Edwin Velez (born June 4, 1958) is an American film, stage and television actor. He is best known for playing Frankie Santana in the final season of the American action and adventure television series The A-Team.
Early life and education Velez was born in Manhattan, New York, the son of Puerto Ricans. He graduated from the High School of Art and Design and attended the School of Visual Arts.
Career Velez started his career as a stand-up comic. After serving in the Air Force, he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he acted in plays and studied at the Estelle Harman's Actors Workshop. Velez appeared in various stage plays, including the first performance of the play Delirious, for which the cast won the Drama-Logue Award in the category Best Ensemble Performance.
Later in his career, Velez guest-starred in television programs including Hill Street Blues, The Trials of Rosie O'Neill (three episodes), Just Shoot Me!, Walker, Texas Ranger (two episodes), Murder, She Wrote, JAG, Tour of Duty, Cagney & Lacey (two episodes), The Commish, Profiler and Empty Nest. He appeared in films such as Split Decisions, Traffic, Repo Chick, Romero, Repo Man, The Hunted, Most Wanted, Rooftops and White Chicks.
Velez has starred and co-starred in television programs including Bay City Blues, playing Pepe Garcia, Berrenger's, playing Julio Morales, Charlie & Co., playing Miguel Santana, The A-Team, playing Frankie Santana, Trial and Error, playing John Hernandez, True Blue, playing Officer Frankie Avila and Live Shot, playing Ricardo Sandoval. He also played as Detective Alexander Garcia in the soap opera television series Port Charles and as Malko and Paul Mendez in Days of Our Lives.
Filmography
Film +YearTitleRoleNotes1984Repo ManNapo1985Doin' TimeWetback1986ExtremitiesOfficer #11987The Women's ClubCarlos1988Split DecisionsJulian 'Snake' Pedroza1989RooftopsLobo1989RomeroLt. Columa1994A Passion to KillMorales1997Under OathRay Ramírez1997Most WantedSgt. Peyton1998Running WomanReuben Alvarez2000TrafficAgent Johnson2003The HuntedRichards2003White RushSantos Chabron2004White ChicksAgent Vincent Gomez2005Black DawnBrody2007The Anna Nicole Smith StoryPlayboy Photographer2007BornFather Anthony2008Beautiful LoserDiego (adult)2009Repo ChickJustice Espinoza2010BulletfaceEric Muller2010The Forgotten JewelTaniguchi
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1983For Love and HonorLucasTelevision film1983–1984Bay City BluesPepe Garcia8 episodes1984Summer FantasyStratisTelevision film1985Berrenger'sJulio Morales11 episodes1985Double DareCabbieEpisode: "Double Talk"1985Children of the NightTomTelevision film1985Charlie & Co.Miguel Santana13 episodes1985, 1986Cagney & LaceyVarious roles2 episodes1986C.A.T. SquadCarlosTelevision film1986–1987The A-TeamFrankie Santana13 episodes1987Hill Street BluesRamon MendezEpisode: "Sorry Wrong Number"1987Houston KnightsLopezEpisode: "Houston's Hero"1988SupercarrierTony MendezEpisode: "Ring of Fire"1988Trial and ErrorJohn Hernandez8 episodes1989Tour of DutyLt. EscobarEpisode: "Non-Essential Personnel"1989MonstersBelphamelechEpisode: "All in a Day's Work"1989Shannon's DealChuy VargasTelevision film1989–1990True BlueOfficer Frankie Avila12 episodes1990Drug Wars: The Camarena StoryRamon Varona3 episodes1991Midnight CallerBenny FuentesEpisode: "Uninvited Guests"1991Empty NestJose MartinezEpisode: "Food for Thought"1991–1992The Trials of Rosie O'NeillMack Delgado3 episodes1992Danger IslandVicTelevision film1992Flying BlindPacoEpisode: "The Week of Living Dangerously"1992From the Files of Joseph Wambaugh: A Jury of OneTommy AlomarTelevision film1993Body BagsBaseball Player1993–2004Days of Our LivesPaul Mendez / Malko64 episodes1994Bitter VengeanceHarry CarverTelevision film1994HardballDiego EscobarEpisode: "Pilot"1994Murder, She WrotePete GrimaldiEpisode: "Crimson Harvest"1994A Rainy DayArmandoTelevision film1995The CommishTommy Le GrangeEpisode: "Accused"1995High TideRoachaEpisode: "Down South"1995Live ShotRicardo Sandoval13 episodes1996Walker, Texas RangerFontemuro2 episodes1996Tracey Takes On...AngeloEpisode: "Health"1996L.A. FirefightersDoctorEpisode: "The Fire Down Below"1997GunDetective JiminezEpisode: "The Shot"1997Pacific BlueEddie MontezEpisode: "Sandman"1997Night ManBruceEpisode: "I Left My Heart"1997The Parent 'HoodDet. PerezEpisode: "Don't Go There"1998Air AmericaCarlos Rey de LuposEpisode: "Lost City"1999Seven DaysReneEpisode: "Parkergeist"1999Soldier of Fortune, Inc.Bartoloméw SanchezEpisode: "The Vestige"1999ProfilerLuis OrtizEpisode: "Las Brisas"1999–2001Port CharlesDet. Alexander Garcia52 episodes2000A Father's ChoiceDetective CortezTelevision film2000Just Shoot Me!MiguelEpisode: "Fast Times at Finchmont High"2004CharmedInspectorEpisode: "Styx Feet Under"2005NumbersRaynorEpisode: "Man Hunt"2007By Appointment OnlyDetective SosaTelevision film2020InterrogationCounselorEpisode: "P.I. Charlie Shannon vs Eric Fisher 1996"2020DeputyRyanEpisode: "10-8 Selfless"2022Walker: IndependenceGil SantiagoEpisode: "Friend of the Devil"
References
External links
Rotten Tomatoes profile