HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Carlos Armando Ponce Freyre Jr. (born September 4, 1972) is a Puerto Rican actor, musician, model, and television personality. Ponce began his acting career by participating in Spanish language soap operas for
Televisa Grupo Televisa, S.A.B., simply known as Televisa, is a Mexican telecommunications and broadcasting company. A major Latin American mass media corporation, it often presents itself as the largest producer of Spanish-language content. In April ...
and
Telemundo Telemundo (; formerly NetSpan) is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television network owned by NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, a division of NBCUniversal, which in turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast. It provides content ...
. Ponce continued to expand his acting career by participating in various American television series. He did not limit himself solely to a career in television. Ponce, who is also a singer, is also active in the American movie industry as a character actor. In film, he played Salvadore in '' Couples Retreat'', Matthew Wright in '' Spy'' and Rodrigo in '' Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo''. In television, he played Felix Gonzalez in '' Cristela'', Max Duran in '' Hollywood Heights'', as well as voicing Santiago Santos in '' Maya & Miguel''.


Early life

Ponce was born in
Santurce, Puerto Rico Santurce (, meaning Saint George from Basque language, Basque ''Santurtzi'') is the largest and most populated Barrios of San Juan, Puerto Rico, barrio of the Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan, the cap ...
. His parents, Carlos Ponce Sr. and Esther Freyre, emigrated from Cuba after the
Cuban Revolution The Cuban Revolution () was the military and political movement that overthrew the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, who had ruled Cuba from 1952 to 1959. The revolution began after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état, in which Batista overthrew ...
led by
Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban politician and revolutionary who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and President of Cuba, president ...
. After his birth, the family moved to Humacao, where Ponce was raised. As a child, he actively participated in his school's plays and at home he would often put on a show for the family where he would sing the latest tunes. He has a brother name Francisco Ponce who is Vice President of Telemundo Reality Casting. "Carlitos", as he is known in Puerto Rico, started to appear in television commercials at the age of six. He attended high school in Humacao and was a member of the school's drama club. In 1986, the Ponce family moved to Miami, Florida, and Ponce continued to participate in his school's productions at South Miami Senior High. He was named the best student actor of the southern region of the United States. In 1990, Ponce participated in the Southeastern Theatre Conference and competed for the chance to win a scholarship. He won and enrolled in the New World School of the Arts conservatory. However, the Spanish-language television station
Univision Univision () is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television, free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the L ...
offered Ponce the opportunity to host a show called ''Hablando'' (''Talking''). This was his first serious television debut and after his debut he gave up his university studies.


Career


Acting

After ''Hablando'' came to its end, Ponce went to Mexico to visit a friend. While there he visited the
Televisa Grupo Televisa, S.A.B., simply known as Televisa, is a Mexican telecommunications and broadcasting company. A major Latin American mass media corporation, it often presents itself as the largest producer of Spanish-language content. In April ...
television station. The talent director of the station met Ponce and offered Ponce his first role in a
soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
: ''Guadalupe'', starring Adela Noriega and Eduardo Yáñez. He participated in another soap opera for Televisa, ''Sentimientos Ajenos'', in which he played the main character. Ponce also sang the theme song for the production. He received the "Actor Revelation of 1997 Award" by ''Eres'' magazine and named "Best Actor" by '' TV y Novelas'' magazine (both are Mexican publications). In between productions, Ponce returned to Miami and
Univision Univision () is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television, free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the L ...
hired him as the host of a new show, ''Control''. He hosted the show for three years and won an "ACE Award". In 2003, Ponce joined ''Entertainment Tonight'' as a correspondent. He also hosted ''An Entertainment Tonight Event — Celebrity Weddings Unveiled'', a CBS primetime special. Ponce hosted the 2006
Miss Universe Miss Universe is an annual international major beauty pageant that is run by a Thailand and Mexican-based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stree ...
pageant in Los Angeles, with Shandi Finnessey, Nancy O'Dell and
Carson Kressley Carson Kressley (born November 11, 1969) is an American television personality, actor, and designer. Beginning in 2003, he appeared in the Bravo series '' Queer Eye for the Straight Guy''. He was also the motivational host of the TV show '' How ...
. In 2007, he starred in the
Telemundo Telemundo (; formerly NetSpan) is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television network owned by NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, a division of NBCUniversal, which in turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast. It provides content ...
NBC Universal NBCUniversal Media, LLC (abbreviated as NBCU and doing business as NBCUniversal or Comcast NBCUniversal since 2013) is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate that is a subsidiary of Comcast and headquartered at 30 ...
telenovela A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar Drama (film and television), drama genres around the w ...
'' Dame Chocolate'' (''Give Me Chocolate'') alongside Génesis Rodríguez and Karla Monroig. Ponce also starred in '' Perro Amor'' in 2010 on the same network. In 2012, Ponce began hosting the hit Puerto Rican singing competition for kids on Wapa Television called '' Idol Kids Puerto Rico''. In 2013, Ponce appeared on Telemundo's '' Santa Diabla'' as Humberto Cano.


