Raymond Cruz

Raymond Cruz (born July 9, 1961) is an American actor, best known for his starring role as Detective Julio Sanchez in the series The Closer and its spinoff Major Crimes,[1] as well as his recurring role as the drug lord Tuco Salamanca in the crime drama Breaking Bad and its spin-off Better Call Saul.

Cruz was born in Los Angeles, and attended East Los Angeles College. He is of Mexican descent and grew up in East Los Angeles, a neighborhood that regularly saw gang activity, and has relatives in such street gangs as Maravilla and Barrio South Gate.[2] In an interview with The Daily Beast, Cruz stated he witnessed someone shot in front of him when he was 12 years old, noting that “his brains came out the back of his head.”[3] For his portrayal of Tuco Salamanca, he was able to relate to his experiences witnessing people who were high on meth.[2]

Cruz has said that becoming interested in American literature early in life helped him avoid joining such gangs himself. His favorite novel is Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.