Raymond Cruz
Cruz in 2015
Born (1964-09-10) September 10, 1964
NationalityAmerican
EducationEast Los Angeles College
OccupationActor
Years active1987–present

Raymond Cruz (born September 10, 1964)[1] is an American actor, best known for his starring role as Detective Julio Sanchez in the series The Closer and its spinoff Major Crimes,[2] as well as his recurring role as drug lord Tuco Salamanca in the crime drama Breaking Bad and its prequel series Better Call Saul.

Early life

Cruz, who is of Mexican descent, grew up in East Los Angeles, California, in a neighborhood that regularly saw gang activity, and had relatives in such street gangs as Maravilla and Barrio South Gate.[3] In an interview with The Daily Beast, Cruz stated he witnessed someone shot in front of him when he was 12 years old, noting that "his brains came out the back of his head."[3] For his portrayal of Tuco Salamanca, he was able to relate to his experiences witnessing people who were high on meth.[3]

Cruz has said that becoming interested in American literature early in life helped him avoid joining such gangs himself. His favorite novel is Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.[4][5][3] He attended East Los Angeles College.[6]

Career

Cruz's film roles include sniper Ding Chavez in Clear and Present Danger, Hector in Out For Justice, Tom Berenger's second-in-command Joey Six in The Substitute, U.S. Marine Sergeant Rojas in The Rock, as Jesus in From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money, USM Private Vincent DiStephano in Alien Resurrection, and Ramirez in Under Siege. He appeared as Chuey, a gang member from the Vatos Locos, in the gang film Blood In Blood Out. In 2005, he played Chino in Havoc. He appeared in Gremlins 2: The New Batch, credited as "The Messenger," and in Training Day as a gang member named Sniper. He played a Los Angeles firefighter in Collateral Damage. He had guest roles in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "The Siege of AR-558", The X-Files episode "El Mundo Gira", and the second season of 24. He also made an appearance as the father of a murdered girl in CSI. He played Det Julio Sanchez for the entire seven season run of The Closer and continued in that role for all six seasons of the spin-off Major Crimes. He played a short-lived but well-known role as Tuco Salamanca, a sadistic and psychotic meth dealer in Breaking Bad in 2008 and 2009, a role he reprised in the first two seasons of the Breaking Bad spin-off, Better Call Saul. He had a recurring role as Paco on My Name Is Earl, and as Alejandro Perez on Nip/Tuck.

Personal life

Cruz is married to fellow actress Simi Mehta whom he co-starred with on The X-Files in the episode "El Mundo Gira".[7]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1987 Maid to Order Sam
1988 Twice Dead Gang Member
1989 I Know My First Name Is Steven Punk
1990 Gremlins 2: The New Batch The Messenger
Cold Dog Soup Gang Member
1991 Prison Stories: Women on the Inside Montoya Television film
Dead Again Store Clerk
Out for Justice Hector
Fallen Angels Diego Television film
1992 Man Trouble Balco
Nails Paco Sanchez Television film
Judgement Cyclone
Under Siege Ramirez
1993 Blood In Blood Out Chuey
When the Party's Over Mario
1994 Dead Badge Tomas Gomez
Clear and Present Danger Ding Chavez
Dragstrip Girl Doogie Television film
1995 Operation Dumbo Drop Staff Sergeant Adams Uncredited
1996 The Substitute Joey "Six"
The Rock Sergeant Rojas Uncredited
Up Close & Personal Fernando Buttanda
Broken Arrow USAF Lieutenant Colonel Uncredited
1997 Last Stand at Saber River Manuel Television film
Alien Resurrection Private Vincent DiStephano
1998 Playing Patti
1999 From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money Jesus
The Last Marshal T-Boy
2000 Blood Money Gutierrez Television film
2001 Training Day Sniper
2002 Collateral Damage Junior
2004 Just Hustle Spanish Professor
My Name is Modesty Raphael Garcia
2005 Havoc Chino
Brothers in Arms Reverend
2006 10 Tricks Sal
2015 Cleveland Abduction Ariel Castro Television film
2019 The Curse of La Llorona Rafael Olvera
2020 Wander Luis Santiago
2021 Blue Miracle Hector
2023 Medellin El Diablo

