Luis Guzmán

Luis Guzmán (born August 28, 1956) is a Puerto Rican-American actor, who is known for his character work. For much of Guzmán's career, he has played character roles largely as sidekicks, thugs, or policemen.
Guzmán is a favorite of director Steven Soderbergh, who cast him in Out of Sight, The Limey, and Traffic, and Paul Thomas Anderson, who cast him in Boogie Nights, Magnolia and Punch-Drunk Love. He also voiced Ricardo Diaz in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He recently starred in the HBO original series How to Make It in America and the Netflix series Narcos. He currently stars in the CBS medical drama Code Black, where he portrays 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.

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. He began working as a social worker and moonlighted as an actor, eventually becoming heavily involved in street theater and independent films.

Guzmán at the 2009 premiere of Whatever Works.

Guzman's numerous movie credits include Carlito's Way, Carlito's Way: Rise to Power, Welcome to Collinwood, Stonewall, Waiting..., The Salton Sea, and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. 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. He also appeared in the music video "Yes We Can." He recently starred in HBO's How to Make It in America.

Guzmán currently resides in Sutton, Vermont. His children include Cemi Guzman, Yoruba Briggs-Guzman, Yemaya Briggs-Guzman, Luna Guzman, and Margarita Briggs-Guzman.

Film

Television series

Video games

Music videos