Sergio Peris-Mencheta

Spanish actor Sergio Peris-Mencheta made his name as one of the many young actors to earn their big break on the teen comedy-drama "Al Salir de Clase" (Telecinco, 1997-2002), then spent much of the next two decades in films and television from his native country before making his American television debut on "Snowfall" (FX, 2017- ). Born April 7, 1975 in Madrid, Spain, Peris-Mencheta wanted to be a professional rugby player, but a string of bit parts on Spanish television turned him towards acting. His breakout role came with "Al Salir de Clase" ("After School"), a popular, youth-oriented drama series modeled after American teen dramas like "Beverly Hills 90210" (Fox, 1990-2000) that served as a launching pad for numerous young Spanish actors. When his tenure on the show ended in 1999 with the death of his character, Peris-Mencheta transitioned successfully into steady work in European features like "Secret Agents" (2004), with Vincent Cassell and Maria Bellucci, and "The Borgia" (2006), which served as the inspiration for the Showtime series "The Borgias" (2011-2013). He also logged time in other television series, most notably "Lobos" (Antena 3 Television, 2005). In 2010, he made his English-language feature debut in "Resident Evil: Afterlife," but soon returned to Spanish features and television projects like "Isabel" (TVE, 2011-2014), which cast him as the legendary Spanish general Gonzalo de Cordoba. Producer John Singleton brought him to Stateside television in 2017 to star as a Mexican wrestler forced into a life of crime in "Snowfall," a drama about the rise of crack cocaine in 1980s-era Los Angeles.