He was born and raised in El Paso Texas. Miguel Ortega (father) was a cross country truck driver and Paulina Ortega (mother) a housewife. Began career doing summer stock theater for 2 years - El Paso Del Norte. Moved to Los Angeles in 1978. Shortly after arriving, he started to work as a stuntman on a picture by the name of Hooper (1978). His first acting job was in a guest starring role on a TV show by the name of CHiPs (1977). He has won a Stuntman's Award - Most Spectacular Sequence - "North & South" miniseries. He also won a Screen Actors Guild Award - Outstanding Performance By Cast - Traffic (2000).

Filmography

56 films

Knox Goes Away

2024

as Guard

Babylon

2022

Jimmy Ortega

Biography

Filmography

Knox Goes Away

Babylon

Peppermint

Sicario: Day of the Soldado

Sabotage

Savages

The Double

The Rum Diary

The A-Team

Crank: High Voltage

Fast & Furious

Lakeview Terrace

Smokin' Aces

Just Like Heaven

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

The Longest Yard

Man of the House

Spanglish

Hidalgo

Once Upon a Time in Mexico

The Italian Job

A Man Apart

Ghosts of Mars

Traffic

All the Pretty Horses

Vampires

The Mask of Zorro

American History X

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

The Replacement Killers

Amistad

L.A. Confidential

She's So Lovely

Spawn

Mars Attacks!

Last Man Standing

Foxfire

Escape from L.A.

Strange Days

3 Ninjas Knuckle Up

The Brady Bunch Movie

Beverly Hills Cop III

Tombstone

Hot Shots! Part Deux

Bram Stoker's Dracula

American Me

The Rookie

Predator 2

Marked for Death

Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection

Internal Affairs

K-9

The Seventh Sign

Extreme Prejudice

The Nude Bomb

Hooper