Demián Bichir Nájera is a Mexican actor, is from of a well-known family of Mexican
actors, the Bichir family, which include his parents Alejandro Bichir and Maricruz Nájera
and his brothers Odiseo Bichir and Bruno Bichir.
He began his acting career starring in many Mexican telenovelas and films before achieving
fame for his roles in Mexican films such as the record-breaking Sexo, pudor y lágrimas
and Sin noticias de Dios.
In the U.S., he is best known for his role as Detective Marco Ruiz in the FX drama television
series The Bridge.
Early life Bichir was born at Torreon, Mexico, the son
of actors Alejandro Bichir and Maricruz Nájera.
He began his acting career at the age of 14 in the telenovela Rina with Ofelia Medina.
His second acting role was as an adult in Vivir enamorada – both telenovelas were
during his years with Televisa.
The following year he obtained a role in his first movie, the American production Choices
of the Heart.
He got his first starring character in the Telenovela El Rincon de los Prodigios where
he acts as a stranger who performs miracles in front of the people confronting the corrupt
authorities and the church.
Career Bichir then continued his acting roles in
telenovelas with film productions of Mexico, Spain and the United States.
After a long retirement of the Mexican telenovelas in favor of a movie career, he went back to
TV Azteca in the telenovela Nada Personal where he played the role of an honest detective
trying to tackle corruption and drug problems in Mexico.
His performance led him to act as the same detective in Con Toda El Alma.
Mexican movie breakout His movie Sexo, pudor y lágrimas broke box-office
records in Mexico becoming the #1 movie in the history of Mexican cinema.
He performed one of the main characters and brought him sufficient praise to earn him
the Ariel.
This movie brought a lot of attention to him and to his brothers.
They acted in so many movies that in the MTV Movie Awards-México a special category was
created: "Mejor Bichir en una Película".
He earned this award for the 2003 film Bendito infierno, in which he co-starred with Victoria
Abril, Penélope Cruz, and Gael García Bernal.
United States His American debut occurred in the film In
the Time of the Butterflies starring Salma Hayek, based on the real life of a group of
sisters that fought against the government of a Dominican dictator.
Later he got some recognition when he depicted Fidel Castro in Steven Soderbergh's biopic
Che on the life of Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara.
He was exposed to a wider American audience with his recurring role as Esteban Reyes,
the corrupt mayor of Tijuana and love interest of Nancy Botwin from Season 4 to Season 7
of the Showtime series Weeds.
Bichir found mainstream U.S. work following his critically acclaimed performance as Carlos
Galindo in the 2011 drama A Better Life, which garnered him nominations for the Independent
Spirit Award, Screen Actors Guild Award and the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading
Role.
His success would continue to expose him to a wider range of American audiences with roles
in various films such as Savages, The Heat, and Machete Kills.
In 2013, he began starring in the FX drama television series The Bridge as Detective
Marco Ruiz.
On 24 January 2012, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading
Role for his performance in A Better Life, where Bichir plays Carlos Galindo, an undocumented
Mexican gardener who goes with his son to find his stolen vehicle while trying to convince
his son to avoid becoming a delinquent.
His nomination came as a shock to both Mexican and American audiences alike since he had
only been nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male
Actor in a Leading Role beforehand.
He is the first male Mexican actor to receive this nomination since Anthony Quinn.
Though Bichir failed to win the award, he followed it up with roles in the major American
releases Savages, The Heat, and Machete Kills.
Bichir recently completed his directorial debut, a movie called Refugio.
Political activism Bichir is an ACLU Ambassador for Immigration
Rights.
Bichir believes strongly that Latinos in Hollywood need to claim their place, and not get pigeonholed.
Personal life When Bichir was 22, he moved to New York City
with his ex-girlfriend in order to get into the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.
Then for a brief period he decided not to act and started working at the Rosa Mexicano
Restaurant in NYC while learning English.
Later, he moved to Los Angeles but had no success landing any acting roles, ultimately
deciding to go back to his native Mexico where he found great success.
Bichir was married once, to Mexican singer Lisset Gutiérrez whom he divorced in 2003.
He has since stated that it is hard for him "to stay in a long-term relationship."
He had a short-lived relationship which led to the birth of his daughter, Gala, in May
2011 in Spain.
He remains involved in the child's life.
Bichir is currently dating Canadian model-actress Stefanie Sherk.
Demian holds dual Mexican and American citizenship.
After coming to the U.S. on a tourist visa, he "eventually became a permanent resident
and later on an American citizen, like 3 million other undocumented workers, after Congress
passed and President Ronald Reagan signed the Immigration Reform Control Act of 1986."
Demian resides in Los Angeles and Mexico City.
Telenovelas and TV series TV Azteca
La otra mitad del sol as Felipe Saenz Demasiado Corazón as Comandante Alfonso Carbajal
Nada personal as Comandante Alfonso Carbajal Televisa
Lazos de Amor as Valente Segura El rincón de los prodigios
Los años felices as Tomas Guadalupe
Cuando los hijos se van as Ricardo Vivir enamorada as Nacho
Rina as Juanito Showtime
Weeds as Tijuana mayor and drug kingpin Esteban Reyes
FX The Bridge as Det.
Marco Ruiz Filmography
Accolades References
External links Demián Bichir at the Internet Movie Database
Radio interview with Demián Bichir on Fresh Air discussing The Bridge