Biografía
An actor, writer, and producer known as much for his Nordic good looks as he is for his multilingual comedy. Diego is best known for his role as Ben in the Mexican web series "Rumis" as well as skit comedies on social media.
Diego was born June 16, 1974 in Los Angeles, CA to an actress/model mother and an economist father. As an infant, the family moved to Silver Spring, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC. Diego was raised in a devout Mormon household with his 5 siblings. In High school Diego excelled in both football and wrestling.
After barely graduating high school Diego attended Dixie Junior College in St. George, Utah. After his freshman year of college, Diego volunteered to serve a Mormon mission. He was called to serve in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Diego learned Spanish by reading the scriptures daily and attempting to preach the gospel. After 2 years (1995) Diego returned to Dixie college where he was voted Sophomore class representative and graduated with his associates degree (high honors). He also married Danielle Truitt in the St. George, Mormon Temple. They would divorce 5 years later.
Diego then attended Southern Utah University on an academic scholarship where he would major in Foreign Language (Spanish, German, Hebrew) and minor in Psychology. Diego graduated with his bachelors Summa Cum Laude. Upon graduation Diego accepted a job at the US State Department in Washington, DC as a foreign affairs officer (civil servant) with the Office of Cuban Affairs.
After two years Diego moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico to pursue a Master's Degree in Latin American Studies with concentrations in International Management and Brazilian Studies at the University of New Mexico (UNM). During grad school Diego would spend summers training jiu-jitsu and volunteering as an English teacher while living in the favela of Rocinha in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpc5RVKK3f8).
In 2004 Diego married Rebeca de Araujo Pereira in Rocinha and they remained married until 2015. In 2004 Diego graduated at the top of his class from UNM. Upon graduation Diego was immediately hired as an adjunct professor to teach Spanish and Portuguese at Central New Mexico Community College (CNM).
From 2001-2012 Diego worked nights as a bouncer in multiple bars in downtown Albuquerque. It was while working the door in 2001 that he was approached by a local photographer, Val Hollingsworth, about working as model. Diego participated in multiple campaigns over the next several years. Later, in 2007, while working in a different bar, a friend of Val Hollingsworth approached Diego about auditioning for the feature film "Trade" starring Kevin Kline. Local casting directors were looking for an imposing white man who was bilingual to play the role of Alex Green. Diego agreed to audition and "crashed and burned epically" during the audition. However, this experience initiated Diego's acting career. Diego immediately enrolled in multiple acting and theater classes at CNM. He also began working as an extra and started auditioning for student film projects.
Over the next two years Diego appeared in scenes with Kevin Costner, Steven Seagal, Tommy Lee Jones, and worked as a stand-in for Billy Zane. Diego then began to appear in regional theater in plays such as: 187, August Afternoon, and Shakespeare's Macbeth. Diego also studied the Meisner technique under acting coach Robert Madrid. Diego joined the Screen Actor's Guild after being cast in the Universal Pictures movie Paul (2011).
Diego paused his acting and modeling endeavors in 2012 to pursue a career in Emergency Medicine. Diego graduated as valedictorian of his paramedic class in 2014. For the next several years Diego worked 911 in addition to teaching Spanish at CNM. Since first visiting Brasil in 2002, Diego has been an active practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Diego has traveled the US participating in numerous tournaments including the NAGA world championships.
In 2018 Diego moved to Cali, Colombia to reignite his modeling career and rebuild his portfolio. A year later Diego immigrated to Mexico City, Mexico (CDMX) to further his modeling and acting career. Since moving to CDMX Diego has represented international brands such as Levis, BMW, Pieles Hansen, Merkaba, 1.8 Takamura, Liverpool, and has appeared in fashion magazines: Hibrido, Izzos, Revista Imagines, Itsajess Magazine, Cerbervs, Opium Red, as well as, GQ Magazine.
In 2020 Diego wrote and co-starred alongside Areliz Benel (link) in the web series "LSD y la Cuarentena" (LSD and the Quarantine) (post-production) and co-wrote the screenplay "La Pinateria" with Fernando Gaviria. In 2021 Diego co-wrote and starred in the Mexican web series comedy "Rumis" and appeared in several episodes of the telenovela "Parientes a la Fuerza".
