| Alex Meraz | |
|---|---|
Meraz at a Twilight Saga: New Moon promotional appearance in Houston, Texas, November 10, 2009 |
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| Born | Alejandro Meraz January 10, 1985 [1] Mesa, Arizona, U.S. |
| Occupation | Dancer, actor |
| Years active | 2005—present |
Alejandro "Alex" Meraz (born January 10, 1985) is an American dancer, actor and martial artist. Meraz played the werewolf named Paul in the film New Moon, the sequel to 2008's Twilight.[2]
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Alex Meraz claims indigenous Mexican heritage from the P'urhépecha people.[3] He attended the New School for the Arts, and is an avid painter and illustrator.[1] Besides break-dancing Alex excels in indigenous and contemporary dancing. He has studied mixed martial arts, winning numerous tournaments in karate and the martial art of Capoeira. Alex's first big film was The New World as one of the Powhatan core warriors, inspiring him to continue acting. Thereafter he was in the running for the film Apocalypto but in the end was turned down. His big break came when he was cast as werewolf Paul in the film New Moon.[4]
He is married to his Vietnamese-American wife, Kim. His wife, a Twilight fan, told him he should audition for New Moon, believing he was perfect for the part. They have a son named Somak, for whom his mentor, actor Raoul Trujillo, is the godfather.[4] Somak means "beautiful one" in Quechua, an indigenous language from Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru.[5][6]
He also starred in the latest season of CSI: New York.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | The New World | Core Warrior | Movie |
| 2007 | Two Spirits, One Journey | Luke | Short film |
| Dancing with Spirit | Dancer | TV, episode "Here on Earth" | |
| 2009 | |||
| American Experience | Warrior | TV | |
| The Twilight Saga: New Moon | Paul | Film | |
| 2010 | The Twilight Saga: Eclipse | Paul | Film |
| 2011 | City of Gardens | Nicaragua | Film |
| CSI: NY | Odelin Gonzales Jr. | TV | |
| The Roommate | Frat Boy | Film | |
| The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 | Paul | Film; complete | |
| Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown | Zack | Film | |
| 2012 | Mine Games (2012 film) | TJ | Film |