Guillermo Díaz (actor)
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| Guillermo Díaz | |
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| Born | March 22, 1975 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1994–present |
Guillermo Díaz (born March 22, 1975) is an American actor. He has starred in movies such as Half Baked (1998), 200 Cigarettes (1999) and Stonewall (1995).
Díaz has had several TV guest appearances on such shows as Chappelle's Show, Law & Order, Weeds and ER.
In 2006, he joined the cast of a series of improv-based commercials for Sierra Mist titled Mist Takes. A Spanish version of the advertisements began airing and the bilingual Díaz also starred in those with other Latino comedians.
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[edit] Early life and career
Diaz was born and grew up in Washington Heights, Manhattan, the son of Cuban-born parents. In 1994, Diaz landed his first speaking role as Spike in Boaz Yakin's Fresh. From there he began working on Party Girl as Leo, Parker Posey's roommate. His next role was a drag queen (La Miranda) in Nigel Finch's Stonewall. In 1996 Díaz worked in Jim McKay's Girls' Town as Dylan. After Girls' Town, Diaz appeared in I'm Not Rappaport.
Diaz played Paco de la Vega al Camino Cordoba Jose Cuervo Sanchez Rodriguez Jr., a high school gang member in High School High. He later appeared in Freeway as Flaco, another gang member. While in Los Angeles, Diaz did guest spots on ER and Party of Five.
After finishing work on the West Coast, he traveled back east to play a stoner named Eric in Brian Sloan's film I Think I Do. A similar role followed as Scarface in the film Half Baked. One of his co-stars was Dave Chappelle, who later cast him in several episodes of Chappelle's Show. In 1999 he landed a non-speaking role in 200 Cigarettes, and went on to act in both Ethan Hawke's directorial debut Chelsea Walls and the movie Just One Time, where as secondary characters one critic thought that he and Jennifer Esposito provided what little "comic spark" existed in the film.[1]
Díaz played Guillermo García Gómez, a drug dealer/trafficker, in seasons 2-6 of Showtime's series Weeds. In 2009, he starred on the NBC series Mercy, where his portrayal of the gay nurse Angel received negative criticism in online forums for being too flamboyant.[2] In 2010, he appeared in the thriller film Exquisite Corpse.[3]
After having portrayed several Mexican thugs (cholos), Díaz was cast in 2010 as a Latino gangster named Poh Boy in Cop Out. When asked about being typecast, he stated, "I [used to worry], but not really anymore. Now I’m just grateful that I’m working. I try to make everything different."[4]
In 2011, Diaz appeared alongside Britney Spears in her music video for her single "I Wanna Go" and took part in a scene referencing his character Scarface from Half Baked.[5]
[edit] Current career and personal life
Although his film career continues, he will be appearing regularly in the new ABC drama Scandal, which premieres on April 5, 2012.[6]
Diaz is openly gay, but told Out magazine that the fact that he grew up in a rough neighborhood made it necessary to hide his orientation. "That facade of being somebody I’m really not just to protect myself definitely helped with acting.”[7]
[edit] Filmography
- Cop Out (2010) - Poh Boy
- Evilution (2008) - Killah-B
- Harvest (2006) - Eugene Pitkin
- Shooting Vegetarians (2005) - Neil
- Dirty Love (2005) - Magician
- The Terminal (2004) - Bobby Alima
- Tony n' Tina's Wedding (2004) - Raphael
- Wasabi Tuna (2003) - Romeo
- Just One Time (1999) - Victor
- In Too Deep (1999) - Miguel Batista
- 200 Cigarettes (1999) - Dave
- Half Baked (1998) - Scarface
- Nowhere (1997) - Cowboy
- I'm Not Rappaport (1996) - J.C.
- High School High (1996) - Paco de la Vega al Camino Cordoba Jose Cuervo Sanchez Rodriguez Jr.
- Girls Town (1996) - Dylan
- Freeway (1996) - Flacco
- Stonewall (1995) - La Miranda
- Party Girl (1995) - Leo
- Fresh (1994) - Spike
[edit] Television work
- Scandal (2012) as Huck
- Love Bites (Pilot episode 2011)[8]
- Harry's Law episode: "The Fragile Beast" (2011) as Miguel
- No Ordinary Family episodes: "No Ordinary Vigilante", "No Ordinary Quake", "No Ordinary Visitors" and "No Ordinary Anniversary" (2010) as Detective Frank Cordero
- Royal Pains episode dog walker (2009)
- Mercy (2009)
- Criminal minds episode: "Brothers In Arms" (2008)
- Weeds 17 episodes (2006–2010)
- Sierra Mist commercial (2007)
- The Closer episode: "Four to Eight" (2007)
- The Shield episode (2004)
- Without a Trace episode (2004)
- Chappelle's Show, four episodes (2003–2004)
- Fidel (2002 TV movie) - Universo Sanchez
- Third Watch episode (2002)
- Touched by an Angel episode (2000)
- Law & Order episode (1999)
- The Sopranos episode: "Meadowlands" (1999)
- Party of Five episode (1995)
- ER episode (1995)
- Law & Order episode (1994)
[edit] Other work
- I Think I Do (1997) - Eric
- Mist-Takes series of television commercials for Sierra Mist (2006)
- Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix (2002 video game - Domingo Sanchez
- Poor Paul 2 episodes (2009) ... Aaron
- Britney Spears - "I Wanna Go" (music video) (2011) - cyborg
[edit] References
- ^ The New York Times Film Reviews 1999-2000 by New York Times Theater Reviews
- ^ OUT Magazine Interview "Guillermo Díaz: Angel of Mercy"
- ^ A Trailer and Artwork For an Exquisite Corpse
- ^ Ryan, Kyle (Feb. 28, 2010). "Random Roles: Guillermo Diaz". The A.V. Club. http://www.avclub.com/articles/guillermo-diaz,38591/. Retrieved Jun. 4, 2011. "AVC: Do you worry that you’re getting too many of these roles, like, “Oh hey, another Mexican thug!” GD: At first when I read the script, I was like, “Oh God, another one? What the fuck am I gonna do to make this shit different?” [Laughs.]"
- ^ I Wanna Go music video
- ^ [1]
- ^ OUT Magazine Interview "Guillermo Díaz: Angel of Mercy"
- ^ Nostalgia hits the small screen South Coast Today Kevin McDonough June 02, 2011
