His powerful performance in ‘Lake Los Angeles’ makes him a worthy contender
HOLLYWOOD, CA– Actor Roberto Sanchez has been philosophical about his recent nomination in the “Best Actor – Feature Film” category for an Imagen Award—a validation he does not take lightly. He will walk the Red Carpet along with his colleagues at the 30th Annual Imagen Awards on Friday, August 21st at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at the Music Center in Los Angeles probably thinking about the journey that has brought him to this night.
Roberto’s persistence and hard work landed him the lead role in Mike Ott’s award-winning indie film Lake Los Angeles, which earned him the Imagen nomination and a “Best Picture” nod for the movie—total validation of the filmmaker’s collaboration where all the players contributed to the story’s magic.
Jordana Trujillo and Roberto Sanchez
With so few Latinos working in Hollywood, getting recognized by organizations like the Imagen Foundation is major. Sanchez competes with actors George Lopez (Spare Parts), Diego Luna (The Book of Life), and Michael Steger (Ana Maria in Novela Land).
“It’s always nice to be recognized for the work that you do,” said Sanchez. “But when an organization like The Imagen Foundation, who aim to recognize positive portrayals of Latinos in the entertainment field says ‘Atta-Boy’ – It’s quite humbling.”
As the quiet and unassuming man, “Francisco,” Sanchez demonstrates that he is an actor with great depth and ability to portray a multitude of characters beyond the stereotypical bad guys. Lake Los Angeles reveals a realistic story of the heartbreak and disappointment that many undocumented immigrants experience after sacrificing everything only never to achieve the American dream. Francisco is the caretaker at an undocumented immigrant holding house in the middle of a California desert town in Antelope Valley. When 10-year old Cecilia (Johanna Trujillo) arrives alone, they form an unbreakable bond. Francisco becomes the child’s protector knowing full well the dangers she faces without family members to fend for her. Cecilia is street wise and vulnerable and in order to remain brave and sane, she allows her imagination to turn the desert into a fantastical world. She creates characters and stories to make the hopelessness of her situation more bearable. Francisco and Cecilia are not so different and despite their heartbreak and family tragedies, together they offer light to the plight of undocumented immigrants.
Lake Los Angeles has garnered many awards during its film festival tour, and the main actors, Roberto Sanchez, Johanna Trujillo and Eloy Mendez, all deliver exceptional performances.
Since the day Sanchez was serendipitously discovered by director John Singleton in 2002, while working as an armed officer for the Miami Metro System, then subsequently cast him as one of the leads in 2 Fast & 2 Furious co-starring alongside of actors Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson and Eva Mendez—he continues to be cast in film and television roles.
Roberto Sanchez, Tyrese Gibson (2F2F)
Today, Sanchez is one of the busiest Latino thespians in the industry having worked in over 80 projects. His work includes cast in several TV pilots, recurring roles in series such as The Young and The Restless, Days of Our Lives, The Bold and the Beautiful, and countless episodic guest appearances, from Desperate Housewives, Prison Break, Law and Order: LA, The Bridge to Gang Related.
Sanchez recently finished working on Night Crew, about a group of hard up bounty hunters, co-starring with Danny Trejo, Jason Mewes, Luke Goss and Chasty Ballesteros.
Roberto Sanchez in the upcoming “Night Crew”
This summer he worked on the thriller Gringos (produced by Chris Lemos and Luis Guerrero, and executive produced by Jay Hernandez). Roberto is also currently in Miami shooting an untitled film, a crime drama co-starring Jordi Vilasuso (All My Children), Jenny Wade (Brothers), and Taylor Cole (The Glades, The Green Hornet). Sanchez returns from Miami just in time to attend the Imagen Awards.
Roberto Sanchez in current project filming in Miami
In 2002, John Singleton tapped into that special something that told him this handsome, unknown, charismatic Latino—Roberto Sanchez—had that rare gift of being a natural born actor. He is deserving of recognition and a worthy contender for the 2015 “Best Actor” Imagen Award.
Follow Roberto Sanchez on social media: Facebook: Facebook.com/RobertoSanchez Twitter: @mrrsanchez Instagram: esecubanito http://www.robertosanchez.net
About Roberto Sanchez Born in Havana, Cuba, Roberto grew up stateside in Miami’s well-known Cuban community “Little Havana.” Unfortunately, Roberto was forced to make this journey without his father who had been detained by the Cuban authorities—and as a result, he and his brother were raised by a single mother with a new language, in a new world. It would be 16 years before he saw his father again. He distinguished himself in the Navy as a Desert Storm veteran, was a Virginia Beach military police officer and competed professionally in the highly touted European league as a Naval basketball player. He then became a successful print model and eventually an actor, discovered by director John Singleton. Taking advantage of his role in 2F2F, Roberto packed his bags, purchased a one-way ticket to Hollywood, California and has never looked back. In 2015, the Imagen Foundation nominated him in the “Best Actor – Feature Film” category.
–Elia Esparza
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