Javier Manuel Hernandez Jr. (born February 20, 1978), known professionally as Jay Hernandez, is an American actor and fashion model. After making his television debut in

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

's '' Hang Time'', Hernandez made his film debut opposite

Kirsten Dunst Kirsten Caroline Dunst (; born April 30, 1982) is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the short ''Oedipus Wrecks'' directed by Woody Allen in the anthology film '' New York Stories'' (1989). She then gained recognition for her ro ...

in the romantic drama '' Crazy/Beautiful'' (2001). He has since starred in numerous films, including '' Friday Night Lights'' (2004), '' Hostel'' (2005), ''

Bad Moms ''Bad Moms'' is a 2016 American comedy film directed and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. The film stars an ensemble cast that includes Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Jay Hernandez, Annie Mumolo, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Christ ...

'' (2016), and as Chato Santana / El Diablo in ''

Suicide Squad The Suicide Squad is an antihero/supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, cre ...

'' (2016). Since 2018, he has played the role of

Thomas Magnum Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV is a fictional character on the American television series '' Magnum, P.I.''. As the title suggests, the character Magnum is a private investigator. In the original series, Magnum was portrayed by Tom Selleck. Jay Hern ...

in the reboot of ''

Magnum P.I. ''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980 to May 8, 1988 during its first-run broadcast on th ...

Early life

Hernandez was born on February 20, 1978, in

Montebello, California Montebello (Italian for "Beautiful Mountain") is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located just east of East Los Angeles and southwest of San Gabriel Valley. It is an independent city. east of downtown Los Angeles. It ...

, the son of Isis ( ''née'' Maldonado), a secretary and accountant,Garcia Berumen, Frank Javier (August 1, 2014)
''Latino Image Makers in Hollywood: Performers, Filmmakers and Films Since the 1960s''
McFarland, p. 307. Archived at

Google Books Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google Inc. that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical ...

. Retrieved August 13, 2016."Actor gets a tortured role in 'Hostel'"
eastvalleytribune.com, January 11, 2006. and Javier Hernandez Sr., a mechanic, He has a younger sister, Amelia, and two older brothers, Michael and Gabriel. He met his wife, actress Daniella Deutscher, when he was fourteen years old and Daniella was 17. He attended

Don Bosco Technical Institute Don Bosco Technical Institute (commonly called "Bosco Tech" or "The Tech") is an all-male (grades 9-12), private, Catholic high school in Rosemead, California, combining college-preparatory academic courses and technological education. The acade ...

Rosemead, California Rosemead is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2021 census, it had a population of 50,245, currently dropping. Rosemead is part of a cluster of cities, along with Alhambra, Arcadia, Temple City, Monterey Park ...

, but transferred to

Schurr High School Schurr High School is a public high school in Montebello, California, United States, a suburb in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Part of the Montebello Unified School District, it has an enrollment of approximately 3,500 students in grades 9- ...

in Montebello his senior year. While riding an elevator in a high-rise in Los Angeles, Hernandez was approached by talent manager Howard Tyner who suggested Hernandez had what it took to have a successful career in Hollywood. He enrolled Hernandez into acting school and sent his pictures to casting agents.

Career

From 1998 to 2000 he played Antonio Lopez on the NBC series '' Hang Time''. Hernandez subsequently hit success with his role opposite

in '' Crazy/Beautiful''. He has since appeared in several major Hollywood films, including playing the lead roles in '' Carlito's Way: Rise to Power'', the 2005 horror film '' Hostel'' and ''

World Trade Center World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may refer to: Buildings * List of World Trade Centers * World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...

''. Hernandez appeared in the action/crime film ''

Takers ''Takers'' (formerly known as ''Bone Deep'') is a 2010 American heist action thriller film directed by John Luessenhop from a story and screenplay written by Luessenhop, Gabriel Casseus, Peter Allen, and Avery Duff. It features Matt Dillon, P ...

'', which was released in August 2010. Hernandez appeared in the 2005 crime prequel '' Carlito's Way: Rise to Power'', playing

Carlito Brigante ''Carlito's Way'' is a 1975 American crime novel written by Edwin Torres. The novel and its 1979 sequel '' After Hours'' were the basis of the 1993 Brian De Palma film ''Carlito's Way'' as well as the 2005 prequel film '' Carlito's Way: Rise to ...

, the role originated by Al Pacino in the original 1993 film ''

Carlito's Way ''Carlito's Way'' is a 1993 American crime drama film directed by Brian De Palma, based on the novels '' Carlito's Way'' (1975) and '' After Hours'' (1979) by Judge Edwin Torres. The film adaptation was scripted by David Koepp. It stars Al Pa ...

''. Hernandez portrayed Paxton in

Eli Roth Eli Raphael Roth (born April 18, 1972) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor. As a director and producer, he is most closely associated with the horror genre, having directed the films '' Cabin Fever'' (2003) and ''Hoste ...

's '' Hostel'' (2005) and its 2007 sequel, '' Hostel: Part II''. In 2015, he appeared in '' Max'' as a sergeant in the United States military assigned with the titular rescue dog, which was traumatized by his previous handler's death. In 2016, he starred as Jessie Harkness in the comedy film ''

'', and as metahuman ex-gangster El Diablo in the

superhero film A superhero film (or superhero movie) is a film that focuses on the actions of superheroes. Superheroes are individuals who possess superhuman abilities and are dedicated to protecting the public. These films typically feature action, advent ...

''. On February 20, 2018, Hernandez was cast as

in CBS drama series ''

'' reboot. The series premiered on September 24, 2018. After four seasons, the show was canceled in May 2022, before being rescued by

with a two season order in June.

Personal life

In 2006, Hernandez married his former ''Hang Time'' co-star

Daniella Deutscher Daniella Maria Deutscher (born October 4, 1975), also sometimes credited as Daniella Wolters, is an American actress, best known for playing the role of Julie Connor on the American Saturday morning television series '' Hang Time'' (1995–200 ...

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hernandez, Jay Male actors from California American male film actors American male actors of Mexican descent American male television actors American male voice actors Don Bosco Technical Institute alumni 1978 births Living people People from Montebello, California 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Hispanic and Latino American male actors