J.R. Villarreal

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.

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

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

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref
2003	Senor White
2005	Harvest of Redemption	Young 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		[5]
2013	Ghost Team One	Brad		[6]
2015	Spare Parts	Hector
2017	An American In Texas	Paul Villarreal	Co-Producer
	Whiteblood	Rico
2022	Scumbags		Exec-Producer
2023	The Uncanny	Terrence
2024	Jenni	Juan 'Cinco' Lopez		[7]
TBA	The Low-End Theory	Chino		[8]

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref
2003	Without a Trace	Nelson Rodriguez	Episode: "A Tree Falls"
2004	Cold Case	Boy #2	Episode: "The Plan"
2005	Strong Medicine	Marcos Garcia	Episode: "Promising Treatment"
	House	Manny	Episode: "Humpty Dumpty"
	Ghost Whisperer	Joseph Borgia	Episode: "On the Wings of a Dove"
2007	CSI: Miami	Ben Tavez	Episode: "No Man's Land"
2013	Chamacas		Episode: "Bikini Line"
	The Bridge	Mando	Episode: "The Beast"
2014	Nights with Platanito	Himself	Guest Appearance (2 episodes)
2017	High & Mighty	Hugo	Recurring (7 episodes)
2018	Medal of Honor	Justin Gallegos / Gallegos	Recurring (2 episodes)
2020	United We Fall	Felix Rodriguez	Recurring (3 episodes)	[9]
2022	Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion	Black Scorpion / Cruz de la Vega	Lead role (16 episodes)	[1]
2023	Freeridge	Tio Tonio	Recurring (7 episodes)	[10][11]
2024	Landman	Manuel Lopez	Recurring (4 episodes)	[12]

References

1. 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. Martin, Lydia (January 3, 2010). "'Magic City Memoirs' is youthful filmmakers' tribute to Miami" (PDF). The Miami Herald. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
6. Berkshire, Geoff (October 15, 2013). "Film Review: 'Ghost Team One'". Variety. Archived from the original on May 22, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
7. 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.
8. Grobar, Matt (November 27, 2023). "Sidney Flanigan Boards Indie Thriller 'The Low End Theory'". Deadline. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
9. "'Scandal' star Guillermo Diaz explains why he left drama behind for new sitcom 'United We Fall'". Entertainment Weekly.
10. "Solve the Mystery of Who's Who on 'Freeridge'". Netflix Tudum. Archived from the original on 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
11. 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.
12. 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.