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Yul Vazquez

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Yul Vazquez
Vázquez at American Gangster NYC premiere on October 19, 2007
Born (1965-03-18) March 18, 1965 (age 59)
Cuba
Occupation(s)Actor, musician
Years active1981–present
Spouse
​
(m. 2002)​

Yul Vazquez (born March 18, 1965) is a Cuban-American actor and musician. He has appeared in Runaway Bride (1999), Bad Boys II (2003), War of the Worlds (2005), American Gangster (2007), The A-Team (2010), Captain Phillips (2013), The Infiltrator (2016), Midnight, Texas (2017–2018), Russian Doll (2019), Severance (2022), and Hotel Cocaine (2024). Vazquez used to be the lead guitarist for melodic rock bands Urgent and Diving for Pearls.

Early life

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Vazquez was born in Cuba on March 18, 1965[1] and came to the United States with his family as part of the Cuban Exodus in 1971.[2] He was named after Russian actor Yul Brynner.[3] He grew up in Miami in a studio apartment with his mother, grandmother and older sister, thus being the youngest as well as the only boy in the household. His mother encouraged him in the arts, often taking him to the theater where she worked, and she bought him his first drum set and camera.[2]

Acting career

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Vazquez started his acting career with filler parts in his mother's plays, which led to discovery by an agent who encouraged him to go to acting school. In the 80s, he was lead guitarist for two Billboard-charted rock bands. His musical skills led him to land the part of Flaco in the 1992 film The Mambo Kings.[2]

Vazquez went on to numerous film and television projects. With over 40 film credits, other highlights include roles in six time Oscar nominee Captain Phillips (2013), The A-Team (2010) with Liam Neeson, John Sayles's Amigo, Steven Soderbergh’s two-part epic Che (2008), The Take (2008), American Gangster, Music Within (2007), War of the Worlds (2005), Bad Boys II (2003), Traffic and Runaway Bride (1999).[4] He has also been in Kill the Messenger starring Jeremy Renner and directed by Michael Cuesta; Anesthesia; and The Cobbler, opposite Adam Sandler, Dustin Hoffman and Steve Buscemi.

In television, he has had many guest and recurring roles. In Lifetime's series The Lottery he starred as President Thomas Westwood and as The Reverend Emilio Sheehan in the NBC series Midnight, Texas. He was a regular for both seasons of the Starz drama Magic City, where he portrayed Victor Lazaro, general manager of the Miramar Playa. Additionally, he has recurred in other television series, as Pedro in FX's Louie, as Christian in CBS's The Good Wife and as Det. Anthony Nikolich on the HBO television series Treme. In the streaming world, he has had recurring roles in several hit shows including Netflix's Russian Doll, and Apple TV+'s Severance.

Vazquez is a founding member of the LAByrinth Theater Company and served two terms as co-artistic director with Stephen Adly Guirgis and Mimi O'Donnell in New York City. Vazquez starred on Broadway in the Tony nominated The Motherfucker with the Hat opposite Chris Rock. For his portrayal of the eccentric Cousin Julio, he received nominations for a Drama Desk Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award and a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.[5] Additional theater credits include The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (The Public Theater) opposite Sam Rockwell, directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman,[6] Terrence McNally's Stendhal Syndrome,[7] Primary Stages with Isabella Rossellini and Richard Thomas, and The Floating Island Plays (Mark Taper Forum).

Music career

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Prior to starting his acting career, Vazquez was the lead guitar player for East Coast Album-oriented rock (AOR) bands Urgent and Diving For Pearls.[8] Urgent landed a minor hit with their single "Running Back" which reached #79 on the Billboard Hot 100. A second single from their Cast The First Stone debut album, "Love Can Make You Cry", was re-recorded for the Iron Eagle soundtrack. Urgent broke up in 1987 after the lackluster success of their sophomore album, Thinking Out Loud.

