Fantasy Island: John Gabriel Rodriquez Upped to Series Regular for Season 2

Andy Swift
·2 min read
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John Gabriel Rodriquez is coming in for a permanent landing with a series-regular promotion ahead of Fantasy Island‘s second season, TVLine has learned.

The Fox reboot stars Roselyn Sanchez (Devious Maids) as Elena Roarke, the grand-niece of the original Fantasy Island‘s Mr. Roarke, famously played by Ricardo Montalban. Kiara Barnes (The Bold and the Beautiful) also stars as Ruby Akuda, who becomes Elena’s permanent second-in-command after coming to the island as a guest. And then there’s Rodriquez as Javier, officially the island’s head of transport… and unofficially Elena’s friend with benefits.

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“I was surprised that the showrunners decided to give Elena a relationship,” Sanchez told TVLine back in August. “I don’t know if the original Roarke ever had one. It’s evident that Elena is very human, especially when it comes to love. And that dynamic between them is always growing. It’s a lot of fun.”

That dynamic will continue to grow when Fantasy Island returns for a special two-part holiday special on Tuesday, Dec. 21, (8/7c). Titled “Welcome to the Snow Globe,” the episode guest-stars Lindsey Kraft (Grace and Frankie) as a busineswoman whose “fantasy of a perfect Christmas and meeting ‘Mr. Right’ tests Roarke in unexpected ways. Meanwhile, Mr. Jones faces his past, while a new Secret Santa tradition has Ruby and Javier looking to the future,” according to the official logline. Additional guest stars include Eddie Cahill (CSI: NY) as “Mr. Right” and Mackenzie Astin (Scandal) as Mr. Jones.

And as we reported earlier this month, Fox has renewed the reboot for a second season. What are you hoping to see in Fantasy Island Season 2? Drop a comment with your wish list below.

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