Michael Peña facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michael Peña
Peña at the premiere of The Martian at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	(1976-01-13) January 13, 1976 (age 49) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1996–present
Spouse(s)	Brie Shaffer ​ (m. 2006)​
Children	1

Michael Peña (born January 13, 1976) is an American actor. He has starred in many popular movies. These include Crash (2004), World Trade Center (2006), and Shooter (2007). He also appeared in Ant-Man (2015) and its sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018).

Peña played the main character in Cesar Chavez (2014). He was also a CIA agent in the TV series Jack Ryan (2023). He was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his role in End of Watch.

Early Life and School

Michael Peña was born in Chicago, Illinois. His mother, Nicolasa, was a social worker. His father, Eleuterio Peña, worked in a factory. Both of his parents were farmers before they moved from Mexico. His father came from Villa Purificación, Jalisco, and his mother from Charcas, San Luis Potosí.

Michael grew up in the North Lawndale area of Chicago. He went to St. Nicholas of Tolentine Elementary. Later, he attended Marist High School and graduated from Hubbard High School. While in high school, he was active in wrestling and track.

Acting Career

Michael Peña started acting in independent films in 1996. He became well-known for his roles in two award-winning movies: Million Dollar Baby (2004) and Crash (2004). Many people praised his emotional acting in Crash.

Big Movie Roles

In 2006, Peña starred in the HBO movie Walkout. He played Sal Castro, a high school teacher who helped students fight for their rights. He also appeared in World Trade Center, a film about the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Peña as the Master of Ceremonies for the Cesar E. Chavez Memorial in 2012

Peña worked with Mark Wahlberg in Shooter (2007). He played a new FBI agent named Nick Memphis. In 2012, he co-starred with Jake Gyllenhaal as a police officer in End of Watch. That same year, he began filming César Chávez. In this movie, he played the real-life American labor leader César Chávez.

He also appeared in the World War II film Fury (2014) with Brad Pitt. In 2015, he played Luis in the superhero movie Ant-Man. He returned as Luis in the sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018).

Peña was part of the main cast in the space movie The Martian (2015). He played Major Rick Martinez, an astronaut on a mission to Mars. He also starred with Chris Hemsworth in 12 Strong (2018). In 2020, he played the mysterious Mr. Roarke in Fantasy Island.

Voice Acting Work

Michael Peña has also lent his voice to animated characters. He voiced Ricky in the animated comedy Chozen. He was also the voice of Tito in the movie Turbo. He even voiced a character named Marguerite in the TV show American Dad!.

Music Ventures

In 2005, Peña started a rock band in Los Angeles called Nico Vega. The band was named after his mother, Nicolasa. He left the band in 2007 to focus on his acting. However, he helped write their song "Beast", which was very popular. He rejoined Nico Vega in December 2023.

Personal Life

In 2006, Michael Peña married Brie Shaffer. They have one son named Roman, who was born in 2008.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Video Games

See also

In Spanish: Michael Peña para niños