Written By: Jayme Face
We first saw JanLuis Castellanos in Marvel’s Runaways and he’s not slowing down; starring in the fourth and final season of 13 Reasons Why and Quibi’s Don’t Look Deeper and we caught up with him on all of it! Don’t miss the new season of 13 Reasons Why coming June 5th on Netflix!
Photo Credit:
Photographer: Bobby Quillard
Groomer: Arlene Willis
upfrontNY: Can you tell us a little bit about the new season of 13 Reasons Why?
JanLuis Castellanos: Yeah, we are definitely in for a treat this season. Now we are focusing on making sure we send all of these characters off with a real conclusive send off. It’s very much like senior year of high school I guess you could say.
upfrontNY: Can you tell us about your character, Diego Torres, and how he fits into the story?
JanLuis Castellanos: Diego comes into the picture with this connection that he may have with Monty. They’ve posted the pictures on social media and it said Monty was framed. Diego, I believe he is pretty charismatic, he can be aggressive though he is very loyal to his teammates and his friends. So, he finds himself in this pickle, in this predicament wondering who he can trust really.
upfrontNY: Were you a fan of the books or the show before getting the role?
JanLuis Castellanos: Well I was sort of a fan. I didn’t watch too much TV growing up; yet here I am an actor, but yeah I remember watching the show when it first came out. I didn’t even think acting for me was a possibility back then and now to be a part of the fourth and final season; it’s a dream come true. I am really grateful for that.
upfrontNY: As much as the show has a huge following, it also has some negative backlash, what do you say to those who may have negative feelings towards the show or feel like it glamorizes very serious issues?
JanLuis Castellanos: Well, it is a fictional series after all. And we do warn a lot of people and Netflix has done an amazing job at letting people know it is a fictional series. The topics that we touch upon can be very graphic and can feel very real so if you guys deal with any of these situations feel free to talk to someone and they bring a lot of resources to help out with some of the topics that they touch base with on the show.
upfrontNY: Was it difficult as an actor joining in on an already established show?
JanLuis Castellanos: Difficult, I would say no. Thrilling would be more of the word because it’s quite the wild ride to have to keep up. You know it’s like Keeping up with Kardashians, but in a whole different way. It was really fun and the cast was really welcoming. I was really excited to be a part of it. I was nervous on my way there, but everyone was so nice. It was fun to play Diego because he is the character I’ve been able to play the longest from Marvel’s Runaways to Don’t Look Deeper to now this, so it was fun to tap into. It was fun to become friends with the rest of the cast and you know really dignify Diego and identify his character and what he stood for. I think that was my primal focus because I feel like 13 Reasons Why is like a game of who can I trust.
upfrontNY: Can you also tell us a little bit about Don’t Look Deeper coming to Quibi and your character there?
JanLuis Castellanos: I play Levi. Don’t Look Deeper is coming on Quibi this summer. It is pretty much centered around a senior in high school, a girl, who is dealing with her own problems. She doesn’t know that she’s not human so she deals with her own personal trauma. I don’t want to get too detailed with the story because they haven’t even come out with the trailer yet. My character Levi he’s an artist, a true artist at heart. I like to call him “Curious George” because he’s always wandering around and an observer, but then he finds himself in this situation where he is trying to fix back what he broke because his curiosity I guess got in the way and it got the best of him. So, it sends him on a journey and it’s a real interesting journey. I can’t wait until they have more information about it out so that way I am able to open up more about it. It was a really cool project and it was really fun working with Don Cheadle, so many great people, Catherine Hardwicke. It was like a masterclass for me.
upfrontNY: You are not new to sci-fi you were also a star in Marvel’s Runaways, if you could live in any type of sci-fi universe what would it be?
JanLuis Castellanos: Woo! Definitely Tony Stark’s world. Yeah, Ironman was a pretty good life I think.
upfrontNY: You are an avid reader; a lot of people are reading more now. What books do you recommend?
JanLuis Castellanos: Yes, I recently just picked up “The People’s History of the United States” by Howard Zinn. With everything going on I think it’s a really crucial time to go back and start digging into history and getting our facts straight and really stand up for what’s right. I think it’s about time. Don’t you think? I don’t even want to get started on that topic, but I’m awed by everything that’s happening and I don’t even know what to say.
upfrontNY: It is important to you to be a role model for kids, with everything going on in the world on top of what kids may be going through on their own what advice do you give to those who are looking up to you?
JanLuis Castellanos: Well this is the time we’re all trying to grow as people right now. I’m trying to grow myself. I feel like I am still young though I have a lot of people looking up to me. It’s kind of crazy to even think people are looking up to me, but I think this is a time where we have to stand up for what’s right. All of the systematic oppression that goes on, I think it’s time to really speak up and fight back; not in the literal sense, but in any way, that we can. I’m really curious, what are we doing here and where are we going to move forward from this. I know there’s a lot of people and their businesses being affected. You know as a kid growing up it was always there lingering. Especially growing up and moving to New Jersey where I didn’t even speak English trying to fit in, not trying to change the narrative to my point, but it’s there. So, it still exists and to think that racism is still here it’s something that’s really hard to fathom.
upfrontNY: You moved to New Jersey when you were nine, what do you like to do when you visit the east coast?
JanLuis Castellanos: Have my Grandma’s cooking! That’s for sure! I have to go over to a few of the delis. It’s all about the food on the east coast for me.
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