FX's Mayans M.C., the Sons of Anarchy spin-off dealing with a Mexican gang of outlaw bikers, has shined due to an incredibly underrated cast. While it is yet to be seen which new faces of the latest season will stick around, the show includes its familiar cast of both new-age actors and seasoned veterans.
Mayans M.C. is essentially a crime drama and its ensemble cast includes actors who have attained quite a reputation with their previous work in the genre, ranging from Law and Order: Special Victims Unit to Miami Vice. Others have gone on to explore other subgenres under crime with cases like the crime comedies Barry and Lethal Weapon along with action thrillers such as Sicario and 3 From Hell.
J.D. Pardo's claim to fame is, of course, the lead role of EZ in Mayans M.C. However, the actor has also appeared in a variety of other popular movies including blockbusters like Breaking Dawn Part 2 and the latest Fast and Furious movie F9.
Pardo plays a brief yet significant role in an opening flashback sequence, as Jack Toretto, the father of series protagonist Dominic Toretto and his siblings Mia and Jakob. Even though he is killed off early in the film, Jack's death adds to one of the major plot elements of the 2021 movie.
The secretary of the titular biker gang in Mayans M.C. and EZ's older brother, Angel Reyes is played by Clayton Cardenas. Al man of many talents, he is also a painter and a spoken word artist.
When it comes to TV shows, he also appeared as a supporting character called Diego in the third season of the anthology series American Crime. The season deals with a criminal conspiracy within North Carolina's crop-picking business along with the lives of sex workers serving as a subplot.
The story of an Irish immigrant and his struggles to settle his family down in America follows the premise of this semi-autobiographical movie by Jim Sheridan.
Seen here at a much younger time, Bolger appears as one of the protagonist's daughters. As the family explores the ups and downs of the so-called "American Dream" together, a heartwarming narrative about the immigrant experience is weaved. In America went on to earn three nominations at the 2003 Oscars.
Bishop Losa, the former "Presidente" of the motorcycle gang, is played by Michael Irby, a character actor with a wide variety of roles in film and TV. One of his most recent credits includes the dark comedy, Barry.
Considered to be one of the best comedies on HBO, Barry deals with its titular protagonist who is a hitman plagued by his violent past as he struggles to restart his life. Irby plays Cristobal Sifuentes, the leader of the Bolivian mob who moves to LA and enters an alliance with the Chechen mobster Hank with whom he also ends up having a romantic relationship. With his character making an appearance in the latest season's premiere, there is a lot left to uncover behind Cristobal.
Carla Baratta has an integral role in Mayans M.C. as the leader of the "Forgotten Ones," a collective of Mexican rebels fighting the Galindo Gang. This is her first English role as she has mostly appeared in Venezuelan TV shows in the past.
When it comes to movies, she appeared in a 2015 short called La Empanada Perfecta. The 14-minute film is a heartwarmingly funny tale of a woman who is in the pursuit to make the perfect empanada while managing her late father's empanada eatery. As she encounters a handsome and lovable man, a crime-related subplot unfurls. It is exciting to see such a contrast between Baratta's mannerisms in this calming short and the ever-turbulent crime drama which she is most famous for now.
Known as "El Coco," Richard Cabral's character in Mayans M.C. is an ex-Marine sniper who becomes a member of the gang. Previously, he has appeared in shows like American Crime and Lethal Weapon.
In the latter, he played the part of Detective Alejandro Cruz, an undercover officer affiliated with the LAPD's gang division. Otherwise, the show's lead cast includes Damon Wayans and Clayne Crawford who appear as a duo of mismatched cops in a crime-riddled LA. As the title suggests, the crime comedy series is a modern reworking of the iconic Lethal Weapon movies starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover.
Raoul Trujillo joins the Mayans M.C. cast as a gang member and ex-Vice President Che "Taza" Romero. While he has quite a plethora of on-screen credits, he is renowned as the antagonist in Mel Gibson's historical thriller Apocalypto.
Set in the context of the Mayan civilization, the movie deals with a peaceful tribesman who is chosen for a human sacrifice as the civilization is crumbling. As he makes his daring escape, the movie plays out as an adrenaline-fueled survival tale in the wilderness. Trujillo plays Zero Wolf, an intimidating warrior who raids villages and captures civilians. With its fair share of historical inaccuracies, Apocalypto joins the pantheon of unrealistic movies about ancient wars but it is still enjoyed as an intense survival drama.
This installment in the Law & Order franchise needs no introduction. Being on-air since 1999, the show includes more than 500 episodes so far. Mayans M.C. alumnus Danny Pino (who plays Miguel Galindo, the leader of the Galindo cartel) was also a cast member of Special Victims Unit for a few years.
Pino's character Detective Nick Amaro is definitely one of the most memorable in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as he represents the duality of a man of law. On one hand, he believes in delivering justice to criminals but on the other, he also has a tough time controlling his urge to take the law into his own hands like a vigilante.
The father of EZ and Angel is played by veteran actor Edward James Olmos. Sci-fi fans would remember him from his roles in Battlestar Galactica and the two Blade Runner movies but Olmos' most famous role might be that of Lieutenant Martin "Marty" Castillo in the cult classic crime drama Miami Vice.
The show set itself apart from the other conventional cop dramas of the time by ignoring police procedural tropes and introducing the New Wave culture to the genre. This was evident in its stylistic visuals and choice of pop/rock soundtracks. While Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas played two undercover cops, Olmos appeared as the head of the crime bureau under which the duo investigates. For his act, Olmos also bagged an Emmy and a Golden Globe in the Supporting Actor category.
A special guest star on Mayans M.C. and a regular alumnus of Sons of Anarchy, Emilio Rivera appeared as the primary antagonist Aquarius in 3 From Hell, the final chapter in Rob Zombie's Firefly trilogy.
Continuing their recklessly violent misadventures, the trio of "Baby" Firefly, Otis B Driftwood, and Captain Spaulding murder a fellow chain gang member Rondo (Danny Trejo in a special appearance). It is this death that triggers Rondo's son Aquarius to wage his personal war against the titular group of serial killers. The subsequent clash makes for perfectly zany gonzo entertainment that perfectly goes in tandem with the over-the-top nature of the film franchise.
