| J.R. Villarreal | |
| Alias: | Juan Villarreal Jr. |
| Birth Date: | 1992 9, mf=yes |
| Birth Place: | Houston, Texas, United States |
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.
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 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]
| 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 | ||
| 2013 | Ghost Team One | Brad | [5] | |
| 2015 | Spare Parts | Hector | ||
| 2017 | An American In Texas | Paul Villarreal | Co-Producer | |
| Whiteblood | Rico | |||
| 2023 | The Uncanny | Terrence | ||
| TBA | Jenni | Juan 'Cinco' Lopez | [6] | |
| TBA | The Low-End Theory | Chino | ||
| 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 | Ben Tavez | Episode: "No Man's Land" | |||
| 2013 | Chamacas | Episode: "Bikini Line" | |||
| The Bridge | Mando | Episode: "The Beast" | |||
| 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) | ||
| 2022 | Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion | Black Scorpion / Cruz de la Vega | Lead Role (16 Episodes) | ||
| 2023 | Freeridge | Tio Tonio | Recurring (7 Episodes) | [7] [8] | |
| 2024 | Landman | Manuel | Recurring (4 Episodes) | [9] |