Actor Jose Pablo Cantillo was born on March 30, 1979 in Marshfield, Wisconsin. Of Puerto Rican descent, he grew up in Terre Haute, Indiana, where he became known as a tennis star, representing Terre Haute South Vigo High School in state competitions. He eventually graduated from Indiana University in 2002, with degrees in finance and marketing.

His interest in acting was ignited when he took drama classes in college; he eventually decided to move to New York to pursue the career track. After appearing in several off-Broadway plays, he made his screen debut in 2003. His first film, The Manchurian Candidate, came the following year. He went on to star in films such as Shackles, Crank, Disturbia and Redbelt; he also made guest roles in shows such as Medical Investigation, CSI: Miami, Nip/Tuck and Monk, and was also a regular in the short-lived series Standoff. He is set to star in the Fox television special Virtuality.