Lou Diamond Phillips Biography
Summary
"Lou Diamond Phillips" (born February 17, 1962), born "Lou Diamond Upchurch", is a Filipino-American film, television, and stage actor. He earned a supporting actor Golden Globe Award nomination for his role in "Stand and Deliver" and a Tony Award nomination for his role in "The King and I". Outside of acting he has become notable for finishing in the top 3% of the field in the 2009 World Series of Poker World Championships No Limit Texas hold 'em main event.
Early life
Phillips was born as Lou Diamond Upchurch at the Subic Bay Naval Station in Zambales, Philippines, the son of Lucita and Gerald Upchurch, naval officer. His father was an American of Scottish, Irish and Cherokee descent and his mother was a Filipina of Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish extraction. Phillips was named after Marine legend Lou Diamond and adopted the surname 'Phillips' from his stepfather.
He was raised in Texas where he attended Flour Bluff High School in Corpus Christi. He graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a BFA in Drama.
Career
The first low-budget film he starred in was called "Trespasses". Phillips' big break came with the starring role in 1987's "La Bamba" as early rocker Ritchie Valens. Though the role garnered him praise from critics, he has since found it difficult to find another leading role in a big-budget Hollywood film, as he regularly referred to as 'the guy from "La Bamba".'
In 1988, Phillips co-starred along Edward James Olmos in the inner-city high school drama, "Stand and Deliver" in a role for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture. He plays Angel Guzman, a wannabe cholo gangster who is inspired by his math teacher, Jaime Escalante, to challenge himself at calculus; and along the road, creates a friendship with his teacher. "Stand and Deliver" was actually filmed before "La Bamba", but was released a year later. In 1988 and 1990, Phillips co-starred with Emilio Estevez and Kiefer Sutherland in the cowboy movies "Young Guns" and "Young Guns II", in which he plays Jose Chavez y Chavez, a historical old west outlaw.
In 1996, Phillips made his Broadway debut as the King in Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's "The King and I". Phillips won a Theatre World Award and was nominated for both a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for his performance.
In 1998 he starred as Cisco, the counterpart of the main character Melvin Smiley (played by Mark Wahlberg, launching his career) in the comedy-action movie "The Big Hit".
On September 11, 2007, Phillips joined the touring troup for Lerner and Loewe's "Camelot" in the role of King Arthur. He also played a role in the first season of the TV series "24" as secret government agent Mark DeSalvo, opposite former "Young Guns" star Kiefer Sutherland (who played the lead role, Jack Bauer).
Phillips plays the recurring role of FBI agent Ian Edgerton in the television series "Numb3rs". Edgerton is an FBI tracker and sniper who works as a sniper instructor at Quantico FBI Academy when he is not working a case in the field.
Phillips won the second season of the NBC reality series "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me out of Here!" over pro-wrestler Torrie Wilson.
Phillips has also been cast as Colonel Telford in the "Stargate Universe" television series. Phillip's role in the series has been confirmed as a recurring character, the would-be commander of the "Destiny" exhibition who is left behind and works from Earth to bring the crew home.
In June 2009, Phillips started writing his autobiography titled 'A Diamond Phillips in the Rough: The Life and Times of Lou Diamond Phillips.' The book is slated for an early 2010 release and will be co-written with veteran celebrity biographer Michael Lackner and published by Hyperion Books.
Phillips has been a regular poker player since college. In May 2009, Phillips placed 31st in the 403 entrant 2009 California State Poker Championship Limit Texas hold 'em. He placed in the money at the $10,000 July 2009 World Series of Poker World Championship No Limit main event. On July 12, he was eliminated as the original field of 6,494 was trimmed from 407 to 185. He entered the day in 114th place among the 407 and was eliminated on the final hand of the day finishing in 186th place and earning $36,626.
Personal life
During the making of "Trespasses", he met Julie Cypher, an assistant director who would become his wife on September 17, 1987. They later divorced on August 5, 1990; Cypher left him to start a relationship with rocker Melissa Etheridge. He met Jennifer Tilly, to whom he was briefly engaged, although the two never married. He later married model and TV extra Kelly Phillips; they had two daughters: Grace Moorea and Isabella Patricia (twins born on October 5, 1997). They separated in 2004 and their divorce was finalized in July 2007. He married model Yvonne Marie Boismier less than a month later; their daughter, Indigo Sanara, was born in October 2007.
Phillips plays on the World Poker Tour in the Hollywood Home games. Phillips took his poker game to the next level in 2009 when he entered the World Series of Poker $10,000 Main Event and was one of the survivors out of more than 6,000 players to make it to the money.
Arrest
On August 11, 2006, he was arrested for alleged domestic violence at his Los Angeles home following a dispute with his future wife, model and makeup artist Yvonne Boismier. In December 2006, he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count of domestic battery, and was sentenced to three years' probation. He also was ordered to undergo one year of domestic violence counseling and to serve 200 hours of community service.
Activism
Phillips has been an outspoken advocate of HR 4574, the "Filipino Veterans Equity Act" of 2006, legislation which would honor the service of Filipino World War II veterans by granting them the same benefits made available to other U.S. World War II veterans.
