| Guillermo Díaz | |
|---|---|
| Born | New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1994–present |
Guillermo Díaz (born March 22, 1975) is an American actor. He has starred in movies such as Half Baked (1998), 200 Cigarettes (1999) and Stonewall (1995).
Díaz has had several TV guest appearances on such shows as Chappelle's Show, Law & Order, Weeds and ER.
In 2006, he joined the cast of a series of improv-based commercials for Sierra Mist titled Mist Takes. A Spanish version of the advertisements began airing and the bilingual Díaz also starred in those with other Latino comedians.
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Diaz was born and grew up in Washington Heights, Manhattan, the son of Cuban-born parents. In 1994, Diaz landed his first speaking role as "Spike" in Boaz Yakin's Fresh. From there he began working on Party Girl as "Leo", Parker Posey's roommate. His next role was a drag queen (“La Miranda”) in Nigel Finch's Stonewall. In 1996 Díaz worked in Jim McKay's Girls' Town as "Dylan. After Girls' Town, Diaz appeared in I'm Not Rappaport.
Diaz played "Paco de la Vega al Camino Cordoba Jose Cuervo Sanchez Rodriguez Jr.", a high school gang member in High School High. He later appeared in Freeway as "Flaco", another gang member. While in Los Angeles, Diaz did guest spots on ER and Party of Five.
After finishing work on the west coast, he traveled back east to shoot Brian Sloan's film I Think I Do playing the stoner "Eric". A similar role then opened for Díaz; he scored the role of "Scarface" in the film Half Baked, on the set of which he met Dave Chappelle who later cast him in several episodes of Chappelle's Show. In 1999 he landed a non-speaking role in 200 Cigarettes, and went on to act in Ethan Hawke's directorial debut Chelsea Walls and Just One Time, where as secondary characters he and Jennifer Esposito provided what little "comic spark" existed in the film.[1]
Díaz played Guillermo García Gómez, a drug dealer/trafficker, in seasons 2-6 of Showtime's Weeds. In 2009, he starred on the NBC series Mercy, where his portrayal of the gay nurse Angel received negative criticism in online forums for being too flamboyant.[2] He co-stars in the thriller film Exquisite Corpse.[3]
In 2010, Díaz was cast as a Latino gangster named Poh Boy in Cop Out, after previously portraying several Mexican thugs (cholos). When asked about being typecast, he stated "I [used to worry], but not really anymore. Now I’m just grateful that I’m working. I try to make everything different."[4]
He has been signed for the 2011 ABC drama midseason replacement, Scandal.[5]
Diaz is openly gay, but told Out magazine that the fact that he grew up in a rough neighborhood made it necessary to hide his orientation; "That facade of being somebody I’m really not just to protect myself definitely helped with acting.”[6]
In 2011, Diaz appeared alongside Britney Spears in her music video for her single "I Wanna Go" and took part in a scene referencing his character Scarface from Half Baked.[7]