Lou Diamond Phillips is an American actor and director. His breakthrough came when he
starred in the film La Bamba as Ritchie Valens. He earned a supporting actor Golden Globe
Award nomination for his role in Stand and Deliver and a Tony Award nomination for his
role in The King and I. Other notable films in which Phillips has starred include Courage
Under Fire, Che, and Love Takes Wing.
Early life Phillips was born at the Subic Bay Naval Station
in the Philippines, the son of Lucita Umayam Aranas and Gerald Amon Upchurch, an officer
in the United States Navy. His father was an American of Scotch-Irish and one-quarter
Cherokee descent, and his mother, a native of Candelaria, Zambales, is of Filipino Spanish
descent. Phillips was named after Marine legend Leland
"Lou" Diamond. After his father died, he took his stepfather's surname "Phillips" as his
own. He was raised in Texas, where he attended
Flour Bluff High School in Corpus Christi, graduating in 1980. He graduated from the
University of Texas at Arlington with a BFA in Drama.
Career The first low-budget film in which he starred
was called Trespasses. Phillips' big break came with the starring role in 1987's La Bamba,
in which he played early rocker Ritchie Valens. Prior to his cinematic breakthrough, he starred
in the Miami Vice episode "Red Tape", portraying detective Bobby Diaz.
In 1988, Phillips co-starred with Edward James Olmos in the inner-city high school drama
Stand and Deliver, in a role for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for
"Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture". He plays Angel
Guzman, a cholo gangster who is inspired by his math teacher, Jaime Escalante, to excel
at calculus. Working to master the subject, he develops a friendship with his teacher.
Stand and Deliver was filmed before La Bamba, but it was released a year later. In 1988
and 1990, Phillips co-starred with Emilio Estevez and Kiefer Sutherland in the Western
films Young Guns and Young Guns II, in which he plays Jose Chavez y Chavez, a historical
Old West outlaw. In the mid-1990s, Phillips was a vocalist
with the Los Angeles based rock group The Pipefitters.
In 1996, Phillips made his Broadway debut as the King in Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein
II's The King and I. Phillips won a Theatre World Award and was nominated for both a Tony
Award and a Drama Desk Award for his performance. In 1998, he starred as Cisco, the counterpart
of the main character Melvin Smiley, in the comedy-action movie The Big Hit.
He later featured a minor role in the TV sitcom George Lopez as George Lopez's half-brother.
On September 11, 2007, Phillips joined the touring troupe for Lerner and Loewe's Camelot
in the role of King Arthur. He also played a role in the first season
of the TV series 24 as secret government agent Mark DeSalvo, opposite former Young Guns star
Kiefer Sutherland. Phillips played the recurring role of FBI agent Ian Edgerton in the television
series Numb3rs. Edgerton is an FBI tracker and sniper who works as an instructor at Quantico
FBI Academy when he is not working a case in the field. Phillips won the second season
of the NBC reality series, I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, over pro-wrestler Torrie
Wilson. Lou currently hosts the weekly series An Officer and a Movie on The Military Channel.
This series features various theatrical World War II dramas, with discussion breaks during
the film in which Phillips interviews members of the US Military and Intelligence communities
about details of the events that inspired each film.
Phillips had a recurring role as Colonel Telford in the Stargate Universe television series
during its two-season run on the SyFy channel 2009-2011. He played the would-be commander
of the Destiny expedition, who is left behind when an accident launches an unsuspecting
crew into deep space. The commander works from Earth to bring the crew home, often coming
into conflict with the shipborne command characters. Phillips has been a regular poker player since
college. In May 2009, Phillips placed 31st of 403 entrants in the 2009 California State
Poker Championship Limit Texas hold 'em. He placed in the money at the $10,000 July 2009
World Series of Poker World Championship No Limit main event. He was eliminated as the
original field of 6,494 was trimmed from 407 to 185. He entered the day in 114th place
among the 407 and was eliminated on the final hand of the day finishing in 186th place and
earning $36,626. In January 2012, he was one of eight celebrities
participating in the Food Network reality series, Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off.
On January 29, 2012, he was announced as the winner with a Zagat score of 28 out of 30,
winning $50,000 for his charity. In June 2012, Philips began costarring in
Longmire, about a modern day sheriff played by Robert Taylor. Phillips plays Henry Standing
Bear, a Native American, who is Longmire's good friend—often helping him with cases
and in dealing with the reservation police who do not respect or like outsiders, especially
other law enforcement. In December 2012, he was featured in Imagine
Dragons' music video for "Radioactive". Personal life
Relationships and family During the making of Trespasses, he met Julie
Cypher, an assistant director. They married on September 17, 1987 and divorced on August
5, 1990. Julie then announced she was a lesbian and became a partner to Melissa Etheridge.
He met Jennifer Tilly, to whom he was briefly engaged, although the two never married. He
later married Penthouse model and television extra Kelly Phillips with whom he had three
daughters: Grace Moorea, Isabella Patricia and Lili Jordan born September 1999. They
all reside with their mother. The two separated in 2004. Their divorce was finalized in July
2007. He began dating artist Yvonne Boismier in
2004. They married in August 2007. Their daughter, Indigo Sanara Phillips, was born in October
2007. Arrest
On August 11, 2006, he was arrested for domestic violence at his Los Angeles home following
a dispute with his live-in girlfriend and future wife, makeup artist Yvonne Boismier.
