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Born on January 17, 1975 in the windy city of Chicago, Illinois to Puerto Rican parents, Freddy Rodriguez was the youngest of three brothers. By age 14, he starred in Chicago’s pilot production of the Whirlwind Performance Company. For his remarkable performance, Rodriguez received a two-year scholarship to Chicago Center for the Gifted. He attended Lincoln Park High, a school with a strong performing arts program. While there, Rodriguez was a member of Messages Which Are Helpful (“MWAH”), a performing arts troupe which was originally created as a break dance team as an alternative to street gangs. Additionally, he starred in school plays such as The Crucible, Twelve Angry Men, and To Kill a Mockingbird. Later, he married his high school sweetheart, Elsie. Rodriguez has said that the key to his successful marriage is a strong spiritual upbringing. They have two children: Giancarlo and Elijah.

Rodriguez secured his first role in an A-list movie as Pedro Aragon, Jr. in A Walk in the Clouds alongside Keanu Reeves. He soon after starred in popular films such as Dead Presidents, Can’t Hardly Wait, The Pest, and Chasing Papi. Most recently, Rodriguez has played lead roles in Havoc, Lady in the Water, Harsh Times, Bobby, and Planet Terror. Fans can watch for the upcoming wide release of his movie Bottle Shock. Additionally, his film Humboldt Park is in post-production and is expected to be released in November of this year. Rodriguez has also recently bought the rights to the story Bodega Dreams. He plans to adapt this into a movie and both produce and star in the project.

The 5’6’’ actor has also appeared on television several times as a guest star on Party of Five, Scrubs, and ER. Rodriguez played a major role on HBO’s series Six Feet Under as Federico “Rico” Diaz, an embalmer at a funeral home. Interestingly, his son Giancarlo played the part of Rico’s eldest child on the series. For the role of Rico, Rodriguez received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2002, two Alma Awards, a Nosotros Award, and two SAG Awards. He now has a recurring role as Giovanni Rossi, Betty’s friend and love interest, on ABC’s Ugly Betty series.

The Chicago native has also done his share of music video cameos, including Santana’s Into the Night and Fergie’s Glamorous.

When not working in Los Angeles, Rodriguez returns to Chicago where he visits his family and his favorite restaurants, Giordano's Pizza and Borinquen Restaurant. "Chicago is always on my heart. It's always on my mind," he says. "I'll be a Chicagoan till the day I die."