Lou Diamond Phillips, born Louis Diamond Upchurch on February 17, 1962, is an American actor, director, and writer who first captured the public’s imagination with his electrifying portrayal of rock and roll legend Ritchie Valens in the 1987 biographical drama La Bamba. That breakthrough role launched a career spanning more than three decades, marked by a Golden Globe nomination, a Tony Award nomination, and a string of memorable performances across film, television, and stage.

Raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, Phillips discovered his passion for acting while studying at the University of Texas at Arlington. After graduating with a degree in drama, he began landing small roles in television and film. His big break came when he was cast as Ritchie Valens in La Bamba, a role that required him to learn to sing and play guitar to convincingly portray the late musician. The film was a critical and commercial success, and Phillips’s performance earned him widespread acclaim. He followed this with another standout role as Angel David Guzman in the 1988 drama Stand and Deliver, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture and won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male. That same year, he joined an ensemble cast of young Hollywood stars in the Western Young Guns, playing the role of Jose Chavez y Chavez, a character he reprised in the 1990 sequel Young Guns II.

Throughout the 1990s, Phillips continued to build an impressive filmography, appearing in Courage Under Fire alongside Denzel Washington, The Big Hit with Mark Wahlberg, and Brokedown Palace starring Claire Danes. He also made a significant mark on the stage, making his Broadway debut in the 1996 revival of The King and I. His portrayal of King Mongkut of Siam earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical, showcasing his versatility as a performer. In the 2000s, he took on diverse roles, including a turn as Fidel Castro in Steven Soderbergh’s epic Che (2008) and a supporting part in the Chilean mining disaster drama The 33 (2015).

On television, Phillips found a long-running role as Henry Standing Bear in the A&E/Netflix series Longmire, a modern Western drama that ran for six seasons. He later starred as New York City police lieutenant Gil Arroyo in the FOX thriller Prodigal Son from 2019 to 2021. In addition to his acting work, Phillips has directed episodes of television and continues to take on projects that challenge him as an artist. With a career defined by his ability to bring depth and authenticity to a wide range of characters, Lou Diamond Phillips remains a respected and enduring figure in the entertainment industry.