J. D. Pardo

The Stigma of the Pretty Face

J. D. Pardo was born in Panorama City in 1980. His father is Argentinian and his mother is Salvadoran. He started out in professional modeling because he needed to pay the bills, but film was always the real goal.

In 2004 he landed a small role in the series American Dreams. It didn't bring him fame. But it taught him how a professional shoot worked in the studios of Los Angeles.

Nobody handed him anything.

His first big break came in 2006. He played Gwen Araujo in the TV movie A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story. It was a risky role for a young actor trying to find his place in an industry obsessed with tough guys.

That performance earned him a nomination for an Image Award. Critics began to see that behind his features was an actor capable of carrying complex dramas. He earned the respect of his peers before that of the big audiences.

Years of supporting roles followed in productions like Hidden Palms or 90210. In 2012 he entered Stephenie Meyer's universe with The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2. He played Nahuel, and his face became recognizable around the world.

The Weight of Leather and Gasoline

Kurt Sutter was looking for someone to lead the Sons of Anarchy spin-off. Pardo auditioned for Mayans M.C. under the pressure of living up to the legacy of Charlie Hunnam.

In 2018 he first put on the Mayans' jacket to play EZ Reyes. The series lasted five seasons on air and ended in 2023 with a finale that closed the character's cycle of violence.

Success was no matter of luck.

During the filming of the biker series, he had to learn to ride high-displacement motorcycles. He didn't know how before landing the role. He had to spend weeks practicing so that his stance on the Harley-Davidson would look convincing on camera.

And the gamble paid off.

Pardo insisted that his character have a clear physical and mental evolution. He didn't want to play the typical gang member from the playbook. So he worked closely with the writers to give EZ an analytical intelligence that set him apart from the rest.

Beyond Two Wheels

In 2021 he appeared in F9, playing Jack Toretto in the saga's flashbacks. It was a strategic move to break into the big action productions at Universal Studios.

In 2024 he took part in the remake of Road House alongside Jake Gyllenhaal. In this Amazon MGM Studios film, he plays Dell. Filming took place mainly in the Dominican Republic during the final months of 2022.

Pardo often says he prefers characters who suffer in silence. In 2022 he worked on The Contractor with Chris Pine, where he played Eric. He is an actor who measures his words in interviews and guards his private life with almost professional discipline.

His method is silence.

Signed a production deal with FX after closing his chapter as a motorcycle rider. His goal is to develop his own projects where he can control the story from the very start of the script development process.

In 2024, the film Road House drew more than 50 million viewers in its first two weeks on the streaming platform.