Jesse Borrego - Cast Member of the Month

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”.