Noah Centineo, the actor who went from the internet’s boyfriend to near-oblivion

In show business, one day you’re at the top and the next, nobody remembers your name. Many actors have faded into obscurity despite once starring in blockbuster films and hit TV series. Recent examples include Josh Hartnett and Taylor Lautner, who, after a few years in the spotlight, saw their careers lose momentum. A similar fate seemed to have befallen Noah Centineo, 28, once the heartthrob of an entire generation and a staple of Netflix’s talent roster. Over time, however, his star has gradually dimmed.

In 2018, Netflix released a movie that would become a breakout success: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. The rom-com, starring Lana Condor and Noah Centineo, quickly captured the attention of social media, largely thanks to the undeniable chemistry between the two leads. The numbers spoke for themselves: Centineo’s Instagram followers skyrocketed from 300,000 to 11 million in just five days. Yet, in the seven years since, that figure has grown only slightly, reaching 14 million. To All the Boys marked the peak of Centineo’s career, propelling him into a series of Netflix projects. However, by 2022, the once-dominant heartthrob of a new generation had faded from the spotlight, becoming a rare presence in major productions and less frequently the subject of social media adoration.

“I had no problem being an ‘internet boyfriend,’” said the actor on Netflix’s Tudum blog at the end of December. “It was a really incredible time in my life to have done something that impacted so many different people across the planet.”

He was labelled a teen movie heartthrob, but eventually worked to prove his willingness to play characters that had nothing to do with his previous work. “Since I was 15, really all I did were romantic interest roles with some little one-liners here and there. I thought maybe all I could really do was be the supporting romantic interest for the lead,” he said in a conversation with Men’s Health in 2022. “I thought it was a good step going from romantic comedy to action-comedy thriller. I think it’s important to take into account what the fans, if you will, want to see me do, because they’re the reason I get to continue to work the way that I do. So if I can find a way to marry what feels good in my chest, in my heart, what I want to do, what I’m passionate about with what viewers would like to see me [in] — that’s the line I want to toe here.”

Not everything went according to plan. He tried his best to align his professional choices with his audience’s tastes, but his attempts at playing superheroes and secret agents fell flat. The stage was set for his near-disappearance when the audience that once flocked to his films lost interest, and he transitioned from being a successful, recurring presence on streaming platforms to headlining a series of underwhelming projects that failed to make an impact.

“It can be disappointing sometimes, but that’s just how the industry goes. You gotta be cool with that. I still have nothing but great feelings about it. At the end of the day, we’re just trying to tell engaging stories, and that’s a creative process. It can take a long time, and sometimes it just doesn’t work out,” the actor told Men’s Health.

In recent years, he went from heartthrob to donning a superhero’s suit for Black Adam (2022), in which he starred with Dwayne Johnson, who Centineo called “99 percent more present than most people” in a Vanity Fair interview. “They say don’t meet your idols — not true with Dwayne.”

Since then, he’s only starred in two movies: The Recruit (2022) and Dream Scenario (2023). “Now that I have a bit of time and the luxury of sitting back and choosing what we do next, it’s really just about like what I react to. I think the only thing that I’m really looking at now is like, what are good, fun projects that I want to be a part of? It’s not really this genre or that genre, but it’s more so just like what feels right and what feels fun,” he said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

It seems like 2025 is shaping up to be a big year for Centineo. In January, he returned to the role that made him a star with XO, Kitty. His reappearance as Peter Kavinsky amounted to a quick cameo, but it ignited the passion of the series’ fans. He told People that revisiting the part was “kind of daunting”: “That franchise is so beloved, that you kind of don’t want to touch it.”

After filming XO, Kitty, Centineo confessed that he wouldn’t mind returning to the genre: “At some point, I would like to go back to romance. I don’t know if it would be YA, but I do want to go back to romance.” His primary motivation is clear: “to work with filmmakers that I love and that I think are incredible and just kind of follow that. So who knows where it’s going to lead.”

As these new opportunities come his way, Centineo is staying quite visible in this year’s upcoming releases. The second season of The Recruit premiered on Netflix on January 30, starring the actor as a young CIA lawyer who must save the world. He’s also set to appear in Warfare, which makes its U.S. debut on April 11. The film tells the story of Ray Mendoza, a soldier who served in Iraq.

And before that, the performer will be an ambassador at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on February 23 in Los Angeles, alongside actress Sofía Carson. The pair “exemplify the utmost values of the acting profession, serve as positive role models for the next generation of performers, and actively use their platform to advocate for humanitarian and public service endeavors,” according to a press statement. They’ll be tasked with providing behind-the-scenes looks at the gala, and will take part in pre-show events.

Centineo has also launched his own production company, Arkhum Productions, which is focused on comedy and drama with an emphasis on social commentary.

If Centineo has proven anything over the years, it’s his unyielding drive to re-establish his career. After all the effort, it seems like he’s finally getting somewhere. He wants his name back in the headlines, is aware of what it’s like to be at the top, and has shown he’s willing to fearlessly dive into projects that break away from the roles he’s most commonly associated with.

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