Alejandro Patiño is a stage, TV and film actor, and sometimes carpenter, best known for his roles in the film Fast & Furious: and as the gardener Ralph in the TV show Desperate Housewives.
Biography[]
Alejandro Patiño describes himself as Character actor who has been working steadily in on screen and on stage for over 20 years, maybe because as he puts it My experience has always been to be involved in the arts, learning everything about acting. Practicing acting itself by performing on stage as an actor, a dancer or a speaker in a debate... anything that gets you in front of an audience. Study, study, study, this is of the utmost importance.
And he did as he preaches, studying and training with Barbara Lauren, Luis Valdez, Scott Bernstien, Pamela Campus, Norma Bowles, Fred Fate, Bill Shriner and Burt Peachy, which in turn allows him to display an impressive set of skills: from sports such as archery, bike driving, billiards player, boating, bowling, boxing, croquet, fencing, golf, horse riding, jet skier, karate, kayaker, kick boxing, racquetball, snorkeler, snow ski, soccer, tennis, trampoline, volleyball and water skier, to stage combat like hand-to-hand, staff and swords, with some circus skill thrown in the mix like juggler and stilt walker.
He too is a skilled dancer going from ballet to disco, to modern, to salsa, to swing... And of course, he is fluent in Spanish and able to do several dialects like Australian, Cockney, Irish, Mexican, New York/Bronx, New York/Brooklyn and Spanish.
On television, Patiño appeared in the mini-series Kingpin, 5 television movies and had recurring roles on the megahit series Desperate Housewives and Weeds. He recently filmed two pilots and has guest starred in numerous episodes for so widely known series as It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Cold Case, Las Vegas, My Name Is Earl, Medium, Criminal Minds, The Unit, Huff, House, Roswell, Arrested Development or Family Law to name a few.
Patiño's long credits on the big screen started with Nightforce in 1987. From there came titles like Bowfinger, Broken, The Trip, Los Desaparecidos and Emilio. In 2009 he landed the role of the gas truck driver whose scenes would open the film Fast & Furious, the 4th film in the successful franchise, another role in The Soloist and a short film; A Border Story, premiered at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival, is a harrowing tale of one man's survival and sacrifice on his journey from Mexico to a promise of a better life. For his compelling performance as the lead character Eliseo Gómez in this short film he was nominated as Best Actor in a Short Film at the Edgemar Film Festival.
A veteran of the stage with a long résumé which includes plays like Man of La Mancha, Macbeth, Carnival of Desires and The Spanish Café, Patiño nowadays works with a talented group of actors in Chico's Angels. The underground hit is a latin parody of Charlie's Angels and he has played the role of 'Bossman' to 3 ladies for the last six years. The hilarious antics of this motley crew can be seen performing at the Cavern Club Theatre in LA.
Patiño believes in giving back to the community and is involved in several different charitable organizations.
Criminal Minds[]
Patiño portrayed serial-rapist-turned-serial killer Pablo Vargas in the Season One episode "Machismo".
Filmography[]
- Holyweed (2010)
- The Legend of El Limbo (2010) - Gabriel
- Lean Like a Cholo: The Movie (2010) - Taco Truck Guy Juan
- Freeloaders (2010) - Hector
- Guerrilla Garden (2009) - Diego
- Iron Man 2 (2010) - Strawberry Vendor
- A Border Story (2010) - Eliseo Gomez
- The Republic (2010) - Andy
- Our Family Wedding (2010) - Goat Truck Driver
- TypeA (2010) - Mr. Herrera
- The Runaways (2010) - Grocery Store Manager
- Aussie and Ted's Great Adventure (2009) - Carlos
- The Soloist (2009) - Construction Worker
- Dark Room Theater (2009) - Detective 1
- All Americana (2009) - Marta's Father
- Fast & Furious (2009) - Gas Truck Driver
- Chico's Angels: 24ish (2009) - Bossman
- Middle of Nowhere (2009) - Ernest
- It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - The Gang Gets Extreme: Home Makeover Edition (2008) TV episode - Father Juarez
- Cold Case - The Dealer (2008) TV episode - Esteban '81
- Lower Learning (2008) - Helado
- Emilio (2008) - Fausto
- Weeds - 4 episodes (2008) TV episodes - Alphonso
- No Man's Land: The Rise of Reeker (2008) - Medic
- Las Vegas - I Could Eat a Horse (2008) TV episode - Augie
