Demián Bichir

DEMIAN BICHIR is one of the most well known and well respected actors in his home of Mexico and all of Latin America. He is an Ariel award winner for Best Actor, given by the Mexican Academy of Cinematography, and has been garnered with other prestigious honors and achievements throughout his career, including a Medal of Honor from Mexico City.

In the United States, Bichir is known as Esteban Reyes in the hit Showtime series "Weeds" or for his portrayal of a young Fidel Castro in Steven Soderbergh's Che, opposite Benicio Del Toro. He is attached to star opposite Vera Farmiga in A Thousand Guns. Bichir starred in the film Hildago as the title role, based on the father of Mexican Independence, Miguel Hidalgo, which recently opened to rave reviews in Mexico (he is also a producer). He received Silver Colon for “Best Actor” at the Huelva Film Festival in October of 2010.

Bichir also starred in the independent film The Runway, which won the award at The Galaway Irish Film Festival this year. In the theater, he wowed audiences in 2008 starring in the play “By The Waters of Babylon,” which opened at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. This should come as no surprise, as Bichir comes from a very strong theater background and a well respected theatrical family. He is the son of famed theater director Alejandro Bichir and acclaimed actress Maricrúz Nájera. His brothers, Odiseo and Bruno, are two of the most talented actors of their generation. In fact, one year there was a special category in Mexico at the “MTV Movie Awards” that was named after his family called “El Mejor Bichir en Una Pelicula” (the best Bichir in a movie) – Demian won. His films have been seen by more than twelve million people in México alone, without mentioning the vast audience in Spain and South America, where he has also shot several films. His credits include such films as: Rojo Amanecer(winner of the Grand Jury Prize in the San Sebastian Film Festival), Alex de la Iglesia’s Perdita Durango with Javier Bardem, Hasta Morir (winner Best Actor Ariel, The Mexican Academy of Cinematography), Sin Noticias de Dios with Victoria Abril and Penélope Cruz, Sex, Shame and Tears (Ariel Best Actor nominee), American Visa (Best Foreign Film nominee at the Goyas in Spain), Fuera del Cielo (soon to be released in the US by Lionsgate Films) and Enemigos Intimos.

In his native México he’s performed in plays such as Shakespeare’s “A Mid Summer Night’s Dream” and “Richard The III,” Strindberg’s “The Ghost Sonata,” Peter Shaffer’s “Equus,” O’Neill’s “Ah! Wilderness,” Neil Simon’s “Broadway Bound” and “The Odd Couple,” Halliwell’s “Little Malcolm and his Struggle Against the Eunuchs” and Sabina Berman’s “Extras” (an adaptation from Marie Jones’ “Stones in his Pockets”). Bichir received a special award at the 35th Chicago International Film Festival for three of his films.

©2012 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences