Michael Peña facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Peña
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Peña at the premiere of The Martian at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival
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| Born | January 13, 1976 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Brie Shaffer
(m. 2006) |
| Children | 1 |
Michael Peña (pronounced PEN-yuh; born January 13, 1976) is an American actor famous for his roles in many popular movies and TV shows. You might know him as the fast-talking character Luis in the Ant-Man movies or as astronaut Rick Martinez in The Martian.
Peña has appeared in a wide variety of films. His work includes action movies like End of Watch and Fury, and dramas like Crash and World Trade Center. He also played the lead role in Cesar Chavez, a movie about the famous labor leader.
On television, he starred as DEA agent Kiki Camarena in the Netflix series Narcos: Mexico and as CIA agent Domingo Chavez in the Prime Video series Jack Ryan. For his role in End of Watch, he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.
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Early Life and Education
Michael Peña was born in Chicago, Illinois. His parents, Nicolasa and Eleuterio Peña, moved to the United States from Mexico. They were originally farmers before his mother became a social worker and his father worked in a factory.
Growing up, Peña went to Marist High School and later graduated from Hubbard High School. In high school, he was active in sports and was a state qualifier in both wrestling and track.
Acting Career
Peña began his acting career in 1996. He appeared in many independent films before getting his big break in two movies that won the Academy Award for Best Picture: Million Dollar Baby (2004) and Crash (2004). His emotional performance in Crash earned him a lot of praise.
Major Film Roles
After his early success, Peña starred in many major films. In 2006, he played a real-life hero in the movie World Trade Center, which was about the September 11, 2001 attacks. The same year, he was in the HBO movie Walkout, playing a teacher who helps students fight for their rights.
Over the next few years, he acted alongside stars like Mark Wahlberg in Shooter and Jake Gyllenhaal in End of Watch. In 2014, he took on the lead role of Cesar Chavez in a biopic (a movie about a real person's life).
Blockbuster Hits and Sci-Fi
Many people know Peña from his role as Luis in the Marvel movie Ant-Man (2015) and its sequel, Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018). His character is a fan favorite because of his funny and fast-paced storytelling.
In 2015, he was also part of the main cast of The Martian, a science fiction film about an astronaut stranded on Mars. He has also appeared in other big movies like 12 Strong, A Wrinkle in Time, and Dora and the Lost City of Gold.
Television and Voice Acting
Besides movies, Peña has had important roles on television. In 2018, he starred as DEA agent Kiki Camarena in the first season of the Netflix show Narcos: Mexico. In 2023, he joined the cast of Jack Ryan as Domingo "Ding" Chavez.
Peña has also lent his voice to animated characters. He was the voice of Tito in the movie Turbo and Kai in The Lego Ninjago Movie.
Music Career
In 2005, Peña started a rock band called Nico Vega, which he named after his mother. He was the band's drummer. He left in 2007 to focus on acting but helped write their song "Beast", which became a hit. He rejoined the band in 2023.
Personal Life
Peña married Brie Shaffer in 2006. They have a son named Roman, who was born in 2008. Since 2000, Peña has been a member of Scientology.
Selected Film and TV Roles
Here are some of Michael Peña's most well-known roles:
- Crash (2004) as Daniel
- World Trade Center (2006) as Will Jimeno
- Shooter (2007) as Nick Memphis
- End of Watch (2012) as Officer Zavala
- American Hustle (2013) as Paco Hernandez
- Turbo (2013) as the voice of Tito
- Cesar Chavez (2014) as César Chávez
- Fury (2014) as Trini 'Gordo' Garcia
- Ant-Man (2015) as Luis
- The Martian (2015) as Major Rick Martinez
- The Lego Ninjago Movie (2017) as the voice of Kai
- Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) as Luis
- Narcos: Mexico (2018) as Kiki Camarena
- Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019) as Cole Marquez
- Tom & Jerry (2021) as Terence Mendoza
- Jack Ryan (2023) as Domingo "Ding" Chavez
- A Million Miles Away (2023) as José M. Hernández
See also
In Spanish: Michael Peña para niños
