Jesse Borrego
“It's good to talk about the positive
things, how I made it, how I came from a hard, unhappy childhood and found my
dream. A lot of youngsters out there could use encouragement and see someone
else has done it."
Jesse
Borrego was born on 1st August 1962 making his star
sign Leo. People born on this date have been characterised as highly extrovert,
with warm personalities and also being very charming.
Born in San Antonio Texas, life was
difficult for the young Jesse. His parents Gloria and Jesse Sr. were often
absent; “My parents were
never around when I was a young boy so I was never close to them. I never felt
like I really had a home”. Eventually he and his brother went to live with
their grandparents; "I owe my grandparents so much.... All they did was
love and support me for who I was”.
Drawn to acting Jesse attended Incarnate
Word University and worked as a singing waiter. After spending 10 weeks performing
in a stage play he knew he wanted to be an actor for the rest of his life. “The minute
I told my grandmother I wanted to study acting, she started to cry. She loved
the arts. She just didn’t really see a future in it.”
He moved to Cal Arts in Southern California
and while there he auditioned for “Fame” in 1984, winning the role of multitalented
Jesse Velasquez. A part he played for 3 years in seasons 4 to 6 and appeared in
66 episodes.
“Fame was uber inspirational. I didn’t
realize it because I came around in the latter years and didn’t get to hear all
the original music. But when you put it back to back in a show, you realize
it’s all about dreams and going after your dreams.”
After Fame, as well as many theatre
productions, Jesse has had regular guest starring roles on TV shows like “Miami
Vice”, “E.R.”, “24”, “Dexter” and “Fear the Walking Dead”. He also has a large
film C.V. including starring roles in independent films: “Blood In Blood Out”, “La Mission”,
“Colombiana”, “American Me,” “Mi Vida Loca” and “Tecumseh: The Last Warrior”.
He has a new film later this year called “Phoenix, Oregon,” about friends who
want to breathe life into a rundown bowling alley in a remote small town and
open a pizza restaurant.
Very respected in the film industry, last
year Jesse was honoured by the San Antonio Film Festival with a legacy
award. “I think what it (Legacy) means is
that people appreciate your work. I’m quite proud to be receiving this award...
It’s about longevity. There are peaks and valleys in every artist’s career. I
think the joy is to be able to look back and go, “Whoa”, when did that happen?”
Despite his long career, which has included
working with Martin Scorsese, Jesse has avoided many projects where the
characters were drug dealers, addicts or criminals; “I’ve resisted for a long
time stereotypical negative portrayal characters.”
Married with a daughter, Jesse has become
an ambassador for the Latino community and also co-owns a store in San Antonio
called “Krazy Vatos” which showcases Latino arts and crafts and memorabilia
from Jesse’s films.
He also spends his time teaching acting, mentoring young
people and helping local productions in the community; “It’s not just about the accolades. For me,
it’s about the love of the Barrio and the community, and breaking boundaries. I
want to build a studio in San Antonio. That’s my dream, for the narrative to be
controlled by us”.
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