Wade Dominguez

Wade Dominguez (May 10, 1966 – August 26, 1998) was an American actor, model, singer, and dancer best known for his role as Emilio Ramírez in Dangerous Minds.

Early life

Dominguez was born in Santa Clara County, California in 1966, and graduated from Live Oak High School, Morgan Hill.

Career

He moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career and enrolled in classes taught by former Oscar-Nominee Jeannie Berlin. Berlin's mother, Elaine May, was so impressed with Dominguez's work in class, that she began recommending him for roles. While he was on modeling duties in Italy, Domínguez landed a small acting role in an American soap opera. His first real role in a movie came in 1994 when he appeared in an erotic film called Erotique directed by Lizzie Borden, that focused on female phone sex workers. In 1995, Dominguez landed a role in the box office hit Dangerous Minds as a troubled teenager in school who is caught up with drugs, violence, and gang troubles in the ghetto and ultimately killed.

Following the success of Dangerous Minds, Dominguez next played the role of a thief in City of Industry. He also had a lead role as a rookie policeman in The Taxman and a supporting role in Shadow of Doubt, where he played opposite Melanie Griffith and Tom Berenger, as a hip-hop artist who is accused of murder.

Death

On August 26, 1998, Dominguez died of respiratory failure at Midway Hospital in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 32.