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1988 Beauty and the Beast Hal Episode: "Down to a Sunless Sea"
Cagney & Lacey Alonzo Episode: "Land of the Free"
CBS Schoolbreak Special Angel Perez Episode: "Gangs"
Vietnam War Story Diaz Episode: "Separated"
Knots Landing Van Driver, Young Man 2 episodes
1989 A Nightmare on Drug Street Felipe Short Film
1990 Hunter Tomas Delgado Episode: "La Familia"
Freddy's Nightmares Johnny "Mac" McFarland Episode: "Life Sentence"
Matlock Alien Worker Episode: "The Cookie Monster"
Lifestories Episode: "Frank Brody"
China Beach Lopez Episode: "One Small Step"
1993 Murder, She Wrote José "Joseph" Galvan Episode: "Double Jeopardy"
1995 The Marshal Rossiter Episode: "The Ballad of Lucas Burke"
Walker, Texas Ranger Sergeant Perez Episode: "Case Closed"
1995–2000 NYPD Blue Raoul / Rico 2 episodes
1995–2000 The Eddie Files Johnny 16 episodes
1997 The X-Files Eladio Buente Episode: "El Mundo Gira"
Cracker MacCormick Episode: "'Tis Pity She's a Whore"
413 Hope St. Rico Episode: "Lost Boys and Gothic Girls"
1998 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Vargas Episode: "The Siege of AR-558"
The Practice Miguel Moreno Episode: "Truth and Consequences"
1999 Seven Days Rodriguez Episode: "Daddy's Girl"
2000 Strange World Rinaldo Molina Episode: "Man Plus"
Seven Days Teo Millar Episode: "The Cuban Missile"
Harsh Realm Sergeant Escalante 2 episodes
2002 Robbery Homicide Division Jesus "Termite" Rosales Episode: "City of Strivers"
Boomtown Ruben Episode: "Crash"
2002–2003 The Division Roland / Ray Sanchez 3 episodes
2003–2011 CSI: Miami Martin Medesto / Marcos Trejo 2 episodes
2003 24 Rouse 2 episodes
2003–2008 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Miguel Durado / Donald Balboa 2 episodes
2003–2006 Nip/Tuck Alejandro Perez 2 episodes
2005–2012 The Closer Detective Julio Sanchez 105 episodes
2007–2008 My Name Is Earl Paco 5 episodes
2007 Day Break Luis Torres 2 episodes
2008 Ylse Jesse
2008–2009 Breaking Bad Tuco Salamanca 4 episodes
2011 Los Americans Memo 7 episodes
2012 White Collar Enrico Morales Episode: "Most Wanted"
2012–2018 Major Crimes Julio Sanchez 105 episodes
2013 Lauren Martinez 3 episodes; Web series
2015–2016 Better Call Saul Tuco Salamanca 3 episodes
2016 The Eric Andre Show Himself Episode: "Raymond Cruz; Amber Rose"
2018 Get Shorty Swayze 2 episodes
2019 Madam Secretary President Mateo Sandino Sr. Episode: Something Better
2023 Mayans M.C. Smokey

References

  1. ↑ "Today in History". AP News. September 10, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2023. Actor Raymond Cruz is 57.
  2. ↑ Bryant, Adam (August 12, 2012). "TNT Says Goodbye to The Closer, Hello to Major Crimes". TV Guide. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Stern, Marlow (April 17, 2017). "Raymond Cruz's Journey From the Gang Violence of East L.A. to 'Better Call Saul's' Tuco Salamanca". The Daily Beast. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  4. ↑ Herzog, Kenny (February 10, 2015). "Raymond Cruz on Better Call Saul, Re-Capturing Tuco, and Breaking Bones". Esquire. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  5. ↑ Fontana, Christine (April 30, 2015). "Cruz Control". New Orleans Living Magazine.
  6. ↑ Bentley, Rick (April 19, 2019). "Raymond Cruz Felt Real Connection to 'La Llorona'". The Brownsville Herald. p. B6.
  7. ↑ Fontana, Christine (April 30, 2015). "Cruz Control". New Orleands Living. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
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