Kamar de los Reyes, who was born on November 8, 1967 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is the son of the famous Cuban percussionist, Walfredo de los Reyes. He grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada and at the age of four played trumpet alongside legendary greats. Some of them were Dizzy Gillespie, Doc Severinson and Harry James. Later on, he played percussion on his older brother’s album. While in high school, he joined the pop/jazz ensemble Harmony Express and developed his skills as a singer and dancer. He found his passion for the stage when he was cast in their school production of The Fantastiks, in which he played El Gallo during his senior year. He has also been educated at the Backstage Dance Studio. The youngest of five children, he has appeared on numerous films and television shows, as well as a few music videos.
Beginning his acting career in the late 1980s, Kamar de los Reyes was first seen on films like Salsa, Ghetto Blaster, and Guerrero del Este de Los Angeles. In 1990, he landed a role in Coldfire, following it up with a performance in The Silencer and Da Vinci’s War. He rose to fame due to his performance in the Public Theatre’s production of Blade to the Heat. After his role of Ray Ariaz on the series Valley of the Dolls, he joined the cast of the ABC soap opera One Life to Live. He portrayed the detective Antonio Vega, which he became popular for. Since then, he has been cast in other series like ER, Swift Justice, Law & Order, Total Recall 2070, Promised Land and Early Edition. He has also appeared in several films. In 2000, he was seen in The Cell and Mambo Caf?. He later starred in a made-for-TV movie titled The Way She Moves. He became known for playing the tormented Tomas in the controversial film, Love and Suicide. His other credits include Daedalus is Dead and Nixon, with James Woods, Ed Harris and Sir Anthony Hopkins.
Kamar de los Reyes is also known for his involvement in the fund-raising organization, The Gabriel Project. It aims to provide life-saving heart surgery for impoverished children.
(Photo courtesy of KamarDelosReyes.com)