Michael Peña

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Michael Peña
Peña in March 2012
Born
Michael Anthony Peña

(1976-01-13) January 13, 1976 (age 48)
Chicago, Illinois, United States
OccupationActor
Years active1994–present
SpouseBrie Shaffer (2006–present)

Michael Anthony Peña (born January 13, 1976) is an American film and television actor, and musician. He is best known for his roles in the films Crash (2004), World Trade Center (2006), Shooter (2007), Observe and Report (2009), 30 Minutes or Less (2011), Tower Heist (2011), End of Watch (2012) and Gangster Squad (2013).

Personal life

Peña was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Nicolasa, a social worker, and Eleuterio Peña, a button factory worker.[1][2][3] Peña's parents were originally farmers, and emigrated from Mexico; his father was from Villa Purificación, Jalisco, and his mother was from Charcas, San Luis Potosí.[4][5][6] Peña attended Hubbard High School in Chicago.[7] Peña and his wife, Brie Shaffer, welcomed their first child in September 2008, a boy named Roman.[8] He is a Scientologist.[9]

Career

Though Peña has been a regular in independent productions since 1994, his breakthrough performances came in 2004 in two Best Picture Oscar-winning Paul Haggis penned films, Million Dollar Baby and Crash. The latter was also directed by Haggis, while the former was helmed by Clint Eastwood. Though both films are critically acclaimed, Peña received attention for his particularly emotional performance in Crash. The following year, he appeared on the Golden Globe winning series, The Shield. In 2006, he starred in Oliver Stone's film based on the September 11, 2001 attacks, World Trade Center. He also had a small role in Alejandro González Iñárritu's Academy Award nominated and Golden Globe-winning film Babel. This gives him the rare distinction of having appeared in three consecutive Oscar nominated films. He also starred alongside Mark Wahlberg in Shooter (2007) as novice FBI agent Nick Memphis.

In 2006, Peña performed in the HBO film Walkout playing the part of Sal Castro, a Mexican-American high school teacher who inspires a group of East L.A. high school students to fight for Chicano rights.

In 2009, Peña played a mall security guard alongside Seth Rogen's character in Jody Hill's Observe and Report.[10]

In 2012, he co-starred with Jake Gyllenhaal as a Los Angeles police officer, in End of Watch. The same year, he began filming Chávez, a biopic about the life of American labor leader César Chávez, who founded the United Farm Workers. Peña stars as Chávez.[11] He will appear alongside Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, and Logan Lerman in the World War II-set action film Fury (2014).[12]

Peña also formed the Los Angeles rock band Nico Vega in 2005, which is named after his mother Nicolasa. He left the band in 2007 to concentrate on his acting career.

