Who is Benito on ‘TSITP’? Meet Fernando Cattori

The Summer I Turned Pretty fans knew that a new season would mean new characters, but I’m not sure anyone thought we’d be meeting a whole new cast with three episodes left in the series.

After Season 3 introduced Belly’s college pal Anika (Sofia Bryant), Jeremiah’s frat bro Redbird (Tanner Zagarino) and ex Blake (Carson Blyskal), Conrad’s go-to Stanford gal Agnes (Zoé De Grand’Maison), Taylor’s mom Lucinda (Kristen Connolly), Steven’s colleague Denise (Isabella Briggs), and Adam’s secretary Kayleigh (Emma Ishta), Season 3, Episode 9, “Last Call,” showed Belly meeting new pals in Paris, including Gemma (Corinna Brown) and a new boy named Benito (Fernando Cattori).

So who is Benito on The Summer I Turned Pretty? Was Benito in TSITP books? And what do we know about Fernando Cattori, the actor who plays Benito? We’ve got answers!

Here’s what to know about TSITP Season 3’s new character, Benito, actor Fernando Cattori, and if Benito was in Jenny Han’s third book, We’ll Always Have Summer.

Who Is Benito In The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3?

As noted, Benito is introduced in TSITP Season 3, Episode 9, after Belly arrives in Paris. Ahead of her flight home, Belly’s backpack gets stolen, and when she tracks her AirTag around the city in hopes of retrieving her bag, she winds up at a club that requires a password for entry. Since Belly doesn’t know the password, she gets turned away, but when she sees Gemma being bothered by a man outside, she steps in to assist, and the two become fast friends.

Gemma not only helps Belly get inside the club, but she introduces “Isabel” to her girlfriend, Max (Jahz Armando), and their friends Celine (Isaline Prevost Radeff) and Benito! Once Belly retrieves her backpack, she and her new pals grab drinks together and swap stories. After learning about the brother love triangle and the called off wedding, Benito and friends encourage Belly to stay in Paris to find herself, which she decides to do before episode’s end.

Based on the the trailer for Season 3’s final episodes, we haven’t seen the last of Belly’s Parisian adventures or her relationship with Benito. We catch glimpses of the two laughing, playing darts together, and we even see Benito taking photos of Belly. So is a Parisian romance in store? Here’s what TSITP books can tell us…

Was Benito In The Summer I Turned Pretty Books?

Now that we’ve established Benito’s character introduction on the show, you’re likely wondering if Benito is in TSITP books, and if the text offers any additional context or intel into his character. The answer? Possibly! Like several other characters in the books, Benito is fleshed out more thoroughly in the series. But as noted in our Season 3, Episode 9 Easter egg breakdown, Benito isn’t just a random name Jenny chose for the character. Those who read Book 3, We’ll Always Have Summer, know that Benito was a boy mentioned in Conrad’s letters to Belly — you know, the letters that were teased in that end-of-season trailer?!

In case you’re curious, here are the Benito portions of the letters Conrad sends Belly while she’s abroad in Spain, not Paris, in the book. In his third letter, he writes, “Speaking of news, [Laur] told me you met some Spanish guy named Benito, and he rides around on a scooter. Really, Belly? A guy named Benito with a scooter? He probably wears leather pants and has a long stringy ponytail. I don’t even want to know. Don’t tell me. He probably looks like a model and weighs 100 pounds and writes you poetry in Spanish. I don’t know what you see in a guy like that, but I don’t know what you ever saw in me either, so I guess there’s no accounting for taste, right?” Sounds like someone’s a little Jelly, Belly!

In Conrad’s fourth letter, however, he notes, “I heard you aren’t hanging out with that guy Benito anymore. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. . . .” So will Han stick to the text and explore a romance with Belly and Benito? And will Conrad mention him in his letters? We’ll have to keep watching.

Who Plays Benito on TSITP? Meet Fernando Cattori

As noted, Benito on TSITP is played by Fernando Cattori, a young actor and director from Mexico City, Mexico. Per IMDb, Cattori kickstarted his on-screen career in 2024 as Gerardo in Untamed Royals and also starred as Carlos Joven in With You in the Future.

Per Prime Video’s press release, “In early 2025, Fernando Cattori premiered the feature film Contigo en el Futuro (With You in the Future) on Prime Video… As an actor, he has co-starred in Príncipes Salvajes (Untamed Royals) by Beto Hinojosa for Netflix, Ceremonia by Dan Chávez (premiered at the Guadalajara International Film Festival), and La Liberación (The Liberation) by Alejandra Márquez Abella for Prime Video, moving with ease across genres and tones. As a director, he was nominated for a Latin Grammy in 2024 for the musical short film Nacimos Llorando (We Were Born Crying) and created Recuérdame Viviendo (Remember Me Alive), the most-watched advertising campaign in Mexico that same year for Cerveza Victoria. His work has been featured in Directors Library, OnePoint Four, Nowness, Vogue, GQ, and Young Directors Awards, among others. Trained in acting at NYFA, Yale Drama School, and CasaAzul during his teenage years, he also holds a degree in Communications from Universidad Iberoamericana. He is currently developing his first feature film.”

To learn more about Cattori, his work, and his unique career journey, you can follow him on Instagram at @fernando_cattori and check out his personal website.

New episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 premiere Wednesdays on Prime Video.