American film industry

In 1998, he made his debut in American television with his participation in the TV series ''
Beverly Hills, 90210 ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to as ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling via his production company Spelling Television. The series ran for 10 seasons on Fo ...
'' and '' 7th Heaven'' where he played the husband of
Jessica Biel Jessica Claire Timberlake (née Biel ; born March 3, 1982) is an American actress. Biel began her career as a vocalist appearing in musical productions until she was cast as Mary Camden in the family drama series '' 7th Heaven'' (1996–2007 ...
's character Mary Camden. He also made guest appearances in '' Live with Regis and Kathie Lee'' and in '' Donny & Marie''. In 2003, Ponce played himself in the movie '' Chasing Papi'' alongside fellow Latinos: Puerto Ricans
Roselyn Sánchez Roselyn Milagros Sánchez Rodríguez (born April 2, 1973) is a Puerto Rican singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress, producer, and writer. On television, she is best known for her roles as Elena Delgado on the CBS police procedural ''Without ...
, Lisa Vidal, Walter Mercado, Colombian actress
Sofía Vergara Sofía Margarita Vergara Vergara (; born July 10, 1972) is a Colombian and American actress and television personality who received five nominations each at the Primetime Emmy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards. She is one of the highest-paid a ...
, and Latin pop singer Jaci Velásquez. After this experience, he went to New Zealand to film '' Meet Me in Miami''. In 2005, Ponce briefly appeared in the movie '' Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo''. In 2006, Ponce participated in the controversial recording of the Spanish-language version of
the Star-Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written by American lawyer Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814, after he witnessed the bombardment of Fort ...
, called " Nuestro Himno", alongside
Wyclef Jean Nel Ust Wyclef Jean ( ; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, singer, and record producer. Born in Haiti, Jean emigrated to the Northeastern United States, United States as a child. He gained fame as a founding member of the Fugees, a Ne ...
,
Gloria Trevi Gloria de los Ángeles Treviño Ruiz (born February 15, 1968), known professionally as Gloria Trevi, is a Mexican singer, songwriter and actress. She is known for her emotional lyrics, performances, and lasting influence on Latin music, being ...
, and
Olga Tañón Olga Teresa Tañón OrtizIn this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is ''Tañón'' and the second or maternal family name is ''Ortiz''. (born April 13, 1967) is a Puerto Rican singer. Over the course of her career, she has earned two G ...
. He hosted the
Miss Universe Miss Universe is an annual international major beauty pageant that is run by a Thailand and Mexican-based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stree ...
2006 pageant in Los Angeles, along with Nancy O'Dell and
Carson Kressley Carson Kressley (born November 11, 1969) is an American television personality, actor, and designer. Beginning in 2003, he appeared in the Bravo series '' Queer Eye for the Straight Guy''. He was also the motivational host of the TV show '' How ...
. He also appeared in the movie '' Just My Luck'', with
Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Dee Lohan ( ; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress, singer, producer, and businesswoman. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at age three. She appeared as a regular on the soap opera ' ...
, Chris Pine, and
McFly McFly are a British pop rock band formed in London in 2003. The band took their name from the ''Back to the Future (franchise), Back to the Future'' character Marty McFly. The band consists of Tom Fletcher (lead vocals, guitar, and piano), Da ...
. In 2008, Ponce starred as a celebrity judge alongside actress and singer María Conchita Alonso on VH1's reality series '' ¡Viva Hollywood!'', which featured twelve Latino actors competing for the title of "America's Numero Uno Telenovela Star". In 2009, Ponce starred in the second season of '' Lipstick Jungle'', where he played a character named Rodrigo. He later stated that he accepted the role because it could "benefit" his career. Also that year, he appeared in '' Couples Retreat'' as a yoga instructor. From 2014 to 2015, Ponce co-starred in the ABC comedy '' Cristela'' as Felix, the male lead on the show. In 2020, Carlos appeared in '' Julie and the Phantoms'' as the titular character's father, Ray Molina.


