Rafael De LA Fuente

Rafael De LA Fuente was born on November 11, 1986, in Caracas, Venezuela, to Rafael Sr., a bariatric surgeon, and Helena. He showed an early interest in becoming a singer and pursued this by studying at The University of Tampa, graduating in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. His acting career began unexpectedly at age 18 when a casting director discovered him through a picture in his father’s office, leading to a two-episode appearance on a Venezuelan telenovela. His early career in Spanish-language television included roles such as Jorge Giraldo in “Más sabe el diablo” (2009) and Max in “Aurora” (2011). He gained significant recognition for his role as Diego Forlán in the Nickelodeon Latin America fantasy series “Grachi” from 2011 to 2013, a role that became central to the series.

De La Fuente successfully crossed over into the English-speaking market, moving to Los Angeles in 2013 to further his acting studies. A significant breakthrough came in 2015 when he landed the recurring role of Michael Sanchez, Jamal Lyon’s boyfriend, in the Fox musical prime time soap opera “Empire,” appearing in 11 episodes across its first and second seasons. Following this, he was cast as Ricardo Canto in the ABC miniseries “When We Rise” in 2017. His most notable role came in March 2017 with The CW’s “Dynasty” reboot, where he portrayed Sam “Sammy Jo” Jones, a modernized, gay male version of the original series’ character, starring in 108 episodes from 2017 to 2022. In 2023, he starred as Enrique in the Hallmark Christmas movie “Letters to Santa” and was cast as Diego in the second season of CBS’s “Fire Country” for 2024, continuing to build a diverse portfolio across film and television.