The Recruit'sNoah Centineo Says Filming at the Real CIA Headquarters for Season 2 Felt Like 'Going Home': 'I Belong Here' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Noah Centineo attends The Recruit Photo Call at The Plaza on January 13, 2025 in New York City.Photo:Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Netflix

Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Netflix

Warning: This post contains spoilers for season 2 ofThe Recruit.The Recruitseason 2 tookNoah Centineo’s character Owen Hendricks all over the world — from Washington, D.C. to Qatar to Seoul, South Korea to the small towns of Russia. While the actor himself didn’t get to go to all those places, he did knock quite a few off his list.“We didn’t go to Russia. We didn’t go to Qatar,” Centineo, 28, tells PEOPLE. South Korea and Vancouver, Canada, though, were all real stops along the way — and his time in the nation’s capital was particularly cool.“We shot at the CIA,” he says of the agency’s campus located in McLean, Va., just outside of Washington. “They gave us clearance, which is insane. I think we were the first show to shoot at the new headquarters too.“It turns out it wasn’t his first time in the government building. “I’d actually been there before for prep,” he shares, which was “super immersive,” given he plays a rookie CIA lawyer in the Netflix series. “We met with some analysts and some lawyers there too before [Alexi Hawley] finished writing the second season.“Since he’d “been there before,” Centineo says he wasn’t nervous filming there. Instead, he felt like, “I belong here.” He adds, “It was like going home, weirdly.“Noah Centineo as Owen Hendricks in season 2 of ‘The Recruit.'.Courtesy of NetflixGenerally speaking, Centineo gives the impression that the role doesn’t really require him to do many things out of his comfort zone — CIA headquarters visits included. Despite the seemingly endless trouble Owen constantly finds himself in, there “wasn’t a lot of preparation” needed on the actor’s end.“Owen’s not trained to fight, so he doesn’t have to properly know how to kill people. So I just get to show up and do my best and it works with the character,” the actor says.He continues, “If anything, [it’s about] just kind of dumbing down what it looks like to throw a punch or to tackle someone, and using brute force over any sort of calculated strategy.“Noah Centineo as Owen Hendricks, Teo Yoo as Jang Kyun Kim in ‘The Recruit’ season 2.Courtesy of NetflixHumor is a big part of the series, too, which makes sense given how green Centineo’s character truly is. He’s supposedly only been at the CIA for a matter of weeks — “if that,” as he puts it.“This season in particular, it was very hard to not break,” he says of the humor interlaced with the espionage plot. “We all get together and it’s just so [hard]. And Teo [Yoo] is so funny. Oh my God, yeah. He was hilarious.“According to Netflix, season 2 sees Owen “pulled into a life-threatening espionage situation in South Korea, only to realize that the bigger threat just might be coming from inside” the CIA, and picks up right where season 1 left off.Shin Do-hyun as Yoo Jin Lee, Noah Centineo as Owen Hendricks in season 2 of ‘The Recruit.'.Courtesy of NetflixOne fun perk of filming part of the season in Seoul was that Centineo got toreunite with hisTo All the Boys I’ve Loved Beforecostar Anna Cathcartfor a sweet cameo inXO, Kittyseason 2. While that was “daunting,” as he told PEOPLE, he’d do “anything to support” Cathcart, 21.“It’s extremely scary. Peter Kavinsky andTo All the Boys, I mean that franchise is so beloved that you kind of don’t want to touch it,” he admitted.Still, it was an easy yes when producerMatt Kaplancalled. “[He] just said, ‘Hey, you’re shooting in Seoul at the same time we are. Would you do this?’ I said, ‘Absolutely,’ " Centineo recalled.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Season 2 ofThe Recruitis now streaming on Netflix.

Warning: This post contains spoilers for season 2 ofThe Recruit.

The Recruitseason 2 tookNoah Centineo’s character Owen Hendricks all over the world — from Washington, D.C. to Qatar to Seoul, South Korea to the small towns of Russia. While the actor himself didn’t get to go to all those places, he did knock quite a few off his list.

“We didn’t go to Russia. We didn’t go to Qatar,” Centineo, 28, tells PEOPLE. South Korea and Vancouver, Canada, though, were all real stops along the way — and his time in the nation’s capital was particularly cool.

“We shot at the CIA,” he says of the agency’s campus located in McLean, Va., just outside of Washington. “They gave us clearance, which is insane. I think we were the first show to shoot at the new headquarters too.”

It turns out it wasn’t his first time in the government building. “I’d actually been there before for prep,” he shares, which was “super immersive,” given he plays a rookie CIA lawyer in the Netflix series. “We met with some analysts and some lawyers there too before [Alexi Hawley] finished writing the second season.”

Since he’d “been there before,” Centineo says he wasn’t nervous filming there. Instead, he felt like, “I belong here.” He adds, “It was like going home, weirdly.”

Noah Centineo as Owen Hendricks in season 2 of ‘The Recruit.'.Courtesy of Netflix

Courtesy of Netflix

Generally speaking, Centineo gives the impression that the role doesn’t really require him to do many things out of his comfort zone — CIA headquarters visits included. Despite the seemingly endless trouble Owen constantly finds himself in, there “wasn’t a lot of preparation” needed on the actor’s end.

“Owen’s not trained to fight, so he doesn’t have to properly know how to kill people. So I just get to show up and do my best and it works with the character,” the actor says.

He continues, “If anything, [it’s about] just kind of dumbing down what it looks like to throw a punch or to tackle someone, and using brute force over any sort of calculated strategy.”

Noah Centineo as Owen Hendricks, Teo Yoo as Jang Kyun Kim in ‘The Recruit’ season 2.Courtesy of Netflix

Humor is a big part of the series, too, which makes sense given how green Centineo’s character truly is. He’s supposedly only been at the CIA for a matter of weeks — “if that,” as he puts it.

“This season in particular, it was very hard to not break,” he says of the humor interlaced with the espionage plot. “We all get together and it’s just so [hard]. And Teo [Yoo] is so funny. Oh my God, yeah. He was hilarious.”

According to Netflix, season 2 sees Owen “pulled into a life-threatening espionage situation in South Korea, only to realize that the bigger threat just might be coming from inside” the CIA, and picks up right where season 1 left off.

Shin Do-hyun as Yoo Jin Lee, Noah Centineo as Owen Hendricks in season 2 of ‘The Recruit.'.Courtesy of Netflix

One fun perk of filming part of the season in Seoul was that Centineo got toreunite with hisTo All the Boys I’ve Loved Beforecostar Anna Cathcartfor a sweet cameo inXO, Kittyseason 2. While that was “daunting,” as he told PEOPLE, he’d do “anything to support” Cathcart, 21.

“It’s extremely scary. Peter Kavinsky andTo All the Boys, I mean that franchise is so beloved that you kind of don’t want to touch it,” he admitted.

Still, it was an easy yes when producerMatt Kaplancalled. “[He] just said, ‘Hey, you’re shooting in Seoul at the same time we are. Would you do this?’ I said, ‘Absolutely,’ " Centineo recalled.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Season 2 ofThe Recruitis now streaming on Netflix.

source: people.com