Luis Guzmán
Luis Guzmán (born October 22, 1956) is a Puerto Rican actor. His career spans over forty years and includes dozens of films and television shows.
Luis Guzmán | |
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![]() Guzmán in February 2012 at the French premiere of Journey 2: The Mysterious Island | |
Born | |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1976–present |
Spouse(s) | Angelita Galarza (m. 1985) |
Children | 5 |
Guzmán starred in Steven Soderbergh's films Out of Sight, The Limey and Traffic. He was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his performance in The Limey. He also starred in Paul Thomas Anderson's films, Boogie Nights, Magnolia and Punch-Drunk Love. He starred in the HBO original series How to Make It in America and the Netflix series Narcos. He also starred in the CBS medical drama Code Black, where he portrayed senior nurse Jesse "Mama" Salander. He also co-starred on Cameron Crowe's Roadies, a comedy-drama on Showtime, as Gooch, a seasoned crew tour bus driver.
Early life
Guzmán was born in Cayey, Puerto Rico, and was raised in New York City's Greenwich Village and the surrounding Lower East Side neighborhood. His mother, Rosa, was a hospital worker, and his stepfather, Benjamin Cardona, was a TV repairman.[1] Guzmán began his career as a social worker and moonlighted as an actor, eventually becoming heavily involved in street theater and independent films.[2]
Career

Guzman's numerous movie credits include Carlito's Way, Carlito's Way: Rise to Power, Punch-Drunk Love, Welcome to Collinwood, Stonewall, Waiting..., The Salton Sea, and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.[3][4] He has also appeared on the TV shows Homicide: Life on the Street, Frasier and Oz and had a role in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and its prequel Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. Guzmán starred in the short-lived 2003 television comedy Luis, and is a commentator on VH1's I Love the '80s, as well as I Love Toys and its sequels, including I Love the '70s and I Love the '90s. He co-starred on the canceled 2007 HBO series John from Cincinnati.
In early 2008, Guzmán starred in "Naturally Aged Cheddar Hunks" TV ads for Cabot Creamery.[5] He also appeared in the music video "Yes We Can." In 2010, he starred in HBO's How to Make It in America and appeared in a comical series of Snickers commercials that played during that year's Superbowl.[6][7]
Personal life
Guzmán resides in Cabot, Vermont.[8] He and his wife Angelita Galarza have five children.[9]
Guzmán endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders for President in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.[10]
During Telegramgate, Guzmán was interviewed by MSNBC, for his opinions on the situation in Puerto Rico and he expressed that 'Ricky had to go' and that corruption on the island was a major issue that he hoped would be solved.[11]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1977 | Short Eyes | Prisoner | |
1983 | Variety | Jose | |
1986 | Seven Women, Seven Sins | Lotto Man | |
No Picnic | Arroyo | ||
1987 | Heartbeat | Gang Member #2 | |
*batteries not included | Bystander | Uncredited | |
1988 | Crocodile Dundee II | Jose | |
1989 | True Believer | Ortega | |
Rooftops | Martinez | ||
Black Rain | Frankie | ||
Family Business | Julio Torres | ||
1990 | Q&A | Detective Valentin | |
1991 | The Hard Way | Det. Benny Poole, NYPD | |
McBain | Papo | ||
1992 | Jumpin' at the Boneyard | Taxi Driver | |
To Catch a Killer | Waiter | Television film Uncredited | |
Quiet Killer | Adelaido Ortiz | Television film | |
In The Shadow of a Killer | Louis Velazquez | Television film | |
Innocent Blood | Morales | ||
Empire City | Unnamed Character | Television film | |
1993 | Guilty as Sin | Detective Martinez | |
Double Deception | Ronald Sharkey | Television film | |
