J.R. Villarreal

Last updated
J.R. Villarreal
Born (1992-09-28) September 28, 1992 (age 32)
Houston, Texas, United States
Other namesJuan Villarreal Jr.
Occupations
  • Actor
  • producer
  • assistant director

J.R. Villarreal is an American actor, producer, and second-line director, best known for his roles as Javier in 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee , Black Scorpion on the Disney Channel action-comedy series Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion , and Tio Tonio on Netflix's On My Block -spinoff series Freeridge .

Contents

Early career

Inspired by early-2000s teen sitcoms That's So Raven , Boy Meets World , Even Stevens , and Smart Guy , Villarreal began acting at 10 years old, appearing in network procedurals Without a Trace and House , among others. [1] In 2006, he received acclaim for his role as Javier Mendez, a talented 12-year-old Mexican-American contestant from upscale LA suburb Woodland Hills who competes in the Scripps National Spelling Bee alongside actress Keke Palmer in Akeelah and the Bee , eventually becoming her friend (and subsequent love interest) in the film after extending an invitation to both his birthday party and middle school spelling club. [2]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotesRef
2003Senor White
2005Harvest of RedemptionYoung Oscar
2006 Akeelah and the Bee Javier Mendez [3]
2007 The Death and Life of Bobby Z Kit [4]
2011 Magic City Memoirs Mikey Acosta
2013 Ghost Team One Brad [5]
2015 Spare Parts Hector
2017An American In TexasPaul VillarrealCo-Producer
WhitebloodRico
2022ScumbagsExec-Producer
2023The UncannyTerrence
2024JenniJuan 'Cinco' Lopez [6]
TBAThe Low-End TheoryChino

Television

YearTitleRoleNotesRef
2003 Without a Trace Nelson RodriguezEpisode: "A Tree Falls"
2004 Cold Case Boy #2Episode: "The Plan"
2005 Strong Medicine Marcos GarciaEpisode: "Promising Treatment"
House MannyEpisode: "Humpty Dumpty"
Ghost Whisperer Joseph BorgiaEpisode: "On the Wings of a Dove"
2007 CSI: Miami Ben TavezEpisode: "No Man's Land"
2013ChamacasEpisode: "Bikini Line"
The Bridge MandoEpisode: "The Beast"
2017High & MightyHugoRecurring (7 episodes)
2018 Medal of Honor Justin Gallegos / GallegosRecurring (2 episodes)
2020 United We Fall Felix RodriguezRecurring (3 episodes)
2022 Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion Black Scorpion / Cruz de la VegaLead role (16 episodes) [1]
2023 Freeridge Tio TonioRecurring (7 episodes) [7] [8]
2024 Landman Manuel LopezRecurring (4 episodes) [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Akeelah and the Bee</i> 2006 film by Doug Atchison

Akeelah and the Bee is a 2006 American drama film written and directed by Doug Atchison. It tells the story of Akeelah Anderson, an 11-year-old girl who participates in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, her mother, her schoolmates, and her coach, Dr. Joshua Larabee. The cast also features Curtis Armstrong, J.R. Villarreal, Sean Michael Afable, Erica Hubbard, Lee Thompson Young, Julito McCullum, Sahara Garey, Eddie Steeples, and Tzi Ma.

Lauren Emily Iungerich is a writer, director and showrunner known for Awkward.

Scarlett Madeline Estevez is an American actress, disc jockey, and music and television producer. She began her career as a child actress playing Megan in the films Daddy's Home (2015) and its sequel Daddy's Home 2 (2017). Estevez went on to play Trixie on the television series Lucifer from 2016 to 2021, and Gwen on the fourth season of the Disney Channel television series Bunk'd in 2019. She starred as Violet Rodriguez / Ultra Violet in the Disney Channel series Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion in 2022.

