Nicholas Gonzalez
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Edward Gonzalez (born January 3, 1976 in San Antonio, Texas
) is an Mexican-American actor
, best known for playing Alex Santiago in the TV series Resurrection Blvd.
.
. He became an accomplished cross-country and track runner, winning the Texas State Championship in the mile and two mile. After graduating in 1994 and turning down a presidential appointment to West Point, Nicholas pursued an English degree at Stanford University
in California
.
His interest and love of literature, history, and poetry led him to two terms at Oxford University in England
. The following summer, he returned to Europe
on a research grant where he studied with scholars at Oxford and Trinity College, Dublin
to complete his thesis on James Joyce
’s Ulysses
.
While finishing his Bachelor of Arts
in English in 1998, Nicholas was approached to do a one-man theatre piece called Gas by Marie Irene Fornes.
Alma Martinez, an actress and Stanford professor, encouraged him to become a professional actor. With her help, he connected with the theatrical movement in San Francisco
. He polished his skills by performing in classic and contemporary theatre. “I’m happy when I’m on stage,” he declares.
, where he quickly landed small parts in television series such as ABC’s Dharma and Greg and NBC’s
One World
.
Gonzalez then appeared as Fidel Castro
’s son in the Lifetime Original Movie, My Little Assassin, starring Joe Mantegna
and Gabrielle Anwar
. But it was his role as Andy, the gay yuppie on MTV’s Undressed
that received great attention. For six nights he wowed viewers, and those episodes became the most requested in the series’ history.
Gonzalez wrapped production of two films in 2000. The first, Scenes of the Crime, premiered at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival
. It starred Jeff Bridges
, Jon Abrahams
, and Noah Wyle
. It was directed by Dominique Forma. The second film was an independent project titled Spun
, starring Mena Suvari
, Mickey Rourke
, Brittany Murphy
, and John Leguizamo
. It played at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival
.
Gonzalez’s most well-known role also came his way in 2000, when he landed the lead in Showtime’s original movie, Resurrection Blvd.
, which premiered June 26, 2000. Gonzalez played Alex Santiago, a pre-med student who dropped out of school in order to become a professional boxer. The movie was successful and immediately expanded to become a regular weekly series on the network.
While continuing his work on Resurrection Blvd, Nicholas appeared in episodes of Walker, Texas Ranger
and That 70’s Show. He also appeared in the film The Princess and the Barrio Boy (released as She’s in Love in Europe) with his Resurrection Blvd.co-star, Marisol Nichols
.
Nicholas continued his career in films with two more titles. The first, Sea of Dreams, was filmed in Veracruz, Mexico
, in May, 2003. Nick then headed off to Fiji
for the summer, where he completed production of Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid
, which opened in theaters August 27, 2004.
Nicholas can currently be seen as a recurring detective on the updated Melrose Place
trying to uncover who murdered Sydney Andrews
.
He is currently playing Mateo on the ABC show Off The Map.
, video games, poker
(finished 2nd at the World Poker Tour Celebrity Invitational in 2009) and working out. He is an avid reader, consuming as many as eight books a week. He also volunteers with organizations such as the National Hispanic Institute
and The Friends of El Faro.He was romantically involved with American actress Regina King in 2007.
Gonzalez is a supporter of animal rights
and PETA
. He posed for PETA
's campaign "If you wouldn't wear your dog, please don't wear fur" advertisement http://www.furisdead.com/feat-gonzalez2.asp
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
) is an Mexican-American actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, best known for playing Alex Santiago in the TV series Resurrection Blvd.
Resurrection Blvd.
Resurrection Blvd. is an American dramatic series which aired on Showtime for three seasons from 2000 to 2002.-Plot:In East Los Angeles, California, the Santiago family has had three generations of boxers within the family. They continue their battle to become boxing champions while struggling with...
.
Early life
Gonzalez was a student at San Antonio’s Central Catholic High SchoolCentral Catholic Marianist High School
Central Catholic High School, is a Catholic, all-male, non-boarding college preparatory school located in downtown San Antonio, Texas, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio.-History:...
