Acting · Michoacan, Mexico · Born August 18, 1971
Jacob Vargas (born August 18, 1971) is a Mexican-American actor. He began his acting career when he was discovered breakdancing in a schoolyard at age 12. His introduction to acting came with a bit part as a breakdancer on the hit TV show Diff'rent Strokes (1978). His first movie role was in the TV movie The Children of Times Square (1986). He started to appear in more films including Last Resort (1986), Ernest Goes to Camp (1987), The Principal (1987), Little Nikita (1988), American Me (1992), and Gas Food Lodging (1992). In 1995, he won the very first ALMA Award (for Emerging Artist of the Year) for his work in both Allison Anders' Mi Vida Loca (1993) and Gregory Nava's My Family (1995). He next starred in films including Crimson Tide (1995), Get Shorty (1995), Selena (1997), Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997), and the cult favorite Next Friday (2000) as Ice Cube's nemesis, Joker. His next role was Tijuana cop Manolo, 'Benicio del Toro"s partner in Steven Soderbergh's Academy Award- winning film Traffic (2000), which earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award and another ALMA Award. In 2001, he executive produced and starred in the independent film Road Dogz (2002). He wrote, directed and acted in EDNY (2003). He also co-produced and starred in the stage play "Latinologues", which ran on Broadway in 2005 and is available on DVD. He voiced for Pepito in Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001). Next, he played Sammi the chef in John Moore's Flight of the Phoenix (2004), Marine sniper Juan Cortez in Academy Award-winning director Sam Mendes' war drama Jarhead (2005), a straight-arrow DEA agent in the action drama The Death and Life of Bobby Z (2006), a politically charged busboy Miguel in Emilio Estevez's historical drama Bobby (2006), and a psychologically tortured drone pilot Rudy Ramirez in Alex Rivera's sci-fi political love story Sleep Dealer (2008). He had roles in The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007), Are We Done Yet? (2007), Death Race (2008), Cesar Chavez (2014, Heaven is For Real (2014), The Tell-Tale Heart (2016), Plan B, (2021), and Kimi (2022). His major TV roles are as Bob on Surfside Girls, Tony Medina on Mr. Iglesias, Horacio on Mosaic, Domingo Colon on Marvel's Luke Cage, Allesandro Montez on Sons of Anarchy and later on Mayans M.C., Guillermo on Moonlight, Ernesto Tiant on Greetings from Tucson, and Dr. Roberto Martinez on Max Steel. He had recurring roles on Colony, Blue, and Six Feet Under. He has also guest starred on a number of shows including National Treasure: Edge of History, The Mentalist, Burn Notice, Psych, Numb3rs, Medium, CSI: NY, Cold Case, The Pretender, JAG, ER, Full House, and Hunter. He has voiced for characters on animated series including Solar Opposites, Young Justice, and a recurring role on Tarantula.
TVNational Treasure: Edge of History
2022
as Rafael
MovieSatanic Hispanics
2022
as El Jefe
TVSurfside Girls
2022
as Bob
MovieKimi
2022
as Glasses Thug
MoviePlan B
2021
as Pastor Pedro
MovieBilly D and the Hall of Feathered Serpents featuring Money Shot by Puscifer
2021
as Bartesian
MoviePrincess of the Row
2020
as Donald
TVGAME ON: A Comedy Crossover Event
2020
as Tony Ochoa
TVSolar Opposites
2020
TVMr. Iglesias
2019
as Tony Medina
MovieThe Public
2019
as Ernesto Ramirez
MoviePeel
2019
as Chuck
Endgame
2018
as Alberto
TVMayans M.C.
