Jesse Garcia

Jesse Garcia in Quinceañera.

Actor Jesse Garcia, a former cheerleader who played a gay cholo in the 2006 film Quinceañera, loves to challenge stereotypes.

The son of an undocumented immigrant who settled in Wyoming, Garcia moved to Los Angeles after studying acting, writing and directing in Atlanta, Georgia. Raised as a Jehova's Witness, the 26-year-old Mexican-American had never been to a quince until he starred in Quinceañera.

Garcia earned glowing reviews – and props from actor Terrence Howard – for his role as Carlos, a teenage gang member struggling with his sexuality. He later scored a role in Edward James Olmos' Walkout before appearing on TV shows like "ER," "CSI: Miami" and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."

The down-to-earth Garcia, who plays a gang leader in the forthcoming film Days Of Wrath alongside Laurence Fishburne, Wilmer Valderrama and rapper Rick Ross, says he doesn't want to wear Dickies and Nike Cortez for the rest of his film career: "I definitely want to do strong Latino roles but I also want to be in parts where you wouldn’t expect a Latino actor, like playing a corporate giant or in a romantic comedy."