The Kissing Booth 2 has premiered on Netflix, continuing the dramatic yet charming story of Elle Evans (Joey King) and her love interest Noah Flynn (Jacob Elordi).
The sequel to the popular Netflix rom-com finds Elle returning to high school after her now-boyfriend Noah heads off to Harvard for university.
But while trying to maintain a long-distance relationship, she grows close to a new classmate called Marco (Taylor Zakhar Perez).
So who is Taylor Zakhar Perez? Here are 6 things you may not about the Kissing Booth 2 star…
1. He was born in Chicago
Perez was born in Chicago, where he took part in musical theatre from a young age.
He eventually moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film and television.
2. He has seven siblings
Perez explained he and his siblings aren’t afraid to be up front with each other.
“We argue and yell at each other, but it’s because you have the best interest in your siblings,” he told Glamour.
3. He started out in TV
Perez picked up early guest roles in shows such as Young & Hungry, Suburgatory and Awkward.
He also appeared in Scandal and the short-lived Cruel Intentions pilot, before landing his role in The Kissing Booth 2.
4. He sings and plays guitar
Fans will be pleased to know that Perez really is a musician, with one key scene in the film finding Marco singing in Spanish.
He told Pop Sugar: “I practised my butt off.”
He continued: "I was super, super lucky to have [the film's director Vince Marcello], who has a crazy amazing musical background, being an actor on Broadway. He was able to set me up for greatness and just give me all of the support I needed."
Amazingly, he had never played guitar before. “Looking at those strings, I was very confused the first couple of weeks," he said. "And then it just kind of became like muscle memory."
5. He relates to Marco
The Kissing Booth star said he relates to his character Marco, in that he isn’t afraid to share his feelings with the people around him.
“But I follow through a lot more than he does,” he explained.
"He’s the kind of guy that tries really hard but doesn’t want to show that he’s trying really hard because if he fails, then he doesn’t really fail. If I fail, I’m like, ‘Okay, next one, moving on.’”
6. He’s single
Perez explained that he’s single (for now), and described his type as “adventurous”.
“I paddle board and hike and surf, so I feel like my friends are my type. I’m a huge proponent of dating friends or people you’ve had heart-to-hearts with before you become intimate. Emotional intimacy is way more important to me than sexual intimacy."