<i>On My Block</i> American television series

On My Block is an American teen comedy-drama television series, created by Lauren Iungerich, Eddie Gonzalez, and Jeremy Haft. Set in the fictional Los Angeles neighborhood Freeridge, it revolves four teenagers who find their friendship tested upon entering high school. It stars Sierra Capri, Jason Genao, Brett Gray, Diego Tinoco, Jessica Marie Garcia, Julio Macias, and Peggy Blow.

<i>Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion</i> 2022 American superhero comedy television series

Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion is an American superhero coming-of-age action-comedy television series developed by Leo Chu and Eric S. Garcia and created by Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit that aired on Disney Channel from June 3 to November 11, 2022. The series stars Scarlett Estevez, J.R. Villarreal, Marianna Burelli, Juan Alfonso, Brandon Rossel, Zelia Ankrum, and Bryan Blanco.

Power Book IV: Force, or simply Force is an American crime drama television series created by Robert Munic that premiered on February 6, 2022, on Starz. The series is a sequel and third spin-off to Power created by Courtney A. Kemp. In March 2022, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on September 1, 2023. In December 2023, the series was renewed for a third season. In June 2024, it was announced that the third season will be the final season.

Power Book III: Raising Kanan, or simply Raising Kanan is an American crime drama television series created by Sascha Penn that premiered on July 18, 2021, on Starz. It is a standalone prequel and second spin-off to Power.

<i>Freeridge</i> 2023 American comedy-drama series

Freeridge is an American teen comedy-drama television series created by Lauren Iungerich, Eddie Gonzalez, Jeremy Haft, Jamie Dooner, and Jamie Uyeshiro that premiered on Netflix on February 2, 2023. It is a spin-off of On My Block. In April 2023, the series was canceled after one season.

<i>That 90s Show</i> 2023 American television period sitcom

That '90s Show is an American teen sitcom that serves as the sequel to That '70s Show. Set during the summer of 1995 and 1996, featuring characters and locales that debuted in its predecessor, it debuted on Netflix on January 19, 2023. In February 2023, the series was renewed for a second season, with the first part of the season released on June 27, 2024, and the second part released on August 22, 2024. In October 2024, the series was canceled after an extended second season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berlanti Productions</span> American film and television production company

Berlanti Productions is an American film and television production company founded by screenwriter, producer and filmmaker Greg Berlanti and producer Mickey Liddell.

<i>1923</i> (TV series) American Western drama television series

1923 is an American Western drama television series that premiered on December 18, 2022, on Paramount+. The series is a prequel to the Paramount Network series Yellowstone and serves as a sequel to the series 1883, with Isabel May reprising her role from the latter as narrator Elsa Dutton. In February 2023, the series was renewed for a second and final season that is set to premiere on February 23, 2025.

Certain American television events in 2025 have been scheduled. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, and cancellations; channel launches, closures, and re-brandings; stations changing or adding their network affiliations; information on controversies, business transactions, and carriage disputes; and deaths of those who made various contributions to the medium.

References

  1. 1 2 Hullender, Tatiana (June 2, 2022). "Scarlett Estevez & JR Villarreal Interview: Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on January 3, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  2. Ebert, Roger. "Akeelah and the Bee movie review (2006); Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com. Archived from the original on 2014-07-08. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  3. Chang, Justin (March 20, 2006). "Akeelah and the Bee". Variety. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  4. Leydon, Joe (October 9, 2007). "Bobby Z". Variety. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  5. Berkshire, Geoff (October 15, 2013). "Film Review: 'Ghost Team One'". Variety. Archived from the original on May 22, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  6. Cordero, Rosy (March 8, 2023). "Jenni Rivera Biopic Greenlit At Vix; Annie Gonzalez To Star & Executive Produce". Deadline. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  7. "Solve the Mystery of Who's Who on 'Freeridge'". Netflix Tudum. Archived from the original on 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  8. Swift, Andy (April 12, 2023). "On My Block Spinoff Freeridge Cancelled by Netflix After One Season". TVLine. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  9. Cordero, Rosy (April 5, 2024). "Taylor Sheridan's 'Landman' Adds Octavio Rodriguez & J.R. Villarreal". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 17, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.