Luis Guzman

Luis Guzmán is a Puerto Rican actor whose screen career spans over forty years. He is widely recognized for his feature film collaborations with directors Paul Thomas Anderson and Steven Soderbergh, alongside extensive work across television, independent films, and voice acting. For his performance in the 1999 film The Limey, he received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male.

Guzmán was born in Cayey, Puerto Rico, and raised on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. His mother worked in a hospital, while his stepfather was a television repair technician. After attending Seward Park High School, Guzmán earned a degree from the City College of New York. He initially worked as a youth counselor at the Henry Street Settlement social service organization. During this period, he began acting on the side, participating in street theater and independent film projects.

Following personal hardship and a desire to leave social work, Guzmán pursued acting as a full-time profession. His film career grew with appearances in notable productions such as Q & A, The Hard Way, Carlito's Way, Snake Eyes, Stonewall, The Salton Sea, Welcome to Collinwood, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Waiting..., and Keanu. His work with Paul Thomas Anderson includes Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and Punch-Drunk Love, while his projects with Steven Soderbergh include Out of Sight, The Limey, and Traffic.

On television, Guzmán has held prominent recurring and starring roles. He portrayed Raoul Hernandez on the HBO prison drama Oz, José Gonzalo Rodríguez Gacha on Narcos, and Jesse "Mama" Salander on Code Black. He also played Alejandro "Guapo" Villabuena in Godfather of Harlem, Hector Contreras in Perpetual Grace, LTD, and Gomez Addams in Wednesday. Additional television credits include guest roles on Homicide: Life on the Street and Frasier, a self-depicting appearance on Community, a main role in the comedy series Luis, and a starring role in John from Cincinnati.

Beyond live-action narrative roles, Guzmán voiced the character Ricardo Diaz in the video games Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He has appeared as a commentator on several VH1 pop-culture retrospective series, including I Love the '80s and related programs. His screen work also encompasses commercial appearances, such as television campaigns for Cabot Creamery, Snickers ads during the 2010 Super Bowl, and a role in the music video "Yes We Can."

Guzmán married Angelita Galarza in 1985, and the couple resides in Cabot, Vermont. They raised four children—Cemí, Clara, Margarita, and Luna—and their youngest daughter, Yamaya, works as a social media content creator. Outside of acting, Guzmán endorsed Bernie Sanders during the 2016 U.S. presidential election and participated in relief efforts following Hurricane Maria on the television show Bar Rescue.