. He became an accomplished cross-country and track runner, winning the Texas State Championship in the mile and two mile. After graduating in 1994 and turning down a presidential appointment to West Point, Nicholas pursued an English degree at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
His interest and love of literature, history, and poetry led him to two terms at Oxford University in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The following summer, he returned to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
on a research grant where he studied with scholars at Oxford and Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
to complete his thesis on James Joyce
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
’s Ulysses
Ulysses (novel)
Ulysses is a novel by the Irish author James Joyce. It was first serialised in parts in the American journal The Little Review from March 1918 to December 1920, and then published in its entirety by Sylvia Beach on 2 February 1922, in Paris. One of the most important works of Modernist literature,...
.
While finishing his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in English in 1998, Nicholas was approached to do a one-man theatre piece called Gas by Marie Irene Fornes.
Alma Martinez, an actress and Stanford professor, encouraged him to become a professional actor. With her help, he connected with the theatrical movement in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. He polished his skills by performing in classic and contemporary theatre. “I’m happy when I’m on stage,” he declares.
Career
In 1998, Gonzalez moved to Los AngelesLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, where he quickly landed small parts in television series such as ABC’s Dharma and Greg and NBC’s
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
One World
One World (TV series)
One World is a half-hour comedy series on TNBC about the everyday issues of a large family. The show focuses on the Blakes, a household living in Miami with six teens of various ethnic and racial backgrounds, who are adopted by ex-baseball player Dave Blake and his artist wife, Karen. The show was...
.
Gonzalez then appeared as Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
’s son in the Lifetime Original Movie, My Little Assassin, starring Joe Mantegna
Joe Mantegna
Joseph Anthony "Joe" Mantegna, Jr. is an American actor, producer, writer,director, and voice actor. He is best known for his roles in box office hits such as Three Amigos , The Godfather Part III , Forget Paris , and Up Close & Personal...
and Gabrielle Anwar
Gabrielle Anwar
Gabrielle Anwar is an English actress. She is known for her role as Margaret Tudor on The Tudors, for dancing the tango with Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman and for her current role as Fiona Glenanne on USA's Burn Notice.- Early life :...
. But it was his role as Andy, the gay yuppie on MTV’s Undressed
Undressed (TV series)
Undressed is an American anthology series that aired on MTV from July 26, 1999 to September 5, 2002. The series was created and executive produced by British director Roland Joffé.-Synopsis:...
that received great attention. For six nights he wowed viewers, and those episodes became the most requested in the series’ history.
Gonzalez wrapped production of two films in 2000. The first, Scenes of the Crime, premiered at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
. It starred Jeff Bridges
Jeff Bridges
Jeffrey Leon "Jeff" Bridges is an American actor and musician. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Otis "Bad" Blake in the 2009 film Crazy Heart....
, Jon Abrahams
Jon Abrahams
Jon Avery Abrahams is an American film and television actor.-Life and career:Abrahams attended Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn....
, and Noah Wyle
Noah Wyle
Noah Strausser Speer Wyle is an American film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. John Truman Carter III in the Medical drama ER. He has also played Steve Jobs in the 1999 docudrama Pirates of Silicon Valley and Flynn Carsen in The Librarian franchise...
. It was directed by Dominique Forma. The second film was an independent project titled Spun
Spun
Spun is a 2002 American crime dramedy directed by Jonas Åkerlund, and starring Jason Schwartzman, Brittany Murphy, Mickey Rourke, Mena Suvari, John Leguizamo, Patrick Fugit, Eric Roberts, Chloe Hunter, and Debbie Harry. It is Åkerlund's début as a feature-film director, having already become known...
, starring Mena Suvari
Mena Suvari
Mena Alexandra Suvari is an American actress, fashion designer, and model. Shortly after beginning her career as a model, she appeared in guest roles on 1990's television shows such as Boy Meets World and High Incident...
, Mickey Rourke
Mickey Rourke
Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter and retired boxer, who has appeared primarily as a leading man in action, drama, and thriller films....
, Brittany Murphy
Brittany Murphy
Brittany Anne Murphy-Monjack , known professionally as Brittany Murphy, was an American actress and singer. She starred in films such as Clueless, Just Married, Girl Interrupted, Spun, 8 Mile, Uptown Girls, Sin City, Happy Feet, and Riding in Cars with Boys...
, and John Leguizamo
John Leguizamo
Jonathan Alberto "John" Leguizamo is an Colombian-American actor, producer, voice artist, and comedian.-Early life:...
. It played at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
.
Gonzalez’s most well-known role also came his way in 2000, when he landed the lead in Showtime’s original movie, Resurrection Blvd.
Resurrection Blvd.
