What actually happened to Noah Centineo, after he disappeared off the face of the earth?

Production has officially started on a new Rambo prequel, and somehow Noah Centineo is now the lead. Yes, that Noah Centineo: Former Netflix heartthrob and one-time internet boyfriend, is stepping into a role made iconic by Sylvester Stallone, starring alongside Sydney Sweeney.

If that sentence made you blink twice, you’re not alone.

 For a while, it genuinely felt like he vanished. One minute he was everywhere, the next he was… nowhere. So what actually happened?

From Disney kid to Netflix’s favourite boyfriend

Centineo started out the usual way: TV roles on the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, including appearances on Austin & Ally. But everything changed in 2018 when he played Peter Kavinsky in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

Netflix

He wasn’t just famous, he became the nice boy. The soft boyfriend. The safe crush. Between 2018 and 2020, he starred in a string of Netflix rom-coms that cemented his image as the internet’s favourite gentle himbo.

And then, suddenly, that image seemed to swallow him whole.

Why Noah Centineo “disappeared”

Centineo didn’t actually disappear (obviously), he stepped back on purpose. Rather than doubling down on rom-com roles, he made a conscious decision to move away from the “internet’s boyfriend” archetype that had defined him.

His career has since become a case study in what happens when a breakout role turns you into an identity, and how difficult it is to convince audiences you’re more than that.

Instead of chasing visibility, Centineo focused on re-establishing himself through physically demanding and more dramatic roles, as well as working behind the scenes as a producer.

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A post shared by Noah (@ncentineo)

The glow-up you didn’t notice

Now, he’s entered a completely new era. He underwent a major physical transformation for action roles, becoming noticeably more muscular and rugged, a far cry from the soft rom-com heartthrob we remember him as.

He appeared in the A24 war film Warfare and was cast as Ken Masters in the Street Fighter reboot, choosing action-heavy, franchise-led projects. The upcoming Rambo prequel is the clearest sign yet that Hollywood now sees him very differently.

He also launched his own production company, Arkhum Productions, which focuses on drama and socially driven storytelling, and has worked as an executive producer on several of his own projects.

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The darker side of fame

Centineo has been open about going through a “dark time” earlier in his life, speaking candidly about drug use between the ages of 17 and 21. He’s since been sober for several years and has credited fitness, discipline, and stepping away from the spotlight with helping him reset his mental health.

At times, that meant genuinely going quiet, not posting or promoting. He still only has two pictures on his instagram account.

Now, with a gritty action résumé, a production company, and a surprise Rambo casting under his belt, he’s re-emerging in a form that none of us expected.

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Featured image credit: Netflix, Instagram