Early life, family, educational background
American actor Jason Steven Genao was born on 3 July 1996, in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA, making him a Cancerian. He’s probably known best for Netflix’s “On My Block” as Ruby Martinez. He has two brothers, Danny and David, doesn’t share much about his family, but has said that he feels blessed to have such a supportive family unit; even when they were low on money, they did their best to pay for acting classes. His family is Dominican-American, and they raised him in Jersey City. Jason attended William L. Dickinson High School from where he matriculated.
Career
At the young age of nine years old, Jason knew he wanted to be an actor.; he would even memorize and practice dialogue from movies and series. He participated in school plays but thought a career in acting was too unrealistic until he was 16. He used his savings along with his brother’s and father’s help to pay for a summer school acting program.
In 2015, he played an FBI Agent in the film “Ladrones,” and the following year Napoleon in seven episodes of Netflix’s “The Get Down,” a musical period drama starring Justice Smith as Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ or ‘Books,’ Daveed Diggs as an adult Ezekiel often called ‘Mr. Books,’ Shameik Moore as ‘Shaolin Fantastic’ or ‘Shao,’ Jaden Smith as Marcus ‘Dizzee’ Kipling, and Herizen F. Guardiola as Mylene Cruz. One of the series’ guest stars was Renée Elise Goldsberry as Misty Halloway; Daveed and Renée worked together on the Original Broadway production of “Hamilton.” “The Get Down” is set in the late 1970s in the South Bronx, it follows six teenagers following their passion for disco, which was dying at the time particularly due to New York approaching bankruptcy.
Jason played William Reeves in one episode of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” entitled “Forty-One Witnesses” in 2016, then in 2017, Jason portrayed Rictor in the tenth X-Men film, “Logan,” which was directed by James Mangold, and produced by Lauren Shuler Donner, Simon Kinberg, and Hutch Parker. Hugh Jackman stars as the titular character, along with Richard E. Grant as Dr. Zander Rice, Patrick Stewart as Professor X/Charles Xavier, Boyd Holbrook as Pierce, Stephen Merchant as Caliban, and Dafne Keen as X-23/Laura.
From 2018 to 2021 he played Ruben ‘Ruby’ Martinez Jr. in the Netflix Original’s teen and comedy-drama series, “On My Block,” which was created by Lauren Iungerich, Jeremy Haft, and Eddie Gonzalez. Aside from Jason, the series also stars Sierra Capri as headstrong tomboy Monsé Finnie, Monsé’s love interest and best friend, Cesar Diaz (played by Diego Tinoco), Brett Gray as the nerdy Jamal Turner, and Jessica Marie Garcia as Jasmine Flores, Ruby’s love interest. The series follows four teenage friends from Freeridge – a rough neighborhood in Los Angeles – as they grow through high school troubles and turmoils. Avante Magazine featured him in their June 2019 issue. In 2020 he appeared in “Gucci Guilty: Recuerdo,” “The Priest,” and “Film Fest.”
Most recently, he portrayed Devon (Erika’s childhood enemy) in five episodes of Netflix’s 2022 comedy series “Boo, Bitch,” which was co-created by Lauren Iungerich, Tim Schauer, Erin Ehrlich, and Kuba Soltysiak. The series stars Lana Condor as Erika Vu, Zoe Colletti as Erika’s best friend Gia, Mason Versaw as Erika’s crush Jake C, Tenzing Norgay Trainor as the leader of The Afterlifers and Gia’s love interest Gavin, and Aparna Brielle as Riley, Jake C’s on-off girlfriend, Erika’s frenemy, and the school’s popular girl.
Personal life
In his early 20s, he was involved in an accident that altered his life; he now wears a seat belt everywhere he drives, even if he’s taking a short trip. He even made a safety promotion video advocating for the use of seat belts and safe driving practices.
Some people suspect that Jason is gay – according to TVguidetime, he isn’t – however, Jason has never addressed these rumors or spoken about his sexuality. He’s still single, and at 26 wants to focus on his career before committing to a relationship.
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Hobbies, favorite things and interesting facts
- Jason enjoys dancing, cooking and surfing.
- He loves cheeseburgers.
- His favorite actors are Heath Ledger, Al Pacino, Amy Adams, and Cate Blanchett.
- His favorite singers are Amy Whinehouse and Bob Dylan.
- He supports the NOH8 Campaign which promotes equality and is against discrimination and bullying
- The 1947 French classic film, “La Vie en Rose” greatly inspired his love of film and acting. He has said that if he were not an actor, he would work as a chef or medical examiner.
His advice for any aspiring actors is, ‘For all those who can’t see the finish line. For those who do not see anything special, please know from experience that you are capable of everything.’
Appearance
Jason stands at 5ft 1in (156cm), weighs 136lbs (62kgs), and has dark brown hair, light brown eyes. His build is average and slim, but he has a youthful face which is played up in “On the Block,” as he’s often mistaken for a child. Jason wears a US size 8 shoe, and his skin is very tanned.
Net worth and salary
As of October 2022, his net worth is estimated at $200,000.
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