Resurrection Blvd. is an American dramatic series which aired on Showtime for three seasons from 2000 to 2002.-Plot:In East Los Angeles, California, the Santiago family has had three generations of boxers within the family. They continue their battle to become boxing champions while struggling with...
, which premiered June 26, 2000. Gonzalez played Alex Santiago, a pre-med student who dropped out of school in order to become a professional boxer. The movie was successful and immediately expanded to become a regular weekly series on the network.
While continuing his work on Resurrection Blvd, Nicholas appeared in episodes of Walker, Texas Ranger
Walker, Texas Ranger
Walker, Texas Ranger is an American television action crime drama series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis, and starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division. The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full...
and That 70’s Show. He also appeared in the film The Princess and the Barrio Boy (released as She’s in Love in Europe) with his Resurrection Blvd.co-star, Marisol Nichols
Marisol Nichols
Marisol Nichols is an American actress best known for her role in the sixth season of 24 as Special Agent Nadia Yassir.-Early life:...
.
Nicholas continued his career in films with two more titles. The first, Sea of Dreams, was filmed in Veracruz, Mexico
Veracruz, Veracruz
Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most...
, in May, 2003. Nick then headed off to Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
for the summer, where he completed production of Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid is a 2004 horror-thriller film and sequel to the 1997 film Anaconda. It was directed by Dwight H. Little and was released in the United States on August 27, 2004. The plot of the movie entails a group of explorers looking for a sacred flower that they...
, which opened in theaters August 27, 2004.
Nicholas can currently be seen as a recurring detective on the updated Melrose Place
Melrose Place (2009 TV series)
Melrose Place is an American television series broadcast on The CW Television Network from September 8, 2009 to April 13, 2010. The fifth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise, it is an updated version of the 1990s Fox prime time drama of the same name, featuring a group of young adults...
trying to uncover who murdered Sydney Andrews
Sydney Andrews
Sydney Andrews is a fictional character in the American television series Melrose Place and the 2009 series of the same name, portrayed by Laura Leighton....
.
He is currently playing Mateo on the ABC show Off The Map.
Personal life
Gonzalez enjoys playing golfGolf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, video games, poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
(finished 2nd at the World Poker Tour Celebrity Invitational in 2009) and working out. He is an avid reader, consuming as many as eight books a week. He also volunteers with organizations such as the National Hispanic Institute
National Hispanic Institute
The National Hispanic Institute is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the future leadership needs of the global Hispanic community...
and The Friends of El Faro.He was romantically involved with American actress Regina King in 2007.
Gonzalez is a supporter of animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
and PETA
Peta
Peta can refer to:* peta-, an SI prefix denoting a factor of 1015* Peta, Greece, a town in Greece* Peta, the Pāli word for a Preta, or hungry ghost in Buddhism* Peta Wilson, an Australian actress and model* Peta Todd, English glamour model...
. He posed for PETA
Peta
Peta can refer to:* peta-, an SI prefix denoting a factor of 1015* Peta, Greece, a town in Greece* Peta, the Pāli word for a Preta, or hungry ghost in Buddhism* Peta Wilson, an Australian actress and model* Peta Todd, English glamour model...
