To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (from the Voice of Kitty Covey)
I was cast as Kitty Covey
In the graphic novel audiobook drama, silly. Do I look like Anna Cathcart to you?
I am a voice actor, amongst other things, and had the pleasure of voicing the youngest Song-Covey sister in the full-cast audio drama version of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. It was fun to put my own spin on the well-known and loved character Kitty. I auditioned for the part under a carefully constructed pillow fort at my sister-in-law’s house because my new home studio was not finished yet. Funny how the parts you least expect to get are the ones you end up booking.
If you haven’t heard it yet, listen to the audio drama on Spotify.
As for the graphic novel, which this audio drama is based on, it is just oh so cute. I love the illustrations. Written by Jenny Han and illustrated by Akimaro and Li Lu, it’s a colorful, animated re-telling of the best selling novel. I recorded my part before ever seeing the drawing version of my character, so you can imagine how fun it was to finally visualize Kitty after playing her. That’s always an enjoyable challenge to voice acting - a lot of it begins with just some words on paper and your own imagination. Get it here.
Anyway, the Spotify team sent me some goodies when the audiobook came out.
In a baby-blue round box tied with a ribbon, just like Lara Jean’s letter box, I found colorful pens inscribed with ‘Love Letters’ and ‘Secret Admirer,’ and all the things I’d need to send off my own anonymous love letters. The sour gummy lips are really delicious.
The last time I sent an anonymous love letter was middle school.
It was Valentine’s Day to this boy in school that I had a massive crush on. He had a floppy Asian boy bowl haircut, played football during recess, and begrudgingly hung out with me when his and my mom had lunch dates at his house. I left him an unsigned Valentine’s Day card and little red beanie baby bear on his desk, sneaking into his classroom before anybody else had arrived, and scurried away when his teacher came into the room. I imagine she hid a smile and pretended not to see me.
Well, his mom, whom I called 이모 (‘aunt’ in Korean) called me after school that day to ask me if I had left him that note.
“Uh, no,” I said, my heart beating hard.
“Are you sure?” she said. I could hear the smile in her voice.
“I am SURE,” I said petulantly.
“It’s RED with a HEART on it!” I heard him say over the phone.
“Well, he loves it,” his mom said.
“No, I DON’T!” He shouted.
“Okay,” I said, sure I was going to die from embarrassment right then and there.
And that was the end of that.
He and I are still pals today, and I think of him fondly. Amazingly, he still has that floppy haircut. We’ve never spoken about the red bear and love letter incident, but I like to think he also thinks of it with a little glow of affection. Lesson from this moment? I think everyone should write at least one love letter in their lives.
Like our titular lead Lara Jean says,
“So much of love is chance. There's something scary and wonderful about that. If Kitty had never sent those letters, if I hadn't gone to the hot tub that night, it might've been him and Gen. But she did sent those letters, and I did go out there. It could have happened lots of ways. But this is the way it happened. This is the path we took. This is our story. I know now that I don't want to love or be loved in half measures. I want it all, and to have it all you have to risk it all.”
Oh it’s silly, and high school, and just puppy love…and worth experiencing at least once in life :)