'13 Reasons Why' Season 4: Who plays Winston? Meet Deaken Bluman and the rest of the cast of the final season
What had started off as Hannah Baker's 13 tapes exposing the people who contributed to her suicide, is now a full-fledged murder mystery in Netflix's '13 Reasons Why'. Jay Asher's book of the same name has gone beyond its narrative on the sensational series that is soon to premiere its fourth and final season, and while the number of episodes has been cut short from the customary 13 to a rounded 10, the list of newer characters only keeps on growing. But worry not, we have a comprehensive list of all the faces — both old and new — you should remember and reach out for when Season 4 premieres, with its plot surrounding Monty de la Cruz getting framed for Bryce Walker's murder. Monty's secret hookup Winston is Clay Jensen and his friends' new nemesis now, and here's all you need to know about the who's who of the plot.
Deaken Bluman as Winston
We met Winston back in Season 3, at a party Monty attended with Bryce. Winston's piercing gaze caught Monty's attention, and made him cave into his closeted gay urges. While Monty's sexuality wasn't defined, the fact that he beat up Winston while leaving the same party all because Winston suggested they get together again speaks for the stigma he is conditioned with. And considering Winston was the only person who told Monty the very second time they hooked up that he is completely okay with whoever Monty is, it's no secret that Winston would go on to become such a crucial part of unraveling the truth behind Monty getting framed.
Season 4 sees Winston on the prowl to bring Monty's crusaders to justice for framing him for a crime he didn't commit. Bluman, who plays the role, is known for his works in 'Fall Into Me' (2016) and 'Americana' (2017). The 23-year-old actor is a fan of swimming, martinis, and his gorgeous wife Elin.
Dylan Minnette as Clay Jensen
Clay has been the primary protagonist since the show's main character Hannah Baker's (Katherine Langford) role wrapped in Season 2. He was introduced as the innocent bystander in love with Hannah and unable to let her go until her rapist was put to justice. Season 3 saw him engulfed in the murder mystery of said rapist — Bryce Walker — which he and his friends framed Monty for, as one of their own — Alex Standall had shot Bryce and drowned him in the waterbody nearby.
Season 4 will see Clay spiraling under the secrets he's hiding as Winston works on bringing him and his friends to justice. Minnette who has been playing the role for four years now is known for appearing as a young Charlie Sheen in 'Two and a Half Men'. He has been acting since the age of seven, and along with an extensive filmography that includes high profile TV shows and music videos alike, he is also the singer/rhythm guitarist in the band The Narwhals.
Christian Navarro as Tony Padilla
Tony was Clay's openly-gay closest friend and the main element in delivering Hannah's tapes across the designated people after her death. Seasons 2 and 3 saw him work as Clay's closest ally, from helping Tyler Down escape the site of a school shooting he was about to orchestrate to having his family deported after the Walkers called ICE on them — Tony was also a prime suspect in Bryce's murder, because of his friendship with Hannah's mom.
In Season 4 he can be expected to help Clay once again keep yet another secret buried. The 28-year-old Navarro, who plays the role, is known for his work in the 2015 'Pretty Little Liars' spin-off 'Rosewood', the 2016 HBO series 'Vinyl', and the 2018 movie 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?'
Alisha Boe as Jessica Davis
Hannah Baker's new friend turned nemesis and shamer Jessica has been through quite the traumatic past; from Bryce forcing himself on her while she was drunk and unconscious to her reclaiming her sexuality and putting her assaulters to justice, Jessica became the in-campus leader of an assault-survivors club and went on to bury the truth about her ex-boyfriend Alex murdering Bryce.
As of Season 4, she is a prime suspect in framing Monty for the murder. The 23-year-old Boe, a Somalian-Norwegian actress, made her acting debut in 2008 in the horror film 'Amusement' and has since appeared alongside some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry in shows like 'Modern Family', 'Extent', and 'Ray Donovan'.
Brandon Flynn as Justin Foley
Justin's smile was the beginning of Hannah's crisis; their first date the biggest reason behind her life spiraling to its tragic aftermath. From a former heroin addict to allowing Bryce to rape his girlfriend (Jessica) and eventually being on the run for drug-related money, Justin has been a cardboard cutout for foster cases gone wrong. His beacon of hope was Clay's family who adopted him shortly before he turned 18 and gave him a shot at normal life.
But alas, he too contributed to Bryce's murder — by having ample motive and later, covering up for Alex too. Flynn has been playing the role since Season 1 and while most of you may know him as Sam Smith's ex-boyfriend and from his rumored romance with co-star Miles Heizer, the cutie with a killer smile graduated with a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from the Mason Gross School of the Arts, at Rutgers University in New Jersey. His other appearances include Season 3 of 'True Detective', and his film debut was the teen comedy 'Looks That Kill' (2020), where he played the lead role.
Grace Saif as Ani Achola
Introduced as the narrator and Clay Jensen's rather intrusive new classmate in Season 3, Ani was revealed to be Bryce's romantic interest later on. The character was slammed quite harshly online for being a rape apologist on Bryce's behalf as she claimed nobody else knew Bryce the way she did. But eventually, she turned sides and decided to help Clay's friends once they started dating, and now is complicit in the framing of Monty. Saif, a prolific theatre actress, had endured quite the backlash for her character in Season 3 — something that had led to her deleting her Instagram account. The 24-year-old actor is mostly known for her work in the 2000 series 'Doctors'.
Miles Heizer as Alex Standall
From trying to kill himself at the end of Season 1 to avenging Hannah's death and Jessica's trauma by killing Bryce in Season 3 — Alex has been through quite the whirlwind. Right now he is the prime accused in the case of framing Monty, and should the secrets come out, the cop's son runs the highest risk of facing prison time.
Heizer, 26, has been playing the role for four years now, and is also rumoured to have briefly dated co-star Brandon Flynn shortly after Season 1 debuted. His other acclaimed works include 'Nerve' (2016), 'Rails & Ties' (2007) and 'Love, Simon' (2018)
Timothy Granaderos Jr. as Monty de la Cruz
Monty was killed in prison shortly after getting incarcerated for the murder of his best friend, Bryce, but looks like Granaderos will resume the role for some menacing apparitions that his peers at Liberty High will hallucinate as Winston works to debunk the mystery behind Monty being framed.
The 33-year-old is known for his works in 'T@gged' (2016), and 'We Are Your Friends' (2015), and much like his '13 Reasons Why' persona, he also happens to be a standout soccer player and all-around athlete.
Justin Prentice as Bryce Walker
For an absolute sweetheart that he is in real life, Prentice plays the stereotypical a**hole without conscience on the Netflix teen drama. Bryce's crimes know no limits; from raping intoxicated girls and keeping their compromising photos as mementos to having the audacity to pretend he never did any wrong for the longest part he was alive, the coercive, manipulative antagonist's redemption was attempted in the final half of the third season, but clearly nobody fell for that.
With him dead now, most of Liberty High is screaming good riddance, more like, and that's a shame because Prentice is exactly the polar opposite of his on-screen persona. The 26-year old actor and producer is known for his works in the ABC sitcom 'Malibu Country' and the AMC series 'Preacher'.
'13 Reasons Why' Season 4 premieres on Friday, June 5, with all 10 episodes only on Netflix.