Rafael Villegas

Rafael Villegas is a Mexican-American actor, model, and singer. Born in Dallas, Texas, to immigrants Jose Rafael Villegas and Alma Leticia Flores - both of whom hail from the city of Reynosa in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas - Villegas was raised in the Dallas suburb of Grand Prairie. It was there during his senior year of high school that Villegas took theater as an elective and soon discovered his passion for the performing arts. Following his graduation in 2000, Villegas attended the premier north Texas acting school KD Conservatory College of Film and Dramatic Arts and then immediately began his acting career upon graduating in 2001. In Fall 2004, Villegas signed with Kim Dawson Agency and for a time focused on commercials, voice-over work, and print. Notable clients he has appeared for include Samsung, Honda, Toyota, Jack in the Box, McDonald's, and Edward Jones, among a long list of other globally recognized brands. Villegas was even handpicked by Robert Rodriguez for his starring role in a Slim Jim spot that aired in 2016. In Spring 2016, Villegas signed with Action Talent Agency and transitioned his career into film and television. He appeared in the Netflix Original The Last Laugh in 2019 and played the part of "Luis" in Daniel Laab's 2018 film Jules of Light and Dark, which was awarded the Grand Jury Prize for Best U.S. Narrative Feature at NewFest. He has also appeared in a wide range of roles across several popular television series, such as HBO's The Righteous Gemstones (directed by David Gordon Green; produced by Danny McBride), FOX's Deputy (directed by David Ayer), NCIS: New Orleans, Marvel's Cloak & Dagger, Valor, and Queen of the South. In 2020, Villegas began training with Cathy Sullivan - who is known for discovering such talent as Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato - and in January 2021, he signed with Vision Vehicle Management. Villegas resides in Dallas with his husband Carlos Masip (2020) and their two dogs.