American actor Ray Santiago is best known for portraying Pablo Simon Bolivar in the comedy horror series Ash vs Evil Dead. His numerous television credits also include My Name is Earl, The Jury, Raising Hope, Dexter, Cane, 10 Things I Hate About You, NCIS: Los Angeles and Windfall. He also featured in many film roles including Girlfight, Dirty Deeds, Bringing Rain, American Son and as Ben Stiller’s illegitimate son in the smash hit comedy Meet the Fockers.
Originally from New York City, Santiago was raised in South Bronx and launched his career in the early 2000s. A graduate of New York’s prestigious High School of Performing Arts, Santiago is of Puerto Rican descent, and was told by an acting coach that he could “play Ben Stiller’s half-Latino son if there was a movie for that”. This unlikely prophecy came true around a year later when Santiago was cast in that exact role in Meet the Fockers, and at 19 starred in the movie alongside Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand and Robert De Niro. Although the role in the movie thrust Santiago into the limelight, he soon became aware of industry-imposed limitations and racial stereotypes and was often cast in similar roles of criminals in crime dramas.
After a decade of trying to be the actor he believed the industry wanted, and with a new look, he defied the stereotypes and caught the eye of the casting director of horror-comedy Ash vs. Evil Dead. Santiago has since taken his character of Pablo from a naïve immigrant to one of the strongest members of the group, helping to boost the positive portrayals of Latinos on television that was missing when he was growing up.
