Alex Meraz
Encyclopedia
Alejandro "Alex" Meraz is an American dancer, actor and martial artist
. Meraz played the werewolf named Paul in the film New Moon
, the sequel to 2008's Twilight
.
Alex excels in indigenous and contemporary dancing
. He has studied mixed martial arts
, winning numerous tournaments in karate
and the martial art of Capoeira
. Alex's first big film was The New World as one of the Powhatan
core warriors, inspiring him to continue acting. Thereafter he was in the running for the film Apocalypto
but in the end was turned down. His big break came when he was cast as werewolf Paul in the film New Moon.
He is married to his Vietnamese-American wife, Kim. His wife, a Twilight fan, told him he should audition for New Moon, believing he was perfect for the part. They have a son named Somak, for whom his mentor, actor Raoul Trujillo
, is the godfather
. Somak means "beautiful one" in Quechua, an indigenous language from Bolivia and Peru.
He also starred in the latest season of CSI: New York.
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
. Meraz played the werewolf named Paul in the film New Moon
New Moon (2009 film)
The Twilight Saga: New Moon, commonly referred to as New Moon, is a 2009 American romance fantasy-vampire film based on Stephenie Meyer's 2006 novel New Moon. It is the second film in The Twilight Saga film series and is the sequel to 2008's Twilight. Summit Entertainment greenlit the sequel in...
, the sequel to 2008's Twilight
Twilight (2008 film)
Twilight is a 2008 American romantic vampire film based on Stephenie Meyer's popular novel of the same name. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke, the film stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. It is the first film in The Twilight Saga film series...
.
Life and career
Alex Meraz claims indigenous Mexican heritage from the P'urhépecha people. He attended the New School for the Arts, and is an avid painter and illustrator. Besides break-dancingB-boying
B-boying, often called "breakdancing", is a popular style of street dance that was created and developed as part of hip-hop culture among African Americans and Latino youths in New York City. The dance consists of four primary elements: toprock, downrock, power moves and freezes...
Alex excels in indigenous and contemporary dancing
Contemporary dance
Contemporary dance is a genre of concert dance that employs compositional philosophy, rather than choreography, to guide unchoreographed movement...
. He has studied mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
, winning numerous tournaments in karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
and the martial art of Capoeira
Capoeira
Capoeira is a Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, sports, and music. It was created in Brazil mainly by descendants of African slaves with Brazilian native influences, probably beginning in the 16th century...
. Alex's first big film was The New World as one of the Powhatan
Powhatan
The Powhatan is the name of a Virginia Indian confederation of tribes. It is estimated that there were about 14,000–21,000 of these native Powhatan people in eastern Virginia when the English settled Jamestown in 1607...
core warriors, inspiring him to continue acting. Thereafter he was in the running for the film Apocalypto
Apocalypto
Apocalypto is a 2006 American epic action-adventure film directed by Mel Gibson. Set in Yucatan, Mexico, during the declining period of the Maya civilization, Apocalypto depicts the journey of a Mesoamerican tribesman who must escape human sacrifice and rescue his family after the capture and...
but in the end was turned down. His big break came when he was cast as werewolf Paul in the film New Moon.
He is married to his Vietnamese-American wife, Kim. His wife, a Twilight fan, told him he should audition for New Moon, believing he was perfect for the part. They have a son named Somak, for whom his mentor, actor Raoul Trujillo
Raoul Trujillo
Born Jose Raoul TrujilloAlso known as Raul Trujillo and Max Cheblon|parents= Luis and Lorraine TrujilloHis official website is raoultrujilloinfo.com, created by Charmaine deValois in London....
, is the godfather
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
. Somak means "beautiful one" in Quechua, an indigenous language from Bolivia and Peru.
He also starred in the latest season of CSI: New York.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | The New World | Core Warrior | Movie |
| 2007 | Two Spirits, One Journey | Luke | Short film |
| Dancing with Spirit | Dancer | TV, episode "Here on Earth" | |
| 2009 | |||
| American Experience American Experience American Experience is a television program airing on the Public Broadcasting Service Public television stations in the United States. The program airs documentaries, many of which have won awards, about important or interesting events and people in American history... |
Warrior | TV | |
| The Twilight Saga: New Moon | Paul | Film | |
| 2010 | The Twilight Saga: Eclipse | Paul | Film |
| 2011 | City of Gardens | Nicaragua | Film |
| CSI: NY CSI: NY CSI: NY is an American police procedural television series that premiered on September 22, 2004, on CBS. The show follows the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths as well as other crimes... |
Odelin Gonzales Jr. | TV | |
| The Roommate The Roommate The Roommate is a 2011 thriller film directed by Christian E. Christiansen and starring Minka Kelly, Leighton Meester, Cam Gigandet, Danneel Harris, Matt Lanter, and Aly Michalka. It was theatrically released on February 4, 2011. The film is a unofficial remake of the 1992 film Single White... |
Frat Boy Fraternities and sororities Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations... |
Film | |
| The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, commonly referred to as Breaking Dawn, is a 2011/2012 two-part romantic fantasy film directed by Bill Condon and based on the novel Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. The two parts form the fourth and final installment in the The Twilight Saga series... |
Paul | Film; complete | |
| Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown | Zack | Film, post-production |