DOB: February 17, 1962
Where: Subic Bay Naval Station, Philippines
Occupation: Actor, film director, television director
Years Active: 1984-present
Spouse: Julie Cypher(1987-1990), Kelly Philips(1994-2000), Yvonne Marie Boismier(2007-present)
-His breakthrough in film came in 1987 when he was to portray real life Latino rock singer Ritchie Valens in La Bamba.
Early Life
-Born Lou Diamond Upchurch at the Subic Bay Naval Station in Zambales, Philippines.
-Son of Lucita Aranas and Gerald Upchurch, an officer in the US Navy. His dad was an American of Scots-Irish descent and his mother, a native of Candelaria, is a Filipina of Spanish descent.
-He was named after Marine legend Lou Diamond
-Adopted by his stepdad and took the name Philips
-Raised in Texas, went to Flour Buff High School in Corpus Christi, graduating in 1980.
-Attended the University of Texas at Arlington with a BFA in Drama
Career
-His breakthrough came in 1987 when he was asked to portray Latino rock star Ritchie Valens in La Bamba.
-Prior to this, he had a role on the Miami Vice episode "Red Tape", playing Det. Bobby Diaz
-In 1988, he starred in Stand and Deliver, alongside Edward James Olmos. He played Angel Guzman, a cholo gangster who is inspired by his math teacher, Jaime Escalante, to excel at calculus.
-In 2007, he starred on the TV show Num3rs, playing FBI tracker and sniper Ian Edgerton.
-Has been a regular poker player since high school. In May 2009, Philips placed 31st of 403 entrants in the 2009 California State Poker Championship Limit Texas Hold 'Em.
Personal Life
-On Sept. 17, 1989, he married an assistant director named Julie Cypher. They divorced on August 5, 1990 because Cypher started a relationship with rock musician Melissa Etheridge
-He began dating Yvonne Marie Boismier on 2004, and they married in August 2007. They have a girl, Indigo Sanara Philips, who was born in October 2007
Arrest
-On August 11, 2006, he was arrested following a report about domestic abuse at his L.A. home with his live in girlfriend and future wife Yvonne Boismier. He was ordered to do 200 hours of community service
