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J.R. Yenque adopted his professional name to honor his late grandfather, Jose Rafael Yenque, whose guidance deeply influenced his life and career. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Yenque is the son of New York veteran actress Teresa Yenque (known for 30 Rock, Law & Order, The Sopranos). From the age of eight, he watched her perform backstage within the New York theater scene. At 14, his mother enrolled him in an acting workshop, transforming him from a shy, 230-pound youth who stuttered into a confident and talented actor comfortable on stage and with himself. After several high school changes in NYC, he settled at City-As-School, an alternative high school that engages students through various art forms. There, he discovered his dance talents and earned a scholarship to Ballet Hispanico of New York. Yenque also trained extensively and performed with multiple theater companies before touring internationally in West Side Story, receiving acclaim for his role as Bernardo, and eventually relocating to Los Angeles.
Inspired by his own transformative experience with drama at 14, Yenque is passionate about supporting teens through challenging times. In 2014, he founded Arts for a Better Tomorrow, an international nonprofit providing innovative social-emotional, arts-based programs for youth. The organization teaches dramatic arts and media storytelling to help young people develop life skills, self-care, and self-expression. Arts for a Better Tomorrow serves underserved communities, public schools, and orphanages in Los Angeles, California, and Tijuana, Mexico.
As founder of Arts for a Better Tomorrow and a frequent collaborator with higher education, Yenque has presented at major academic conferences such as the Association for Theatre in Higher Education and the International Association for Language Learning Technology. With over a decade of professional acting and humanitarian work, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from California State University San Marcos. Yenque continues to inspire others, especially youth, through his work both on screen and off.
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