Demián Bichir Nájera (Spanish pronunciation: [deˈmjam biˈtʃiɾ ˈnaxeɾa];[a] born 1 August 1963) is a Mexican actor.[2][3] After starring in telenovelas, he began to appear in Hollywood films.[4] He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in A Better Life.[5]

Demián Bichir
Bichir at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con
Born
Demián Bichir Nájera

(1963-08-01) 1 August 1963 (age 61)
Citizenship
  • Mexico
  • United States[1]
OccupationActor
Years active1977–present
Spouses
  • (m. 2001; div. 2003)
  • Stefanie Sherk
    (m. 2011; died 2019)
Children1
Parents
Relatives
FamilyBichir family

Personal life

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Bichir was born in Torreón. His parents are actors Alejandro Bichir and Maricruz Nájera.[6] His brothers, Odiseo and Bruno, are also actors.[7] His paternal family is of Lebanese origin.[8] He worked at the National Theater Company, Shakespeare and Dostoyevsky, and the Mexican Association of Theater Critics.[9] He attended the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.[10] He is an American Civil Liberties Union Ambassador of Immigration Rights.[11][12][13] His wife, Stefanie Sherk, died in a swimming pool on 12 April 2019.[14][15][16][17][18] Bichir has a daughter, Gala.[19][20][21]

Career

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Bichir played Fidel Castro in Che[22] and an emigrant in A Better Life.[23] He starred in the crime series The Bridge[24][25][26] and the western film The Hateful Eight.[27] His directorial debut film A Circus Story & A Love Song premiered at the Morelia International Film Festival.[28][29] Other films including Alien: Covenant,[30] The Nun[31] and Chaos Walking.[32] He starred in the drama series Grand Hotel,[33][34] and in Angelina Jolie's adapted film of Alessandro Baricco's novel Without Blood.[35]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1987 Hotel Colonial Young Hotel Clerk
1988 The Penitent Roberto
1989 Rojo Amanecer Jorge
1993 Miroslava Ricardo
1995 Nobody Will Speak of Us When We're Dead Omar
1996 Solo Rio
1997 Perdita Durango Catalina
1999 Sexo, pudor y lágrimas Tomás
2000 Gimme the Power Gabriel
2001 Don't Tempt Me Manny Chavez
2004 Hypnos Miguel[36]
2007 Fuera del cielo Everardo Sánchez
American Visa Mario Alvarez
2008 Che Fidel Castro
2010 Hidalgo: la historia jamás contada Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla
2011 A Better Life Carlos Galindo
Foreverland Salvador
2012 Savages Alex Reyes
El Santos vs. la Tetona Mendoza Pork Gutiérrez #3[37] Voice
2013 The Heat Hale
Machete Kills Marcos 'The Madman' Mendez
Dom Hemingway Ivan Fontaine
2014 Death in Buenos Aires Inspector Chávez
2015 The Hateful Eight Marco 'The Mexican' / Señor Bob
2016 Good Kids Yaco
Lowriders Miguel Alvarez
7:19 Fernando Pellicer
2017 Alien: Covenant Sergeant Lope
2018 The Nun Father Burke
2020 The Grudge Detective Goodman
The Midnight Sky Sanchez
2021 Land Miguel
Chaos Walking Ben Moore
Godzilla vs. Kong Walter Simmons
2023 Chupa Chava[38]
2024 A Circus Story & A Love Song Refugio Also director and writer
Without Blood Tito
2025 The Black Phone 2 TBA Filming

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1977–1978 Rina Juanito
1982–1983 Vivir enamorada Nacho
1983 Cuando los hijos se van Ricardo
Choices of the Heart Armando Television film
1984–1985 Los años felices Tomas
1987–1988 El rincón de los prodigios Monchito
1995–1996 Lazos de Amor Valente Segura
1996–1997 Nada personal Comandante Alfonso Carbajal
2001 In the Time of the Butterflies Manolo Tavárez Television film
2008–2010 Weeds Esteban Carlos Reyes 27 episodes
2013–2014 The Bridge Detective Marco Ruiz 26 episodes
2019 Grand Hotel Santiago Mendoza 13 episodes
2022 Let the Right One In Mark Kane 10 episodes

Awards

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Award Category Title Result
Ariel Award Best Actor Hidalgo: La historia jamás contada Nominated
Academy Awards Best Actor A Better Life Nominated
ALMA Awards Favorite Movie Actor Nominated
Independent Spirit Awards Best Male Lead Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Nominated
Black Reel Awards Best Actor Nominated
Gold Derby Awards Best Cast The Hateful Eight Nominated
Hollywood Film Awards Won

Notes

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  1. ^ In isolation, Demián is pronounced [deˈmjan].