Following the demise of Urgent, Vazquez joined Diving for Pearls, whose eponymous debut album was issued by Epic/Sony Music in 1989. The group was dropped by the label before a second album could be completed due to the musical climate changing in the early 1990s as melodic hard rock fell out of favor in the U.S.[4]

In 2009, Vazquez played acoustic guitar with Ian Astbury of The Cult under the name The Soft Revolt appearing at the Bowery Electric in New York City on the opening night of John Patrick Shanley's play Savage in Limbo, which Astbury was producing. They performed songs by The Cult and Astbury solo material as well as covers by the Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Radiohead, among others.[9]

In the 2022 show Severance, Vazquez sings and plays a cover of Metallica's "Enter Sandman" in the fourth episode.[2]

Personal life

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Vazquez has been married to actress Linda Larkin since May 18, 2002.[10][11]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1992 The Mambo Kings Flaco
Friday Night Saturday Morning Albie Short
Fly by Night Sam
1993 Night Owl Tomas
1994 Fresh Chillie
Somebody to Love Waiter
1995 Nick of Time Gustino
1996 The Last Big Thing 1st Interviewer
1998 A Day Without a Mexican Restaurateur Short
1999 Man of the Century Brooding Artist
Runaway Bride Dead Head Gill Chavez
2000 Drowning Mona French Instructor
Traffic Tigrillo/Obregon Assassin
2002 Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra Edifis (voice)
Running Time The Hunter Short
The Adventures of Tom Thumb & Thumbelina Gibson Mouse (voice) Video
2003 Bad Boys II Detective Mateo Reyes
2004 The Stendhal Syndrome Leo Video
2005 The F Word Luis
War of the Worlds Julio
2006 Things That Hang from Trees Juan Lopez
The Ex Paco
2007 Music Within Mike Stoltz
Southern Gothic Hazel Fortune
The Take Marco Ruiz
Jesus Cooks Me Breakfast Young Man Jesus Short
Anamorph Jorge "George" Ruiz
The Box Finn Williams
American Gangster Det. Alfonso Abruzzo
2008 The Marconi Brothers Sonny Venice
Che: Part One Alejandro Ramirez
Che: Part Two Alejandro Ramirez
2009 The Missing Person Don Edgar
2010 Beware the Gonzo Charlie Ronald
F—K Yul Short
The A-Team General Javier Tuco
Amigo Padre Hidalgo
Little Fockers Junior
2011 Salvation Boulevard Jorge Guzman De Vaca
2012 Father/Son Father Short
2013 Blood Ties Fabio DeSoto
Runner, Runner Delegate Herrera
Captain Phillips Captain Frank Castellano
2014 Take Care Dr. Gotham Leonard
Rob the Mob Vinny Gorgeous
Glass Chin Roberto Flash
Time Out of Mind Raoul
The Cobbler Marsha
Kill the Messenger Danilo Blandón
Fugly! Ray
2015 Anesthesia Dr. Edward Barnes
2016 The Phenom Coach Eddie Soler
The Infiltrator Javier Ospina
Beast or Raven Man Short
True Memoirs of an International Assassin General Javier Ruiz
2017 Crown Heights Commissioner Rafello
1 Mile to You Mr. Sickle
Last Flag Flying Col. Willits
The Super Julio
2018 Gringo Angel Valverde
O.G. Baxter
Some Bad News Dr. Richard Cranium Short
2020 Books of Blood Bennett
TBA The Lost Bus Post-production

