Jencarlos Canela on His Role in 'The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia' and New Music

Jencarlos Canela is loving life and talked to People en Español about his current work projects. After leaving his old record label in January 2019 after facing some obstacles, the 31-year-old Cuban American singer and actor had to take a pause and rethink his next step. "It doesn't matter what situation you find yourself in in life, you cannot allow yourself to lose," says Canela, who lives in Los Angeles. He decided to create his own record label, Union Music, and has released singles he is genuinely proud of like "Sin Filtro," which celebrates true beauty, and "Relax," which reminds us to slow down and enjoy life. "I'm making music that I love and that makes people feel something. It's part of something bigger."

Canela is also starring in the new Netflix series The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia as the protagonist's larger-than-life uncle, Victor. “Jen and I are like siblings, we connected right away. He’s a great role model and he is so sweet to everyone around. As soon as he enters the set, he hugs everyone,” Paulina Chavez, who plays Ashley Garcia, told People CHICA. “He is someone to look up to.”

Eva Longoria, who directs episodes of the Netflix series — and also hired Canela to act in her series Grand Hotel and Telenovela — tells the magazine: "Jencarlos is a jewel of a person. He is so talented as an actor and as a musician, but he still hasn't shown us all just how talented he is. There is so much more that he is going to do, and the most important thing is that he is a proud Latino! He will represent us all really well in the world of entertainment and in our communities."

Canela also opened up about his love for his girlfriend, Puerto Rican model and former beauty queen Danna Hernández. "I am happy, I feel fulfilled," he says.

The heartthrob — who has son Nickolas from his previous relationship with Venezuelan actress Gaby Espino — adds that he is also in a great relationship with himself. "I started a process of forgiveness and healing," he said. "I really started working on my relationship with myself and that began to bring so much light and so many beautiful things to my life. I understood that it was all about the journey, not the final destination."