You know that face. If you’ve spent any time on ABC (or Fox, back in the day) on a Thursday night, you’ve seen Ryan Guzman saving lives as Eddie Diaz. He’s the stoic, soulful heart of the 118, the guy who made us all collectively gasp during that sniper arc. But if you think his career started and ended with a fire truck, you’re missing the weirdest, most eclectic filmography in modern Hollywood.
Honestly, Ryan Guzman movies and tv shows are a bit of a chaotic ride. We’re talking about a guy who went from professional MMA fighting to being a "Step Up" dance lead with zero—and I mean zero—formal dance training. That’s not a normal career path. It’s the kind of trajectory that usually leads to one-hit-wonder status, yet here we are in 2026, and he’s still one of the most bankable faces on network TV.
From Octagons to Dance Floors: The Breakout
Most people first clocked him in Step Up Revolution (2012). He played Sean Asa, the leader of a flash-mob crew in Miami. It’s a fun, neon-soaked movie, but the behind-the-scenes reality is much more impressive. Guzman was a martial artist. He had a black belt in Taekwondo and was literally a cage fighter. When he landed the role of Sean, he had to fake it until he made it, training like a madman to match professional dancers who had been at it since they were toddlers.
He stayed with the franchise for Step Up: All In in 2014, cementing himself as the face of the series' later years. It’s easy to dismiss dance movies as fluff, but they require a level of physical discipline that clearly translated well into his later action-heavy roles.
That One Movie with Jennifer Lopez
We have to talk about The Boy Next Door (2015). If you haven’t seen it, it’s a "so-bad-it’s-good" psychological thriller that became a cult favorite for all the wrong (and right) reasons. Guzman played Noah Sandborn, the obsessed, intensely creepy teenager (though he was clearly in his late 20s) who fixates on his teacher, played by J.Lo.
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"A first edition copy of The Iliad?"
That line alone is legendary in the world of cinema memes. While the movie was trashed by critics, it did something vital for his career: it proved he could play a villain. He wasn't just the charming dancer anymore; he could be genuinely unsettling. It showed a range that most people didn't know he had.
The Television Grind: Not Just 9-1-1
Before he became Eddie Diaz, Guzman was bouncing around some of the biggest shows on TV.
- Pretty Little Liars: He had a nine-episode stint as Jake, Aria Montgomery’s martial arts instructor/love interest. It was a brief role, but it made him a teen heartthrob overnight.
- Heroes Reborn: He played Carlos Gutierrez, a war veteran-turned-vigilante. This was his first real "action hero" role, and it felt like a precursor to his work on 9-1-1.
- Notorious: This one was short-lived. He played Ryan Mills, a hungry TV producer. The show didn't last, but it was a pivot into a more professional, "suit-and-tie" kind of role.
Why 9-1-1 Changed Everything
In 2018, Ryan joined the cast of 9-1-1 in Season 2, and the show’s dynamic shifted instantly. Playing Edmundo "Eddie" Diaz, a former Army medic and single father to a son with cerebral palsy, gave him the emotional meat he’d been craving.
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The chemistry between Guzman and Oliver Stark (who plays Buck) is basically the engine that keeps a massive part of the internet running. "Buddie" fans have analyzed every frame of their interaction for years. Whether you ship them or just see them as "found family," Guzman’s performance has been incredibly grounded. He deals with PTSD, grief, and the pressures of fatherhood in a way that feels surprisingly real for a show that also features literal tsunami disasters.
As of early 2026, he’s still a mainstay. The show moved from Fox to ABC, and his character has only become more central to the 118's identity.
The Indie Side and Recent Projects
Guzman doesn't just stick to the big budget stuff. He’s done some surprisingly heavy indie work. Windows on the World (2019) is a standout here. It’s a drama about a man searching for his father who was working at the Twin Towers on 9/11. It’s a far cry from the flash mobs of Miami.
More recently, he’s been involved in The Present (2024), a family comedy where he stars alongside Isla Fisher and Greg Kinnear. It’s a bit of a departure, showing he’s looking to expand into "dad" roles as he matures in the industry. There's also Midnight, a project involving Rosario Dawson and Milla Jovovich that has been generating buzz in production circles.
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What to Watch Next
If you’re looking to dive into the best of Ryan Guzman movies and tv shows, don't just stick to the hits.
- For the drama: Watch Windows on the World. It’s his best acting work, period.
- For the fun: Everybody Wants Some!! (2016). This Richard Linklater film is basically a spiritual successor to Dazed and Confused. Guzman plays Kenny Roper, and he’s hilarious in it. It shows he has comedic timing that network TV often forgets to use.
- For the thrill: The Cleansing Hour (2019). It’s a horror flick about a staged exorcism that goes wrong. It’s gritty, weird, and very different from his usual "good guy" persona.
His career is a lesson in versatility. He went from a model and a fighter to a dancer, a teen idol, a creepy stalker, and finally, America’s favorite TV firefighter. He’s constantly reinventing what he does, and honestly, that’s why he’s still relevant while other 2010s heartthrobs have faded away.
Your Ryan Guzman Watchlist Checklist:
- Catch up on Season 9 of 9-1-1 on ABC/Hulu.
- Check out Everybody Wants Some!! for a totally different side of his personality.
- Watch The Cleansing Hour if you're a horror fan.
- Revisit Step Up Revolution just to see how far he's come since those early flash-mob days.
If you’re keeping track of his upcoming roles, keep an eye on his social media for updates on the release of Midnight. It’s expected to be his biggest film role in years and might finally move him back into the action-star territory he’s been flirting with for a decade.