Raymond Cruz
Raymond Cruz | |
|---|---|
 Cruz in 2024 | |
| Born | September 10, 1964 |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Spouse | Simi Mehta |
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
[edit]Cruz was born and raised in East Los Angeles, California,[3] and is of Mexican descent. He grew up in a neighborhood that regularly saw gang activity, and had relatives in such gangs as Maravilla and Barrio South Gate.[4] He witnessed a shooting at age 12, noting the victim's "brains came out the back of his head".[4] For his portrayal of Tuco Salamanca, he was able to relate to his experiences witnessing people who were high on methamphetamine.[4]
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.[5][6][4] Cruz attended three high schools after being expelled for writing editorials that satirized and questioned school policies.[3] He attended East Los Angeles College, where he got "sidetracked" into theater.[7]
Career
[edit]Cruz's film roles include sniper Ding Chavez in Clear and Present Danger,[8] Hector in Out For Justice,[8] Tom Berenger's second-in-command Joey Six in The Substitute,[8] U.S. Marine Sergeant Rojas in The Rock,[8] as Jesus in From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money,[8] USMC Private Vincent DiStephano in Alien Resurrection,[8] and Ramirez in Under Siege.[8] He appeared as Chuey, a gang member from the Vatos Locos, in the gang film Blood In Blood Out.[8]
In 2005, he played Chino in Havoc.[8] He appeared in Gremlins 2: The New Batch,[8] credited as "The Messenger," and in Training Day as a gang member named Sniper.[8] He played a Los Angeles firefighter in Collateral Damage.[8] 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.[8] 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.[8]
Cruz performed the well-known role of Tuco Salamanca, a sadistic and psychotic meth dealer in Breaking Bad in 2008 and 2009,[8] a role he reprised in 2015 and 2016 during the first two seasons of the Breaking Bad prequel spin-off, Better Call Saul.[8] He had a recurring role as Paco on My Name Is Earl, and as Alejandro Perez on Nip/Tuck.[8]
Personal life
[edit]Cruz is married to fellow actress Simi Mehta with whom he co-starred on The X-Files in the episode "El Mundo Gira".[6]
On September 8, 2025, Cruz was arrested after allegedly spraying a woman with his water hose outside his house.[9] He was released on his own recognizance and had a court date scheduled for October 1,[10][11] but the charges were dropped.[12]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| 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 | |
| 2025 | Love, Danielle | Stan DeManuel | |
| Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires | Yoka / Joker (voice) | Direct-to-Video[13] | |
| 2027 | The Revenge of La Llorona † | Rafael Olvera | Post-production |
Television
[edit]| 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 | |
| 2024 | Grey's Anatomy | Daniel Jiménez (inmate) | Episode: "The Marathon Continues" |
References
[edit]- ↑ "Today in History". AP News. September 10, 2021. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
Actor Raymond Cruz is 57.
- ↑ Bryant, Adam (August 12, 2012). "TNT Says Goodbye to The Closer, Hello to Major Crimes". TV Guide. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
- 1 2 Cruz, Raymond; Greenspon, Jaq (March 21, 2024). Beyond the Silver Screen: Exploring Raymond Cruz's Life, Roles, and Advocacy CCB'23. Comic Con Baltics. Event occurs at 0:39–3:20.
I grew up in East Los Angeles, California, I was born and raised...
- 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.
- ↑ Herzog, Kenny (February 10, 2015). "Raymond Cruz on Better Call Saul, Re-Capturing Tuco, and Breaking Bones". Esquire. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
- 1 2 Fontana, Christine (April 30, 2015). "Cruz Control". New Orleans Living Magazine.
- ↑ Bentley, Rick (April 18, 2019). "Raymond Cruz Felt Real Connection to 'La Llorona'". Lincoln Journal Star. Tribune News Service. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "Raymond Cruz Credits". TV Guide. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
- ↑ "'Breaking Bad' Star Raymond Cruz Arrested For Spraying a Neighbor with Hose". TMZ. September 8, 2025. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ↑ Pelisek, Christine (September 8, 2025). "'Breaking Bad' Actor Raymond Cruz Arrested After He Allegedly Sprayed Water at Woman". People. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ↑ Huff, Lauren (September 8, 2025). "'Breaking Bad' star arrested after allegedly hosing woman, agent blasts 'outrageous' accusation". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ↑ Buchanan, Christopher (October 1, 2025). "'Breaking Bad' actor will not be charged in parking dispute, prosecutors say". Los Angeles Tines.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ RoyalRubble (July 26, 2025). "Aztec Batman: Clash Of Empires Trailer Released". Anime Superhero News.
External links
[edit]
Media from Commons
Quotations from Wikiquote
Data from Wikidata
- Raymond Cruz at IMDb
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
