Man Crush Monday: Noah Centineo

I’m a sucker for a guy with a great smile, a contagious laugh, and the ability to display a certain level of depth in any kind of conversation. So the minute I watched an interview with Noah Centineo during the peak of my obsession with The Fosters, I was immediately smitten.

Centineo was born and raised in South Florida before moving to Los Angeles in 2012 to pursue acting. Early on in his career, Centineo was a little bit of a Disney darling; he had minor roles on Austin & Ally, Shake It Up, and Jessie. He even had a role in the Disney Channel Original Movie, How To Build A Better Boy.

In 2015, he landed his first major role when he made his debut on The Fosters as Jesus Adams-Foster, taking over the role from Jake T. Austin. At first, it was hard to believe this recasting would work since Centineo and Austin look nothing alike except for their dark features. But in all honesty, Centineo was a better Jesus than Austin ever was, and I’m not just saying that because I personally think he’s cuter; his acting was better, his line delivery was better and he was able to effortlessly infuse Jesus with complexity and emotion in every scene. Some of my favorite and most memorable moments from the five seasons of The Fosters were scenes featuring Jesus, specifically Centineo’s Jesus (the scene in 5×01 where Jesus smashes everything in Brandon’s room and the scene in 5×11 where Jesus breaks down in and after his TBI support group immediately come to mind). 

As for what he’s up to now, Centineo has not one but two movies coming out on Netflix over the next few weeks as a part of what they are dubbing their “Summer of Love”. First, you can see him in To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before as the dreamy Peter Kavinsky, one of the boys Lara Jean (Lana Condor) wrote a letter to once upon a time. He can also be seen starring opposite Stranger Things Shannon Purser in Sierra Burgess is a Loser as the equally-as-handsome-but-sensitive Jamey. I’ve seen both of these movies already and Centineo is an incredibly charismatic leading man in both roles. Although he’s already well-known in young Hollywood due to his role on The Fosters, I have no doubt these new movies are going to catapult him to a different level of fame.

So here’s to you, Noah Centineo. May your infectious smile, incredible depth, and great acting continue to a be a bright spot to many, including myself, through your rise to Hollywood stardom.

You can catch Noah in To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (out August 17) and Sierra Burgess is a Loser (September 7) on Netflix. You can also follow him on Instagram and Twitter.