Kirk Acevedo (born November 27, 1974) is an American
actorAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
of Puerto Rican and
ChineseOverseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the territories administered by the rival governments of the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
descent. Notable is his portrayal of
Miguel AlvarezMiguel Alvarez is a fictional character played by American actor Kirk Acevedo on the television show Oz. He is the main Latino inmate in the series. He is a gang member of El Norte and of Cuban descent....
in the HBO series
OzOz is an American television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes. It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by premium cable network HBO. Oz aired for six seasons...
.
Acevedo's parents were both born in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
, and lived in
BrooklynBrooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located southwest of Queens on the western tip of Long Island. An independent city until its consolidation with New York in 1898, Brooklyn is New York City's most populous borough, with 2.5 million residents, and second largest in area...
where both their sons, Richard and Kirk Acevedo, were born. The Acevedos moved to the Bronx, where Kirk and his brother were raised. Since childhood, Kirk had shown an interest in acting; he would perform before his family in improvised shows.
Kirk Acevedo (born November 27, 1974) is an American
actorAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
of Puerto Rican and
ChineseOverseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the territories administered by the rival governments of the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
descent. Notable is his portrayal of
Miguel AlvarezMiguel Alvarez is a fictional character played by American actor Kirk Acevedo on the television show Oz. He is the main Latino inmate in the series. He is a gang member of El Norte and of Cuban descent....
in the HBO series
OzOz is an American television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes. It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by premium cable network HBO. Oz aired for six seasons...
.
Early years
Acevedo's parents were both born in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
, and lived in
BrooklynBrooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located southwest of Queens on the western tip of Long Island. An independent city until its consolidation with New York in 1898, Brooklyn is New York City's most populous borough, with 2.5 million residents, and second largest in area...
where both their sons, Richard and Kirk Acevedo, were born. The Acevedos moved to the Bronx, where Kirk and his brother were raised. Since childhood, Kirk had shown an interest in acting; he would perform before his family in improvised shows. Acevedo also participated in his high school's
dramaDrama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a collective...
club.
"Oz" television series
After graduating from
LaGuardia High School of Performing ArtsFiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, also officially known as "H.S. 485" and informally as "LaGuardia Arts" , is a high school specializing in teaching visual arts and performing arts, located near Martin Luther King, Jr...
, Acevedo enrolled in the SUNY Purchase School of Acting (Purchase College). In the 1990s, Acevedo earned his
Bachelor of Fine ArtsIn the United States, the Bachelor of Fine Arts, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. It is also named in some countries the Bachelor of Creative Arts or BCA...
degree and shortly after auditioned for
Oz - some of his classmates landed parts in the series and this motivated him to try out for a part, and he landed the role of the half-crazed gang leader prisoner
Miguel AlvarezMiguel Alvarez is a fictional character played by American actor Kirk Acevedo on the television show Oz. He is the main Latino inmate in the series. He is a gang member of El Norte and of Cuban descent....
. Acevedo appeared in the following episodes: 1-26; 34-36 and 41-56. He was nominated for the 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2001
ALMA AwardThe American Latino Media Arts Award, or ALMA Award is a distinction awarded to Latino performers who promote positive portrayals of Latinos in the entertainment field...
for his role in
Oz.
Acting career
Among the other television series that Acevedo has had roles in are
Law & Order: Trial by JuryLaw & Order: Trial by Jury was an American television drama about criminal trials set in New York City. It was the third spin-off from the long-running Law & Order. The show's almost exclusive focus was on the criminal trial of the accused, showing both the prosecution's and defense's preparation...
(2005) as
Hector SalazarHector Salazar, played by Kirk Acevedo, was a fictional character on the short-lived TV drama Law & Order: Trial by Jury.Salazar was an investigator with the Manhattan District Attorney's office. He was originally a police detective with the NYPD, but was shot in the line of duty and severely wounded...
; HBO's
Band of Brothers, produced by
Steven SpielbergSteven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, and film producer. In a career of over four decades, Spielberg's films have touched on many themes and genres. Spielberg's early sci-fi and adventure films, sometimes centering on children, were seen as an archetype of modern...
, as SSgt. Joseph Toye;
NYPD BlueNYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan....
;
2424 is an American serial action/drama television series. Broadcast by Fox in the United States and syndicated worldwide, the show first aired on November 6, 2001, with an initial 13 episodes...
;
The Black DonnellysThe Black Donnellys is an American television drama that debuted on NBC on February 26, 2007 and last aired on April 2, 2007. Thereafter, NBC began releasing new episodes weekly on until the series was officially cancelled. The Black Donnellys was created by Paul Haggis and Robert Moresco...
and CBS's
As The World TurnsAs the World Turns is an American television soap opera that airs each weekday on CBS.Set in the fictional town of Oakdale, Illinois, the show debuted on Monday, April 2, 1956 at 1:30pm EST. Prior to April 2, 1956 all serials were fifteen minutes in length...
. Some of the movies/
miniseriesA miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a production which tells a story in a pre-planned limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
that he's been in are:
InvincibleInvincible is a 2006 family film directed by Ericson Core set in 1976. It is based on the true story of Vince Papale, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1976-78. Mark Wahlberg portrays Papale and Greg Kinnear plays Dick Vermeil, Papale's coach...
(2006),
BaitBait is a 2000 Comedy-action-adventure film starring Jamie Foxx, David Morse and Doug Hutchison. It was directed by Antoine Fuqua.-Plot:...
(2000);
Boiler RoomBoiler Room is a 2000 U.S. drama, written and directed by Ben Younger, and starring Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel, Nia Long, Ben Affleck, Nicky Katt, Scott Caan, Tom Everett Scott, Ron Rifkin and Jamie Kennedy.-Plot:...
(2000);
Dinner RushDinner Rush is an independent feature film, written by Brian S. Kalata and Rick Shaughnessy. Directed by Bob Giraldi. It stars Danny Aiello as a restauranteur-bookmaker in New York City's Tribeca neighborhood and Edoardo Ballerini as the star chef, one of his sons. It concerns converging...
(2000); Arresting Gena
(1997) and Kirk and Kerry
(1997).
He voices Jackie Estacado in The DarknessThe Darkness is a first-person shooter video game, released by Starbreeze Studios, the game was released on June 25, 2007 in North America, and on June 20, 2007 in Europe. The video game is based on the comic book of the same title...
, the video game adaptation of the comic book.
He presently stars on the FOX series, FringeFringe is an American science fiction television series co-created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The series follows an FBI Fringe Division team based in Boston, Massachusetts under the supervision of Homeland Security...
, as Charlie Francis.
Awards
In 1999, Kirk won an ALMA Award for his role in The Thin Red Line
. He was nominated in the "Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play" category 1997 for the Drama Desk Award for Tooth of Crime. He co-founded the theater company, The Rorschach Group, with
Shea WhighamFranklin Shea Whigham, Jr. , best known as Shea Whigham, is an American actor.-Early life:Whigham was born in Tallahassee, Florida in 1969 to attorney Frank and school librarian Beth, moving to Lake Mary when he was five years old...
.
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- Chinese immigration to Puerto Rico
Large scale Chinese immigration to Puerto Rico and the Caribbean began during the 19th century. Unlike their European counterparts, Chinese immigrants had to face various obstacles which prohibited or restricted their entry in Puerto Rico....