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Jacob Vargas

Jacob Vargas

Actor, also producer · Born August 18, 1971 (55) · Michoacan, Mexico

Screen Actors Guild Award winner · 1 other major award body

Jacob Vargas (born August 18, 1971) is a Mexican-American actor. He began his acting career when he was discovered breakdancing in a schoolyard at age 12. His introduction to acting came with a bit part as a breakdancer on the hit TV show Diff'rent Strokes (1978). His first movie role was in the TV movie The Children of Times Square (1986). He started to appear in more films including Last Resort (1986), Ernest Goes to Camp (1987), The Principal (1987), Little Nikita (1988), American Me (1992), and Gas Food Lodging (1992). In 1995, he won the very first ALMA Award (for Emerging Artist of the Year) for his work in both Allison Anders' Mi Vida Loca (1993) and Gregory Nava's My Family (1995). He next starred in films including Crimson Tide (1995), Get Shorty (1995), Selena (1997), Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997), and the cult favorite Next Friday (2000) as Ice Cube's nemesis, Joker. His next role was Tijuana cop Manolo, 'Benicio del Toro"s partner in Steven Soderbergh's Academy Award- winning film Traffic (2000), which earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award and another ALMA Award. In 2001, he executive produced and starred in the independent film Road Dogz (2002). He wrote, directed and acted in EDNY (2003). He also co-produced and starred in the stage play "Latinologues", which ran on Broadway in 2005 and is available on DVD. He voiced for Pepito in Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001). Next, he played Sammi the chef in John Moore's Flight of the Phoenix (2004), Marine sniper Juan Cortez in Academy Award-winning director Sam Mendes' war drama Jarhead (2005), a straight-arrow DEA agent in the action drama The Death and Life of Bobby Z (2006), a politically charged busboy Miguel in Emilio Estevez's historical drama Bobby (2006), and a psychologically tortured drone pilot Rudy Ramirez in Alex Rivera's sci-fi political love story Sleep Dealer (2008). He had roles in The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007), Are We Done Yet? (2007), Death Race (2008), Cesar Chavez (2014, Heaven is For Real (2014), The Tell-Tale Heart (2016), Plan B, (2021), and Kimi (2022). His major TV roles are as Bob on Surfside Girls, Tony Medina on Mr. Iglesias, Horacio on Mosaic, Domingo Colon on Marvel's Luke Cage, Allesandro Montez on Sons of Anarchy and later on Mayans M.C., Guillermo on Moonlight, Ernesto Tiant on Greetings from Tucson, and Dr. Roberto Martinez on Max Steel. He had recurring roles on Colony, Blue, and Six Feet Under. He has also guest starred on a number of shows including National Treasure: Edge of History, The Mentalist, Burn Notice, Psych, Numb3rs, Medium, CSI: NY, Cold Case, The Pretender, JAG, ER, Full House, and Hunter. He has voiced for characters on animated series including Solar Opposites, Young Justice, and a recurring role on Tarantula.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 18, 1971 (55)
From
Michoacan, Mexico
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
84 on MovieCove · 102 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 13% in 30 days

What are Jacob Vargas' films like?

Across their 33 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Survival.

Genres

Action6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 37th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 31st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Biography4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 71st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 31st percentile
: browse their Horror movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
28%
Survival
19%
Morality
19%
Society
18%
Self
11%
Power
5%
Ideas
1%
Family bonds12 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival9 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice10 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity8 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGuilt2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 28 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 20 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 4 · Charged 11 · Intense 13

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 8 · Shifting 18 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 18 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 4

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 16 · Relentless 4

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 9 · Engaged 16 · Full focus 3

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 7 · Affecting 12 · Heavy 9

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 20 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

12 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 4 of 12 analyzed roles.

