JanLuis Castellanos Talks Joining the Cast of ’13 Reasons Why’ Season 4, Teases Final Season (Exclusive)

When Netflix takes viewers back into the halls of Liberty High School in the fourth and final season of 13 Reasons Why, there will be a few new faces. Joining a cast that includes the likes of Dylan Minnette and Alisha Boe, JanLuis Castellanos, who is taking on the role of Diego Torres, opened up exclusively to PopCulture.com about what fans can expect from Season 4.

Calling it “an honor” to work with series creator Brian Yorkey, “an amazing cast and a showrunner who knows how to bring characters to life,” Castellanos said that he was a fan of the show long before landing the role.

“I think 13 Reasons Why is a great show,” he said. “I remember watching it before I had started acting and I would have never thought I’d be a series regular on the final season!”

Castellanos added that stepping onto set his first day of filming was like stepping into a new school, explaining that “it feels like I’m a senior in High School who moved to a new school, two months before graduation.”

The Dominican Republic born actor will portray Diego, “an intensely charismatic and loyal leader” on the football team who will find himself in his own bout of drama.

“Diego felt more real to me than any other character I’ve played,” he teased. “He’s an intensely charismatic and loyal leader to his football peers and is trying his best to help them cope with the loss of one of their own. He is tormented by the fact that he can’t understand his own emotions and turns to Liberty Highs most complex women to help heal his heart. I think his violent temper and trust issues make him stand out as a character. And I think that’s one question all the characters on this season are thinking to themselves; who can I trust?”

Although Castellanos remained tight-lipped when it came to spilling too many details about the upcoming final season, he did tease that the events of the first three seasons, including the deaths of both Hannah and Bryce, will still have an impact.

“Well, just like any high school experience, a lot has happened during the first three years,” he said. “I think it’s safe to say that the past three years have had a major impact on where we are now and where we are going with Season 4.”

Along with starring in 13 Reasons Why, Castellanos is making his mark on the sci-fi genre. In July, he was announced to be joining the cast of the Quibi series Don’t Look Deeper, and said that the sudden shift in genre came with a boost in confidence.

“I was still fairly new to the scene when filming Don’t Look Deeper. I was glad I jumped right into 13 Reasons Why shortly after because my confidence level was much higher and I used that motivation to put more faith in my craft,” Castellanos explained. “The transition was of course made easier with such an amazing team of writers. Being on such a grounded show was a total game changer for me and the cast couldn’t have been more supportive. Everyone was so welcoming and super nice which made everything else easy.”

The first three seasons of 13 Reasons Why are currently available for streaming on Netflix. Season 4 does not yet have a premiere date. Don’t Look Deeper will debut on Quibi, the new short-form streaming service that is slated for an April 6, 2020 launch.