A kid from the Bronx is one of the stars of Netflix's newest hit series "13 Reasons Why." 

Christian Navarro told News 12 he was in 10th grade when he told his dad he wanted to drop out of school to become an actor.

A performing arts school in Manhattan and a Bachelor of fine arts degree from Rutgers University later, Navarro landed the role of Tony Padilla on the hit show. 

"A lot of what attracted me to the role and to the novel and to the script, was that I know my sisters have struggled with a lot of this in their own life," Navarro said. "They've been bullied, they've had to deal with all of these pressures that come along with being a 21st century teenager."

The show provides dark insight into sexual assault, bullying and suicide, which has sparked controversy from parents and teachers across the country. 

Navarro says he hopes the show encourages people to talk about these tough issues