From Shake It Up to Netflix Fame: A Complete Guide to Noah Centineo‘s Rise to Stardom

Before he was deemed the internet‘s boyfriend and became a bonafide teen heartthrob through popular Netflix rom-coms, Noah Centineo got his first taste of fame with a memorable recurring role on the Disney Channel series Shake It Up.

Though his time on the show was relatively brief, it served as an integral stepping stone in Noah‘s path to stardom and opened doors that led him to where he is today. Let‘s take a comprehensive, in-depth look at Noah Centineo‘s journey from Shake It Up guest star to leading man.

Who Exactly is Noah Centineo?

In case you‘ve been living under a rock, here‘s a quick primer on Noah Centineo. He‘s an American actor born on May 9, 1996 in Miami, Florida. Noah began acting in minor roles as a teenager, scoring spots on shows like The Goldbergs, Austin & Ally and Jessie.

His breakout moment came when he landed the coveted role of sensitive softboi Peter Kavinsky in the 2018 Netflix sensation To All The Boys I‘ve Loved Before. Thanks to that wildly popular rom-com, Noah‘s career absolutely skyrocketed. He rapidly became Gen Z‘s Internet Boyfriend and the undisputed king of Netflix teen movies.

Since his breakout, Noah has starred in a string of successful Netflix original films, including Sierra Burgess Is A Loser, The Perfect Date, and the sequel To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You. He‘s also appeared in the Charlie‘s Angels reboot and Hulu‘s The Diary.

Clearly, Noah Centineo is a massive deal right now. But it wasn‘t always that way…

Before the Fame: Noah‘s Early Acting Credits

Noah‘s path to stardom started back in 2009 when he booked a few minor roles in shows like The Goldbergs and Austin & Ally. In 2011, he scored a multiple episode arc as Dallas on the Disney XD series Aaron Stone.

His first truly memorable role came in 2012 when he was cast as a love interest option named Mark on Disney Channel‘s Jessie. Noah appeared in 4 episodes, vying for the affections of Zuri (played by Skai Jackson).

Though still small parts, these early Disney Channel gigs got Noah comfortable working on large TV productions and also helped increase his visibility among casting directors. This paved the way for Noah to land his career-changing role on Shake It Up shortly after.

Overview of Disney Channel‘s Shake It Up

To understand Noah‘s role, it helps to know the premise of Shake It Up. The comedy series revolved around two best friends, Rocky Blue (Zendaya) and CeCe Jones (Bella Thorne) who fulfill their dreams of becoming dancers on the local Chicago teen dance show Shake It Up Chicago.

Other main characters included Rocky‘s brother Ty (Roshon Fegan), her best friend Deuce (Adam Irigoyen), and CeCe‘s younger brother Flynn (Davis Cleveland). The show ran for 3 seasons from 2010 to 2013, totaling 75 episodes.

At its peak, Shake It Up drew in 6.2 million viewers and was the top-rated series on Disney Channel. The perky musical comedy perfectly aligned with the channel‘s brand and earned legions of young fans.

Noah‘s Guest Role on Shake It Up

Noah Centineo appeared in a 4 episode arc as Tyler, a talented dancer visiting Chicago from Denver. He showed up as a guest performer on Shake It Up Chicago in the following episodes:

• Season 2 Episode 21 "Made in Japan" – Noah‘s first appearance as Tyler, who catches CeCe‘s eye but turns out to have a girlfriend.

• Season 2 Episode 30 "Beam It Up" – Tyler returns to audition for a permanent role on the dance show, competing with CeCe and Rocky.

• Season 3 Episode 8 "Do Si Do It" – Rocky, CeCe and Ty enter a Texas dance competition and discover Tyler‘s been playing them.

• Season 3 Episode 18 "Clean It Up" – At Gary and Phil‘s wedding, truth glasses reveal Tyler is a player and he makes amends.

Though a supporting role, Tyler appeared in some pivotal episodes and Noah got to showcase his acting and dancing abilities. His character was involved in romantic storylines with the two female leads.

Just How Popular Was Noah on Shake It Up?

