Santi is the shining star on the marquee of Neon. An aspiring reggaetonero (or reggaeton performer), we meet him just as his newest song starts climbing the charts. But, Santi has dreams of being something much greater than a one-hit wonder. So he and his best friends head from their small town to the bright lights of Miami to chase their destiny. 

Flores actually originally auditioned for the role of Santi’s longtime pal Felix. But co-creator and showrunner Max Searle tells Tudum the Neon team had a “hunch” the actor could fill Santi’s shoes. “He read [for the role] and it was like, ‘Oh, that's you. You are that. This is  Santi right here,’” Searle says. “We knew instantly on the spot we had him.”

Director Rodriguez says Flores took the role of Santi very seriously, particularly as a Nuyorican — or New York Puerto Rican — himself. Flores spent time speaking to real-life reggaeton artists, going to concerts, and “just soaking in” the culture. “Because he wanted his portrayal to make it feel real so that when you’re watching the story you feel like, ‘Oh yeah, this kid’s got it and I could see him making it,’ ” Rodriguez says. 

Flores was so dedicated to capturing the passion of reggaeton, Rodriguez says to look out for references to the culture in his clothing throughout Neon.

The actor recently collaborated with Rodriguez in the coming-of-age comedy Miguel Wants to Fight. He also appeared in the Emmy-nominated When They See Us. 

Ness is the planner of the group. She was the first one to realize Santi’s potential, and now she’s trying to guide him to greatness as his manager. Despite Ness’ know-how and determination, her passion can lead the team into some very endearingly awkward situations. 

Ferreira brought touches from her own culture into creating Ness. The actor was born in the Dominican Republic and wears a hat from a beloved DR baseball team on Neon, Rodriguez reveals. Costume designer Yasiri Castro also got the character a a little gold necklace with the Dominican map on it, she tells Tudum.  

Comedy fans may have previously spotted Ferreira in the Lowe family series Unstable as Ruby, a genius scientist. She also led the jazz drama Learn to Swim. 

While Ness has the vision for Santi’s career, Felix is in charge of aesthetics. He’s Santi’s creative director and, somehow, his off-the-wall ideas often make the most moving art. For Felix’s own style, costume designer Castro followed Mendoza’s lead. The actor wanted to embrace his Filipino heritage — while still keeping things “fun.” 

“Filipino culture has a lot of Spanish influence in their story, so we try to incorporate that,” Castro tells Tudum. “Also, Felix is very stylish, very simple.”

Felix is the jokester of the trio, putting his friends in stitches without even really trying. Mendoza has that quality in common with his character.  

“Jordan is just an unstoppable joke machine,” Rodriguez says. “He’s always going to give you something fun in every single take.” 

He’s fun behind the camera, too. A writer on the animated show Human Resources, Mendoza is also a consulting producer and writer on Neon, and penned the Season 1 finale. While he has mostly focused on lighthearted fare with roles in the variety show Ziwe and the Jennifer Lawrence comedy No Hard Feelings, he also starred in the thriller Kaleidoscope.

Mia is unstoppable. As a young woman of color in a male-dominated music industry, she’s constantly trying to prove her talent and skills to the people around her. A charismatic chameleon with an eye for star power, Mia can’t help but be drawn into Santi and his friends’ orbit. 

Taylor has previously stolen hearts as Janine’s (Quinta Brunson) BFF Erika on Abbott Elementary and as intern turned executive assistant Sequoia on Insecure. She also appeared in the spooky drama The Invitation.  

Steven Canals, who directs two episodes of Neon Season 1, appreciates Taylor for her ability to pull off more than just laughs. “She brought a depth to Mia that was already on the page, but it was subtle and Courtney found a way to really elevate it,” he told Netflix. “She’s so expressive and doesn’t have to do a lot to communicate everything.”

Someone has to represent the bro-y music industry that Mia is up against. That person is Oscar, a schmoozer and executive with the world seemingly at his fingertips. Yet, he’s also hiding a softer side. 

Cabrera has been acting since the early 2000s. He recently starred in Big Little Lies, The Flight Attendant, and The Mindy Project. 

Santi will have to impress Miami’s hottest tastemakers if he wants to make it in the Magic City. First up is Celeste, a highly respected music journalist with a no-nonsense outlook on her career. 

YA drama fans might remember Pascual-Peña from the Amy Poehler-directed high school movie Moxie. She also starred in the Saved by the Bell reboot. 

There’s a new pop star on the block — and her name is Isa. This A-lister is one of the biggest celebrities on the planet, and has held that title for as long as anyone can remember. Naturally, Isa is starting to get bored. So the Latin musician is pivoting to reggaeton to shake up her image. That’s where Santi comes in… 

Costume designer Castro says she took inspiration from the Kardashians, Taylor Swift, and Dua Lipa for Neon’s pop princess. “The writers were like, ‘Isa would wear a white Y2K pink tracksuit,’” Castro says with a laugh.  

Although Rodriguez has been acting for decades, Isa will be a surprise to fans who saw the Miami-born actor in the superhero saga The Umbrella Academy. Prepare to meet someone very, very different from sweetie Sloane Hargreeves. 

Brewster has been helping boost cars in the Fast & Furious series since 2001. In Neon she portrays Gina, a mysterious Miami businesswoman. While Santi and his pals might have questions about the source of Gina’s fortune, we wouldn’t recommend asking her about it. 

We’ll admit it — Rabasa portrays Eduardo, a beloved Miami grocery store owner. The actor previously starred in one of the most classic sketches of I Think You Should Leave Season 1.