Filmography

Films

Year Title Role Notes
1994 Running Free Bunk
1996 My Fellow Americans Ernesto
1997 Star Maps Star Map Boy
1998 Boogie Boy Drug Dealer
1998 La Cucaracha Orderly
1999 Bellyfruit Oscar
1999 Paradise Cove Dan Running Horse
2000 Gone in 60 Seconds Ignacio Credited as Michael A. Pena
2001 Semper Fi Douglas Cepeda Television film
2001 Buffalo Soldiers Garcia
2003 The United States of Leland Guillermo
2003 Love Object Ramirez
2004 The Calcium Kid Jose Mendez
2004 Crash Daniel
2004 Million Dollar Baby Omar
2005 Untitled David Diamond/David Weissman Project Scott Television film
2005 Little Athens Carlos
2005 Sueño Jimmy
2006 Walkout Sal Castro Television film
2006 Fifty Pills Eduardo
2006 Babel John
2006 World Trade Center Will Jimeno
2007 Shooter Nick Memphis
2007 Lions for Lambs Ernest
2008 The Lucky Ones T.K. Poole
2009 Observe and Report Dennis
2009 My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? Detective Vargas
2010 Everything Must Go Frank Garcia
2011 The Good Doctor Jimmy
2011 Battle: Los Angeles Joe Rincon
2011 The Lincoln Lawyer Jesus Martinez
2011 30 Minutes or Less Chango
2011 Tower Heist Enrique Dev'reaux
2012 End of Watch Officer Zavala Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male
2013 Gangster Squad Navidad Ramirez
2013 Turbo Tito
2013 Chávez César Chávez Post-production
2013 Hell & Back Abigor Post-production
2013 American Hustle Paco Hernandez Post-production
2014 The Vatican Tapes Filming
2014 Frontera Post-production
2014 Fury Filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1996 Pacific Blue Rabbit Season 2: Episode 4: "Bangers"
1997 Touched by an Angel Reynaldo Estes Season 3: Episode 26: "At Risk"
1998 Homicide: Life on the Street Luis Carrenza Season 6: Episode 12: "Something Sacred: Part 1"
Season 6: Episode 13: "Something Sacred: Part 2"
Credited as Michael Anthony Pena
1998 The Sentinel Johnny Season 3: Episode 22: "Night Shift"
Credited as Michael A. Pena
1998 7th Heaven Roger Season 3: Episode 9: "Let's Talk About Sex"
Credited as Michael A. Pena
1999 Moesha Alejandro Season 4: Episode 12: "Life Imitating Art"
1999 Profiler Alex Lopez Season 3: Episode 15: "Spree of Love"
Credited as Michael Anthony Peña
1999–2000 Felicity Brian Burke Season 2: Episode 1–3
Season 2: Episode 8: "Family Affairs"
Season 2: Episode 16: "Revolutions"
2001 Roswell Fly Season 3: Episode 2: "Michael, the Guys, and the Great Snapple Caper"
Season 3: Episode 3: "Significant Others"
2001 Men, Women & Dogs Miguel Season 1: Episode 1: "Pilot"
Season 1: Episode 6: "Kibbles & Grits"
2002 American Family Season 1: Episode 7: "Crash Boom Love: Part 1"
Season 1: Episode 8: "Crash Boom Love: Part 2"
2002 Andy Richter Controls the Universe Patrick Season 1: Episode 6: "Wedding"
2003 The Twilight Zone Noah Season 1: Episode 43: "Sunrise"
Credited as Michael A. Peña
2003 ER Season 9: Episode 16: "A Thousand Cranes"
Season 9: Episode 21: "When Night Meets Day"
Season 10: Episode 9: "Missing"
1997–2004 NYPD Blue Ferd/Wilmer Lopez Season 4: Episode 16: "What a Dump!"
Season 11: Episode 14: "Colonel Knowledge"
2005 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Juanito Concha Season 5: Episode 12: "Snakes"
2005 The Shield Detective Armando Renta Season 4: Episode 2–11
2008 My Name Is Earl Circus Season 3: Episode 17: "No Heads and a Duffle Bag"
2010 Eastbound & Down Mr. Cisneros Season 2: Episode 2–4
Season 2: Episode 6: "Chapter 12"
Season 2: Episode 7: "Chapter 13"
2011 American Dad! Maguerite Season 7: Episode 1: "Hot Water"

References

  1. ^ Michael Peña article at E-Online
  2. ^ [1]
  3. ^ http://www.peopleenespanol.com/article/michael-pena-nunca-pense-en-hacer-telenovelas
  4. ^ http://matehualadelascameliasmiciudad.wordpress.com/2007/11/18/mike-pena-nacio-en-chicago-de-padres-mexicanos-su-madre-de-charcas/
  5. ^ Michael Pena has luck on his side: Article at Chicago Sun-Times
  6. ^ http://articles.latimes.com/2006/oct/01/entertainment/ca-pena1
  7. ^ Peña, Michael (2005). "Celebrity interview with Michael Peña". Celebrity (368): 8–11.
  8. ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0787294/bio
  9. ^ http://www.scientologynews.org/press-releases/celebrity-centre-international-43rd-anniversary.html
  10. ^ Observe and Report
  11. ^ McNary, Dave. "Participant Marches With 'Chavez'." Variety. June 5, 2012.
  12. ^ The Hollywood Reporter (May 14, 2013). "Michael Pena Boards David Ayer's Fury". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved May 15, 2013. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

External links

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