Jonny Cruz

Jonny Cruz
Born Jonathan Willie Hernández
(1982-12-01) December 1, 1982
El Paso, Texas, U.S.
Alma mater University of Texas at Arlington
Occupation Actor, writer, filmmaker and musician

Jonny Cruz is an American actor, script writer, producer, filmmaker. He has featured as actor in movies like Walking Tall: Lone Justice, Infiltrators and Haunting at the Beacon. He has also appeared on television series like General Hospital, Prison Break and Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23. As producer, Jonny has run films such as Small Timers, Hold, the web series Cool Wheels and performs playing the guitar with his musical team Power Up in Los Angeles and Hollywood, California in the United States. His broad experience in filmmaking has also covered activities as producer, director, writer, editor, SFX artist, voice artist and cinematographer.

Biography

Early life

Jonny Cruz was born Jonathan Willie Hernández in El Paso, Texas on December 1, 1982 and is the son of Maritza Pagan and Orlando Hernández, younger brother of two children with his sister Sharlene. Jonny chose to use Cruz as his last name in honor of his Grandmother Nayda Cruz. He attended School in El Paso TX and studied abroad in Würzburg, Germany in early grade school. Jonny started acting and performing in his early years in the fourth grade with his first rôle as Brom Bones in the play “Sleepy Hollow”. He continued his studies and never lost the chance to keep performing at Eastwood High School and went on to study acting and filmmaking at the University of Texas at Arlington. The ability to be so completely lost in the moment and find perfection through performance and filmmaking attracted Jonny to the art form. Jonny found himself fascinated with Improv Comedy performance and joined the well known Four Day Weekend Performance Team in Fort Worth. Nevertheless, while performing, Jonny continued to shoot short videos to showcase his comedic and technical talents.[1]

Career

Cruz studied computer science, acting, filmmaking and communication media, all of which he used to understand the complex process of film making. His computer skills allowed him to work as web designer and his passion for acting always prompted him to audition for movie roles as they came. Cruz states “I loved to learn so, I would spend endless hours working on the computer learning editing software, visual FX programs, I felt that I could pretty much make a movie on my own from beginning to end after learning all the different aspects of movie making”.[2] So in 2005, with enough knowledge on technical and theoretical aspects of movie making, Cruz made is first incursion as writer, director and producer, besides his acting role, with Cool Wheels where he co-worked with college friends Robby Storey and Kim Matula.[3] He then went on to produce, write, act and direct Small Timers, his first feature length movie. Small Timers took 6 years to complete due to severe technical difficulties, and Jonny states that completing the movie was one of the hardest things he’s ever had to do.[4]

In 2013, Cruz featured as Jimmy Romero in the film Infiltraitors, his third production with Sabattical Pictures. His first and second works with this company were Exit Speed[5] and Haunting at the Beacon.[6] Infiltrators was Cruz’s first lead in a feature film.

Also in 2013, Cruz performed Victor in the action film Gone Missing.

Music

Cruz has made music for his own movies, such as Small Timers and plays the guitar and performs Musical Improv with his team Power Up, who with he has played shows in Los Angeles and Hollywood as well as shows at iOwest, Comedy Sportz and The Clubhouse and UCB in California, USA.

Extra activities

Cruz teaches “Self Confidence & Improv” for famous author Neil Strauss consisting of a motivational speaking and helping people to find their best self through facing their fears, Improv being one of the tools to help gain confidence.

He also supports “A Course in Miracles”, which is a foundation for inner peace and is method of coping with fear by shifting your perspective from fear to love, parting from the statement that “fear is an illusion that we create”.[7]

Filmography

Films

Year Title Role Notes
2013 Infiltrators Jimmy Romero
2013 Gone Missing Víctor
2011 Small Timers Ricardo Writer, producer, director, editor, special effects, casting
2009 Haunting at the Beacon Simón Valencia
2009 Hold “The Man with the Green Shoes”
2009 Night Crawlers Assistant Camera
2008 Exit Speed Eric
2007 Missionary Man Billy
2007 Walking Tall: Lone Justice Ciro
2005 Devon's Ghost: Legend of the Bloody Boy Craigh
2003 Saving Jessica Lynch Iraqi Soldier

Shorts

Year Title Role Notes
2006 Lazer’s Night Moves Corey Luján
2004 Sing for Me “The Immigrant” Writer of additional dialogue
2010 Cool Wheels Brent Executive producer, producer, director, writer and editor
2007 Relation Camera operator
2007 Lion's Den Cinematographer
2007 Little Boy Grip

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2014 Matador[8] Performing Ricky Sandoval (in production)
2012 Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 James Martinez
2012 General Hospital Ramón
2011 Supah Ninjas Domenic, The Magnificent
2011 Missing Peace Director
2010 DialStar Barnes
2009 The Closer Cruz Soto
2007 Prison Break “Inmate” (Season 3, Episode 2: Fire/Water)

Video games

Music

Cruz made musical beat compilations in Small Timers. Does Musical Improv with his team Power Up, a cappella style with harmonies and beat-boxing.

Theater

Cruz played Juan Francisco “Frankie” in Charity: Part III of A Mexican Trilogy, directed by José Luis Valenzuela, starring Ofelia Medina.[10]

References

  1. ↑ Personal Interview with the artist
  2. ↑ Personal Interview with the artist
  3. ↑ Cool Wheels Trivia|http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2405465/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
  4. ↑ Cinemanía, mayo 2011. No. 188
  5. ↑ Exit Speed Press Kit|http://www.sabbaticalpictures.com/exitpresskit.html
  6. ↑ Haunting at the Beacon review|http://fangoria.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5084:filmmakers-talk-haunting-at-the-beacon-disc-news-exclusive-pics&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=167
  7. ↑ A Course in Miracles Introduction|http://acim.org/AboutACIM/index.html
  8. ↑ Bibel, Sara (April 3, 2014). "Tanc Sade, Elizabeth Pena & More Join Cast of El Rey's 'Matador'". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  9. ↑ http://twinfinite.net/gallery/here-are-the-voice-actors-of-the-overwatch-cast/4
  10. ↑ Ofelia Medina protagonizara estreno mundial de “Charity: Part III of A Mexican Trilogy” en Los Angeles Theatre Center|http://www.estrellasenlosangeles.com/eela/2012/05/ofelia-medina-protagonizara-estreno-mundial-de-charity-part-iii-of-a-mexican-trilogy-en-los-angeles-theatre-center/
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