References

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  1. ^ Bichir, Demian (2 July 2012). "Demian Bichir: 'What It Means To Be American' (VIDEO)". HuffPost.
  2. ^ Smiley, Tavis (18 July 2014). "Actor-activist Demián Bichir". Tavis Smiley. PBS. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  3. ^ Bichir, Demian (10 June 2014). "Exiled: The Obama Administration's Horrifying Deportation Record". HuffPost.
  4. ^ Main, Ph.D.first1=S.J. (27 February 2012). "Actor Demian Bichir Talks Hollywood, Scarlett, Oscars & Being Latino (PHOTOS)". HuffPost.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ "Nominees-The Oscars 2012". oscar.go.com. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on 29 December 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  6. ^ "Demián Bichir" (in Spanish). cronica.com.mx. Televisa. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  7. ^ "Demián Bichir" (in Spanish). Milenio. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  8. ^ "Medalla de plata Filmoteca UNAM al primer actor Demian Bichir". filmoteca.unam.mx. Archived from the original on 16 January 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  9. ^ "The Stubbornness of Demian Bichir". Backstage.com. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  10. ^ Corcoran, Katherine (23 February 2012). "Demian Bichir: Oscar Nominee For 'A Better Life' Interview on leaving Mexico and his move to the United States". HuffPost.
  11. ^ "Demian Bichir: ACLU Ambassador Project". ACLU. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  12. ^ "Mexican Actor Demian Bichir Named New ACLU 'Ambassador On Immigration Rights'". foxnews.com. Fox News Latino. 4 April 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  13. ^ Carter, Gayle Jo (23 July 2014). "Demian Bichir builds a 'Bridge' from acting to activism". USA Today. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  14. ^ Fernández, Alexia (25 April 2019). "Demián Bichir's Wife Stefanie Sherk's Cause of Death Revealed as Suicide by Drowning". People.com. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  15. ^ Fernández, Alexia (25 April 2019). "Remembering Stefanie Sherk: A Look Back at Her Life and Love with Demián Bichir". People.com. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  16. ^ "Demian Bichir and wife Stefanie Sherk: Through the years". azcentral.com.
  17. ^ "From soccer dreams to 'The Bridge:' Demian Bichir shares his passion for acting". The Miami Herald. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  18. ^ "Demian Bichir's wife Stefanie Sherk drowned in pool, death ruled as suicide". meaww.com. 26 April 2019.
  19. ^ Mandell, Andrea (18 January 2012). "Demian Bichir disappears into Oscar-worthy role". USA Today. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  20. ^ Grossman, Samantha (24 January 2012). "Demián Bichir, Star of A Better Life and Surprise Oscar Nominee". Time. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  21. ^ Kuckzynski, Alex (19 August 2011). "The Devil and Demian Bichir". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  22. ^ Balfour, Brad (6 June 2009). "The Young Castro Comes Alive In Soderbergh's Epic Che Through Actor Demian Bichir's Performance". HuffPost.
  23. ^ Rodriguez, Cindy Y. (24 January 2012). "Demián Bichir: Mexican Actor Nominated For An Academy Award For Best Actor In 'A Better Life' (VIDEO)". HuffPost.
  24. ^ Petrarca, Emilia (10 July 2013). "Crossing the Bridge". Interview. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  25. ^ Sager, Mike (23 July 2014). "Demian and Bruno Bichir Talk Working Together on The Bridge". Esquire. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  26. ^ Amatangelo, Amy (10 September 2014). "Catching Up With Demian Bichir of The Bridge". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  27. ^ Ramisetti, Kirthana (6 November 2014). "'The Hateful Eight' cast announced: Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Channing Tatum among all-star cast in Quentin Tarantino's latest film". Daily News. New York City. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  28. ^ Aguilar, Carlos (5 September 2014). "Demian Bichir Talks Diversity and Latino Representation in Film and TV". Indiewire. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  29. ^ de la Fuente, Anna Marie (20 August 2016). "Morelia Film Fest To Unveil Demian Bichir's Debut 'Un Cuento de Circo & a Love Song'". Variety. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  30. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (22 February 2016). "Demian Bichir Joins Ridley Scott's 'Alien: Covenant'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 26 February 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  31. ^ McNary, Dave (5 April 2017). "Demian Bichir to Star in 'Conjuring 2' Spinoff 'The Nun'". Variety. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  32. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (3 August 2017). "Demian Bichir Joins Lionsgate's 'Chaos Walking'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  33. ^ Boucher, Ashley (2 March 2018). "Lands 'Grand Hotel' Pilot at ABC". The Wrap. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  34. ^ Gayle, Carter. "Demián Bichir Runs a Miami Hotel Full of Sexy Secrets in 'Grand Hotel'". Aarp.org.
  35. ^ Ravindran, Manori (9 June 2022). "Angelina Jolie to Direct and Write 'Without Blood,' Salma Hayek Pinault and Demian Bichir to Star". Variety. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  36. ^ Holland, Jonathan (2 November 2004). "Hypnos". Variety.
  37. ^ "Personajes". El Santos vs. La Tetona Mendoza. Archived from the original on 20 November 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  38. ^ Grobar, Matt (18 January 2023). "Netflix 2023 Film Slate Unveiled: Luther: The Fallen Sun, The Mother, Extraction 2, Heart Of Stone, The Killer, Rebel Moon & Others Get Premiere Dates". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation.
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