In December 2006, he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count of domestic battery and
was sentenced to three years of probation. He also was ordered to undergo one year of
domestic violence counseling and to serve 200 hours of community service.
Activism
Phillips has been an outspoken advocate of HR 4574, the Filipino Veterans Equity Act
of 2006, legislation to provide the same benefits to Filipino World War II veterans who served
with the United States as have been available to other U.S. World War II veterans.
He is also a supporter of the Thoughtful House Center for Children, founded by Doctor Andrew
Wakefield. It is controversial because of Wakefield's claims about the connection between
the MMR vaccine and autism. Phillips is very close to the Native American
community. In 1990, he was adopted by the Sioux tribe, although he is Cherokee by blood.
"Star Keeper" is his Sioux name. That year, he also organized a concert, The Winds of
Life, to benefit Native American causes. After Phillips was cast as Henry Standing Bear in
A & E's Longmire, he met with Cheyenne elders in Montana who adopted him as one of their
own. “I visited the rez, received a blessing from one of the Cheyenne elders, met with
Tribal President Leroy Spang, participated in a sweat with a lot of the brothers, and
got to experience their culture firsthand.” Awards and achievements
1989 Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male
1989 Golden Globe Award nominee for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion
Picture 1989 Western Heritage Award Bronze Wrangler
Theatrical Motion Picture. Shared with John Fusco, Christopher Cain, Charlie Sheen, Emilio
Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland 1993 Oxfam America award for his dedication
toward ending world hunger 1994 Houston International Film Festival Gold
award for Best Theatrical Feature Film for Ultimate Revenge
1996 Tony Award nominee for Best Actor on Broadway
1996 Theater World Award: The King and I 1996 New York Outer Critics Circle: Outstanding
Broadway Debut Award of an Actor, The King & I
1997 Blockbuster Entertainment Award Favorite Supporting Actor - Adventure/Drama
1997 Lone Star Film & Television Award for Best Supporting Actor
2001 Filipinas magazine "Achievement award for Entertainment"
2003 Cinemanila Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award
2005 Asia Pacific Islander Heritage Award for Excellence in Entertainment and Arts
2009 I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! King of the Jungle
2012 Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off: Winner
Filmography Interface
Trespasses La Bamba
The Three Kings Miami Vice
Dakota Stand and Deliver – Angel
Young Guns Disorganized Crime
Renegades Young Guns II
A Show of Force The First Power
Harley The Dark Wind
Ambition Sesame Street – Monster in the Mirror Celebrity
version Avenue Z Afternoon
Shadow of the Wolf Extreme Justice
Wind in the Wire Dangerous Touch
Sioux City Boulevard
Teresa's Tattoo Override
The Wharf Rat Teresa's Tattoo
Undertow Courage Under Fire
The Big Hit Another Day in Paradise
Spin City Brokedown Palace
Orion Scope: The Grip of Christ In The class of his own
Bats In a Class of His Own
Picking Up the Pieces A Better Way to Die
Supernova Route 666
Knight Club Hangman
Wolf Lake Night Visions
Absolon 24 – special guest star as Warden DeSalvo
at a government top secret underground prison, alongside Kiefer Sutherland
Lone Hero Stark Raving Mad
Malevolent George Lopez
Hollywood Homicide Red Water
K10C: Kids' Ten Commandments – guest star as robber on third episode
Gone But Not Forgotten The Trail to Hope Rose
Murder at the Presidio Jack & Bobby
Alien Express The Triangle – mini-series on Sci-Fi Channel,
inspired by paranormal events in the Bermuda Triangle
Striking Range – initially titled Bloodlines Law & Order: Special Victims Unit – Victor
Paul Gitano Numb3rs – recurring role of Agent Ian Edgerton
Aquaman – unaired pilot El Cortez
Fingerprints Psych
Termination Point Camelot
The Word of Promise – dramatization of the New Testament; spoken voice role as The Apostle
Mark Che: Part Two – Mario Monje
Never Forget Death Toll
Lone Rider Iron Chef America – himself as a celebrity
judge The Beast – Patrick Swayze
Love Takes Wing – Ray Russell Angel and the Badman
Carny I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
Stargate Universe – Colonel David Telford The Invited – Garrett
Iron Chef America – himself as a celebrity judge
American Dad! – Rusty Chuck – Augusto Gaez
Dead or Alive by Tom Clancy – narrator of the audio book
Cougar Town – himself Happily Divorced – David
Locked On by Tom Clancy – narrator of the audio book
Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off – himself Metal Tornado – Michael Edwards
Southland – Officer Danny Ferguson Filly Brown – Jose Tonorio
The Aquabats! Super Show! – The Spirit of the Sun
Longmire – Henry Standing Bear Threat Vector by Tom Clancy with Mark Greaney
– narrator of the audio book Radioactive by Imagine Dragons – Boss
Sanitarium Chopped – himself
References
External links Official Twitter
Lou Diamond Phillips BLVD Online source since 1999 showcasing the life and career of the
actor Lou Diamond Phillips Lou Diamond Phillips at the Internet Movie
Database Lou Diamond Phillips at the Internet Broadway
Database World Poker Tour Profile
Lou Diamond Phillips Hendon Mob poker tournament results