Entertainment

Noah Centineo Might Not Have Been Peter Kavinsky If He Hadn't Pulled This Tricky Move

by Tatiana Tenreyro

This year, Noah Centineo became the ultimate dream boy after starring in Netflix’s To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before as Lara Jean Covey's charming fake-boyfriend-turned-true-love Peter Kavinsky. But it turns out, Centineo used some adorably sneaky tactics to score the role that made him one of the most talked-about leading men of 2018.

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before star Lana Condor revealed at this year's Vulture Festival in L.A. that Centineo had a sly way of tricking the casting directors into giving him a shot. Whoever played Lara Jean’s love interest had to be an appropriate height, since Condor is only 5'3. Centineo's a pro and he knew how important that was, so he hunched his way through auditions so he wouldn't appear to tower over her.

"When we auditioned and chemistry read together, at the end of the chemistry read you have to stand next to the person you read with and you have to take a picture to show the producers the height difference," Condor explained at the Vulture Festival.

The pair clearly had chemistry and were cast, but it wasn't until they had to do a camera test that producers noticed how much taller Centineo, who is 6'1, is than his co-star. "When we went into a camera test, after we'd already been cast, I didn't make it into a frame with him, because he’s that much taller than me. I heard the producers were like, What is happening?" recalled the actor. "Later, Noah told me he would stand behind me and scrunch down to make himself look shorter.”

To solve this issue onscreen, Lara Jean was given Doc Martens that gave her a bit of an edge, showing how quirky and fashionable she is. But Condor doesn’t resent the chunky platforms, mentioning at the fest that she actually loved the shoes.

With his tricks to seem like the perfect leading man, it's clear Centineo knew he was the Peter Kavinsky from the start. If it hadn’t been for his quick-thinking, chances are the film wouldn't have felt as magical, given how incredible Centineo and Condor's chemistry is.

Thanks to his role in To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, Centineo is on his way to become the ultimate rom-com leading man. He was recently cast in The Stand-In, a film that carries a similar plot to TATBILB, with The Fosters actor playing a high school student who creates an app where you can hire him as a stand-in boyfriend in order to pay for college. But in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor expressed his initial hesitance to take on such a familiar role. "I was hesitant, because that's all I have played," said Centineo.

But the actor's upcoming flicks aren't limited to young adult rom-coms. He'll play an undercover driver tasked with taking down an international arms dealer in action-romance flick Valet, and he'll also be in the Elizabeth Banks-helmed Charlie’s Angels reboot as one of the Angels' love interest. Plus, given how there are multiple TATBILB books, there's a high chance Centineo will reprise his role as Peter Kravinsky at some point.

Who knew hunching during an audition would change the course of Centineo’s life forever? Thanks to his genius move, the actor's career is on the rise and the internet has a new boyfriend. It's a win-win for everyone.