Sal Lopez
Acting
1954-11-08 · Mexico
Sal Lopez (also Sal López) is a Mexican-American actor and producer, born on November 8, 1954, in Mexico. He grew up in a bilingual home in South Central Los Angeles, the second of eight boys born to immigrant parents. He is a founding member of The Latino Theater Company, where he has co-created theater for over 38 years, and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He is married to Urbanie Lucero and has two children, residing in Silver Lake, Los Angeles. Lopez started his career after landing a key role in the hit play Zoot Suit (1982), which led to an open call by Stanley Kubrick for Full Metal Jacket (1987), in which he played T.H.E. Rock. Other notable film credits include American Me (1992, as Edward James Olmos's father), Selena (1997), Silver City (2004, directed by John Sayles), The Astronaut Farmer (2007, with Billy Bob Thornton), Logan (2017), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), and F1 (2025). His television credits span Nip/Tuck, CSI, ER, NYPD Blue, Melrose Place, The Shield, Westworld, and Queen of the South. On stage, Lopez has performed in numerous productions with The Latino Theater Company, including one-man shows like This Is A Man's World, Premeditation, and August 29th, and the lead in La Virgen Dios Inantzin, performed annually at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. He has received an ALMA Award for Outstanding Individual Performance and a DramaLogue Award, and produced and starred in the independent film Luminarias (1999).
Filmography
TheatersYou Know I Love You
2026 · Movie
The Rip
2026 · Movie
Atropia
2025 · Movie
Roses on the Vine
2025 · Movie
F1
2025 · Movie
Delfino's Journey
2025 · Movie
Baby Blue
2025 · Movie
Seven Cemeteries
2024 · Movie
Doctor Odyssey
2024 · Series
Moe
2023 · Movie
Centurion: The Dancing Stallion
2023 · Movie
The Hyperions
2022 · Movie
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
2022 · Movie
The Old Ways
2021 · Movie
Spiked
2021 · Movie
The Devil Has a Name
2019 · Movie
Chalino
2019 · Movie
Culture Shock
2019 · Movie
Too Old to Die Young
2019 · Series
El Chicano
2019 · Movie
Acuitzeramo
2019 · Movie
Velvet Buzzsaw
2019 · Movie
Barry
2018 · Series
Chance
2016 · Series
Monday Nights at Seven
2016 · Movie
Westworld
2016 · Series
Lopez
2016 · Series
Code Black
2015 · Series
Road to Juarez
2015 · Movie
An Evergreen Christmas
2014 · Movie
Go for Sisters
2013 · Movie
The Bridge
2013 · Series
Last Man Standing
2011 · Series
Addicto de Salsa
2009 · Movie
Castle
2009 · Series
Beverly Hills Chihuahua
2008 · Movie
American Son
2008 · Movie
Life
2007 · Series
The Astronaut Farmer
2007 · Movie
Lost in Plainview
2006 · Movie
ESL: English as a Second Language
2005 · Movie
El padrino: The Latin Godfather
2004 · Movie
Silver City
2004 · Movie
Paparazzi
2004 · Movie
Entourage
2004 · Series
Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman
2003 · Movie
The Lyon's Den
2003 · Series
The Handler
2003 · Series
Nip/Tuck
2003 · Series
Tremors
2003 · Series
CSI: Miami
2002 · Series
The Banger Sisters
2002 · Movie
Hunter: Return to Justice
2002 · Movie
The Shield
2002 · Series
Hammerlock
2002 · Movie
Missing Pieces
2001 · Movie
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
2000 · Series
Price of Glory
2000 · Movie
Luminarias
2000 · Movie
Snoops
1999 · Series
Flypaper
1999 · Movie
The Magnificent Seven
1998 · Series
Nightman
1997 · Movie
The New Batman Adventures
1997 · Series
The End of Violence
1997 · Movie
Out to Sea
1997 · Movie
Selena
1997 · Movie
King of the Hill
1997 · Series
After the SIlence
1996 · Movie
Dangerous Minds
1996 · Series
Journey
1995 · Movie
...And the Earth Did Not Swallow Him
1995 · Movie
Touched by an Angel
1994 · Series
ER
1994 · Series
There Goes My Baby
1994 · Movie
Blue Tiger
1994 · Movie
Mr. Jones
1993 · Movie
River of Rage: The Taking of Maggie Keene
1993 · Movie
Return of the Living Dead III
1993 · Movie
From the Files of Joseph Wambaugh: A Jury of One
1992 · Movie
Melrose Place
1992 · Series
Cold Heaven
1992 · Movie
American Me
1992 · Movie
Lookwell
1991 · Movie
Shades of L.A.
1990 · Series
El Diablo
1990 · Movie
Cartel
1990 · Movie
Down the Drain
1990 · Movie
Pucker Up and Bark Like a Dog
1989 · Movie
Corridos! Tales of Passion and Revolution
1987 · Movie
Dolly
1987 · Series
Wiseguy
1987 · Series
Born in East L.A.
1987 · Movie
Full Metal Jacket
1987 · Movie
Million Dollar Mystery
1987 · Movie
Matlock
1986 · Series
Get Out of My Room
1985 · Movie
The Glitter Dome
1984 · Movie
Hunter
1984 · Series
T. J. Hooker
1982 · Series
Zoot Suit
1981 · Movie
Hill Street Blues
1981 · Series
Midnight Madness
1980 · Movie
240-Robert
1979 · Series
Diff'rent Strokes
1978 · Series
CHiPs
1977 · Series
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951 · Series
Kubrick's War: The Making of Full Metal Jacket
Movie