Music

In 1998, Emilio Estefan Jr. and Kike Santander signed Ponce to a record contract. His first album was entitled '' Carlos Ponce'', and included three of his own compositions. The album reached the #1 spot in the Latin Billboards for nine weeks in the
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
community of the United States. It also reached the #1 spot in Central America and South America. He was awarded a Double Platinum Award for the sales which his album generated. On the ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Tracks Carlos Ponce reached the number-one spot three times with " Rezo" (''I Pray''), "Decir Adiós" (''Say Good-Bye'') and " Escúchame" (''Listen to Me''). Music News, Reviews, Articles, Information, News Online & Free Music – Billboard.com/ref> In 1999, Ponce recorded his second studio album, ''Todo lo que Soy'' (''Everything that I Am''). The World Athletic Games held in
Seville Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...
, Spain, adopted the song "Amelia" from Ponce's second album as its official theme. That same year, he was contracted by the Walt Disney Studios to sing "Bella Notte" for the animated film ''Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure''. He also appeared in ABC's drama series ''
Once and Again ''Once and Again'' is an American family drama television series that aired on ABC from September 21, 1999, to April 15, 2002. It depicts the family of a single mother and her romance with a single father. It was created by Marshall Herskovi ...
''. After the tragedy of the
September 11, 2001 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
, Ponce joined a group of 100 Latin American singers, who united to pay tribute to the victims by recording "''Último Adiós''" ("''Last Good-Bye''"). The proceeds of the recording were donated to families of the victims. That same year Ponce participated in the Televisa production ''Sin Pecado Concebido'', along with Mexican actress Angélica Rivera. In 2002, he recorded his third studio album, ''Ponce''; later that year he signed a contract with
Telemundo Telemundo (; formerly NetSpan) is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television network owned by NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, a division of NBCUniversal, which in turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast. It provides content ...
to host a reality show called ''Protagonista de la Musica'', which became one of the most popular Hispanic programs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.


Personal life

Ponce married his high school sweetheart, photographer Verónica Rubio, the sister of current U.S. Secretary of State
Marco Rubio Marco Antonio Rubio (; born May 28, 1971) is an American politician, lawyer, and diplomat serving since 2025 as the 72nd United States Secretary of State, United States secretary of state. A member of the Republican Party (United States) , Rep ...
. They resided in
Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
,
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
, with their four children: Giancarlo (born 1999), Sebastián (born 2001), and twins Savannah and Sienna (born 2002). In 2010, the couple divorced. From 2010 to 2016, he was in a relationship with Colombian actress Ximena Duque. In 2018, he began a relationship with Mexican television host Karina Banda. They married in December 2020.


Filmography


Audiobooks


Discography

*2012: ''Me Llevas'' *2010: '' Perro Amor'' *2005: ''Celebrando 15 Años Con'' *2003: ''La Historia'' *2002: ''Ponce'' *1999: '' Todo lo Que Soy'' *1998: '' Carlos Ponce''


Soundtrack

*2011: "Rendirme En Tu Amor" feat.
Anahí Anahí Giovanna Puente Portilla (born 14 May 1983), known Mononymous person, mononymously as Anahí, is a Mexican singer, songwriter and actress. In 1986, she started her acting career when she was cast on ''Chiquilladas''. After working on man ...
(telenovela '' Dos Hogares'') *2013: "Santa Diabla" feat. Aaron Diaz (telenovela '' Santa Diabla'')


Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart chronology


Awards

In 1999, Ponce received many awards, including: *"Best Pop Album" from ''Billboard'' magazine *"Artist Revelation" from Premios Lo Nuestro and *"Pop Ballad Revelation of the Year" from Premios Tu Musica de Puerto Rico.


See also

*
List of Puerto Ricans This is a list of notable people from Puerto Rico which includes people who were born in Puerto Rico (Borinquen) and people who are of full or partial Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican descent. Puerto Rican citizens are included, as the governm ...
* List of Puerto Rican songwriters * List of composers by nationality * List of television presenters/Puerto Rico


Notes


References


External links


CarlosPonce.com


* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ponce, Carlos 1972 births Living people 20th-century Puerto Rican male actors 20th-century Puerto Rican male singers 20th-century Puerto Rican singers 21st-century Puerto Rican male actors 21st-century Puerto Rican male singers 21st-century Puerto Rican singers American infotainers EMI Latin artists Male actors from Miami Male actors from San Juan, Puerto Rico Male beauty pageant winners People from Humacao, Puerto Rico People from Santurce, Puerto Rico Puerto Rican male film actors Puerto Rican male telenovela actors Puerto Rican male television actors Puerto Rican people of Cuban descent Puerto Rican male singer-songwriters Singers from San Juan, Puerto Rico