Taylor Zakhar Perez

Taylor Zakhar Perez (born Taylor James Zakhar December 24, 1991) is an American actor. He began his career by appearing in several series, before his breakthrough role in the romantic comedy films ''The Kissing Booth 2'' (2020) and ''The Kissing Booth 3'' (2021). Perez had a supporting role in the sex comedy series '' Minx'' (2022) and a starring role in the romantic comedy film ''Red, White & Royal Blue'' (2023).

Early life

Perez was born in Chicago on December 24, 1991, and grew up in Chesterton, Indiana. He attended Chesterton High School and he has been a national level swimmer. Perez has a diverse ancestry, ranging from Mexican and Middle Eastern to Mediterranean. He is partially Croatian through his mother and partially Hungarian through his father.

His mother is an aesthetician and he is the sixth of eight children. Perez used to change tires at the family auto-body shop on weekends. When he received a swimming scholarship to Fordham University, he turned it down to attend UCLA, where he majored in Spanish culture and community and minored in film and television. Perez started off his acting career by performing at musicals in opera houses at an early age.

Career

''Kissing Booth'' and breakthrough (2020–2023)

In 2020, Perez played Marco Valentin Peña in Netflix's ''The Kissing Booth 2'', opposite Joey King. For his role, he took choreography and guitar lessons. It became the most-streamed film on Netflix during its opening weekend. The series was the second most streamed during its second weekend, with ''Forbes'' noting it as "one of the most popular movies ever on the platform." In October that year, Netflix reported that 66 million households watched the film over its first four weeks of release.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Perez partnered with Variant Malibu, a 3D tech company to make face masks. They cut 90% of traditional manufacturing waste. He also designed masks with ''The Kissing Booth 2'' co-stars Joel Courtney, Joey King, Meganne Young and Maisie Richardson-Sellers. The proceeds went to a Chicago organisation that helps disabled kids, adults and families with disabled kids in the Hispanic community. In 2021, Perez reprised the role of Marco Valentin Peña in ''The Kissing Booth 3''.

In 2022, Perez starred in HBO Max's comedy series '' Minx'' as Shane Brody, a firefighter who becomes the frontrunner for debut-issue cover star of the first erotic magazine for women in Los Angeles. Talking about the challenges he faced playing the character, Perez said, "The biggest thing was grounding him, making him likable, and also playing against the line." Perez went on to star in gaming comedy film ''1Up'' alongside Ruby Rose where he played Dustin.

''Red, White & Royal Blue'' and beyond (2023–present)

In 2023, Perez starred in Amazon Prime Video's ''Red, White & Royal Blue'' as Alex Claremont-Diaz, the first son of the United States, opposite Nicholas Galitzine. The film was released on August 11. For the first three weeks after its release, it was the top watched film worldwide on the platform. ''The Observer''s Wendy Ide praised the charisma of Perez and Galitzine and credited it for the film's appeal: "It turns out that watching two impossibly beautiful boys making cow eyes at each other might be just the escapist pulp we need right now." A sequel is in development.

In February 2024, Perez was appointed the ambassador for that year's SAG Awards ceremony. In March 2024, he signed with talent agency Paradigm. Perez is very passionate about sustainability, making a change in the world, and supporting his Latin community. Over the years, he has gone on supply chain trips to an Australian nonprofit organization that is the global authority on natural, renewable and biodegradable wool fiber.

In January 2025, Perez was named global brand ambassador for Lacoste, and starred in their new underwear ad campaign.

In April 2025, Perez voiced Johnny Stompanato in the Audible audio drama ''The Big Fix: A Jack Bergin Mystery''.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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Taylor Zakhar Perez
at Instagram

Taylor Zakhar Perez
at Rotten Tomatoes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zakhar Perez, Taylor
Living people
1991 births
American male film actors
American male actors of Mexican descent
American people of West Asian descent
American people of Croatian descent
American people of Hungarian descent
American male television actors
21st-century American male actors
People from Chesterton, Indiana
Male actors from Chicago
Male actors from Indiana