‘The Recruit’ Star Noah Centineo Originally Did Not Want to Be an Actor
Noah Centineo is a young actor who has managed to make big waves in Hollywood over the past several years. After several roles in a string of popular Netflix films, Centineo is back in action on the streaming platform, in a series called The Recruit. Funny, fresh, and full of action, critics love The Recruit. And Centineo’s performance has been hailed as one of the best by an up-and-coming star. In spite of his success, he didn’t always want to be an actor. Several times over the years, Centineo has revealed that acting was definitely not his first career choice.
Noah Centineo has enjoyed high-profile roles in several Netflix productions
Centineo first rose to prominence in the TV series The Fosters, which ran on television from 2013 until 2018. He enjoyed a three-year stint on the show, which helped him to attract attention from critics and fans. In 2018, Centineo landed a high-profile role in the Netflix romantic comedy To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. That same year, he played Jamey in the film Sierra Burgess Is a Loser.
As a teen idol, Centineo started to receive a lot of attention on social media. Still, he has proved that he wants to focus on his craft, opting for unconventional, interesting roles in recent years. In 2022, he played Atom Smasher in Dwayne Johnson’s superhero film Black Adam — a role that allowed him to showcase his ability to act as part of a high-powered ensemble, as well as his adept way with comedy.
Noah Centineo didn’t always want to be an actor
Although Centineo is a successful working actor today, he didn’t always have an easy time of it, once revealing that he struggled with drugs before he became sober. Long before that, he was still trying to determine his direction in life. In a recent YouTube interview with Still Watching Netflix, Centineo admitted that he originally wanted to be a professional soccer player.
He expanded on this in a 2017 interview with Pop Culturalist. Centineo shared that because his sister wanted to be a model, he was encouraged to attend one of her open auditions as a kid. As he tells it, “Me, being eight years old, I wasn’t interested [in modeling]. I wanted to play professional soccer, I really liked playing drums, and I was into acrobatics, so I wasn’t into it, but they forced me to go with her, because they said, ‘You have to be a supportive brother and that’s what we do as family—support each other.'” One thing led to another, and Centineo eventually began modeling, which turned to small acting roles in commercials and television shows.
Noah Centineo is getting rave reviews for his work in ‘The Recruit’
He’s not playing soccer, but The Recruit offers Centineo plenty of chances to flex his muscles as an action star. In the show, Centineo plays Owen Hendricks, a young lawyer who starts working for the CIA, only to realize quickly that he’s in over his head.
Funny and fast-paced, The Recruit is earning Centineo a lot of praise. The show has an 86% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, with many calling out Centineo’s charming acting as the real reason to watch the series. “Noah Centineo makes a likable lead on the flashy, funny series,” one review says, while another claims “If anyone had any doubts about the power of Noah Centineo, Netflix’s ‘The Recruit’ will put those to rest.” At the age of 26, Centineo is well on his way to becoming Hollywood’s star of the moment!
