Jesus Ruiz

Jesus Ruiz was born third of four children into a Puerto Rican family and grew up on the Lower East Side of New York City. As a child, Jesus loved to perform, not only was he a visual artist, but a musician as well. Jesus received a full scholarship to the elite private academic institution The Franklin School on Manhattan's upper west side where he continued to excel as an Honor Roll student and basketball All-Star. At Cornell University, Mr. Ruiz worked his way through college performing as a dancing DJ in his own production entertainment company, as a newscaster, on air radio personality, and host of a local TV show. After playing professional basketball two consecutive summers in Puerto Rico, it was his research of the growing Hispanic market during his work as an intern at WCBS-TV in New York City the summer of '79 that would further mold his future plans. Within two weeks of graduating Cornell he began working as a production assistant at WPIX-TV in New York City, and a year later signed his first modeling contract. Due to the lack of roles for Latinos at the time, Jesus became a very successful licensed investment banker. Years later, as the market for Latino talent grew, Jesus returned to his first love and began booking print work, commercials, and industrials for clients such as Verizon, Pfizer, GMC and IBM. Jesus' television work includes Third Watch, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Conviction, the ABC pilot 20 Questions, and soap operas One Life To Live, As The World Turns, and has recurred twenty times on All My Children. Feature film work consists of The Inside Man, Freedom Land, The Producers, The Brave One, and soon to be released The Singer, Elise, and TIC. Most recently, Jesus guest and co-starred on Days of Our Lives, Without A Trace, Doll House, CSI: Miami, The Event, The Exes, Saving Grace, NCIS: Los Angeles, and has a recurring role on the TNT hit crime drama Southland. In 2012, listed on IMDB's "List's by Glory 249" of the top 95 most influential Puerto Ricans. Mr. Ruiz lives in Los Angeles.