Nikki’s Hot New Lover: 7 Things To Know About Jason Canela

Jason Canela is bringing the heat as Nikki Newman’s hot new lover on The Young and the Restless. And did we mention he’s much… much younger than Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott)?

The 25-year-old Latino actor – he celebrates his 26^th birthday on April 25 – is new to daytime. However, he actually began his career in telenovelas and had roles in Donde Esta Elisa, Cosita Linda and Ruta 35. Plus, he appeared in the films Single in South Beach and Camino, as well as the short-lived FOX series Pitch.

Want to know more about this sexy actor? Here are 7 things fascinating facts about Jason Canela.

1. Canela was born in Miami, Florida to Cuban parents, Lissette and Heriberto Canela, and has three older siblings.

2. He’s not the only star in the family. His older brother, Jencarlos Canela, is an actor and a singer.

3. Canela already had a link to Y&R before joining the soap. His brother Jencarlo played Eva Longoria’s ex-husband on the NBC primetime series Telenovela. Longoria, of course, once played Isabella Brana, the mother of Paul’s (Doug Davidson) late son Ricky, on Y&R.

4. The handsome actor was featured in People en Espanol. He was named one of “The 50 Most Beautiful” people in the magazine in 2013.

5. Canela takes his craft seriously. He studied acting with Creative WorkShops in Aventura, Florida, and The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in New York City.

6. He’s a big sports fan and, not surprisingly, roots for his hometown teams. Namely, the Miami Heat, the Miami Marlins and the Miami Dolphins.

His Twitter feed includes a welcome back tweet to basketball player Dwayne Wade, a message urging fans to vote Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna to the 2016 MLB All-Star game, and a “praying for a miracle” post regarding the Dolphins.

7. Canela is also a huge supporter of St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. In an Instagram post, he pledged his allegiance to the non-profit that offers free treatment to kids with cancer and other life-threatening diseases, while wearing their “This Shirt Saves Lives” t-shirt.

The Young and the Restless (YR) airs weekdays on CBS. Check your local listings for air times.