Taylor Zakhar Perez

Taylor Zakhar Perez, born Taylor James Zakhar on December 24, 1991, is an American actor. He first earned widespread recognition for his breakthrough performance as Marco Valentin Peña in the romantic comedy films The Kissing Booth 2 and The Kissing Booth 3. He later appeared in the comedy television series Minx and starred in the romantic comedy film Red, White & Royal Blue.

Perez was born in Chicago and raised in Chesterton, Indiana, where he attended Chesterton High School and competed as a national level swimmer. He is the sixth of eight children in his family; his mother worked as an aesthetician, and he worked changing tires at the family auto-body shop. Turning down a swimming scholarship to Fordham University, Perez attended UCLA, majoring in Spanish culture and community with a minor in film and television. His background includes Mexican, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Croatian, and Hungarian ancestry. He began acting early by performing in musicals at opera houses.

Perez began his professional screen career in 2012 with various television guest roles. His breakthrough came in 2020 as Marco Valentin Peña in Netflix's The Kissing Booth 2, a role for which he took guitar and choreography lessons. The film became the platform's most-streamed movie during its opening weekend, accumulating 66 million household views within four weeks. In 2021, he reprised his role in The Kissing Booth 3.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Perez partnered with 3D tech company Variant Malibu to produce face masks designed to cut manufacturing waste. Working alongside his Kissing Booth 2 co-stars, he raised proceeds to support a Chicago organization assisting disabled individuals and families in the Hispanic community.

In 2022, Perez portrayed firefighter Shane Brody in the HBO Max comedy series Minx and played Dustin in the gaming comedy film 1Up. He then starred as Alex Claremont-Diaz, the first son of the United States, in the 2023 Amazon Prime Video film Red, White & Royal Blue. The release became the top-watched film worldwide on the platform for three weeks, and a sequel entered development.

In February 2024, Perez served as the ambassador for the SAG Awards ceremony, and in March 2024 he signed with talent agency Paradigm. He later voiced Johnny Stompanato in the April 2025 Audible audio drama The Big Fix: A Jack Bergin Mystery.

Beyond acting, Perez speaks on environmental sustainability and Latin representation in entertainment. He has completed supply-chain visits with Eco-Age and The Woolmark Company. In January 2025, he became a global brand ambassador for Lacoste, starring in their underwear advertising campaign.