Mario Ernesto Sánchez
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- 10 January 1947 · Cuba
- Died
- 10 April 2025
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 García Lorca Award (1995) and the Ollantay Award (1994). Sánchez passed away on April 10, 2025, at the age of 78 in Miami.
Known for
Acting 20
- 2022Father of the Bride as Paco
- 2020Death of a Fool as Herman
- 2015Sea Devil as Efron
- 2012Step Up Revolution as Ricky
- 2006Miami Vice as El Tiburon
- 2000Proof of Life as Arturo Fernandez
- 19998MM as Taxi Driver
- 1998The Truman Show as Security Guard
- 1997Catherine's Grove as Ernesto
- 1997Virtual Weapon as Emergency doctor
- 1997Plato's Run as Flaco
- 1996Blood and Wine as Artie (Fishing Ace)
- 1995Bad Boys as Drug Buyer
- 1994The Specialist as Charlie
- 1993Staying Afloat as Phillipe
- 1992Traces of Red as Tony Garidi
- 1991Fires Within as Family Member
- 1988Clinton and Nadine as Rojas
- 1985Invasion U.S.A. as Victor
- 1980Below the Belt