Biography
After a decade of struggling to make a name in independent features and with guest spots on television, actor Michael Peña finally emerged as a notable performer with his standout performance in the racially charged drama "Crash" (2005). Prior to his breakout role, Peña made the first major strides in his career with a small, but memorable turn in "Million Dollar Baby" (2004), which made Hollywood finally stand up and take notice. He went on …
Michael Peña SlideShow
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Career Milestones
1996 | Appeared in "My Fellow Americans" opposite Jack Lemmon and James Garner |
1996 | Made feature in Peter Bogdonovich's movie of the week "To Sir, With Love 2" |
1999 | Cast in the independent feature "Bellyfruit" about teenage pregnancy |
1999 | Landed first recurring role, as Brian Burke on the series "Felicity" (The WB) |
2000 | Appeared in the Jerry Bruckheimer action film "Gone in Sixty Seconds" |
2001 | Appeared in the critically acclaimed film "Buffalo Soldiers" |
2003 | First pairing with actor Don Cheadle in "The United States of Leland" |
2004 | Played Omar, the wise cracking amateur boxer, in Clint Eastwood's "Million Dollar Baby" (scripted by Paul Haggis) |
2004 | Starred as part of an ensemble cast in Paul Haggis' directorial debut "Crash" (Haggis also scripted) |
2005 | Joined the fourth season of "The Shield" (FX) as Armando 'Army' Renta, a semi-corrupt detective |
2006 | Played a high school teacher who inspires his Mexican-American students to stand up for their rights in the HBO film "Walkout" |
2006 | Portrayed Will Jimeno, a NYC cop trapped in the rubble on 9/11 after the collapse of the towers in Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center" |
2007 | Co-starred opposite Mark Wahlberg in the political thriller "Shooter" |
2007 | Portrayed a soldier stationed in Afghanistan in Robert Redford's "Lions for Lambs" |
2008 | Co-starred as an Iraq War veteran in Neil Burger's "The Lucky Ones" opposite Tim Robbins and Rachel McAdams |
2009 | Co-starred with Seth Rogen in the mall cop comedy "Observe and Report" |
2011 | Acted in the sci-fi feature "Battle Los Angeles" |
2011 | Landed a featured role in crime comedy "30 Minutes or Less" |
2011 | Teamed with Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy in the ensemble comedy "Tower Heist" |
2012 | Cast opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in cop drama "End of Watch" |
2013 | Cast alongside Sean Penn and Ryan Gosling in crime drama "Gangster Squad" |
Awards
2013 | Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male in End of Watch |