
Mario Ernesto Sánchez
Known for department: Acting
Birthday: 2025-10-01
Place of birth: Cuba
Biography
Mario Ernesto Sánchez (born on January 10, 1947, in San Antonio de las Vegas, Cuba; †April 10, 2025, in Miami, Florida, USA) was a Cuban actor and theater founder. In 1979, he established Teatro Avante, a Hispanic theater in Florida, and became a significant figure in promoting Latin American theater in the United States. Sánchez played various supporting roles in Hollywood films and TV series, including Invasion U.S.A. (1985), The Specialist (1994), Bad Boys (1995), and Step Up Revolution (2012). He also appeared in five episodes of the series Miami Vice and had a role in the 2006 film of the same name. Additionally, he was featured in The Truman Show as a security guard and in the British cult series Only Fools and Horses as a Colombian drug lord. As a teenager, he emigrated to the United States through Operation Pedro Pan. Over the course of his career, he received several awards for his contributions to Hispanic theater, including the Federico GarcĂa Lorca Award (1995) and the Ollantay Award (1994). Sánchez passed away on April 10, 2025, at the age of 78 in Miami.
Known for

The Specialist
1994Charlie
8MM
1999Taxi Driver
Father of the Bride
2022Paco
Catherine's Grove
1997Ernesto
Staying Afloat
1993Phillipe
Sea Devil
2015
Invasion U.S.A.
1985Victor
Step Up Revolution
2012Ricky
Proof of Life
2000Arturo Fernandez
Blood and Wine
1996Artie (Fishing Ace)
The Truman Show
1998Security Guard
Bad Boys
1995Drug Buyer
Plato's Run
1997Flaco
Virtual Weapon
1997Emergency doctor
Death of a Fool
2020Herman
Miami Vice
2006El Tiburon
Clinton and Nadine
1988Rojas