2018
as Allesandro Montez
TVMosaic
2018
as Horacio
MovieBeyond Skyline
2017
as Garcia
TVPhilip K. Dick's Electric Dreams
2017
as Mario
MovieMiddle School: The Worst Years of My Life
2016
as Animation Voice (voice)
TVMarvel's Luke Cage
2016
as Domingo Colon
MovieCrossing Point
2016
as Jesus
MovieThe Tell-Tale Heart
2016
as Adams
TVColony
2016
as Carlos
MovieThe 33
2015
as Edison 'Elvis' Peña
TVComplications
2015
as Ramon
TVHand of God
2014
as Julio Farkas (uncredited)
MovieThe Journey of a Female Comic
2014
MovieWater & Power
2014
as Asuncion Garcia
MovieHeaven Is for Real
2014
as Michael
MovieCesar Chavez
2014
as Richard Chavez
MovieRed Sky
2014
as Jorge 'P-Dawg' Vasquez
MovieGo for Sisters
2013
as Navajas
TVBlue
2012
as Roy
TVYoung Justice
2010
as Sebastian Cardona / Cisco Ramon (voice)
MovieDevil
2010
as Ramirez
TVThe Good Guys
2010
as Tico
MovieThe Odds
2010
as Sergio Vargas
MovieSleep Dealer
2008
as Rudy Ramirez
TVThe Mentalist
2008
as Chief Rick Anaya
TVSons of Anarchy
2008
as Allesandro Montez
MovieDeath Race
2008
as Gunner
MovieLove Lies Bleeding
2008
as Detective Billy Jones
TVMoonlight
2007
as Guillermo
MovieThe Death and Life of Bobby Z
2007
as Jorge Escobar
TVBurn Notice
2007
as Omar Hernandez
MovieAre We Done Yet?
2007
as Mike the Plumber
MovieThe Hills Have Eyes 2
2007
as Crank
MovieBobby
2006
as Miguel
MovieNational Lampoon's TV: The Movie
2006
as Tijuana Cop 2 / Announcer / Charlotte
TVPsych
2006
as Juan Lava
MovieThe Virgin of Juarez
2006
as Detective Lauro
Movie"Jarhead" Diaries
2006
as Self
MovieJarhead
2005
as Juan Cortez
MovieThe Wendell Baker Story
2005
as Reyes Morales
TVNumb3rs
2005
as Victor Borrego
TVMedium
2005
as Eduardo Garcia
MovieFlight of the Phoenix
2004
as Sammi
TVCSI: NY
2004
as Luis Torres
MovieMemoirs of an Evil Stepmother
2004
as Vincent Enano
TVCold Case
2003
as Angelo Rivera (2009)
TVKingpin
2003
E.D.N.Y.
2003
TVCSI: Miami
2002
as Felix Medina
TVGreetings from Tucson
2002
as Ernesto Tiant
MovieRoad Dogz
2002
as Danny Pacheco
TVWatching Ellie
2002
as Miguel
MovieDragonfly
2002
as Victor
MovieTruth Be Told
2002
as Gonzalez
TVThe Proud Family
2001
as Punch Alto (voice)
MovieDr. Dolittle 2
2001
as Pepito (voice)
TVSix Feet Under
2001
as Manuel 'Paco' Bolin
MovieCome and Take It Day
2001
as Miguel
MovieTraffic
2000
as Manolo Sanchez
TVMax Steel
2000
as Dr. Roberto Martinez (voice)
MovieNext Friday
2000
as Joker
MovieThe Hi-Lo Country
1998
as Delfino Mondragon
MovieSanta Fe
1997
as Jesus
MovieRomy and Michele's High School Reunion
1997
as Ramon
MovieSelena
1997
as A. B. Quintanilla
TVClueless
1996
TVThe Pretender
1996
as Javi Padillo
TVMalibu Shores
1996
MovieGet Shorty
1995
as Yayo Portillo
TVJAG
1995
as Corporal Cortez
MovieCrimson Tide
1995
as Sonarman #2
MovieMy Family
1995
as Young Jose
TVHappily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
1995
as Prince Luis (voice)
TVER
1994
as Diablo
MovieMi Vida Loca
1994
as Ernesto
MovieHuck and the King of Hearts
1994
as Pedro
MovieFatal Instinct
1993
as Flower Delivery Man
MovieAirborne
1993
as Snake
MovieGas Food Lodging
1992
as Javier
MovieAmerican Me
1992
as Paulito - Age 15
MovieSeeds of Tragedy
1991
as Cholo #2
MovieThe Great Los Angeles Earthquake
1990
as Miguel
MovieLittle Nikita
1988
as Miguel
TVFull House
1987
MovieThe Principal
1987
as Arturo Diego
MovieErnest Goes to Camp
1987
as Bubba Vargas
MovieMiracle of the Heart: A Boys Town Story
1986
as Enrique Mendoza
MovieLast Resort
1986
as Carlos
TVHunter
1984
as Emilio Morales
