With a career spanning four decades, Luis Guzmán has carved out one of the most enduring and versatile careers in Hollywood. Guzmán is known for his distinctive voice, expressive face, and magnetic screen presence, Guzmán has appeared in over 170 projects across film and television. While an underrated character actor, Guzmán has stood out in several genres for his ability to blend humor and drama.
With a growing list of major projects on the small screen, Luis Guzmán has built a quietly iconic body of work. Like many underrated actors before and after him, Guzmán’s performances are yet to earn him an Emmy nomination, let alone a win. Here’s a look at five of Luis Guzmán’s most iconic TV characters, and why they still resonate with fans.
Raoul “El Cid” Hernandez in Oz
Before prestige TV became the norm, Oz pushed boundaries as one of HBO’s first original dramas. In the groundbreaking prison drama series, Luis Guzmán played Raoul “El Cid” Hernandez in a recurring role from the second to the fourth season. El Cid was a ruthless Mexican gangster who became the leader of the Latino gang in the Oswald State Correctional Facility. Although Guzmán’s character wasn’t prominent throughout the series, his intense, manipulative, and always calculating portrayal of El Cid left a lasting impression on audiences.
The role allowed Guzmán to flex his dramatic muscle, something today’s audiences might not truly know him for. Audiences resonated with the El Cid character as he represented the cold, organized brutality of prison gang politics. While El Cid initially came across as a villain, as the show progressed, it was easy to resonate with him as a survivor. Guzmán’s El Cid character is killed in season 4, episode 3 (“The Bill of Wrongs”) by Bob Rebadow (Gerge Morfogen), marking his exit from the show.
Rene Calderon in How to Make It in America
Luis Guzmán had a memorable performance in another HBO show, How to Make It in America. Guzmán played Rene Calderon in the comedy-drama. His character was the cousin of Victor Rasuk’s character. Rene was a charismatic and unpredictable street hustler turned energy drink mogul. While the show focused on the two friends, Ben (Bryan Greenberg) and Cam (Rasuk), trying to launch a fashion line in New York, Rene brought comic relief. Rene Calderon was the guy who could hook you up (or screw it all up) with a single phone call.
José Gonzalo Rodríguez Gacha in Narcos
Netflix’s Narcos TV series brought the story of Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar to a global audience. In Narcos, Luis Guzmán portrayed Colombian drug lord José Gonzalo Rodríguez Gacha. Nicknamed “El Mexicano,” Gacha was a real-life figure and a high-ranking member of the Medellin cartel. Guzmán portrayed him with cold confidence and a terrifying calmness.
Although not the show’s central figure, Gacha’s scenes were charged with tension, making them more memorable. Guzmán’s grounded performance made the character feel more real than theatrical. It was another performance that proved Guzmán remains underrated. In a cast full of dangerous men, Guzmán held his own and made it look effortless. With his character only appearing in season 1, Guzmán made an appearance in 6 episodes.
Jesse Salander in Code Black
In CBS’s medical drama Code Black, Luis Guzmán took on a quieter, more grounded role as Jesse Salander. His character was the head ER nurse, affectionately called “Mama.” He was the emotional glue of the fictional Angels Memorial Hospital, one of the busiest and most intense trauma centers in the country. Audiences could easily resonate with Luis Guzmán’s performance as it felt genuine and lived-in.
Unlike several other medical dramas, Guzmán’s portrayal of Jesse was like a real person you’d meet in a hospital hallway. Although canceled after three seasons, Code Black is one of the few shows to have given a central role to a veteran nurse. If anything, it helped highlight the emotional labor and critical expertise nurses bring to healthcare.
Gomez Addams in Wednesday
One of Luis Guzmán’s most memorable roles in recent years is his portrayal of Gomez Addams in Netflix’s Wednesday. Embodying an iconic character like Gomez Addams is no easy feat. However, Guzmán owned his version, joining the growing list of actors revered for the role.
Guzmán’s Gomez Addams is loving, eccentric, and completely devoted to Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Wednesday (Jenna Ortega). Guzmán leaned into the original Charles Addams illustrations, which portrayed Gomez as shorter and stockier. Although the character only made a guest appearance in season 1, with more screen time in Wednesday season 2, audiences can only keep their fingers crossed to see if Luis Guzmán finally receives an Emmy nod and nomination for his performance.