Shadow
4 of 12
Ally
4 of 12
Trickster
3 of 12
Herald
1 of 12
Show the 12 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
23
Melancholic
14
Hopeful
15
Warm
8
Dread
5
Other
24

How their films linger

Hopeful16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy9
  • Bittersweet18
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Jacob Vargas' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 60 of their 84 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (21).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jacob Vargas' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

102 credits, 84 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • National Treasure: Edge of History(2022)

    Show 4 episodes · as Rafael

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all shows

  • Satanic Hispanics(2022)

    as El Jefe

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Surfside Girls(2022)

    Show 7 episodes · as Bob

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • Kimi(2022)

    as Glasses Thug

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Plan B(2021)

    as Pastor Pedro

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Billy D and the Hall of Feathered Serpents featuring Money Shot by Puscifer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    as Bartesian

  • Princess of the Row(2019)

    as Donald

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Game On! A Comedy Crossover Event(2020)

    Show 1 episode · as Tony Ochoa

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all shows

  • Solar Opposites(2020)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Mr. Iglesias(2019)

    Show 21 episodes · as Tony Medina

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • The Public(2018)

    as Ernesto Ramirez

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Peel(2019)

    as Chuck

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Endgame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    as Alberto

  • Mayans M.C.(2018)

    Show 3 episodes · as Allesandro Montez

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • Mosaic(2018)

    Show 6 episodes · as Horacio

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all shows

  • Beyond Skyline(2017)

    as Garcia

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Electric Dreams(2017)

    Show 1 episode · as Mario

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • Tarantula(2017)

    Show as Paja

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all shows

  • Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life(2016)

    as Animation Voice (voice)

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Luke Cage(2016)

    Show 6 episodes · as Domingo Colon

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows

  • Crossing Point(2016)

    Producer · as Jesus

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • The Tell-Tale Heart(2016)

    as Adams

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Colony(2016)

    Show 3 episodes · as Carlos

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • The 33(2015)

    as Edison 'Elvis' Peña

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Complications(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as Ramon

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all shows

  • Hand of God(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Julio Farkas (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • Journey of a Female Comic(2014)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Water & Power(2013)

    as Asuncion Garcia

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Heaven Is for Real(2014)

    as Michael

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Cesar Chavez(2014)

    as Richard Chavez

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Red Sky(2014)

    as Jorge 'P-Dawg' Vasquez

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Go for Sisters(2013)

    as Navajas

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Blue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Show 4 episodes · as Roy

  • Young Justice(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Sebastian Cardona / Cisco Ramon (voice)

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Devil(2010)

    as Ramirez

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Good Guys(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Tico

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • The Odds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Sergio Vargas

  • Sleep Dealer(2008)

    as Rudy Ramirez

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Mentalist(2008)

    Show 1 episode · as Chief Rick Anaya

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Sons of Anarchy(2008)

    Show 15 episodes · as Allesandro Montez

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Death Race(2008)

    as Gunner

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Love Lies Bleeding(2008)

    as Detective Billy Jones

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Moonlight(2007)

    Show 5 episodes · as Guillermo

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • Bobby Z(2007)

    as Jorge Escobar

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Burn Notice(2007)

    Show 1 episode · as Omar Hernandez

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Are We Done Yet?(2007)

    as Mike the Plumber

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • The Hills Have Eyes 2(2007)

    as Crank

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Bobby(2006)

    as Miguel

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • TV: The Movie(2006)

    Co-Producer · as Tijuana Cop 2 / Announcer / Charlotte

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Psych(2006)

    Show 1 episode · as Juan Lava

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • The Virgin of Juarez(2006)

    as Detective Lauro

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Jarhead(2005)

    as Juan Cortez

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Wendell Baker Story(2005)

    as Reyes Morales

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Numb3rs(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Victor Borrego

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all shows

  • Medium(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Eduardo Garcia

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all shows

  • Flight of the Phoenix(2004)

    as Sammi

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • CSI: NY(2004)

    Show 1 episode · as Luis Torres

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Memoirs of an Evil Stepmother (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Vincent Enano

  • Cold Case (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 1 episode · as Angelo Rivera (2009)

  • Kingpin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • E.D.N.Y. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director · Writer · Actor

  • CSI: Miami(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Felix Medina

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all shows

  • Greetings from Tucson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 22 episodes · as Ernesto Tiant

  • Road Dogz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Executive Producer · as Danny Pacheco

