Jacob Batalon bio, girlfriend, age, height, weight loss, roles, career 2025

Biography of Jacob Batalon

Jacob Batalon is a Hollywood actor of Filipino-Hawaiian descent, who gained worldwide recognition for his role as Ned Leeds in the Spider-Man film series. His character's on-screen friendship with Peter Parker has carried over into real life, with Batalon maintaining a close friendship with lead actor Tom Holland. In 2022, Jacob made his debut as a producer and lead actor in the comedic TV series "Vampire Reginald."

Childhood, Youth, and Family

Jacob was born in fall 1996 to Filipino immigrant parents, Billy and Debra Lofland, from Honolulu, Hawaii. The actor has seven siblings—a brother and sister on his mother's side, plus three brothers and two sisters on his father's side.

According to the actor, they were a typical Filipino family who loved gathering around a big table, singing karaoke, and playing games. Everyone spoke both English and Tagalog at home, although Jacob's Tagalog isn't as strong since he only visited his parents' homeland once when he was 4.

At the age of six, the boy began attending Damien Memorial School, a Catholic institution. He graduated from there in 2014 and started studying music theory at the public Kapiolani Community College.

However, the young man had always dreamed of acting, not music, so he decided to be honest with his parents and moved to New York. There, he spent two years at a private acting conservatory. While studying, he also looked for TV work and went to auditions, genuinely believing in his chances.

Acting Career

Jacob's debut in the film industry was a small role as Cooper in the horror movie "North Woods" (2016). The extremely low-budget film (only 4,000 dollars) went unnoticed. But it wasn't long before the young actor caught his big break.

Batalon was still studying at the drama conservatory when he, along with Tom Holland, was cast in the reboot of the Spider-Man franchise. The producers needed someone to play Peter Parker's charismatic best friend, Ned Leeds. Jacob gave it everything he had during the auditions. Two months later, he got the call—he'd landed the part.

Jacob Batalon in the movie Spider-Man: Homecoming

Recalling the beginning of his work on the character, Batalon shared:

Before shooting, we all sat in a room and read through the script—that's how we got to know our characters. Director Jon Watts gave us a lot of freedom to do what we wanted with our characters, and because of that, we were able to make Ned such a fun person.

The film "Spider-Man: Homecoming" was a tremendous success, and Jacob was thrilled to be acting alongside celebrities such as Robert Downey Jr. and Michael Keaton. He more than held his own alongside these A-listers, and industry professionals took notice—soon offering the rising star two roles at once: James in the melodrama "Every Day" and Krill in the horror-comedy "Blood Fest." Both films were released in 2018.

As part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Batalon returned to his role as Ned in the film "Avengers: Infinity War." The experience left him completely starstruck. He watched in awe as Chris Hemsworth, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Chris Evans at work.

Meanwhile, he got another chance to step away from Marvel blockbusters, soon starring in the Christmas comedy "Let It Snow" (Keon) and the film "Banana Split" (Jacob).

In 2019, the sequel "Spider-Man: Far From Home" had its world premiere, with Batalon once again reprising his role as Ned. He found it exciting to work alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Jake Gyllenhaal, who played the anti-hero Mysterio.

Jacob Batalon in the movie Spider-Man: Far From Home

That same year, Jacob delivered an excellent comedic performance as Sancho Panza in Chris Poche's film "The True Don Quixote." The director deliberately moved the film's characters from Miguel de Cervantes' historical homeland to modern-day Louisiana.

Jacob Batalon in the movie The True Don Quixote

2020 turned out to be a busy year for Batalon work-wise. He played Simon in Sam Raimi's American web series "50 States of Fright," where he acted alongside Rachel Brosnahan, and also appeared as Lucas in the film "Day by Day."

Jacob Batalon in the TV series 50 States of Fright

A year later, the actor stunned fans eagerly awaiting the next comic book adaptation, "Spider-Man: No Way Home." Before filming began, Jacob lost almost 112 lbs, and everyone was impressed by his transformation. He shared:

For the first time in my career, I could move quickly, jump, and do more stunts. With less weight, the special cables could lift me over greater distances, and it really helped.

Personal life of Jacob Batalon

The cheerful and energetic actor has no shortage of fans, despite not fitting Hollywood's typical mold. He willingly shares new photos and videos from the filming sets and gives autographs.

Jacob has a beloved girlfriend named Brooke Reyna, with whom he feels truly happy.

Jacob Batalon and his girlfriend Brooke Reyna

Some sources reported he began dating Valeria Paige Clark in 2021, but in August 2022, paparazzi spotted Brooke and Jacob walking their dog together in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood.

Jacob Batalon Now

Apparently tired of supporting roles, the actor became a producer in 2022 for the project "Reginald the Vampire," where he also played the lead character. His character, Reginald Baskin, differs from his fellow vampires, and these differences give rise to a lot of comedic and awkward situations.

Jacob Batalon in the TV series Reginald the Vampire

Fans of Ned Leeds hope to see him as the villain Hobgoblin in the fourth Spider-Man installment, though Batalon himself won't reveal the studio's plans:

Over the years working at Marvel, I feel like I've just learned to not say anything. I can't say something and then say something that might actually be true, and then I'll spoil something, you know what I mean?

Interesting facts

In one interview, Jacob Batalon called himself a "chaos person," but friends say he's actually just incredibly friendly and upbeat.
After wrapping "Spider-Man: Homecoming," Batalon and his castmates visited hospitals where kids with serious, often terminal illnesses were receiving treatment. He said seeing the kids light up as they chatted, snapped photos, and met their favorite heroes in person was incredible.
Jacob spilled the details on his dramatic weight loss. By 2019, he was constantly exhausted and struggling with confidence. To shed pounds and get healthy, he committed to a strict diet and grueling workouts—an hour and a half daily, six days a week with a trainer. The first hour is a strength workout, the last half-hour is cardio. His love-hate relationship? Burpees. He cranks out 20 reps, exploding from plank position into a jump as fast as he can.