Desperate Housewives

Background:

Actor Ricardo Antonio Chavira is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Carlos Solis on the hit television series “Desperate Housewives” (ABC, 2004-present), from which he co-won two Screen Actors Guild Awards (2005, 2006). Prior to his TV success, the Texas native guest starred in several shows, including “NYPD Blue,” “Philly,” “24” and “Joan of Arcadia,” had recurring roles in “Six Feet Under” and “The Division” and was cast in an unaired series titled “The Grubbs.” Other TV credits include guest spots in “George Lopez” and “Monk” and a supporting role in the TNT film “Kings of South Beach” (2007). Chavira has also dotted his resume with several film performances since making his debut in 2001's “Barstow 2008.” His more recent and upcoming credits include Touchstone's “The Alamo” (2004), “Rockaway” (2007), “Chasing 3000” (2008), “Ball Don't Lie” (2008), “Don't Let Me Drown” (2008), “Days of Wrath” (2008), “Saving God” (2008) and “Not Forgotten” (2008). Also a stage actor, Chavira has performed in such productions as “Tracers,” “Bandido,” “Jack and Jill” and “Living Out.”

Known as a breast cancer advocate, Chavira decided to dedicate his life to fighting the disease following the tragic death of his mother when he was 15. He has been a spokesperson for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and in 2005 supported the Lee National Denim Day breast cancer fundraiser.

As for his personal life, Chavira married his long term girlfriend, Marcea Dietzel, in 2007. The couple has a son.

Angry Teen

Childhood and Family:

Ricardo Antonio Chavira was born on September 1, 1971, in Austin, Texas, to Juan Antonio Chavira and Elizabeth Ries Chavira. His family relocated to San Antonio when he was young. As a child, Ricardo often observed his father, who was a prosecutor before becoming a judge, in court. A tragedy struck when at age 15 Ricardo witnessed his 43-year-old mother die after dealing with breast and ovarian cancer for six years. Her death impacted his life deeply and on several occasions fueled frustrations that led him to break the law. Recalling that time of his life, he stated, “Alcohol and drug abuse, some gang related stuff; I delved into some very interesting territory for a while. I got arrested a few times for assault and battery because of bar fights. I would have these huge surges of anger. I once did $900 worth of damage to my car with my bare hands.”

A graduate of Robert E. Lee High School in San Antonio (now the Performing Arts School), Ricardo left Texas to attend the University of Colorado but moved back to San Antonio a year later when he ran out of money. He then transferred to the University of the Incarnate Word and gained his BA in acting in 1996. He furthered his education at the University of California, in San Diego, where he graduated with Master of Fine Arts in 2000. Shortly after completing his studies, he headed to Los Angeles to become a professional actor.

In 2003, Ricardo had a son named Tomas Antonio Chavira with his partner Marcea Dietzel. The couple married on September 22, 2007, in a private ceremony in San Antonio while wearing their pajamas. Their young son served as the ring carrier.

“The birth of my son completely changed me for the better. He made me realize I wasn't the most important thing out there. I still sometimes get angry, but it's different now that I'm a parent. I've learned it's just wasted energy.” Ricardo Antonio Chavira

The Alamo

Career:

Ricardo Antonio Chavira began acting in his senior year at San Antonio's celebrated Robert E. Lee High School. While attending the University of the Incarnate Word, Chavira took part in several theater productions, most notably playing Macbeth in a 1996 production of “Macbeth.” He did not launch a full time career until after earning his Masters degree from the University of California.

Arriving in Los Angeles in the early 2000s, Chavira made his feature acting debut in a small role in the independent comedy “Barstow 2008” (2001), which was directed by the award winning filmmaker Bob Morrow and starred Paul Wilson. He was first seen on television when he landed a guest role on a 2001 episode of the Steven Bochco created drama “NYPD Blue.” Later that same year, he again appeared in another Steven Bochco series, the short lived “Philly,” where he portrayed A.D.A. Eddie Price in the episode “Blown Away.”

Chavira made the jump to a series’ regular when he won the role of high school sports coach Garra on the Fox comedy “The Grubbs,” which was based on the 1999 British series “The Grimleys.” Originally set to debut in November 2002, the series was canceled before it broadcasted. Undeterred, Chavira then made a guest appearance in the primetime shows “24” (2002). He also landed recurring roles on the HBO drama “Six Feet Under” (4 episodes, 2002) and the Lifetime legal drama “The Division” (2, episodes, 2002). He went on to play a police sergeant named Eddie Fosberg in an episode of CBS' “Joan of Arcadia” (2003) and Captain Rapaport in an episode of the Donald P. Bellisario created “JAG” (both 2003).

Chavira returned to film in 2004 with the summer big budget “The Alamo,” a movie starring Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton, Jason Patric and Patrick Wilson that was directed by John Lee Hancock. The film, which saw him portray Private Gregorio Esparza, was shot in his hometown of Austin, Texas.

“The other thing that I found great with respect to my character was that here's this guy who's very powerful, very rich and very Latino. He's obviously got a macho streak to him but he's a cuckold. Normally, the Latino guy is the Don Juan. He'd be the one having the affair. So I thought it was really interesting.” Ricardo Antonio Chavira on “Desperate Housewives”

It was also in 2004 that Chavira began his regular role on the successful ABC series “Desperate Housewives.” Playing Carlos Solis, the cunning husband of Gabrielle Solis (portrayed by Eva Longoria), he became an overnight star and with the cast, enjoyed Screen Actors Guild awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2005 and 2006. “Desperate Housewives” is currently airing and remains a favorite among critics and viewers.

With his newfound fame, Chavira was invited to make a guest appearance in an episode of the ABC popular comedy “George Lopez” (2005). He was then appointed a spokesperson and honorary chairman for the San Antonio based Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation's yearly summit in Washington D.C. Two years later, in 2007, Chavira received supporting roles in the film “Cosmic Radio” and “Rockaway.” He also joined Donnie Wahlberg, Jason Gedrick, Steven Bauer and Maria Valentina Bove in the based-on-true-story television movie “Kings of South Beach,” which was helmed by Tim Hunter and scripted by Nicholas Pileggi. He then guest starred as Jimmy Belmont in the “Monk” episode of “Mr. Monk Visits a Farm.”

Recently playing Dr. Boogie in the baseball movie “Chasing 3000” (2008), opposite Ray Liotta and Trevor Morgan, and Ruben in the drama “Ball Don't Lie” (2008), alongside Grayson Boucher and Rosanna Arquette, Chavira was also seen in “Don't Let Me Drown” (2008), opposite Gina Torres, “Days of Wrath” (2008) and “Saving God” (2008), with Ving Rhames and Dean McDermott. He then portrayed a character in “Not Forgotten” (2008), a thriller directed and co-written by Dror Soref.

In addition to film and television, Chavira has performed in several stage plays. He had a lead role in a production of “Tracers” at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles and has worked with such noted regional theaters as La Jolla Playhouse (“Dogeaters”), The Guthrie (“Jack and Jill”), and the San Diego Rep (“Bandido” and “Living Out”).

Awards:

• Screen Actors Guild: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, “Desperate Housewives,” 2006

• Screen Actors Guild: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, “Desperate Housewives,” 2005