From Spring Issue 61
Glass Man speaks to The Recruit star Noah Centineo about getting to grips with the complex character he plays, his love of indie cinema and his foray into production
Noah Centineo is not one for impulse. He was never destined to be the kind of actor who glances at a script and instinctively claims it as his own. Deliberate in his choices, he gravitates towards roles that prioritise substance over spectacle, always searching for depth rather than mere display.
Wiser than his years, Centineo’s ascent into Hollywood has been steady and assured. His boyish charm and natural charisma propelled him to fame in his early teens, his presence an instant draw. Born on May 9, 1996, in Miami, Florida, and raised in Boynton Beach, he attended BAK Middle School of the Arts before enrolling at Boca Raton Community High School. There, he honed his craft until relocating to Los Angeles to pursue acting in earnest.
Photographer: Ssam Kim
Photographer: Ssam Kim
Early roles in Disney Channel productions laid the foundation, but it was his turn as the affable Peter Kavinsky in Netflix’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018) that solidified his place as a Gen Z heartthrob.
Yet rather than be confined by the genre that launched him, Centineo sought to broaden his horizons. He embraced action-driven roles, appearing in the superhero film, Black Adam (2022), and Netflix spy thriller The Recruit (2022), deftly navigating the shifting terrain of young Hollywood leading men.
Photographer: Ssam Kim
In The Recruit, which started its second series at the start of the year, Centineo sheds his romantic-comedy persona and steps into the shoes of Owen Hendricks, a fledgling CIA lawyer whose first week on the job descends into a perilous web of international espionage. Created by Alexi Hawley, the series positions Centineo as an unconventional spy protagonist – his signature charm balanced against an undercurrent of tension, intellect interwoven with physicality.
Centineo has always been drawn to characters that exude emotional security. His roles in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and Sierra Burgess Is a Loser saw him play young men who offered stability, serving as safe harbours for the women at the centre of their stories.
The Recruit, however, presented a stark contrast. Owen is defined by volatility – deeply empathetic yet recklessly impulsive. He is, in many ways, the antithesis of safety. But what does safety mean to Centineo? And how does that notion shape his life experiences?
Photographer: Ssam Kim
“I would say that safety means reverence and mutual respect,” he reflects. “I received reverence in a moment when I thought I did not deserve it and it absolved me of the pain I was feeling at that time. At that moment, I recognised that I was safe, even though I was not right.” He pauses, choosing his words carefully. “I think if we lose that – reverence and mutual respect – then we’re losing community, connection and empathy. Empathy is a big part of that. And if not empathy, then at the very least, sympathy.”
What about the absence of safety? He considers the question before answering. “The opposite of love is certainly fear. If love is the highest and fear is the lowest, then maybe safety falls somewhere in between. If safety is below love, maybe there are different forms of love. We should find something that is not so extreme. Is fear actually ignorance?” He lets the thought linger, an invitation to consider the nuances.
Photographer: Ssam Kim
Photographer: Ssam Kim
Taking on the role of Owen, it was never about simplifying him into archetypes. Instead, Centineo sought to peel back the layers. Is Owen’s volatility an indicator of malevolence? Hardly. And yet, Owen is the kind of character for whom excuses come easily. But being unintentionally harmful carries its own dangers.
“I’ve often said that I would rather deal with someone who knows they are being malicious than someone who is ignorantly malicious. If someone at least knows they’re doing something wrong, we are both being honest. But if someone is ignorant of their wrongdoing … I don’t know, maybe that’s more dangerous,” Centineo muses. “Then again, someone who is ignorant may have a greater capacity for change if they are informed. That’s different from someone who is decidedly malicious.”
Photographer: Ssam Kim
Owen Hendricks, however, is neither. Yet he still manages to hurt those around him. What subconscious drive manipulates him? “I think most people act from a place of self-preservation. His greatest adversities are either going to prison or dying – that’s his daily confrontation at the CIA. If he wants to avoid either, his only other option is to make choices that inevitably hurt other people. Though he searches for alternative pathways, in the end, he would rather hurt others than go to prison or die. That’s self-preservation at work.”
Centineo elaborates, his words tinged with understanding. “Whenever I’ve encountered someone who hurts the people they care about, it has usually come from self-preservation. They feel their back is against the wall, that they have no other option and that they are under attack. Whether or not they are actually under attack, or whether their perception of reality has shaped that belief, is another question.”
Photographer: Ssam Kim
Finding empathy for Owen was crucial. “There was a scene in the pilot episode that didn’t make it to air,” Centineo recalls. “He was delivering a subpoena at Senator SMOOT’s office. While waiting outside, a little kid sitting next to him looked over … and asked ‘are you a spy?’ He responded ‘No. I’m a lawyer. For spies’. The kid then replies ‘Does that mean you don’t get to kill people?’. He answers with ‘Not sure. But I am allowed to choke out a 9 year old’. Something ridiculous like that… The kid just looked at him, then smiled and he smiled back. So, I know him [Owen]. I know his heart in a way no one else does, except for Alexi.
Photographer: Ssam Kim
Ultimately, no one really knows Owen. “[By] season three people should know who Owen is outside of these extraordinary circumstances. I hope we get the chance to explore that if we get a third season,” he continues.
Beyond his work as an actor, Centineo’s passion for storytelling extends into production. He launched his company, Arkhum Productions, as a platform to champion independent cinema, a space he believes fosters genuine creativity.
“We love the indie world. Personally, I think the future is very bright for independent cinema. So much money is poured into massive four-quadrant, tentpole, spectacle films. That’s great – those movies are fantastical and let your imagination run wild. But I think of the Sean Bakers, the Amanda Kramers and Oscar Boyson’s. Some of the greatest filmmakers begin in independent film,” Centineo expands.
Photographer: Ssam Kim
But beyond the projects he backs, a deeper question emerges: what are his values? “We make plans, and God laughs,” he begins, a wry smile forming. “I think the focus should always be on humanity, people, empathy, reverence and respect.” Those are the things that endure. The spectacle will fade. The stories and the people behind them are what truly matter.
For Centineo, the search for substance is far from over.
by Adina Ilie
Photographer: Ssam Kim
Stylist: Britton Litow
Art Director: Evan Woods
Groomer: Sydney Sollod
Set design: Yaro Banduro
Set producer: Adriana Levandowski
Styling assistant: Chelsea Lozano
Talent: Noah Centineo
All clothing and accessories LOUIS VUITTON Spring-Summer 2025 Collection
Image 1 watch: LOUIS VUITTON Tambour Automatic 40mm watch in steel and pink gold
Image 7 watch: LOUIS VUITTON Tambour Automatic 40mm watch in steel and pink gold