Luis Guzman was born January 1, 1957 in Cayey, Puerto Rico but he grew up in Greenwich Village in the Lower East Side of New York because, as he once explained in an interview, his mother traveled to the Big Apple just fifteen minutes after he was born. Guzman graduated from City College before becoming a youth counselor at the Henry Street Settlement House while also a performer in street theaters and independent films. His first big break came when he was cast in an episode of the hit `80s cop show, Miami Vice, starring Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas. Guzman is one of only two actors to appear in both Carlito’s Way and its prequel, Carlito’s Way: Rise to Power.
Ramon Gaviota, played by Luis Guzman on John from Cincinnati, is responsible for the care and maintenance of the Snug Harbor Motel. He goes about his task and tries not to get involved in and preoccupied with the lives of the motel guests and residents.
(Photo courtesy of HBO)