My creative journey has taken me from the East coast (where I trained at the Stella Adler Conservatory for Acting in NYC) to the West coast (where I trained at the Van Mar Academy of Motion Picture & Television Acting in LA) and back to northern New Jersey where I reside now with my wife and three children.
After college, I had been working as a Radiologic Technologist in NJ. I was dedicated to my work but felt something was missing and longed for a creative outlet. I started taking featured roles in feature films such as Jacob’s Ladder and Bullets Over Broadway.
Shortly thereafter, I landed a small role in Under Hellgate Bridge directed by Dominic Chianese. I couldn’t believe “Junior” from The Sopranos was directing me in the same film as Frank Vincent and Vincent Pastore, two actors I’d admired for 6 seasons.
For the next several years, I shot about a dozen films until my life was brought to another pivotal point. Filmmaker Bernardo Chilindron asked me to audition for a principal role in his film, Sacred Game. We took a meeting in his cozy home and discussed the film over a cup of coffee. Bernardo was looking for an actor who could play a particularly complex role in his project. Bernardo saw something in me that I hadn’t yet seen in myself and I booked it!
Landing a role in this project would place new demands on me as a person, an artist and an active member of the Latino community. I had been working consistently but this would be an opportunity to play a career-changing role opposite well-established actors. It was my first really big break.
Since Sacred Game, I’ve booked multiple television co-stars in hit series such as The Getdown, The Americans, Madam Secretary, Royal Pains, The Jim Gaffigan Show and Broad City.
I also booked lead and supporting roles in 18 short and feature films including Apocalypse: Hope for Life, Trafico, The Magnificent Raiders of Dimension War One, The Father’s Love and November Lies and Trash.
I made time to go back to the stage, my first love, and performed in several plays, including Guys and Dollswhere I was nominated for a Perry Award for Best Male Performance in a Musical for the role of Lane.
Some fun facts you may not know about me, I can drive a Tank, dance the Latin Hustle and perform Stand-Up Comedy – all at the same time J
Zig Ziglar once said, "Success occurs when opportunity meets preparation." Well, opportunities have continued to present themselves and this funny, lovable Latino fully embraces each and every challenge with hard work and deep gratitude.
Jose'