's campaign "If you wouldn't wear your dog, please don't wear fur" advertisement http://www.furisdead.com/feat-gonzalez2.asp
Filmography
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2011 | S.W.A.T.: Firefight S.W.A.T.: Firefight S.W.A.T.: Firefight is a 2011 American action crime thriller film directed by Benny Boom, and sequel to the 2003 film S.W.A.T., based on the 1975 television series S.W.A.T..-Plot:... |
| 2009 | Down For Life Down for Life (film) Down for Life is a 2010 American dramatic film directed by Alan Jacobs based on the true story of a 15-year old Latino gang leader in Watts, Los Angeles. The story follows one day in her life as she struggles to break away from her gang... |
| 2008 | Rockaway Rockaway -Places:In California:*Rockaway Creek In New Jersey:*Rockaway, New Jersey, a borough in Morris County*Rockaway Township, New Jersey, a township in Morris County*Rockaway Creek , a tributary of the Lamington River in Hunterdon County... |
| 2006 | Behind Enemy Lines II |
| 2005 | Dirty Dirty (film) Dirty is a 2005 crime–drama film, directed by Chris Fisher. It stars Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Clifton Collins, Jr.. The film had a limited release in 2005.-Plot:... |
| 2004 | Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid is a 2004 horror-thriller film and sequel to the 1997 film Anaconda. It was directed by Dwight H. Little and was released in the United States on August 27, 2004. The plot of the movie entails a group of explorers looking for a sacred flower that they... |
| 2003 | Spun Spun Spun is a 2002 American crime dramedy directed by Jonas Åkerlund, and starring Jason Schwartzman, Brittany Murphy, Mickey Rourke, Mena Suvari, John Leguizamo, Patrick Fugit, Eric Roberts, Chloe Hunter, and Debbie Harry. It is Åkerlund's début as a feature-film director, having already become known... |
| 2002 | Marco Polo: Return to Xanadu |
| 2001 | Scenes of the Crime Scenes of the Crime Scenes of the Crime is a 2001 film directed by Dominique Forma and written by Daniel Golka, Amit Mehta, and Forma. It was met with mixed opinions and moderate, but ultimately positive reviews.... |
Television appearances
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | The Glades The Glades (TV series) The Glades is an A&E Network drama television series created by Clifton Campbell. The one-hour drama premiered on Sunday, July 11, 2010. The series stars Matt Passmore as Det... |
"Family Matters" |
| 2011 | Off The Map | Mateo recurring role starting with episode 4 "On The Mean Streets Of San Miguel" |
| 2009–2010 | Melrose Place Melrose Place (2009 TV series) Melrose Place is an American television series broadcast on The CW Television Network from September 8, 2009 to April 13, 2010. The fifth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise, it is an updated version of the 1990s Fox prime time drama of the same name, featuring a group of young adults... |
Detective Rodriguez 8 episodes |
| 2009 | Mental | Dr. Arturo Suarez 13 episodes |
| 2009 | CSI: Miami | Alfonso Reyes |
| 2008 | True Blood True Blood (season 1) The first season of the American television drama series True Blood premiered on September 7, 2008 and concluded on November 23, 2008. It consisted of 12 episodes, each running approximately 55 minutes in length and was, for the most part, based on the novel Dead Until Dark, the first entry in The... |
Jerry "Mine" |
| 2008 | Brothers & Sisters | Season 2 Episode 12 |
| 2007 | Grey's Anatomy Grey's Anatomy Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in... |
Season 4 Episode 2 Love/Addiction (Grey's Anatomy) "Love/Addiction'" is the 2nd episode of the fourth season of the ABC series, Grey's Anatomy. The episode was written by Debora Cahn and was directed by James Frawley. The episode originally aired on October 4, 2007.-Starring:... - Clark West |
| 2007 | Pro-Am Poker Equalizer Pro-Am Poker Equalizer The Pro-Am Poker Equalizer is a televised poker tournament in which professional poker players play Texas hold 'em against celebrities which began airing on ESPN in January 2007. In order to "equalize" the playing field, the celebrities start the tournament with 50% more chips than the... |
|
| 2006 | Ugly Betty Ugly Betty Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea... |
Carlo Medina "Fey's Sleigh Ride" Ugly Betty (season 1) The first season of the American dramedy television series Ugly Betty began airing on September 28, 2006 and concluded on May 17, 2007.... |
| 2005 | Ghost Whisperer Ghost Whisperer Ghost Whisperer is an American television supernatural drama, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005 to May 21, 2010.The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon , who has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts... |
"Shadow Boxer" |
| 2004-05 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced... |
Detective Mike Sandoval episodes "Ghost" and "Haunted" |
| 2004 | The O.C. The O.C. The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons... |
D.J. |
| 2000 | Walker, Texas Ranger Walker, Texas Ranger Walker, Texas Ranger is an American television action crime drama series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis, and starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division. The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full... |
playing "Juan Guerro" in episode: "Golden Boy" |
| 2000 | The Princess and the Barrio Boy | Sol Torres |
| 1999 | My Little Assassin | Andre Castro |
| 1999 | Resurrection Blvd. Resurrection Blvd. Resurrection Blvd. is an American dramatic series which aired on Showtime for three seasons from 2000 to 2002.-Plot:In East Los Angeles, California, the Santiago family has had three generations of boxers within the family. They continue their battle to become boxing champions while struggling with... |
Alex Santiago |
| 1999 | MTV MTV MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs.... 's Undressed Undressed (TV series) Undressed is an American anthology series that aired on MTV from July 26, 1999 to September 5, 2002. The series was created and executive produced by British director Roland Joffé.-Synopsis:... |
Andy episode "1.21" |