By Wonderwall.com Editors
7:59am PDT, Apr 30, 2020
"To All the Boys I've Loved Before" made Noah Centineo a star. Since the Netflix movie debuted in the summer of 2018, the actor — who won hearts as Peter Kavinsky — has garnered attention as he's released more movie projects, starred in a wildly popular music video and become a social media sensation. In honor of the star's 24th birthday on May 9, 2020, we're rounding up 20 things you might not know (but should!) about the Hollywood heartthrob. Keep reading for more…
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1. He's modeled for Calvin Klein
If you're on social media, you've probably caught a glimpse of the Calvin Klein global digital campaign that dropped in May 2019. Along with stars including A$AP Rocky, Kendall Jenner, Shawn Mendes and Billie Eilish, Noah was unveiled as one of the rising stars chosen to front the iconic brand's #MyCalvins campaign.
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2. He's often compared to fellow actor Mark Ruffalo
When "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" hit Netflix in August 2018, it set the internet abuzz. Among the topics of conversation? Noah Centineo's uncanny resemblance to actor Mark Ruffalo, the "Avengers" franchise star who was a rom-com heartthrob ("13 Going on 30," anyone?) back in his day. While being interviewed on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," Mark weighed in on the comparisons. "Wow. That's amazing. He's way better looking than I was. Are you kidding me?" he laughed. "I wish I looked like that, I swear to God." Noah, on the other hand, is absolutely flattered by the comparisons too. "I would be so happy to be Young Hulk," he told "ET Live." "That would be so dope. He was my favorite Marvel hero, and the fact that Mark Ruffalo plays him is sick." We would love a father-son collaboration with these two!
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3. He's a single man
To the delight of ladies around the world, the internet's boyfriend is back on the market! In 2019, Noah took his relationship with model and Internet celebrity Alexis Ren public. The couple, who were first seen together in May that year, reportedly met through mutual friends. Alexis gushed to "Entertainment Tonight" of her boyfriend, "Yeah, I love that man. He's amazing. I love that man with all my heart so I feel really grateful to be his partner." They made their red carpet debut at a charity event in October 2019, but unfortunately had parted ways by April 2020. Eagle-eyed fans noticed the two unfollowed each other on social media and removed photos of one another on their accounts.
4. He took a year off from drinking alcohol
Noah Centineo opened up in a 2017 video livestream to reveal that he was into healthy living and all that comes with it. Around the time of his 21st birthday, he decided to quit drinking because he'd been partying too much since he was 17. "I'm totally sober. I've been totally clean since … the day before my 21st birthday. I replaced all my habits with working out, yoga, eating better and spending time alone," Noah explained. That year gave him clarity and now — though he revealed in February 2020 that he's not sober anymore — he's still mindful of all his choices. "My relationship with sobriety is a little different," he explained on Variety's "The Big Ticket" podcast. "I got [sober] for a year. I just said I'm going to take a year off and then I went back to [drinking], but I left a lot in the past. There's a lot that I don't do anymore. Coffee is way better!"
5. His face scar is from a dog attack
Ouch! During an interview with Buzzfeed, Noah Centineo revealed that when he was 6, a dog attacked him. The wound was so severe, you could see the actor's gums and teeth beneath the gaping hole near his mouth. Being the animal lover he is, he didn't want the mastiff to be punished for his behavior. "The dog didn't know what it was doing," Noah explained. "I specifically remember him lunging, being pulled away from him, and then looking back and seeing him cock his head like he didn't really understand what happened. Some people were like, 'Do you wanna put the dog down?' I was crying, like, 'No, he didn't mean to do it!'"
6. His first pet was a rabbit
Noah Centineo's first pet was a rabbit named Princess. But according to the actor, in a gruesome turn of events, the family dog ended up eating the bunny! "My first pet was also my first death," he told Seventeen in 2019.
7. Disney gave him his first opportunities
After moving from Miami to Los Angeles in 2012 when he was 16, Noah Centineo landed a few roles with the Disney Channel. He appeared on "Austin & Ally" and "Shake It Up" before scoring a part in the romantic-comedy flick "How to Build a Better Boy" in 2014. But his big break was still right around the corner…
8. He starred on "The Fosters" for three seasons
Before Netflix made him a huge star, Noah Centineo appeared on the ABC-turned-Freeform show "The Fosters." With the start of the show's third season in 2015, Noah replace Jake T. Austin as the character Jesus and remained on the series through the fifth and final season. In 2018, Noah announced that he will continue to appear as his character on a spinoff of "The Fosters" called "Good Trouble" that premiered in early 2019.
9. He almost quit acting
While he's certainly among the most beloved young Hollywood stars now, Noah Centineo almost quit acting. When he was a teenager, he shot the pilot for Disney's "Growing Up and Down," but when the network passed on the series, his contract left him unable to take on any work for a lengthy amount of time. "I had this six-month contract that didn't allow me to audition for anything [else]," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "My purpose was to just act, and you take away someone's purpose and you kind of deteriorate them." Thankfully, Noah landed a recurring role on Freeform's "The Fosters" in 2015, and as we know, the rest is history!
