Biografia
Hailing from Artemisa, Cuba, Rene Lavan made his Broadway debut in 2005 with the critically praised play "Latinologues," a comedy exploring life in America. Earlier this year, he collaborated with Benicio Del Toro on Steven Soderbergh's feature film "Guerrilla." Rene stars as the young lead in Revolution Studios' "Christmas With The Kranks," acting alongside Tim Allen, Jaime Lee Curtis, Dan Aykroyd, and Cheech Marin, under the direction of Joe Roth. He portrays Carlos Suarez, the Revolutionary, in LGF/Miramax's "Havana Nights, Dirty Dancing." His television appearances include guest roles on CBS's "CSI Miami" and NBC's "Las Vegas." Rene also co-starred in the independent film "El Nominado," shot in Chile in October 2003, which has been featured at numerous international film festivals. In 2004, the San Diego Latino Film Festival named him one of The Top Ten To Watch.
American audiences first recognized Lavan as Javier on ABC's "One Life to Live." During his tenure on the series, he was offered the lead role in the critically acclaimed film "Bitter Sugar," directed by Leon Ichaso (Pinero). The film, based on true events under Fidel Castro's regime, follows Gustavo (Lavan), an honor student and former Castro supporter who becomes disillusioned by the repression in Cuba. Lavan earned rave reviews for his performance, and the film was well received both domestically and internationally.
Rene initially gained fame as a co-star in the popular Spanish telenovela "Morelia." He later starred in the hit series "Maria Belen" and "Enamorada," becoming a well-known actor in Spanish-speaking households worldwide. His telenovelas and films have been broadcast in over one hundred countries. Fluent in English and Spanish, Rene has worked consistently in both general and Spanish-language markets after training at the prestigious New World School of the Arts, Performance and Visual Arts Center, and studying with Uta Hagen.
He co-starred in the half-hour sitcom pilot "Macio" for UPN and led the independent film "The Emerald Cut."
Rene has appeared in hundreds of television and radio commercials and has hosted shows including The Billboard Music Awards, Fox Sports, and "Suenos de Fama" (Star Search).
His image has appeared in major American magazines such as "Vanity Fair," "Harper's Bazaar," "Details," and "W," as well as numerous Spanish publications like "Vanidades," "Cosmopolitan," and "Cristina." Recently, he was named one of the "25 Most Beautiful" by "People en Español" magazine.
Rene Lavan is a genuine crossover actor, excelling in film and television, drama and comedy. He is among the few actors to have established a name in both general and Spanish-language markets. His current focus is starring in and producing Latino-themed television shows and films through his newly founded production company.
