Michael Peña

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Michael Peña
Michael Peña 2014.jpg
Peña at the premiere of Fury in
Washington D.C, October 2014.
Born Michael Anthony Peña
(1976-01-13) January 13, 1976 (age 48)
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Occupation Actor
Years active 1994–present

Michael Anthony Peña (born January 13, 1976) is an American actor and musician. He has starred in many films, such as Crash (2004), World Trade Center (2006), Shooter (2007), Observe and Report (2009), Tower Heist (2011), End of Watch (2012), Gangster Squad (2013), American Hustle (2013), Fury (2014), Ant-Man (2015) and The Martian (2015).

Personal life

Peña was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Nicolasa, a social worker, and Eleuterio Peña, factory worker.[1][2] 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.[3][4][5] Peña is a Scientologist.[6]

Career

Though Peña has been a regular in independent productions since 1994, his breakthrough performances came in two Best Picture Oscar-winning Paul Haggis-penned films, Million Dollar Baby (2004) and Crash (2005). The former was helmed by Clint Eastwood, and the latter was directed by Haggis. 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 starred in the HBO film Walkout as 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, he played a mall security guard alongside Seth Rogen in Jody Hill's Observe and Report.

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.[7] He appeared alongside Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, and Jon Bernthal in the World War II-set action film Fury (2014),[8] and portrayed Luis in Ant-Man (2015).[9]

Peña also voiced the character Ricky in the FX animated comedy Chozen. He 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 but co-wrote the track, "Beast" which reached #26 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs Chart.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1996 My Fellow Americans Ernesto
1997 Star Maps Star Map Boy
1998 Boogie Boy Drug Dealer
1998 La Cucaracha Orderly
1999 Bellyfruit Oscar
2000 Gone in 60 Seconds Ignacio Credited as Michael A. Pena
2001 Buffalo Soldiers Garcia
2003 The United States of Leland Guillermo
2003 Love Object Ramirez
2004 The Calcium Kid Jose Mendez
2004 Crash Daniel ALMA Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Nominated – Gotham Award for Best Ensemble Cast
2004 Million Dollar Baby Omar
2005 Little Athens Carlos
2005 Sueño Jimmy
2006 Fifty Pills Eduardo
2006 Babel John - Border Patrol
2006 World Trade Center Will Jimeno Nominated – ALMA Award for Outstanding Actor - Motion Picture
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 Battle: Los Angeles Joe Rincon Nominated – ALMA Award for Favorite Movie Actor
2011 The Lincoln Lawyer Jesus Martinez
2011 The Good Doctor Jimmy
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
Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Latino Actor
2013 Gangster Squad Navidad Ramirez
2013 Turbo Tito Lopez (voice)
2013 American Hustle Paco Hernandez New York Film Critics Online Award for Best Ensemble
Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Acting Ensemble
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble
2014 Cesar Chavez César Chávez ALMA Award for Special Achievement in Film
Imagen Award for Best Actor in Feature Film
2014 Frontera Miguel
2014 Fury Trini 'Gordo' Garcia
2015 Ant-Man Luis
2015 The Vatican Tapes Father Lozano
2015 Vacation New Mexico Cop
2015 The Martian Major Rick Martinez
2015 Hell and Back Abigor (voice)
2016 War on Everyone Filming
2016 CHiPs Frank “Ponch” Poncherello Filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1996 Pacific Blue Rabbit Episode: "Bangers"
1997 Touched by an Angel Reynaldo Estes Episode: "At Risk"
1998 Homicide: Life on the Street Luis Carrenza 2 episodes
Credited as Michael Anthony Pena
1998 The Sentinel Johnny Episode: "Night Shift"
Credited as Michael A. Pena
1998 7th Heaven Roger Episode: "Let's Talk About Sex"
Credited as Michael A. Pena
1999 Moesha Alejandro Episode: "Life Imitating Art"
1999 Profiler Alex Lopez Episode: "Spree of Love"
Credited as Michael Anthony Peña
1999–2000 Felicity Brian Burke 5 episodes
2000 The District Sante Episode: "The Real Terrorist"
2001 Roswell Fly 2 episodes
2001 Men, Women & Dogs Miguel 2 episodes
2002 American Family 2 episodes
2002 Andy Richter Controls the Universe Patrick Episode: "Wedding"
2003 The Twilight Zone Noah Episode: "Sunrise"
Credited as Michael A. Peña
2003 ER Police Officer 3 episodes
1997, 2004 NYPD Blue Ferd
Wilmer Lopez
2 episodes
2005 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Juanito Concha Episode: "Snakes"
2005 The Shield Detective Armando Renta 10 episodes
2006 Walkout Sal Castro Movie
Black Reel Award for Network/Cable - Best Supporting Actor
Imagen Award for Best Actor - Television
Nominated – ALMA Award for Outstanding Actor - Television Series, Mini-Series or Television Movie
2008 My Name Is Earl Circus Episode: "No Heads and a Duffle Bag"
2010 Eastbound & Down Sebastián Cisneros 5 episodes
2011, 2013 American Dad! Marguerite (voice) 2 episodes
2014 Chozen Ricky (voice) 10 episodes
2014 Gracepoint Mark Solano 10 episodes

References

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  7. McNary, Dave. "Participant Marches With 'Chavez'." Variety. June 5, 2012.
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External links

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