Yul Vázquez, Hollywood's 'favorite Cuban' who is almost unknown in Cuba

April 15, 2022

Yul Vázquez is a name that will mean nothing to the vast majority of Cubans living on the Island, despite being an actor and musician who has accumulated more than 60 roles in film, television, and theater, and who was born in Cuba.

Although, after more than 50 years living in the United States, this Cuban-American speaks perfect English, he has never shed his roots. When it comes to playing the role of a Cuban, he recovers the accent as if he had just arrived from the Island, which is why the American entertainment magazine Variety, which has just dedicated an extensive article to him, considers him "Hollywood's favorite Cuban."

Vázquez arrived in the United States in 1971, at the age of six, along with his mother and his brother, among many Cuban refugees. His mother has been an important inspiration for him throughout his career.

"People tell me 'Yul, you never stop working,'" he told Variety. "I always tell them that I have the mentality of Cuban exile. My mother arrived with two children who didn't speak English, and she immediately got two jobs to support us. That mentality is very real and very powerful."

In 2011, Vázquez received a nomination for the Tony Awards as Best Actor for the play The Motherfucker with the Hat, after having appeared in more than 30 feature films, including Bride on the Run and Bad Boys II.

The Cuban-American describes his nomination as one of the crucial moments of his career, because it helped directors notice his potential.

"It opened many eyes. I had already been in the business for about 20 years, but I don't think they paid attention to me until I achieved that victory."

In 2013, Vázquez was chosen to play the role of U.S. Navy Captain Frank Castellano in the action biographical film Captain Phillips, in which he shared the set with Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi. The film received six Oscar nominations.

Among his most recent roles are the character of Peter Kilmer, protagonist of the science fiction thriller Indemnity, and Father Ramos in Promised Land.

He has appeared in films such as War of the Worlds and Traffic, as well as the series Sex and the City and The Sopranos, known to the Cuban public.

Soon, he will be seen in the HBO series The White House Plumbers.