- The Cross Before Me (2008) - Willie
- Locked Out (2007) - Jerry Anderson
- My Name Is Earl - Y2K (2006) - Man at Crate and The Frank Factor (2007) TV episodes - Coyote
- The Heartbreak Kid (2007) - River Crossing Father
- Nothing Is Private (2007) (unaccredited) - Waiter
- Sands of Oblivion (2007) - Raoul
- Hardly Married (2007) - Rudy Gonzalez
- This Solace Eternal (2007) - Electrician
- Cooking with Kay (2007) - Pepe
- Shelter (2007) - Moe
- Delta Farce (2007) - Juan
- Handle with Care (2007) - Marty
- The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman - Nemesisyphus (2006) TV episode - Valet #2
- Desperate Housewives - 5 episodes (2005-2006) TV episodes - Ralph
- Medium - Knowing Her (2006) TV episode - Driver
- Criminal Minds - "Machismo" (2006) TV episode - Pablo Vargas
- The Unit - Non-Permissive Environment (2006) TV episode - Store Owner
- Huff - Maps Don't Talk 2 (2006) TV episode - Cab Driver
- The Kid & I (2005) - Apartment Manager
- Sueño (2005) - Uncle Alfonso
- Left at the Rio Grande (2005) - Ralph
- His Name Is Bobby (2005) - Joe Martinez
- Taco Chick and Salsa Girl (2005) - Hostage #3
- Reeker (2005) - Velez the Medic
- House M.D. - Cursed (2005) TV episode - Cabbie
- Juarez, Mexico (2005) - Doctor
- Arrested Development - Amigos (2004) TV episode - Mexican Man #1
- Robbing Peter (2004) - Danny
- The Shield - Safe (2004) TV episode - Baodelo
- Los desaparecidos (2003)
- Kingpin (2003) TV mini-series - Crony
- The Silent Cross (2003) - Moises
- Robbery Homicide Division - A Life of Its Own (2002) TV episode - Hispanic Father
- The Trip (2002) - Gas Station Owner
- Roswell - Samuel Rising (2001) TV episode - Santa #3
- Family Law - Moving On (2001) TV episode - Man
- Strip Mall - Hedda Bags Josh (2001) TV episode
- Just Can't Get Enough (2001) - Hernando
- English for All (2001) TV series - Alejandro Cordero
- Broken (2000) - Sr. Gutierrez
- Very Mean Men (2000) - Jose
- Growing Up Brady (2000) - Paramount Security Guard
- Two Coyotes (2000) - Motel Thug
- Snoops - Constitutions (1999) TV episode - Sherriff
- Bowfinger (1999) - Sanchez
- ER - Rites of Spring (1999) TV episode - Best Man
- La Cucaracha (1998) - Fruit Vendor
- No Ordinary Love (1994) - Juan Pablo
- Silk Stalkings - Scorpio Lover (1992) TV episode - Rico
- Nightforce (1987) - Cantina Tough
Art Department[]
- Gideon (1999) (construction coordinator)
- Resurrection (1999) (construction coordinator: Los Angeles second unit)
- Automatic (1995) (construction foreman)
- It's Pat (1994) (carpenter)
- From the Files of Joseph Wambaugh: A Jury of One (1992) (carpenter)
- Critters 4 (1992) (construction foreman)
- Critters 3 (1991) (construction foreman)
- Suburban Commando (1991) (carpenter)
- The Haunted (1991) (carpenter) (construction foreman)
- Pump Up the Volume (1990) (carpenter) (as Alex Patino)
Producer[]
- The Incredible Dyke (2007) (executive producer)
- His Name Is Bobby (2005) (co-producer)
- Taco Chick and Salsa Girl (2005) (producer)
Theater[]
- Chica's Are Forever - Juan Bossman - Cavern Club Theatre, Los Angeles
- Taming of the Shrew - Bondello - Torrence Theatre Company
- Chica's in Chains - Juan Bossman - Cavern Club Theatre, Los Angeles
- Love Boat Chica's - Juan Bossman - Cavern Club Theatre, Los Angeles
- Pretty Chicas All in a Row - Juan Bossman - Cavern Club Theatre, Los Angeles
- Sir Gwains Marriage - Black Knight - Black Dahlia Theater, Los Angeles
- The Spanish Café - Mr. Jeffries - 24th St. Theatre, Los Angeles
- Cause of Death - Mr. Morgan - Black Dahlia Theatre, Los Angeles
- San Madien - Padre - Edge Of The World Festival, Los Angeles
- Kate Crackernuts - Joffrey - 24th Street Theatre, Los Angeles
- Tropical America - Immigrant Father - 24th Street Theatre, Los Angeles
- Fair Maid of the West - Capt. Goodlack - Knightsbridge Theater, Los Angeles
- Carnival Of Desires - Howie Schiller - New Voices Playwrights, Santa Ana
- The Heartbreak House - Billy Dunn - Vanguard Theater, Fullerton
- Macbeth - Banquo - Original Theater Works Norwalk
- Man Of the Flesh - Fracas - Long Beach Playhouse, Long Beach
- Butterfingers Angel - King - Vantage Theater, San Diego
- Man of La Mancha - Sancho - Vantage Theater, San Diego
- Fortinbras Gets Drunk - Finnish Delegate - The Fountainhead Theatre
- Stand and Deliver - Jaime Escalante - Cerritos College
- South Pacific - Stewpot - Torrence Theater
External Links[]
- For an up-to-date Filmography: imdb.com/Alejandro Patiño