Naked in New York | Auditioner | ||
Mr. Wonderful | Juice | ||
Carlito's Way | Pachanga | ||
1994 | The Cowboy Way | Chango | |
The Burning Season | Estate Boss | Television film | |
Hand Gun | Rick | ||
El vagabundo con suerte | Luis | ||
1995 | Lotto Land | Ricki | |
Stonewall | Vito | ||
1996 | The Substitute | Rem | |
On Seventh Avenue | Eddie Diaz | Television film | |
1997 | The Brave | Luis | |
Pronto | Buck Torres | Television film | |
Boogie Nights | Maurice TT Rodriguez | Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Cast Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | |
1998 | Out of Sight | Chino | |
Snake Eyes | Cyrus | ||
One Tough Cop | Gunman Papi | ||
King of New York | Unnamed Character | Television film | |
1999 | Mind Prey | Det. Black | Television film |
The Limey | Eduardo Roel | Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male | |
The Bone Collector | Eddie Ortiz | ||
Magnolia | Luis | Awards Circuit Community Awards Best Cast Ensemble Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Cast Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | |
2000 | Luckytown | Jimmy | |
Thin Air | Chollo | Television film | |
Traffic | Ray Castro | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | |
Table One | Xavier | ||
2001 | Double Whammy | Juan Benitez | |
Sam the Man | Murray | ||
Home Invaders | Peligro | ||
2002 | The Count of Monte Cristo | Jacopo | |
The Salton Sea | Quincy | ||
Punch-Drunk Love | Lance | Imagen Award Best Supporting Actor | |
Welcome to Collinwood | Cosimo | ||
The Adventures of Pluto Nash | Felix Laranga | ||
2003 | Confidence | Officer Omar Manzano | |
Anger Management | Lou | ||
Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd | Ray | ||
Runaway Jury | Jerry Hernandez | Uncredited | |
2004 | Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events | Bald Man | |
2005 | Dreamer | Balon | |
Carlito's Way: Rise to Power | Nacho Reyes | ||
Waiting... | Raddimus | ||
2006 | Disappearances | Brother St. Hilaire | |
Fast Food Nation | Benny | ||
School for Scoundrels | Sergeant Moorehead | ||
Hard Luck | Million Dollar Mendez | ||
Lolo's Cafe | Lolo | Voice; Television film | |
2007 | Maldeamores | Ismael | Imagen Award for Best Actor |
War | Benny | ||
Cleaner | Detective Vargas | ||
2008 | Chicano Blood | Mexican Mule 1 | |
Beverly Hills Chihuahua | Chucho | Voice | |
I Kicked Luis Guzman in the Face | Luis | Short film | |
Nothing like the Holidays | Johnny | ||
Yes Man | Jumper | Uncredited | |
2009 | He's Just Not That Into You | Javier | Uncredited |
Still Waiting... | Raddimus | ||
Fighting | Martinez | ||
The Taking of Pelham 123 | Phil Ramos | Nominated—ALMA Award for Best Supporting Actor | |
Old Dogs | Nick | Uncredited | |
2011 | Arthur | Bitterman | |
The Caller | George | ||
Rise of the Damned | Ramon | ||
2012 | Journey 2: The Mysterious Island | Gabato Laguatan | |
Counter Culture | Alonzo | Television film | |
Departure Date | Frank | Short film | |
2013 | The Last Stand | Mike Figuerola | |
Turbo | Angelo | Voice | |
We're the Millers | Mexican Cop | ||
2014 | Two Men in Town | Terence | |
In the Blood | Chief Ramón Garza | ||
The Lookalike | Vincent | ||
Henry & Me | Lefty Gomez | Voice | |
Top Five | Himself | ||
Reclaim | Superintendent | ||
2015 | Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha | Farmer | |
Ana Maria in Novela Land | Licenciado Schmidt | ||
Puerto Ricans in Paris | Luis | Executive producer | |
2016 | Keanu | Bacon | |
The Do-Over | Jorge | ||
2017 | Aztec Warrior | Aztec Warrior | Executive producer |
Sandy Wexler | Oscar | ||
Literally, Right Before Aaron | Federico | ||
The Duck | Leonard | Short film Post-production | |
9/11 | Eddie | ||
2018 | The Padre | Gaspar | |
Belleville Cop | Ricardo Garcia | ||
2019 | Hold On | Pastor Rivera | [12] |
