Cristián de la Fuente

A former Mexican television actor who went on to make a name for himself in U.S. film and television, Cristián de la Fuente served in the Chilean Air Force Reserve before he starting acted professionally; his military background may not have pointed to a cinematic career early on, but his speedy ascent to fame hinted at great things to come for the actor. Born to a chemist father and homemaker mother in Santiago, Chile, de la Fuente opted early on to study engineering while attending college in his native country. An only child, the licensed pilot was discovered by a talent scout and then made appearances in Chilean soap operas and variety shows before relocating to Mexico for a leading role in the popular television series Reyes y Rey (1998). Following a stateside television appearance in Family Law, the handsome Latino would subsequently turn up in the Sylvester Stallone racing drama Driven (2001). Claiming to be equally happy whether acting on stage, screen, or film, de la Fuente describes his acting method as loaning his body to the characters rather than portraying them, and he often becomes so entangled with his characters that he finds it difficult to wind down at the end of the day. Following his work with childhood idol Stallone, de la Fuente next took a role alongside another favorite from his youth, singer-turned-actor Jon Bon Jovi. As a man of the cloth dedicated to ridding the world of blood-sucking immortals, de la Fuente teamed with Bon Jovi to battle the legions of the undead in the vast deserts of Mexico in Vampires: Los Muertos (2002). Though that film ultimately proved to be a bit of a disappointment, de la Fuente's subsequent role in director John McTiernan's Basic (2003) seemed to ensure a healthy career for the promising young actor. The actor co-starred in the short lived television series In Plain Sight in 2008, and competed in the 6th season of Dancing with the Stars the same year.