In our Q&A series Last Call, we get down to the bottom of every last thing with some of our favorite celebs — from the last time they were starstruck to the last song they listened to. This week, TikTok superstar Anna Sitar takes our call.
Anna Sitar remembers vividly the first time someone recognized her in public. She was shopping in Target (“Which is so on brand for me,” she laughs) and sporting pandemic pink hair. She had been creating content regularly at that point, all while encamped at her parents’ house and completing grad school over Zoom. As TikTok surged in popularity, she found her niche in relatable content, chatting openly about her long-distance relationship.
“This girl was so sweet,” Sitar recounts to POPSUGAR of that fan encounter. “She just came over and was just like, ‘I love your videos.’ I had this series called ‘I don’t want it’ where I pretty much walk in front of a mirror and talk about, for example, ‘If my husband or my best friend doesn’t do XYZ, I don’t want it.’ She had seen those videos and kind of raved about it.” The realization that her reach was now recognized-in-Target level was a “turning point”: “Everyone was always so supportive and so nice, but I had never really met anybody in person yet.”
Sitar, 26, was raised in Michigan and obtained her undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering before pursuing a masters in film and TV production. The love of video making was always there, but it wasn’t until she “found a community of people” who were also exploring more creative pursuits outside of their technical careers that Sitar truly made the leap.
“I had never been so supported and uplifted as I was when I was at my lowest and I had my community to fall back on.”
And when her relationship ended, Sitar knew she was in the right place: “I had never been so supported and uplifted as I was when I was at my lowest and I had my community to fall back on. It really like put me back on my feet, and helped me recognize my confidence.” This same community also followed along as she found new love with radio and TikTok personality Josh “Bru” Brubaker. Brubaker and Sitar, she says, are on the same page as far as what they do and don’t share with their followers (who Sitar affectionately calls her “friends”).
“We’ve been together for almost two years now — it’s kind of coming up on that time where you’ve really settled into being in a relationship,” she says. “It’s beautiful to get to have somebody that you can share all those experiences with. . . . But I definitely feel like I have dialed back because on social media, you do reach a point where when you open up your relationships to the criticism and the commentary of others, it does get a little bit difficult. You take it with a grain of salt because we know our love and our relationship and everything we do is really authentic and out of genuine care for each other.”
No matter what, Sitar knows her brand: “I always look for the positive spin on things.” She says, “Sharing your most authentic self and how you’re really feeling and kind of the positions that you’re in and who you are as an individual, it gives a chance for people to feel less alone.”
Keep reading for more of Sitar’s chat with POPSUGAR.
What was the last TV show you watched?
“Night Agent” on Netflix. I thought it was so good. I was eating it up.
Who was the last person you texted?
Probably Bru.
When was the last time that you were nervous?
Like 10 minutes ago, before this interview.
You’re doing great. When was the last time that you were starstruck?
Oh, that’s a good question. I love Liza Koshy and I got to see her at an event in LA here. I had met her once before but I feel like it never gets less exciting. When you see something you really look up to — her career and just how funny and lighthearted she is, and she’s such a light on the internet, too. I hope that I have a quarter of that glow at some point. I had to try to not fangirl too hard.
What was the last song you listened to?
I’m writing a song for my mom for Mother’s Day. So I’ve been glued to my computer and I learned Logic [software] in like an hour and a half. I was just trying to understand how and listening to my voice over and over again. That’s the last thing I listened to and it’s not my favorite. . . . When I lived at home during COVID, I got back into playing instruments and doing piano and singing. So I would sing to [my mom] — I don’t really sing for anybody — but I told her I’d make her one. So I’m trying.
What is the last album you bought or streamed?
Noah Kahan — I talk about this all the time, but he’s on my favorites right now, and I think he’s playing at Lollapalooza. So I might finally get to see Noah in person. I’ve listened to his whole discography through and through, and it’s so good. It makes me feel like I’m Ed Sheeran from the East Coast.
What is the last photo in your camera roll?
Honestly, a selfie. A photo of me that I think I sent to my sister this morning. I was trying new skin care, and I was kinda loving this new routine. And so, I sent her a very straight face fresh out of bed.
@annaxsitar if only i could hug the first version and tell her how wonderful life can be when u let go of the reins and follow ur heart. anything is possible. even tho i often miss how different it used to be
What is the last thing you bought online?
Honestly, I think this little Octo Buddy [suction phone case]. . . . It’s the most satisfying sound ripping it up from stuff. That’s what I just got from Amazon. I think they came with a pack of 10, which I definitely don’t need 10 but I couldn’t buy one. So I’m fully set for every phone case I have for the rest of my life.
What is the last thing you did for fun?
I went surfing. I’m not good, but I love going surfing. . . . I grew up in Michigan, but my parents live in California now. They have a house that’s kind of close to a beach. So my little brother had picked it up, and then my sister and I were like, ‘Oh we’re gonna go out there with him.’ . . . All of us kids just ended up loving it and now whenever we’re all together or a family vacation . . . we always do a family surfing day.
What was the last thing you did for self-care?
I did a hair mask yesterday . . . a little hydration moment for the new hairs. Kerastase Genesis. A little light-pink one. . . . My hair smells good from it for like seven days. I will even shower in between. I will still smell the hair mask in my hair. It’s so good.
What was the last book that you read?
I’m reading “Malibu Rising” right now. I’m so excited because I’ve heard such good things. The last one I finished was “They Both Die at the End.” I have this horrible, horrible, horrible track record of finishing books on flights. So, I am bawling on aircraft. . . . I don’t know if it’s the elevation or what’s in the air, but does anybody else cry harder on flights? Because I feel like movies hit different in airplanes, books hit different. I get very retrospective. I’m texting people I love them while I’m on airplanes. That’s how I can explain it.
What is the last gift that you received?
For my birthday, which was just about a month ago, I got a necklace. It’s a little ‘J’ because — fun fact — I don’t know if he would want it in the world, but Bru’s first name is really Josh. It’s not Bru. [laughs] Now it’s kind of my fault, but, he got me a J chain. A little Taylor Swift moment. I’m also a big gift-giving person — I think my love language is gift giving.
“My sister gave me advice to just go back to your roots and stay doing what you love, and stop trying to make things that you think are gonna be entertaining to other people.”
What is the last piece of advice you received that changed your life?
My sister always gives me really good advice. This is niche — it’s a creator problem, which isn’t even that big of a problem, but it’s just: when you do content all day every day, there comes a point where your mind sort of shifts to it being your career of instead of just making what you love. You are trying to make what people want to see. My sister had told me a couple days ago, ‘You have to remember, make what you like . . . If you make what you like, you’re gonna attract the people who love that stuff too.’ People are attracted to people that they relate to, or are interested in. And so my sister gave me advice to just go back to your roots and stay doing what you love and stop trying to make things that you think are gonna be entertaining to other people.
This interview has been condensed for clarity.
Image Source: Photo Credit: Josh Stadlen