  • Watching Ellie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Miguel

  • Dragonfly(2002)

    as Victor

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Turnaround(2002)

    as Gonzalez

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • The Proud Family(2001)

    Show 1 episode · as Punch Alto (voice)

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows

  • Dr. Dolittle 2(2001)

    as Pepito (voice)

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Six Feet Under(2001)

    Show 1 episode · as Manuel 'Paco' Bolin

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Come and Take It Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Miguel

  • Traffic(2000)

    as Manolo Sanchez

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Max Steel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 22 episodes · as Dr. Roberto Martinez (voice)

  • Next Friday(2000)

    as Joker

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Hi-Lo Country(1998)

    as Delfino Mondragon

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Santa Fe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Jesus

  • Romy and Michele's High School Reunion(1997)

    as Ramon

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Selena(1997)

    as A. B. Quintanilla

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Clueless (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Pretender(1996)

    Show 1 episode · as Javi Padillo

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • Malibu Shores (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 10 episodes · as Benny

  • Get Shorty(1995)

    as Yayo Portillo

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • JAG(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Corporal Cortez

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows

  • Crimson Tide(1995)

    as Sonarman #2

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • My Family(1995)

    as Young Jose

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Prince Luis (voice)

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • ER(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Diablo

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • My Crazy Life(1993)

    as Ernesto

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Huck and the King of Hearts(1994)

    as Pedro

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Fatal Instinct(1993)

    as Flower Delivery Man

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Airborne(1993)

    as Snake

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Gas Food Lodging(1992)

    as Javier

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • American Me(1992)

    as Paulito - Age 15

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Seeds of Tragedy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Cholo #2

  • The Great Los Angeles Earthquake(1990)

    as Miguel

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Little Nikita(1988)

    as Miguel

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Full House(1987)

    Show 1 episode · as Enrique

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • The Principal(1987)

    as Arturo Diego

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Ernest Goes to Camp(1987)

    as Bubba Vargas

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Last Resort(1986)

    as Carlos

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Miracle of the Heart: A Boys Town Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Enrique Mendoza

  • Hunter(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Emilio Morales

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 101 titles from 1984 to 2022; peak year 2007.

Biggest box office

Traffic (2000)

$208M worldwide

Highest rated

Traffic (2000)

Midcredits 94th

Most popular right now

Moonlight (2007)

Film career

MilestoneAward winNomination
19842022

Peak 2007 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 5 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting101 of 101: 98 only acting, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score51stDirecting1 of 101: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting1 of 101: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing2 of 101: 0 only producing, 2 with another role

101 titles, 3 with more than one role — acting and producing overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1980s7 · acting1990s21 · acting2000s37 · 37 acting · 3 crew2010s27 · acting2020s9 · acting

Billing

usually 9th · top billed in 0% of 40 roles
879702071217

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

a Screen Actors Guild Award from 3 major nominations, 2001–2007.

WinNomination
  1. 2007
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Acting Ensemble
  2. 2001
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Jacob Vargas' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 47th percentile, the median of all 52; across their 28 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 49th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 28

Approval · how many liked their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 28

Reach · how many have seen their films

84thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 28

Midcredits score across 84 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up19
  • 50th to 74th26
  • 25th to 49th23
  • Below 25th16

Shape of the crowd

34 of their 84 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved9
  • Universally Panned2
  • Divisive2
  • Cult Classic4
  • Crowd Pleaser34
  • Broadly Agreed8
  • Mixed25

Most divisive · actor

Journey of a Female Comic (2014)

99th percentile spread · 33% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Sons of Anarchy (2008)

Midcredits 98th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the acting 63/100 in their films, across 28 reviewed titles; fans 71, detractors 37. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Jacob Vargas' work okay for kids?

Across up to 17 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore14 titles27–88 · median 55 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity17 titles17–56 · median 34 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity14 titles23–94 · median 54 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs12 titles16–78 · median 32 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense12 titles16–90 · median 57 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Jacob Vargas work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jacob Vargas' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Steven Soderbergh shares the most, 2.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers