who knows where it’s going to lead.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.XO, Kittyseason 2 is now streaming on Netflix and season 2 ofThe Recruitpremieres Jan. 30.

Thereturn of Peter Kavinsky inXO, Kittyseason 2was a dream come true forTo All The Boysfans, but it felt a little risky toNoah Centineo.

The 28-year-old actor reprised his role as the beloved boyfriend of Lara Jean Song Covey (Lana Condor) in an episode of theAnna Cathcart-led spinoff series, which premiered Jan. 16, and he tells PEOPLE it was “kind of daunting” stepping back into Peter’s shoes.

“Not kind of — it is daunting. It’s extremely scary,” he admits. “Peter KavinskyandTo All the Boys, I mean that franchise is so beloved, that you kind of don’t want to touch it.”

Eager to not “mess it up” as it’s “been a couple of years” since he played the character, who Jenny Han created in theTo All The Boys I’ve Loved Beforetrilogy book series, Centineo calls the cameo “a bit of a risk” — but not one he would ever really decline.

“I love Anna so much. She’s just doing such an incredible job and [I’d do] anything to support her,” he says of Cathcart, 21, who leads the series as the younger sister of Peter’s girlfriend Lara Jean.

Anna Cathcart as Kitty Song Covey and Noah Centineo as Peter Kavinsky in episode 206 of ‘XO, Kitty’.Netflix © 2024

Netflix © 2024

“I just support everything she’s doing,” he continues. “She’s such a hardworking actress and such a professional. I joke and say she was literally the most hardworking person, most prepared person on all the films forToAll the Boys. And she works so hard [onXO, Kitty]. She deserves it all.”

The cameo came about largely due to timing. Centineo was already in Seoul, South Korea to filmseason 2 ofThe Recruit—a Netflix series where he stars as troublemaker CIA lawyer Owen Hendricks — when producerMatt Kaplancalled. “[He] just said, ‘Hey, you’re shooting in Seoul at the same time we are. Would you do this [cameo inXO, Kitty]?’ I said, ‘Absolutely.'”

His former costar, Condor, 27, was equally excited about the return of the beloved Peter Kavinsky. He says he texted the Lara Jean actress to tell her the news and she thought it was “awesome” and “so great.”

In a behind-the-scenesvideofrom Centineo’s day on set, Cathcart told Netflix it was “wild” to reunite with her friend, as the pair hadn’t been on camera together since she was 16 while filming the final film of theTo All the Boystrilogy.

“The best part is getting to now work together but at such a different stage of our characters’ lives but also our own lives,” she said.

Noah Centineo as Peter Kavinsky in season 2 of ‘XO, Kitty’.Netflix

Netflix

With a reprisal of one of Netflix’s fan-favorite fictional boyfriends — albeit brief — now under his belt, Centineo is shifting his focus back to international espionage, as he gears up for the premiere ofThe Recruitseason 2 on Jan. 30.

Past Lives' Teo Yoo joins Centineo in season 2, as his character Owen is “pulled into a life-threatening espionage situation in South Korea, only to realize that the bigger threat just might be coming from inside” the CIA, per the official synopsis.

Getting to film on-location in South Korea “elevates” the season, he told Netflix’sTudum, but also gives the show “fertile ground for all the vicious and life-threatening fun Owen loves to find himself in the middle of.”

Noah Centineo and Anna Cathcart attend the Los Angeles Special Screening of Netflix’s “XO, Kitty” at the Tudum Theater on May 11, 2023.Elyse Jankowski/Getty Images

As for what’s next for Centineo, who got his start onThe Fostersbefore his breakout role in theTo All the Boysfilms, it’s unlikely thatXO, Kittyis the last of his romance days.

“At some point, I would like to go back to romance,” he tells PEOPLE. “I don’t know if it would be YA, but I do want to go back to romance.”

In the meantime, though, his “goals are to work with filmmakers that I love and that I think are incredible and just kind of follow that. So who knows where it’s going to lead.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

XO, Kittyseason 2 is now streaming on Netflix and season 2 ofThe Recruitpremieres Jan. 30.

source: people.com