Who is ‘Uglies’ breakout Jan Luis Castellanos and where have I seen him before?

Netflix’s latest release, Uglies, has been in the hot seat since it debuted to less-than-favorable reviews in mid-September. While the movie would have benefitted from a stronger script and fresher take on a familiar genre, it has helped propel its cast to even further fame. One of Uglies’ breakout stars is Jan Luis Castellanos, who might look familiar to some.

Uglies is based on the first novel of Scott Westerfeld’s Young Adult series of the same name. It is set in a dystopian world where, at the age of 16, children labeled as “Uglies” are given surgical and genetic modification to turn them into “Pretties.” The cast was stacked with talented faces including Joey King, Keith Powers, Brianne Tju, and Laverne Cox, but Castellanos is a lesser-known name among the pack.  

Who is Jan Luis Castellanos?

Jan Luis Castellanos has been working in the film industry for years, but his role in Uglies has finally put him on people’s radars. He was born on Sept. 11, 1995, in the Dominican Republic.

Castellanos shared in an interview with Pop Culturalist that he was on track to become a doctor before abandoning that path to pursue a career in acting. His mother, he says, was supportive of his dreams.

[My mom has] guided me through this whole process. I can’t thank her enough for allowing me to do what I want to do, but she always reminds me to be responsible for all my actions and holds me accountable. That’s been so important because I ran away from home to go to Hollywood while I was in the process of studying to become a doctor. These were two completely different career paths. My heart was telling me I’m an artist. My mind was telling me I’m going to be a doctor. I went West to Hollywood to pursue this. That would be a shock to any parent.

In Uglies, Castellanos plays Croy, a member of the rebel organization, the Smoke. While Croy comes off as brash and aggressive at first, he serves an important role in the story as he challenges Joey King’s character Tally on her beliefs and values. 

Where else have we seen Jan Luis Castellanos?

Jan Luis Castellanos has worked on a number of familiar movies and TV shows, including some from Netflix. The project he is most likely to be recognized from is 13 Reasons Why, where he played the character Diego Torres in season 4. Diego was a main character and antagonist, and Castellanos portrayed the charisma and depth of the character perfectly. 

Castellanos also had a small role in Marvel’s Runaways as Topher for three episodes. Additionally, he played the character Levi in the Quibi TV series, Don’t Look Deeper. The show didn’t gain as much traction as other projects he has been on, but it was nonetheless highly praised by viewers.

Another role people might recognize Castellanos from is Netflix’s Tall Girl 2, where he played Tommy Torres, one of the romantic interests in the movie. While he didn’t get the girl in the end, viewers enjoyed his character for being sweet and mature and praised him for his natural charisma. 

Other films and shows he has starred in include Bridge and Tunnel, where he played Mickey, and Saint Clare, the 2024 comedy horror movie starring Bella Thorne.