Richard Cabral (born August 28, 1984) is an American actor, occasional producer and writer. He is best known for his roles on '' Mayans M.C.'' on FX, the ABC television series '' American Crime'', which earned him a

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

nomination in 2015, and the Fox television series ''

Lethal Weapon ''Lethal Weapon'' is a 1987 American buddy cop action comedy film directed and co-produced by Richard Donner, written by Shane Black, and co-produced by Joel Silver. It stars Mel Gibson and Danny Glover alongside Gary Busey, Tom Atkins, D ...

''.

Early life

Cabral grew up in

East Los Angeles East Los Angeles ( es, Este de Los Ángeles), or East L.A., is an unincorporated area in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 118,786, a drop of 6.1% from 2010, when it was 126,496. For statistical purpo ...

, in a second-generation

Mexican-American Mexican Americans ( es, mexicano-estadounidenses, , or ) are Americans of full or partial Mexican heritage. In 2019, Mexican Americans comprised 11.3% of the US population and 61.5% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexica ...

family. He became active in gang activity from an early age. He said in an interview with ''

Entertainment Tonight ''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American first-run syndicated news broadcasting newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Paramount Streaming. ET also airs in Aus ...

'' that his family had been a part of the gang scene since the 1990s. He was a documented member of Varrio 213 in Montebello (East Los Angeles), California. When he was a child, he was separated from his family. He was incarcerated at the age of 13 for stealing a wallet. Cabral developed an addiction to

crack cocaine Crack cocaine, commonly known simply as crack, and also known as rock, is a free base form of the stimulant cocaine that can be smoked. Crack offers a short, intense high to smokers. The ''Manual of Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment'' calls ...

by the age of 15. He obtained his GED as a teenager but once again got in trouble with the law. He was sentenced to prison for violent assault with a deadly weapon (shooting), and was released at the age of 25.

Career

Cabral's entertainment career started in the Chicano Rap music scene as a member of the chicano rap group "Charlie Row Campo". He created several albums and features under the moniker "Baby Jokes", or "Joker". The music mostly depicted negative, gang-related street tales. While Cabral was trying to turn his life around, his friends recommended he seek out the services of

Homeboy Industries Homeboy Industries is a youth program founded in 1992 by Father Greg Boyle following the work of the Christian base communities at Dolores Mission Church in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles. The program is intended to assist high-risk youth, former ...

, a gang-intervention program based in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

. There he auditioned and landed his first role, which led him to further his skills through acting classes and seminars. In 2009, he began to act, with Cabral appearing in the television show ''

Southland Southland may refer to: Places Canada * Dunbar–Southlands, Vancouver, British Columbia New Zealand * Southland Region, a region of New Zealand * Southland County, a former New Zealand county * Southland District, part of the wider Southland Re ...

''. In 2010, he appeared in the music video for

Bruno Mars Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical ...

' single "

Grenade A grenade is an explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A modern hand grenade ge ...

". In 2015, Cabral starred in the mini-series '' American Crime,'' in which he portrayed the character Hector Tontz. For his role, Cabral was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie at the 2015

Primetime Emmy Awards The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

. In 2016, Cabral co-wrote with Robert Egan a one-man show called ''Fighting Shadows,'' about his experiences as a former gang member who spent years in and out of prison.

Awards

In 2013, Cabral won the Lo Maximo award from Homeboy Industries, which honors HI service recipients who give back to the community.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music Videos

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cabral, Richard American male television actors Male actors from Los Angeles Living people Writers from Los Angeles 21st-century American writers American male writers American male actors of Mexican descent 1984 births People from Montebello, California