Eduardo Verástegui

Eduardo Verástegui

Verástegui at the 16th Annual MovieGuide Faith and Values Awards Gala
Born José Eduardo Verástegui Córdoba
(1974-05-21) May 21, 1974
Xicoténcatl, Tamaulipas, Mexico[1]
Website eduardoverastegui.com.ar/ http://www.metanoiafilms.com/

José Eduardo Verástegui Córdoba (Spanish pronunciation: [eˈðwarðo βeˈɾasteɣi]; born May 21, 1974) is a Mexican actor, model, and singer. He was part of band Kairo and later a solo music career, before he started appearing in Mexican telenovelas and eventually feature films like Chasing Papi, Bella, and Little Boy, the latter two produced by his own production company, Metanoia.

Personal life

Verástegui was born in Xicoténcatl, Tamaulipas, Mexico. He was raised in a practicing Catholic family.[2] After finding success as a musical entertainer, and then as a soap opera star, he decided to pursue a career in Hollywood. In 2002, before filming commenced on Chasing Papi, Verástegui took voice-coaching lessons to improve his English pronunciation. The coach was a committed Catholic, and in the course of their conversations Verástegui re-discovered his faith and resolved to change his lifestyle. He also declared that he had decided to turn down offers to play roles in films that conflicted with his Catholic beliefs or that insulted his Latino brethren[3]. In an interview with Dave Hartline, the author of The Tide Is Turning Toward Catholicism and published by Catholic Report, he said he was committed to attend Mass daily, praying, reading the Bible, saying the rosary and going to Confession at least once a week. He also said that he first encountered his renewed faith in Scott Hahn's book, Rome Sweet Home that "had a great impact on me and its influences can be seen in a lot of what I do".[4][5]

Verástegui is a pro-life advocate, through the organization Manto de Guadalupe. Verástegui recounts an anecdote about his beliefs: he was doing research for his role in Bella and had gone to an abortion clinic as part of that process. While there, he started talking to a Hispanic couple who were going to the clinic for an abortion. He says that, recognizing him from his telenovela roles on Mexican television, they listened as he described his upcoming role and the plotline of Bella. They reconsidered their decision and went home without going ahead with the abortion. Immediately after their child was born, they called him to tell him the good news and thanking him and asking for his permission to name the child Eduardo after him. He also made a point of meeting "little Eduardo" weeks later.[5][6]

In 2008, he released a long video message denouncing the high rate of abortion in Hispanic communities in the United States and speaking out loudly about alleged targeting of the Hispanic communities with messages supporting abortion by the Barack Obama campaign during the presidential race.[7]

Actively involved in charities, he has established Manto de Guadalupe, a pro-life organization with worldwide outreach and based in Los Angeles and offering a crisis pregnancy center for the underprivileged Latina women.[8]

Metanoia Films

Verástegui cofounded the production company Metanoia Films (the Greek word for "repentance") with co-founders and partners Alejandro Gomez Monteverde and Leo Severino. The company is based in Beverly Hills, California, and is committed to producing films that touch the consciences and hearts of people. The company released its debut film Bella directed by Alejandro Gomez Monteverde and starring Verástegui. The latest project of the company is Little Boy written by Alejandro Monteverde and Pepe Portillo. Starring Emily Watson, Kevin James, David Henrie, Jacob Salvati, Ben Chaplin, and set in 1945, it tells the story of Pepper, an eight-year-old who does all he can to be reunited with his father, a soldier fighting in World War II and captured by the Japanese. Meanwhile, Pepper has to befriend Hashimoto, a Japanese man living in his town.[9]

Discography

Albums

as part of Kairo

(For detailed discographies, see Kairo discography section )

as solo

Singles

as part of Kairo

Music video

Filmography

Films

Year Title Role Notes
2003 Chasing Papi Thomas Fuentes
2005 Meet Me in Miami Eduardo
2006 Bella José
2009 The Butterfly Circus Mr. Mendez Short film
2012 Cristiada Anacleto Gonzales Flores
2015 Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 Eduardo Furtillo
2015 Little Boy Fr. Crispin

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1996 Mi querida Isabel Malaysia
1998 Soñadoras Manuel Vasconzelos Jr.
1998 Una luz en el camino Daniel
1999 Tres mujeres Ramiro Belmont
1999 Alma rebelde Emiliano Hernández / Mario Expósito
2003 CSI: Miami Jarod Parker "Forced Entry" (Season 1, Episode 14)
2003 Karen Sisco Tuck Rodriguez "Dear Derwood" (Season 1, Episode 6)
2004 Charmed Mr. Right "Prince Charmed" (Season 6, Episode 11)
2015 Nuestra Belleza Latina 2015 Himself Celebrity guest (Finale)

See also

References

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