Lou Diamond Phillips facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lou Diamond Phillips
Phillips in 2017
Born	Louis Diamond Upchurch (1962-02-17) February 17, 1962 (age 63) U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay, Zambales, Philippines
Education	Flour Bluff High School
Alma mater	University of Texas at Arlington (BFA)
Occupation	Actor director writer
Years active	1984–present
Spouse(s)	Julie Cypher ​ ​ (m. 1987; div. 1990)​ Kelly Preston ​ ​ (m. 1994; div. 2007)​ Yvonne Boismier ​ (m. 2007)​
Children	4

Lou Diamond Phillips (born February 17, 1962) is an actor from the Philippines and America. He became famous for playing Ritchie Valens in the movie La Bamba (1987). He also earned awards for his role as Angel David Guzman in Stand and Deliver (1988).

Phillips made his first appearance on Broadway in 1996. He played King Mongkut in The King and I and was nominated for a Tony Award. Some of his other well-known movies include Young Guns (1988) and Courage Under Fire (1996).

On TV, Phillips played Henry Standing Bear in the series Longmire. From 2019 to 2021, he was also New York City Police Lieutenant Gil Arroyo on the show Prodigal Son on FOX.

Early Life

Lou Diamond Phillips was born on February 17, 1962. His birthplace was the Subic Bay Naval Station in the Philippines. His mother, Lucita Umayam Aranas, is Filipina. His father, Gerald Amon Upchurch, was an American Marine. His father had Cherokee and Scots-Irish family roots.

Phillips was named after a US Marine called Leland "Lou" Diamond. After his father passed away, his stepfather adopted him. This is when his last name changed to Phillips.

He grew up in Texas. He finished high school in Corpus Christi in 1980. He then studied Drama at the University of Texas at Arlington. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree there.

Career

1980s: Becoming a Star

Phillips' first movie was a low-budget film called Trespasses. His big break came when he starred in La Bamba (1987). In this film, he played the early rock and roll singer Ritchie Valens. Before this, he appeared in an episode of Miami Vice.

In 1988, Phillips acted alongside Edward James Olmos in Stand and Deliver. This movie was about a math teacher in an inner-city high school. Phillips played Angel David Guzman, a student who learns calculus from his teacher. He won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for this role. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

In the same year, 1988, Phillips also starred in the Western film Young Guns. He played Jose Chavez y Chavez, a real-life Old West outlaw.

Lou Diamond Phillips in 1987, the year that the film "La Bamba" was released

1990s: Broadway and More Movies

In 1990, Phillips played Jose Chavez y Chavez again in Young Guns II.

In 1996, Phillips made his Broadway debut. He starred as the King in The King and I. He won a Theatre World Award for his performance. He was also nominated for a Tony Award.

In 1998, he starred as Cisco in the action-comedy movie The Big Hit. He acted alongside Mark Wahlberg in this film.

2000s: TV Roles and Reality Shows

Phillips had a small role in the TV show George Lopez (2002–2004). He played George Lopez's half-brother. He also appeared in the first season of 24 as a secret government agent.

He played FBI agent Ian Edgerton in the TV series Numb3rs. Agent Edgerton was a skilled FBI tracker and sniper.

In 2009, Phillips won the second season of the NBC reality show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. He became the "King of the Jungle." Phillips also hosted a weekly show called An Officer and a Movie on The Military Channel.

From 2009 to 2011, he had a recurring role as Colonel Telford in the Stargate Universe TV series.

2010s: Cooking and Music Videos

In 2012, Phillips took part in the Food Network reality cooking show Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off. He won the competition, earning $50,000 for his chosen charity.

In June 2012, Phillips began co-starring in the TV series Longmire. He played Henry Standing Bear, a Native American character. Henry is the main character's best friend and helps him with cases.

In December 2012, Phillips appeared in the music video for "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons. This music video has been watched over a billion times on YouTube.

Phillips performing at an after-party for the film Filly Brown at the 2013 Miami International Film Festival

In 2014, he returned to the stage as the King of Siam in The King and I in Australia. He also made guest appearances on The Wiggles TV program.

2020s: Recent Work

Phillips in 2024

In 2023, Phillips competed on The Masked Singer as "Mantis". He shared that he joined the show for his daughter. That same year, he starred in the comedy thriller movie Et Tu.

Writing

Phillips has also worked as a writer. He helped write the screenplays for movies like Trespasses and Dangerous Touch. He also wrote the movie Ambition, in which he also acted. In 2019, he published his first novel, Tinderbox: Soldier of Indira. This is a science fiction story based on a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. His wife, Yvonne Boismier, illustrated the book.

Personal Life

Family

Lou Diamond Phillips has been married three times. He has four children. He married Julie Cypher in 1987, and they divorced in 1990. He then married makeup artist Kelly Preston in 1994. They had three daughters together before divorcing in 2007.

In 2007, he married Yvonne Boismier. They have one daughter together. They also work together on his books.

Poker

Phillips enjoys playing poker. He has played in several poker tournaments. In 2009, he finished 186th in the 2009 World Series of Poker main event. He won $36,626 in that competition.

Activism

Phillips speaking at the Filipino American Library Spirit Awards and Dinner Gala in Los Angeles in October 2006

Phillips is part of the advisory council for The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment. This group supports diversity in entertainment and media. Since his mother is Filipina, he is half Filipino.

He also has Cherokee heritage from his father's side. He has stayed connected to the Native American community. In 1990, he organized a concert to help Native American causes. In 1991, an Oglala Lakota Sioux family adopted him in a special ceremony. His Lakota name means "Star Keeper."

Phillips is also a member of Artists Against Racism, a Canadian charity. In 2020, he supported the NoH8 campaign for LGBTQ equality.

Awards and Achievements

• 1989 – Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male (Stand and Deliver, 1988)
• 1989 – Golden Globe Award nominee for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture (Stand and Deliver, 1988)
• 1989 – Western Heritage Award Bronze Wrangler Theatrical Motion Picture (Young Guns, 1988)
• 1996 – Tony Award nominee for Best Actor on Broadway (The King And I)
• 1996 – Theater World Award: The King and I
• 1997 – Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actor – Adventure/Drama (Courage Under Fire, 1996)
• 2009 – I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!: King of the Jungle
• 2012 – Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off: Winner
• 2024 – Los Angeles IFS Film Festival Award for Best Actor (Et Tu, 2023)

Filmography

Film

Television

Video Games

See also

In Spanish: Lou Diamond Phillips para niños