San Antonio actor Nicolas Cantu’s career trajectory hits the gas in Motorheads

San Antonio actor Nicolas Cantu may not know the difference between a carburetor and a cupholder, but he was still revved up to land a role in the new Prime Video series Motorheads.

On the show, the 21-year-old Cantu plays Marcel Crawford, an endearing and tech-savvy neighborhood kid who’s part of a group of teenage friends linked by their passion for street racing and car restoration.

One of those pals is Zac Torres, played by Michael Cimino (Love, Victor). Cimino was impressed with Cantu’s preparedness on the set.

“Nicolas is a very talented guy,” Cimino, 25, told the Current during a recent interview. “I think he has such a bright future ahead of him. He’s so creative. He never dropped a single line. I have such an appreciation for him and how much he cares about this show and making sure that the quality and the final product was really good.”

Cantu has been acting since he was in grade school, and his natural talent is evident. He relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a career in Hollywood at the age of 10, but moved back to the Alamo City in 2022. His high-profile credits include a role in Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated drama The Fabelmans and a voice role as Leonardo in the animated movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.

Actor Ryan Phillippe (Cruel Intentions), who shares scenes with Cantu in Motorheads, said the young star has “tremendous potential” in the entertainment industry.

“His comedic timing … was really impressive,” Phillippe, 50, told the Current. “[Our] dynamic gets better and better as the season goes on. He also [plays] a sympathetic character. You really feel for him almost immediately. That’s not an easy thing to pull off. That comes from within [and] from what the actor brings to the part.”

During our interview with Cantu, the former Stone Oak Elementary School student talked about the cars he’s currently driving and what attracted him to his latest project. He also revealed whether he’s the kind of person who puts the pedal to the metal or pumps the brakes.

Motorheads is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

How good are you under the hood of a car?

Zero. No skill. I can dial AAA and that’s it.

What are you driving these days in the fast and furious streets of San Antonio?

I’m borrowing my mom’s car in California. It’s a GMC Terrain. In San Antonio, I bought a car from a friend. It’s a 2007 Jaguar XK. I’m waiting to get back to it, but I’ve been stuck in LA. I want to get back to those fast and furious streets of San Antonio in my sports car.

If that Jaguar breaks down, those are hard to fix.

Yeah, and that’s when I call AAA!

What attracted you to a TV series about street racing?

What attracted me to the show was [my] character. He lives in the street racing world and is not a street racer himself. I knew that they needed that, and I wanted to be that. I got the script … and I read the whole thing and fell in love with the character. I thought it was a really cool role to inhabit. I love Marcel’s hope. He’s a very hopeful kid. He’s endearing, and he knows what he wants and nothing’s gonna stop him. He’s really got some resilience. It was a very fun character to play.

I don’t know if you have a girlfriend, but how much does it matter to a woman in 2025 what kind of car a guy drives?

I’ve been out of the dating game for so long. What would they be into these days? What is the status flex?

What kind of person are you — the kind who hits the gas or hits the brakes? I guess it would depend on the scenario, but which do you lean toward?

I have a bad habit of speeding through yield lights. I really gotta fix that and be a safer driver!

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This article appears in May 29 – Jun 11, 2025.