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1992 Tales from the Crypt Danny Darwin Episode: "On a Deadman's Chest"
ScreenPlay Luis Salinas Episode: "Bitter Harvest"
Law & Order Eddie Vasquez Episode: "Skin Deep"
1993 The Untouchables - Episode: "Cuba: Part 1 & 2"
Strapped Latisha's Attorney TV movie
1994 Walker, Texas Ranger Emilio Durazo Episode: "On Deadly Ground"
Coach Alberto Roca Episode: "Head Like a Wheel"
1995 The Watcher - Episode: "Reversal of Fortune"
The Price of Love Rafael TV movie
1995–98 Seinfeld Bob Recurring cast (season 7), guest (season 9)
1996 Jake's Women Luigi TV movie
High Tide - Episode: "Code Name: Scorpion"
Touched by an Angel Tony Portino Episode: "Groundrush"
1997 Temporarily Yours Luis Episode: "The Voice of Reason"
1998 Trinity Mr. Cupideros Episode: "In Loco Parentis"
1999 Mondo Picasso Mondo Regular cast
2000–02 Courage the Cowardly Dog Additional Voices (voice) Main cast (season 2-3)
2001 Law & Order Attorney from DA's Office Episode: "Sunday in the Park with Jorge"
Big Apple Officer Cruz Recurring cast
Sex and the City Phil Episode: "The Agony and the Ex-tacy"
2002 The Sopranos Reuben 'The Cuban' Episode: "Christopher"
2003 Keen Eddie Jonah Rosenthal Episode: "Pilot: Eddie"
2008 Fringe George Morales Episode: "The Dreamscape"
2010 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Daniel Hardy Episode: "Confidential"
Lies in Plain Sight Rafael Reyes TV movie
2011–12 Louie Pedro Guest cast (season 1-2)
2012–13 The Good Wife Cristian Romano Recurring cast (season 4)
Magic City Victor Lazaro Recurring cast
Treme Detective Anthony Nikolich Recurring cast (season 3), guest (season 4)
2013 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Luis Montero Episode: "Poisoned Motive"
2014 Person of Interest Cyrus Wells Episode: "Root Path"
The Lottery President Thomas Westwood Main cast
2016 Elementary Arthur Tetch Episode: "Turn It Upside Down"
2016–17 Bloodline White Shirt Man Recurring cast (season 2-3)
2016–18 Divorce Craig Anders Recurring cast (season 1-2)
2017 Madam Secretary Ted Fitzgerald Episode: "Off the Record"
2017–18 Midnight, Texas Reverend Emilio Sheehan Main cast (season 1), guest (season 2)
2018 The Looming Tower Jason Sanchez Recurring Cast
FBI Bryce Miller Episode: "Doomsday"
Narcos: Mexico John Gavin Recurring cast (season 1)
SEAL Team Andres Doza Recurring cast (season 2)
2019 Russian Doll John Reyes Recurring cast (season 1)
I Am the Night Billis Recurring cast
2020 The Outsider Yunis Sablo Main cast
2021 Succession Rick Salgado Episode: "What It Takes"
2022 Severance Peter "Petey" Kilmer Recurring cast
Promised Land Father Ramos Recurring cast
2023 Godfather of Harlem José Miguel Battle Sr. Recurring cast (season 3)
White House Plumbers Bernard Barker Main cast
2024 Parish Hector Episode: "A Good Man"
Hotel Cocaine Nestor Cabal Main cast

Video games

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Year Title Role
2006 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories Armando Mendez
2009 Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony The People of Liberty City

Audio

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Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
2023 White House Plumbers Podcast Himself Episode 3

Discography

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  • Urgent – Cast the First Stone (EMI-Manhattan, 1985)
  • Various – Iron Eagle OST (Capitol, 1986)
  • Urgent – Thinking Out Loud (EMI-Manhattan, 1987)
  • Diving For Pearls – Diving for Pearls (Epic/Sony, 1989)
  • Diving For Pearls – Texas (2006)

References

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  1. ^ "Yul Vázquez". AllMovie. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d Zorrilla, Mónica Marie (April 11, 2022). "'Severance' Star Yul Vázquez Is Hollywood's Go-To Cuban Character Actor". Variety. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  3. ^ "Cuba-born, Miami-raised actor speaks Tagalog in 'Amigo' role". Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Edward Douglas (September 11, 2006). "Exclusive: Spotlight on Yul Vázquez". Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  5. ^ Erasmo Guerra (June 8, 2011). "Hats off to Yul Vazquez's Broadway debut". NY Daily News. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  6. ^ Beth Herstein (March 23, 2005). "Interview with LAByrinth Theater Company's Yul Vázquez and Stephen McKinley Henderson". Talkin' Broadway. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  7. ^ Charles Isherwood (February 16, 2004). "The Stendhal Syndrome". Variety.
  8. ^ Randolph Michaels (2005). 'Flashbacks to Happiness: Eighties Music Revisited'; Interview #43 Yul Vazquez, Guitarist for Urgent and Diving For Pearls. iUniverse, Inc. p. 477. ISBN 978-0-595-37007-8.
  9. ^ "Ian Astbury's The Soft Revolt: NYC Footage Available". Blabbermouth.net. June 8, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  10. ^ Heller, Corinne (November 25, 2017). "Aladdin's 25th Anniversary Celebrated by Past and Present Cast". E!. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  11. ^ "Linda Larkin". Retrieved November 7, 2019.
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