Julio Oscar Mechoso

One of Cuban-American actor Julio Oscar Mechoso's first major breakthroughs was set in his own hometown; on NBC's glamorous crime drama "Miami Vice," Mechoso played the recurring part of Lester Kosko, a techie whose gadgets were of valuable use to Detectives Crockett and Tubbs. He had a few other stints on television shows, wearing the badge again as Officer Richie Fernandez on "High Incident" and switching settings from Miami to Minnesota for "Coach." In the meantime, his film career was blossoming, with appearances in "Toys," starring Robin Williams, and the sci-fi/horror film "Virus," starring Jamie Lee Curtis. Police dramas have proven to be his most frequent stomping grounds; he has had roles in movies like "Good Cop, Bad Cop," the claustrophobic "Phone Booth" with Colin Farrell, and the action-comedy "Blue Streak" with Martin Lawrence and Luke Wilson. But Mechoso has also been in popular and critical favorites like "Little Miss Sunshine," playing a mechanic who couldn't fix that iconic VW Bus's overactive horn, and he's had a fruitful relationship with the pulp director Robert Rodriguez, having appeared in "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" as well as the feature-length "Planet Terror" component of the exploitation omnibus "Grindhouse."