Awards and achievements
1989 Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male (Stand and Deliver, 1988)
1989 Golden Globe Award nominee for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Stand and Deliver, 1988)
1989 Western Heritage Award Bronze Wrangler Theatrical Motion Picture (Young Guns, 1988). Shared with John Fusco (producer), Christopher Cain (producer), Charlie Sheen (actor), Emilio Estevez (actor), Kiefer Sutherland (actor)
1993 Oxfam America award for his dedication toward ending world hunger
1994 Houston International Film Festival Gold award for Best Theatrical Feature Film for "Ultimate Revenge"
1996 Tony Award nominee for Best Actor on Broadway ("The King And I")
1996 Theatre World Award: "The King and I"
1996 New York Outer Critics Circle: Outstanding Broadway Debut Award of an Actor, "The King & I"
1997 Blockbuster Entertainment Award Favorite Supporting Actor - Adventure/Drama (Courage Under Fire, 1996)
1997 Lone Star Film & Television Award for Best Supporting Actor (Courage Under Fire, 1996)
2001 Filipinas magazine Achievement award for Entertainment
2003 Cinemanila Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award (Philippines)
2005 Asia Pacific Islander Heritage Award for Excellence in Entertainment and Arts
2009 I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here! King of the Jungle
Filmography
"Interface" (1984)
"Trespasses" (1986)
"La Bamba" (1987)
"The Three Kings" (television) (1987)
"Miami Vice" (Season 3: Ep.19 'Red Tape') (television) (1987)
"Dakota" (1988)
"Stand and Deliver" (1988)
"Young Guns" (1988)
"Disorganized Crime" (1989)
"Renegades" (1989)
"Young Guns II" (1990)
"A Show of Force" (1990)
"The First Power" (1990)
"Harley" (1990)
"The Dark Wind" (1991)
"Ambition" (1991)
"Sesame Street" (1991) Monster in the Mirror Celebrity version
"Avenue Z Afternoon" (1991) Television series
"Shadow of the Wolf" (1992)
"Extreme Justice" (1993)
"Wind in the Wire" (1993)
"Dangerous Touch" (1994)
"Sioux City" (1994)
"Boulevard" (1994)
"Teresa's Tattoo" (1994)
"Override" (television) (1994)
"The Wharf Rat" (television) (1995)
"Teresa's Tattoo" (1995)
"Undertow" (1996)
"Courage Under Fire" (1996)
"The Big Hit" (1998)
"Another Day in Paradise" (1998)
"Spin City" (television) (1998) (Episode: 'An Officer and a Gentleman')
"Brokedown Palace" (1999)
"Orion Scope: The Grip of Christ" (television) (1999)
"Bats" (1999)
"In a Class of His Own" (television) (1999)
"Picking Up the Pieces" (2000)
"A Better Way to Die" (2000)
"Supernova" (2000)
"Route 666" (2001)
"Knight Club" (2001)
"Wolf Lake" (2001) TV Series
"24" (2002) TV series - special guest star as a warden at a government top secret underground prison, alongside Kiefer Sutherland.
"Lone Hero" (2002)
"Stark Raving Mad" (2002)
"Malevolent" (2002)
"George Lopez Show" (2003)
"Absolon" (2003)
"Hollywood Homicide" (2003)
"Red Water" (television) (2003)
"K10C: Kids' Ten Commandments" (television) (2003) guest star as robber on third episode
"Gone But Not Forgotten" (television) (2004)
"The Trail to Hope Rose" (television) (2004)
"Murder at the Presidio" (television) (2005)
"Jack & Bobby" (television) (2005)
"Alien Express" (television) (2005)
"The Triangle" (television) (2005) Mini-series on Sci-fi channel, inspired by paranormal events in the Bermuda Triangle
"Striking Range" (2006) initially titled "Bloodlines"
"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (television) (2006) as Victor Paul Gitano (Episode: 'Fault')
"Numb3rs" (television) (2005-Present) Recurring role of Agent Ian Edgerton
"AquaMan" (2006) Un-Aired Pilot
"El Cortez" (film) (2007)
"Fingerprints" (2007)
"Supernatural" role of Bichon Frise (2007)
"Psych" (television) (2007)
"Termination Point" (television) (2007)
"Camelot (2007 - 2008)
"The Word of Promise" (dramatization of the New Testament) (2007) Spoken Voice Role as The Apostle Mark
"Che: Part Two" (2008) Mario Monje
"Never Forget" (2008)
"Death Toll" (2008)
"Lone Rider (2008)
"The Beast" (Television) (2009) Patrick Swayze
"Love Takes Wing" (2009) Ray Russell
"Angel and the Badman" (film) (2009)
"Carny (2009)
"I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here!" (television) (2009)
"Stargate Universe" (television) (2009) Colonel David Telford
External links
(Lou Diamond Phillips BLVD) Online source since 1999 showcasing the life and career of the actor Lou Diamond Phillips
(Hendon Mob poker tournament results)
Credit
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article about Lou Diamond Phillips.
