Actor Lou Diamond Phillips was born on February 17, 1962 at the Subic Bay Naval Station in the Philippines. Named after a Marine legend, he adopted his surname after his stepfather. He began his career in the late 1980s, appearing on a number of low-budget films before his big break. In 1987, he rose to fame playing the rocker Richie Valens in the movie La Bamba.
Though praised by critics for his performance, Lou Diamond Phillips soon found it difficult to find other leading roles in Hollywood films. The next year, he opted to star alongside Edward James Olmos in the drama Stand and Deliver. Soon, he was seen in Young Guns and its sequel, working with Emilio Estevez and Kiefer Sutherland. He gained further experience in the field, appearing in movies like The Dark Wind, Courage Under Fire and Dangerous Touch. In 1996, Phillips made his debut on Broadway. He played the King in the production of The King and I by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. This enabled the actor to receive a Theatre World Award, in addition to being nominated for a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award.
In 1998, Lou Diamond Phillips graced the screens once again when he starred with Mark Wahlberg in the comedy-action flick The Big Hit. He also began appearing on television, getting small parts in Spin City and The Outer Limits. In 2000, Phillips was cast in A Better Way to Die and Supernova. He also continued his career on the small screen, portraying the secret agent Mark DeSalvo on the series 24 and as an FBI agent and sniper in Numb3rs. Other roles of his have been in Route 666, Stark Raving Mad, and 2003’s Hollywood Homicide. Phillips has also been seen on Psych, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Stargate Universe and became a contestant in the reality TV competition I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. He emerged as the winner, and has since continued joining poker championships in the country.