TBD | Bread and Games | Martin | Pre-production |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1985 | The Equalizer | Gypsy Cabbie | Episode: "The Lock Box" |
1985–86 | Miami Vice | Goon #1 / Miguel Revilla | 2 episodes |
1990 | Hunter | Carlos Delgado | Episode: "La Familia" |
1991 | Monsters | Luis | Episode: "Desirable Alien" |
Law & Order | Cesar Pescador | Episode: "Heaven" | |
1992 | Civil Wars | Hector Rodriguez | Episode: "Tape Fear" |
1993 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Lorenzo Molera | Episode: "Son of a Gun" |
Walker, Texas Ranger | Gomez | Episode: "Storm Warning" | |
NYPD Blue | Hector Martinez | 2 episodes | |
1994 | seaQuest DSV | General Guzmano | Episode: "The Good Death" |
1995 | House of Buggin | Various | 10 episodes |
1995–96 | New York Undercover | Joaquin / Det. Lopez | 2 episodes |
1998 | Early Edition | John Hernandez | Episodes: "The Quality of Mercy" |
Michael Hayes | Santos | Episodes: "Vaughn Mowery" | |
1998–2001 | Oz | Raoul "El Cid" Hernandez | 12 episodes |
2002 | Frasier | George | Episode: "Enemy at the Gate" |
2003 | Luis | Luis Cortez | 9 episodes |
2007 | John from Cincinnati | Ramon Gaviota | 10 episodes |
2010–11 | How to Make It in America | Rene Calderon | 16 episodes NAMIC Visions Awards Best Performance in a Comedy |
2011 | Community | Himself | Episode: "Documentary Filmmaking: Redux" |
2013 | Republic of Doyle | Charles Alomar | Episode: "The Devil Inside" |
2014 | Mind Games | Nate | 3 episodes |
2015–18 | Code Black | Jesse Salander | 47 episodes |
2015 | Narcos | José Gonzalo Rodríguez Gacha | 6 episodes |
2016 | Roadies | Gooch | 3 episodes as of mid season |
2018 | The Untitled Action Bronson Show | Himself | Episode: "An Australian Surprise and Luis Guzmán" |
Bar Rescue | Himself | Episode: "Operation: Puerto Rico" | |
2019 | Shameless | Mikey O’Shea - Hobo Loco Contestant | 3 Episodes |
Perpetual Grace, LTD | Hector Contreras | Main role | |
Godfather of Harlem | Alejandro "El Guapo" Villabuena | 3 Episodes | |
2020 | The Eric Andre Show | Himself | Episode: "Named After My Dad's P*nis" |
Video games
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2002 | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | Ricardo Díaz | Voice |
2006 | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories | ||
2011 | Gangstar Rio: City of Saints | Fumo |
Music videos
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2002 | "Undisputed" | Prisoner | |
2013 | "Gorilla" | Strip zoo owner | |
2017 | "1-800-273-8255" | Track coach | |
2018 | "Está Rico" | Gambler |
See also
References
- "Luis Guzman Biography (1957?-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
- "Luis Guzman Biography". Star Pulse. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
- "Actor Luis Guzmán had a very different job before Hollywood. He drew on it for 'Hold On.'". NBC News.
- Desk, BWW News. "Based On A True Story, Independent Film HOLD ON Opens 12/06". BroadwayWorld.com.
- Swansburg, John "Cheese Puff" Slate.com (January 18, 2008). Retrieved on May 1, 2008.
- "Snickers Ad Starring Luis Guzmán from Super Bowl 2020 Ads". E! News.
- "Snickers TV Commercial, '#SnickersFixedTheWorld: Online Date' Featuring Luis Guzman". iSpot.tv.
- "Legislative Documents". Leg.state.vt.us. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
- "Puerto Rican actor Luis Guzman Marriage life; Adopted Four Children". marriedwiki.com.
- "Bernie Sanders campaign taps Rosario Dawson, Luis Guzman to woo Latino voters in LA". Los Angeles Daily News. May 26, 2016.
- "Luis Guzman on Ricardo Rossello and protests in San Juan". MSNBC.com. 21 July 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
- https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/actor-luis-guzm-n-had-very-different-job-hollywood-he-n1097001
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Luis Guzmán. |
- Luis Guzmán at IMDb
- Luis Guzmán on Twitter