10. He appeared on an episode of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians"
Blink and you might've missed it! Noah Centineo was spotted by eagle-eyed fans on an October 2018 episode of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." The actor happened to be at the Watts Empowerment Center in Los Angeles — a place he has long promoted and donated to — at the same time Kris Jenner was there to learn more about the organization's work with Los Angeles youth. It's an unexpected but fun place to see the actor!
11. He appears in Camila Cabello's "Havana" music video
Ooh na-na! Back in late 2017, Camila Cabello released the music video for her smash hit "Havana." To everyone's delight, Noah Centineo plays her love interest toward the end of the video. The two dance in the street and share a few steamy moments (as seen in this pic!) before the video wraps up. What did the actor think of his musical cameo? He loved it! "I get there and they put me in this incredible suit," Noah told Vulture. "They give me gold rings and necklaces, my hair is slicked back, and I look all Cubano. And then they take me to set and Camila is there, and she is, like, the kindest, smallest, most loving creature ever." You can check out the music video here to get the full experience.
12. "Serendipity" is one of his favorite rom-coms
Another reason to love Noah Centineo? He's a romantic comedy aficionado! "I like rom-coms, I think they're adorable and endearing," he shared with Teen Vogue. "All I know is that I like them. I'm really into love. I'm a hopeless romantic some days and a hopeful one on other days, so I hope to do more [rom-coms] moving forward." In an interview with W Magazine, he shared his most beloved rom-coms: "Oh, man. I love '13 Going on 30,' I love 'Failure to Launch,' I love 'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.' I love 'What Happens in Vegas,' 'You've Got Mail.' 'Serendipity' is one I really, really love. It's great!"
13. He lied about his height… to claim he was shorter!
Seriously, he did, to help land him his role in "To All the Boys I've Loved Before." And Lana Condor shared Noah Centineo's little white lie with his fans at Vulture Fest. "When we went into a camera test, after we'd already been cast, I didn't make it into a frame with him, because he's that much taller than me. I heard the producers were like, 'What is happening?' Later, Noah told me he would stand behind me and scrunch down to make himself look shorter." But it all worked out: We got Noah (who's 6-foot-1) and Lana (who's 5-foot-3) together and, spoiler alert, it's why Lara Jean had to wear such fun platform shoes — to minimize their height differences on screen.
14. His "fling" with co-star Lana Condor was fake
After the initial release and subsequent promotion of "To All the Boys I've Loved Before," the internet went crazy about the on-screen — and off-screen — chemistry between Noah Centineo and leading lady Lana Condor. While many fans believed their romance was the real deal, the actors have since set the record straight, as the rumors were apparently causing problems in Lana's real-life relationship with longtime boyfriend Anthony De La Torre. "I love Noah with all my heart, but the switch was when people started attacking Anthony online," she told with Teen Vogue in January 2020. "That was when I realized as much as I can show my love and my friendship to Noah… I can't be that private with Anthony, because people are starting to be really hurtful to him." We're glad these co-stars are still the best of friends though!
15. He's been catfished
It happens to the best of us. In an interview with Buzzfeed in 2018, the "Charlie's Angels" star shared a negative experience he had with meeting someone online. "It happened like a year and a half ago," Noah Centineo said. "I'd met someone on Instagram and I developed this ostensibly intimate relationship with them, and then it turns out they weren't who they were. As catfishing does."
16. He tore his ACL playing basketball
Ouch! While playing basketball in 2019, Noah Centineo suffered a major injury. He admitted his lack of skill in the sport is what led to the painful accident. "I tore my ACL," he shared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in November 2019. While his doctor ordered six weeks of bed rest, he admitted he actually only spent the first week resting. "I got a nice Airbnb and did absolutely nothing for six days," he said. Luckily, he recovered.
17. His last name isn't as hard to pronounce as some think
Noah Centineo has explained that his last name is actually pretty easy to say: Sen-tin-ay-oh. Now don't overthink it and say it with us: Sen-tin-ay-oh!
18. His perfect date involves "good conversation"
In an interview with Seventeen, Noah Centineo shared what his dream date would consist of: quality conversation. "My concept of a perfect date really is just as long as conversation is flowing, you feel comfortable and you can be yourselves around each other." We agree!
19. His social media platforms blew up
Newsflash! America fell in love with Noah Centineo after watching Netflix's "To All the Boys I've Loved Before." So much so, in fact, that the actor gained more than a million Instagram followers in the first 24 hours that the movie streamed on the platform. Within two months, that number had skyrocketed past 13 million. As of February 2020, Noah boasted 17.6 million Instagram followers!
20. He's facing Hollywood ups and downs like other stars now
With the success of Netflix's "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" and "Sierra Burgess is a Loser," Noah Centineo became a bona fide star. He's since landed more high-profile projects including the "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" sequel, February 2020's "To All the Boys: P.S. I Love You." But it's been a roller coaster: He appeared in 2019's "Charlie's Angels" movie reboot, which, unfortunately bombed at the box office. And in January 2020, the 2021 live-action "Masters of the Universe" reboot — in which he was set to star as He-Man — was put on ice. Still, we can't wait to see what Noah does next….