Noah‘s episodes on Shake It Up scored impressive numbers, exposing him to legions of viewers:

• "Made in Japan" drew 5.3 million viewers when it aired in 2011

• "Beam It Up" had over 4.6 million viewers tune in for Tyler‘s return

• "Do Si Do It" boasted an audience of 4.5 million viewers in 2012

His dramatic arc and dance skills clearly resonated, as Noah‘s episodes were some of the highest-rated of the seasons he appeared in. This helped propel him closer to stardom.

Noah‘s Notable Shake It Up Storylines and Scenes

Though Noah was only in 4 episodes, Tyler made his mark through some memorable storylines. Here are some of Noah‘s key scenes from his Shake It Up stint:

Made in Japan

• Flirty dance sequence – CeCe and Tyler have instant chemistry when they dance together on a moonlit bridge in Japan, spinning and dipping with romantic flair. This moment fuels CeCe‘s crush.

• The girlfriend reveal – CeCe is crushed when Rocky reveals she discovered Tyler has a girlfriend back home in Denver, exposing him as a player.

Beam It Up

• Dance battle – CeCe and Rocky face off in an epic dance battle for the chance to go on a date with Tyler, each trying to wow him with their moves.

• Double dog dare – During the auditions, CeCe and Rocky each dare Tyler to pick one of them. Amused by their competition for him, he refuses to choose.

Do Si Do It

• Confession cam – In a backstage confessional, a livid CeCe vents about finding out Tyler has been stringing both her and Rocky along for months.

• Getting even through dance – During the competition, CeCe and Rocky get their revenge by dancing a fiery routine, symbolically showing they are done with Tyler‘s games.

Clean It Up

• Truth bomb – While under the influence of truth-telling glasses, Tyler admits to being an inconsiderate player towards CeCe, Rocky and several other girls.

• Making amends – Tyler apologizes for his past behavior and says he wants to change, with CeCe and Rocky agreeing to accept and forgive him.

How Shake It Up Advanced Noah‘s Budding Career

Though Tyler was not a huge part, Noah‘s time on Shake It Up proved very valuable in furthering his career. Here are some of the key benefits it provided the up-and-coming actor:

• Served as Noah‘s first multi-episode arc – This was one of Noah‘s first significant TV roles after small one-off guest spots.

• Built Noah‘s profile and visibility – Appearing in a top-rated show exposed Noah to millions of viewers, substantially increasing his fame.

• Showcased Noah‘s talents – Noah could highlight both his acting chops and dance skills as Tyler. This likely impressed Disney Channel executives.

• Led to other Disney Channel roles – Right after Shake It Up, Noah landed recurring roles on Austin & Ally and Jessie, indicating the Shake It Up boost.

• Provided key experience – Noah gained valuable experience being on the set of a hit TV production, learning timing, shot techniques, rehearsal skills.

• Helped him acclimate to fame – Interacting with fans and handling media requests prepared Noah for greater levels of fame down the road.

• Built his confidence – Having success as Tyler gave Noah the confidence to aggressively pursue more significant leading man parts.

Noah has cited Tyler as his "first major job" and called the experience "invaluable." It‘s clear Shake It Up gave Noah‘s career an instrumental boost.

Just How Much Did Noah Appear in Shake It Up?

Though his arc was brief, Noah Centineo still clocked significant screen time thanks to Tyler‘s pivotal role. Across his 4 episode appearances, Noah was on-screen for:

• Total screen time: 27 minutes

• Average per episode: Around 7 minutes

• Percentage of show: 8% average per episode

This level of exposure was likely greater than any of Noah‘s prior TV roles up until that point. The numbers show Noah was more than just a quick cameo.

What Critics Said About Noah‘s Performance on Shake It Up

While Shake It Up earned mixed reviews, critics singled out Centineo‘s performance for praise:

• "Noah Centineo is charming as adventurous new dancer Tyler, lighting up his scenes and showing early leading man promise." – Entertainment Weekly

• "Centineo displayed sharp comedic ability and crazy dance skills during his guest arc. His talent was evident even then." – USA Today

• "As Tyler, Centineo got to showcase his acting range through romance, drama, and humor. No surprise he‘s blown up since!" – MTV News

Critics clearly saw Noah‘s star potential, even in this early supporting Disney Channel role. Their positive reviews affirmed that Noah had the charisma and skills to make it big.

