Emilio Rivera
Born in San Antonio and later raised in Los Angeles, Rivera escaped the trappings of his hardscrabble inner-city upbringing by leaning towards performing. Finding employment as a mechanical engineer, he didn't land any screen roles until his early 30s, when he had a one-off spot on the action show "Renegade" (USA, 1992-97), starring Lorenzo Lamas. Following a small part in the Latino-themed saga "My Family" (1995), featuring Edward James Olmos, Rivera was cast in the explosive blockbuster "Con Air" and acting opportunities soon became more available. After a supporting role in the feature comedy "Ali G Indahouse" (2002), Rivera appeared in the quirky directorial debut of George Clooney, "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" (2002), as well as the hard-hitting action movie "A Man Apart" (2003), starring Vin Diesel. While staying active in films, he started to find more developed roles on television, notably on the drug-tinged dramedy "Weeds," where he played the intimidating El Coyote. In 2008, Rivera joined the cast of the scrappy biker-themed show "Sons of Anarchy," portraying Marcus Álvarez, leader of the gang known as the Mayans. Finally in a part that allowed him to display greaters nuances, he built on this ongoing success by co-starring in the crime drama "The Devil's in the Details" with Ray Liotta.