Carlos Lacamara
Encyclopedia
Carlos Lacámara sometimes credited as Carlos Lacamara or Carlos LaCamara, is a Cuba
n-born American
actor and playwright who has had a long career on American television, making his first appearance in 1983 on the sitcom Family Ties
. Lacamara has mostly played supporting character
s and guest star roles, with the exception of his roles as Paco Ortíz on the sitcom Nurses
, and as Ray García, the family patriarch on The Brothers García
.
and moved to Washington D.C. in 1960 because of the Cuban Revolution
. After that, He moved to Puerto Rico
, and then to California
, where he resides now. He attended UCLA
.
sitcom Nurses
. He also made recurring guest appearances on the crime series Silk Stalkings
and Close to Home. The latter series, in which Lacámara plays a medical examiner, is rare in casting the actor in the role of a highly educated professional, although his recent guest roles have shifted from the early trend to cast him as a waiter, valet, or other entry level worker.
In 1995, he played the assassin
Retaya in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
episode "Improbable Cause". In 1997, Lacámara also played one of the starring roles in the educational series Connect With English
, a fictional drama written for students of English as a Second Language
. In 1998, he appeared in an episode of the NBS
sitcom Friends
in The One with Joey's Dirty Day.
Although characters from Nurses occasionally appeared on Empty Nest, from which their show had originated, Lacámara's only appearance on Empty Nest was in an unrelated role in 1995, after Nurses had ended its run. Lacámara's role in The Brothers García
reunited him with former Nurses co-star Ada Maris
. He was also important in the Brother's Garcia Special (The Mayan Curse).
He has recently made an appearance on Fox
's TV series Lie to Me
as inspector Mike Adams.
In 2006, Lacámara's play Nowhere on the Border
won first place of Repertorio Español's, a theatre company in New York, MetLife Nuestras Voces National Playwriting Competition. The play was produced at Repertorio Español in the fall of 2007. His second play Havana Bourgeois won Reverie Productions' Next Generations Playwriting Contest, and was produced by Reverie at 59E59 Theaters in New York in 2007, and later played in Los Angeles, California and Coral Gables, FL.
, and his sons Lucas Alberto Lacámara (b. 1993), and Diego William Lacámara (b. 1997), in Santa Monica, California
.
He is the brother-in-law of Hal Bogotch, a teacher and poet in Venice.
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n-born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor and playwright who has had a long career on American television, making his first appearance in 1983 on the sitcom Family Ties
Family Ties
Family Ties is an American sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s. This was particularly expressed through the relationship between young...
. Lacamara has mostly played supporting character
Supporting character
A supporting character is a character of a book, play, video game, movie, television or radio show or other form of storytelling usually used to give added dimension to a main character, by adding a relationship with this character...
s and guest star roles, with the exception of his roles as Paco Ortíz on the sitcom Nurses
Nurses (TV series)
Nurses is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from 1991 to 1994, developed and produced by Susan Harris as a spin-off of Empty Nest .-Synopsis:...
, and as Ray García, the family patriarch on The Brothers García
The Brothers Garcia
The Brothers García is an American sitcom that premiered in 2000 on Nickelodeon and ended in 2004. It was among the first projects of Sí TV, an effort to produce programming featuring Latino characters, however being aimed at a diverse audience...
.
Early life
Lacámara was born in Havana, CubaCuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and moved to Washington D.C. in 1960 because of the Cuban Revolution
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement against the regime of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista between 1953 and 1959. Batista was finally ousted on 1 January 1959, and was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Castro...
. After that, He moved to Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, and then to 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...
, where he resides now. He attended UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
.
Career
In the early 1990s, he played orderly Paco Ortiz on the NBCNBC
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...
sitcom Nurses
Nurses (TV series)
Nurses is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from 1991 to 1994, developed and produced by Susan Harris as a spin-off of Empty Nest .-Synopsis:...
. He also made recurring guest appearances on the crime series Silk Stalkings
Silk Stalkings
Silk Stalkings is a TV crime drama originally shown on CBS in 1991 as part of the network's late-night Crimetime After Primetime programming package, and rebroadcast on the USA Network. After CBS ended the Crimetime experiment in 1993, the series ran exclusively on USA until its finale in the...
and Close to Home. The latter series, in which Lacámara plays a medical examiner, is rare in casting the actor in the role of a highly educated professional, although his recent guest roles have shifted from the early trend to cast him as a waiter, valet, or other entry level worker.
In 1995, he played the assassin
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
Retaya in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
episode "Improbable Cause". In 1997, Lacámara also played one of the starring roles in the educational series Connect With English
Connect With English
Connect With English is an educational dramatized television series that was recorded in 1997 by the Annenberg/CPB Project and WGBH Boston for students of people learning English...
, a fictional drama written for students of English as a Second Language
English language learning and teaching
English as a second language , English for speakers of other languages and English as a foreign language all refer to the use or study of English by speakers with different native languages. The precise usage, including the different use of the terms ESL and ESOL in different countries, is...
. In 1998, he appeared in an episode of the NBS
NBS
NBS can stand for:*N-Bromosuccinimide, a chemical reagent*Nagano Broadcasting Systems, a television broadcasting network in Nagano Prefecture, Japan*The NASCAR Busch Series*A Nash bargaining solution, in economics, a solution to a Nash bargaining game...
sitcom Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
in The One with Joey's Dirty Day.
Although characters from Nurses occasionally appeared on Empty Nest, from which their show had originated, Lacámara's only appearance on Empty Nest was in an unrelated role in 1995, after Nurses had ended its run. Lacámara's role in The Brothers García
The Brothers Garcia
The Brothers García is an American sitcom that premiered in 2000 on Nickelodeon and ended in 2004. It was among the first projects of Sí TV, an effort to produce programming featuring Latino characters, however being aimed at a diverse audience...
reunited him with former Nurses co-star Ada Maris
Ada Maris
Ada Maris is a Mexican-American actress. She was born Ada Marentes and has been married to actor Tony Plana since 1988. They have two children.-Career:...
. He was also important in the Brother's Garcia Special (The Mayan Curse).
He has recently made an appearance on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
's TV series Lie to Me
Lie to Me (TV series)
Lie to Me is an American television series that originally ran on the Fox network from January 21, 2009 to January 31, 2011. In the show, Dr...
as inspector Mike Adams.
In 2006, Lacámara's play Nowhere on the Border
Nowhere on the Border
Nowhere on the Border is a one-act play written by American playwright Carlos Lacamara in response to the Immigration conflict. It was first performed in 2005.-Plot synopsis:...
won first place of Repertorio Español's, a theatre company in New York, MetLife Nuestras Voces National Playwriting Competition. The play was produced at Repertorio Español in the fall of 2007. His second play Havana Bourgeois won Reverie Productions' Next Generations Playwriting Contest, and was produced by Reverie at 59E59 Theaters in New York in 2007, and later played in Los Angeles, California and Coral Gables, FL.
Personal life
He lives with his wife, Carol BarbeeCarol Barbee
Carol Denise Barbee is an American television writer, actress and producer.-Biography:Barbee graduated from Central Cabarrus High School in Concord, North Carolina and attended Wake Forest University for Undergraduate School. She graduated from UCLA for Graduate School.She is married to actor...
, and his sons Lucas Alberto Lacámara (b. 1993), and Diego William Lacámara (b. 1997), in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
.
He is the brother-in-law of Hal Bogotch, a teacher and poet in Venice.