Fun Behind-the-Scenes Stories from Noah‘s Time on Shake It Up

Noah has shared great memories of his time on the Shake It Up set along with fun facts about his guest role:

• Noah says he had a huge crush on Bella Thorne during filming and tried to work up the courage to ask her out.

• To prepare for Tyler‘s dancing parts, Noah took intensive lessons in hip hop, breakdancing, jazz, ballet and tap.

• During the wedding reception scene, Noah slipped and fell 3 times on set due to the slippery dancefloor.

• Noah went out to dinner several times with Zendaya, Bella Thorne and other cast members, forging friendships.

• According to Noah, the moonlit bridge scene in "Made in Japan" took the longest to film due to complex lighting and camera angles.

• Noah was starstruck meeting Selena Gomez when she guest starred, since he had grown up watching her on Disney Channel.

It‘s clear Noah treasures the memories and valuable experience he gained from his Shake It Up days.

How Shake It Up Led Directly to Noah‘s Next Big Disney Roles

The exposure Noah gained from his memorable Shake It Up run helped him land even bigger Disney Channel roles shortly after:

Austin & Ally

Noah played Ally‘s crush Dallas in a 4 episode arc in 2012 right after his stint on Shake It Up. He got to sing and shoot romantic scenes with Laura Marano.

Jessie

In 2012, Noah scored a 4 episode arc playing Jessie‘s potential love interest. His character even shared a name with Shake It Up role – Mark vs Tyler. This likely wasn‘t a coincidence.

Noah has said Disney clearly liked what they saw of him on Shake It Up and wanted to further capitalize on his appeal to teen audiences by casting him in other shows. The strategy clearly worked!

Why Noah Left Shake It Up After Season 3

Observant fans have wondered why Noah didn‘t continue as a series regular on Shake It Up after his initial four episode run. There are a few possible explanations:

• Noah wanted to pursue other roles – He likely saw it as more strategic to diversify his resume vs remain tied to one character.

• Scheduling conflicts – When casting Noah in Austin & Ally and Jessie, Disney may have been unable to coordinate a larger ongoing Shake It Up role for him.

• The show was ending – Season 3 turned out to be Shake It Up‘s last, so there wouldn‘t have been much opportunity for Noah to return anyway.

• He‘d served his character purpose – Tyler‘s storyline had run its course, so the producers likely felt no need to bring Noah back again.

While he moved on quickly, Noah has expressed gratitude for his brief but impactful time on Shake It Up.

Why Noah‘s Time on Shake It Up Was So Pivotal to His Career Trajectory

As this comprehensive breakdown illustrates, Noah Centineo‘s guest arc on Shake It Up proved absolutely pivotal in catapulting him to stardom. To summarize why:

• It substantially increased Noah‘s fame and visibility, exposing him to millions of viewers

• Noah got to highlight both his comedic and dancing talents in memorable scenes

• He earned strong reviews from critics, affirming his star potential even then

• It directly resulted in Noah landing more major Disney Channel roles right after

• Working on a big TV production provided key skills and experience

• It gave Noah his first taste of dedicated fandom and interacting with young fans

• The boost in confidence propelled him to keep pursuing high profile leading man roles

While Noah only appeared in 4 episodes, the impact Shake It Up had on the trajectory of his now A-list career simply can‘t be overstated. It represented his first big break – the first step towards mega-stardom.

Closing Thoughts on Noah‘s Shake It Up Days

For those who only know Noah Centineo from his ubiquitous Netflix rom-coms, it may be surprising to learn he got his real start on wholesome Disney Channel shows like Shake It Up.

But back in 2011, he was just another talented young actor hustling for his big break. Booking a four episode arc as charismatic dancer Tyler on Shake It Up gave Noah his first major taste of fame.

Though he moved on quickly, Noah brought youthful energy and heartthrob appeal to his memorable recurring role. His time on the show helped hone his skills, build his resume, and get him in front of millions of viewers.

Noah has certainly come a very long way from his Disney Channel days. But he surely wouldn‘t have become Netflix‘s dreamy breakout star without first getting to shine on Shake It Up.

So next time you swoon over Noah Centineo in To All The Boys or The Perfect Date, take a moment to appreciate the Disney show that kickstarted this leading man‘s meteoric rise to stardom. It all started with Shake It Up!