Jennifer Lopez's Onscreen Husband Rodrigo Santoro in What to Expect (original) (raw)

In real life, Jennifer Lopez seems happier than ever with her boyfriend, Casper Smart, but in the new film What to Expect When You’re Expecting, she’s finding romance with Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro.

“She was great,” Santoro tells PEOPLE about his costar. “We both have the Latin background which helps a lot. I think we had a lot in common and her attitude was really cool.”

“She was really professional and at the same time [she] had a good time,” Santoro adds. “We had a great time doing it.”

Here are five things to know about J.Lo’s on-screen husband before the romantic comedy hits theaters on May 18:

1. He’s worked with J.Lo before!
A few years ago, Santoro posed with Lopez in a photo shoot for Vanity Fair recreating West Side Story. “It was one afternoon and I didn’t have a chance to really chat and get to know her,” he says. But, upon their second meeting, “She was just very down to earth and extremely generous.”

2. He’s on the market – and wants kids!
He saw his famous costar playing with her twins Max and Emme on the Atlanta set of What to Expect. (“She is great as a mother,” he says.) Santoro, who is currently single, is open to having a family of his own someday. “I think it will be great when it happens,” he says. “But it hasn’t happened yet!” As for what he’s looking for in a girlfriend, “There isn’t a type,” he says. “I think it’s about how you feel about a person and how attracted you are. There is not an exact formula.”

3. He’s sporty
While he loves all sports, “I’m really into surfing,” says the ripped Rio-born actor, who rides the waves whenever he can. “And soccer is a big part of the Brazilian culture – it’s in the DNA – so we grow up playing. Surfing is something I started late, and then it’s just a passion. I really love it. It’s like therapy.”

4. He’s multilingual
Need a traveling buddy? Santoro’s your man. Growing up in Brazil, he speaks fluent Portuguese, and learned Spanish and English for work. Plus, his dad is Italian, so he can understand the language, too. “I like to travel and get to know different cultures,” he says. “I think it just expands my mind and my point of view of things.”

5. He’s a dog lover
His busy schedule makes it tough to spend time at home, so to stay connected he brings along photos of his dogs, Pia, a labrador retriever, and Athos, a golden retriever. “They actually live with my parents because I can’t take care of them when I’m not there,” he says. “But it doesn’t mater how long I’m apart, whenever I’m back they totally remember me!”