Paul Castro Jr. is having a major moment with anime fans. The Brooklyn-born actor and voice artist voices Hikaru Indou in Netflix’s The Summer Hikaru Died, a role that earned him a 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards nomination for Best Voice Artist Performance (English).
But Hikaru is far from his first big voice role. Castro has built an unusually broad career across live-action, animation, anime, video games, commercials and filmmaking. Fans may also recognize his voice as Freminet in Genshin Impact, Rindo Kanade in NEO: The World Ends with You, Chocobo Billy in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Dragon in BELLE, and Opal in Honkai: Star Rail.
Quick Bio
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Paul Castro Jr. |
| Date of Birth | April 12, 1990 |
| Current Age | 36 |
| Birthplace | Brooklyn, New York, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Not publicly disclosed |
| Profession | Actor, Voice Actor, Writer, Producer, Director |
| Estimated Net Worth | Not publicly disclosed; online estimates are unverified |
| Height / Weight | Not reliably publicly documented |
| Relationship Status | Not publicly disclosed |
| Education | NYU Tisch School of the Arts |
Note: Age is calculated from his publicly reported April 12, 1990 birth date as of September 5, 2026. Where reliable sources do not confirm personal statistics or finances, they are listed as undisclosed rather than presented as fact.
Early Life & Background
Paul Castro Jr. was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up on the Jersey Shore. His childhood interests eventually lined up remarkably well with the career he would build: he has described growing up obsessed with video games, cartoons and anime.
Before committing fully to acting, Castro explored other academic directions, including pre-med studies. He eventually switched paths and pursued theatre, studying at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he trained in acting and the Meisner technique.
After college, he spent roughly a decade working in New York City across theatre, television and film. That early live-action experience became an important part of his foundation as a performer rather than simply an entry point into voice acting.
Career Journey & Breakthroughs
Castro’s early screen credits included appearances in projects such as The Skeleton Twins, People Places Things, Limitless, Blue Bloods, God Friended Me and The Rookie. IMDb identifies The Skeleton Twins (2014), People Places Things (2015) and Limitless (2015) among his notable acting credits.
He also developed an interest in filmmaking. In 2018, Castro directed, wrote, produced and starred in Aeris, a drama about a couple struggling to save the life of a sick kitten. He created the project with Aly Miller, who also co-wrote, produced and starred in the film.
Aeris went on to win Best Narrative Short at the Garden State Film Festival and received other festival recognition, including selection at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
His work behind the camera continued with projects including the documentary Madonna and the Breakfast Club, on which he was a producer. The documentary about Madonna’s early years and her time with the Breakfast Club was later released through Hulu.
The move into major voice acting
A major career shift came in 2020, when Castro moved to Los Angeles. Around the same period, his voice-over career began expanding rapidly into anime and video games.
One of his early major anime credits was Rikuya Yoshida in Netflix’s High-Rise Invasion. He then landed the lead role of Rindo Kanade in Square Enix’s NEO: The World Ends with You — particularly meaningful for him because he had grown up playing the original game.
From there, the credits kept coming. His voice work includes Freminet in Genshin Impact, Dragon in Mamoru Hosoda’s BELLE, Ryota Miyagi in The First Slam Dunk, Opal in Honkai: Star Rail, Jun Sadamoto in Lost Judgment: The Kaito Files, Allegro in Vampire in the Garden, Chocobo Billy in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Nozomi Suemitsu in Persona 3 Reload, and several roles across the Fire Emblem, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Trails franchises.
He has also voiced characters in commercials and promotional campaigns for major brands and networks, including Nickelodeon. His official voice-over profile says he has worked in the industry for almost a decade and has voiced Nickelodeon sports promos and online content.
Paul Castro Jr. in The Summer Hikaru Died
The role currently putting Castro in front of a much wider anime audience is Hikaru Indou in The Summer Hikaru Died.
In the English dub, Castro voices Hikaru, the mysterious character at the center of the supernatural psychological drama. IMDb credits him as Indou Hikaru across the series’ 2025 episodes.
The performance received significant industry recognition in 2026 when Castro was nominated for Best Voice Artist Performance (English) at the 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
For Castro, the project was clearly personal as well as professional. On his official website, he described the story as one that immediately grabbed his heart and thanked the production team for bringing the English version to life.
Body Stats & Physical Appearance
Reliable public sources do not provide a confirmed height or weight for Paul Castro Jr., so those figures are best left undisclosed.
Photographs and convention appearances show Castro with a youthful appearance that fits the energetic quality often associated with his voice-over work. His official voice profile describes him as a youthful, energetic male voice talent particularly suited to Gen Z and Millennial audiences.
Scandals, Controversies & Media Headlines
There are no major, reliably documented scandals or misconduct controversies associated with Paul Castro Jr. that warrant inclusion in a biographical profile.
Most of the recent headlines around him have been positive, focusing on his growing anime and gaming résumé, convention appearances, filmmaking work and his 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards nomination for The Summer Hikaru Died.
Personal Life, Hobbies & Relationships
Castro keeps much of his private life away from mainstream entertainment coverage. Public sources do not establish a current marital status or relationship status with enough certainty to label him publicly.
His interests are much easier to find. He is an avid gamer and runner, and his official biography also describes him as a vegan food enthusiast. He has a particular passion for anime and video games, interests that clearly overlap with the projects he now voices.
He has also worked closely with filmmaker Aly Miller on projects such as Aeris. Castro previously described Miller as his partner, while the pair collaborated extensively as writers, producers and performers.
Paul Castro Jr.’s voiceover equipment setup
For aspiring voice actors, Castro’s home studio is almost as interesting as his résumé. His professional setup includes Neumann TLM 103, Sennheiser MKH 416 and Shure SM7B microphones, alongside a UA Apollo Twin X, Audient EVO4 and Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen. His preamp is an Audient ASP 880, while his listed DAWs include Adobe Audition, Pro Tools and LUNA.
His studio also uses Source-Connect for remote recording. In an interview with Audient, Castro explained that he built a dedicated professional studio room at home that doubles as an office and space for self-tapes, editing, mixing and podcasting.
For fans interested in the wider English-dub scene, our latest Alexis Tipton biography and anime career profile is a useful companion read. You can also check out Kalie Cassidy’s biography and career story and Rachel Gillig’s biography and author profile.
Official Social Media Handles
Fans can find Paul Castro Jr. online under @PaulCastroJr, which he uses across several platforms. His Linktree identifies his official Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube and Twitch accounts under the same handle.
- Instagram: @PaulCastroJr
- X/Twitter: @PaulCastroJr
- TikTok: @PaulCastroJr
- YouTube: Paul Castro Jr. on YouTube
- Official Website: PaulCastroJr.com
FAQs
How old is Paul Castro Jr.?
Paul Castro Jr. is 36 years old as of September 5, 2026. He was born on April 12, 1990, in Brooklyn, New York.
Who does Paul Castro Jr. voice in The Summer Hikaru Died?
He provides the English voice of Hikaru Indou, one of the central characters in The Summer Hikaru Died. His performance earned a 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards nomination for Best Voice Artist Performance (English).
What is Paul Castro Jr. best known for?
He is known for roles including Freminet in Genshin Impact, Rindo in NEO: The World Ends with You, Dragon in BELLE, Chocobo Billy in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Hikaru in The Summer Hikaru Died.
What microphone does Paul Castro Jr. use?
His published studio setup includes the Neumann TLM 103, Sennheiser MKH 416 and Shure SM7B, along with several audio interfaces and an Audient ASP 880 preamp.