A. Martinez

Adolfo Larrue Martínez III, known professionally as A. Martinez, was born on September 27, 1948, in Glendale, California. His family referred to him as “A” to differentiate him from his father and grandfather, a name he later adopted professionally. Martinez’s heritage includes Mexican and Apache on his father’s side, and Piegan Blackfeet and Northern European on his mother’s side. He attended Sunland Elementary School and Mt. Gleason Junior High School, where he participated in community softball and school musical productions. He later graduated from Verdugo Hills High School in Tujunga, where he was involved in a rock band and the track team. Initially, Martinez intended to study political science at UCLA, but he ultimately pursued an acting career after college.

Martinez’s career in entertainment began in 1968, and he has since accumulated extensive credits in film and television. His early work includes a significant appearance in the 1970 Bonanza episode “Gideon the Good,” and a recurring role as a helper in Archie’s bar on “All in the Family.” A pivotal period in his career was from 1984 to 1992, when he played the role of Cruz Castillo on the daytime soap opera “Santa Barbara,” a performance that earned him a Daytime Emmy Award in 1990. He also had main cast roles in primetime dramas such as “L.A. Law” from 1990 to 1994 and “Profiler” from 1996 to 1997. His filmography includes appearances in “The Cowboys” (1972), “Powwow Highway” (1989), “Curse of Chucky” (2013), and “Ambulance” (2022). More recently, he has taken on roles in “Longmire” as Jacob Nighthorse (2012-2017), “Days of Our Lives” as Eduardo Hernandez (2015-2020), and “Dark Winds” as Sheriff Gordo Sena (2023-present). He was also cast as Master Pakku in the Netflix live-action series “Avatar: The Last Airbender” in 2022 and joined the main cast of “Blue Ridge” as Connor McGrath (2024-present).

Throughout his career, Martinez has received numerous accolades, including a Daytime Emmy Award, a Red Nation Film Award of Excellence, and an award for Best Supporting Actor at the Red Dirt International Film Festival for his short film “Four Winds.” He has also received three Soap Opera Digest Awards. Martinez has also contributed as a writer and producer on various projects, including the short film “Before Your Eyes” (2014) and “California Winter” (2012) as an associate producer. He was married to actress Mare Winningham briefly in 1981 and has been married to Leslie Bryans since 1982, with whom he has three children.