Forbes recently sat down with actress Anna Cathcart in a wide-ranging interview about breaking into the film business, and the conversation is a reminder that talent plus hustle still matter in America. The young star talks plainly about learning the ropes on set, balancing college with a career, and using social media as a legitimate tool for growth.
Cathcart’s rise from child actor to the lead of XO, Kitty and a familiar face from To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the kind of upward mobility conservatives like to celebrate: earned, visible, and market-driven. Forbes notes her growing resume, streaming success, and the millions who watch her projects, proving that audiences—not gatekeepers—ultimately decide what succeeds.
She’s candid about turning her online presence into a brand, reminding young people that in today’s economy you must create and market yourself or be left behind. That lesson—be useful, build skills, and take personal responsibility for your career—should be the core curriculum in every home and school, not the latest victimhood sermon.
For conservatives wary of Hollywood’s cultural gatekeepers, Cathcart is proof that talent and grit can push back against the industry’s old boy networks and cultural monocultures. She didn’t get handed a permanent pedestal; she learned her craft, showed up early, and leveraged a platform into tangible opportunities—a model that rewards effort over entitlement.
The Forbes panel also highlighted how streaming has changed the entertainment landscape, opening doors for creators outside the Los Angeles bubble and rewarding content that connects with viewers. That expanding marketplace is a victory for the free market: more competition, more choices for consumers, and more chances for hardworking Americans to make a name for themselves.
Cathcart’s caution about AI and the shifting rule book in media deserves serious attention from policymakers and parents alike; technology should amplify human creativity, not replace it or strip artists of their rights. Conservatives should lead on protecting intellectual property, fair compensation, and apprenticeships that teach the practical, on-set skills she says are so often missing from formal training.
If we want more Anna Cathcarts—kids who learn discipline, value education, and work hard to build careers—we must stop celebrating grievance as a career path and start rewarding competence again. Support for family, trade pathways, and the freedom to create are conservative values that actually produce results, and Cathcart’s story is a welcome reminder that the American dream still exists for those who earn it.
