# Eddie Velez

Edwin Velez (born June 4, 1958) is an American film, stage and television actor. He is best known for playing Frankie Santana in the final season of the American action and adventure television series The A-Team.

## Early life and education

Velez was born in Manhattan, New York, the son of Puerto Ricans. He graduated from the High School of Art and Design and attended the School of Visual Arts.

## Career

Velez started his career as a stand-up comic. After serving in the Air Force, he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he acted in plays and studied at the Estelle Harman's Actors Workshop. Velez appeared in various stage plays, including the first performance of the play Delirious, for which the cast won the Drama-Logue Award in the category Best Ensemble Performance.
Later in his career, Velez guest-starred in television programs including Hill Street Blues, The Trials of Rosie O'Neill (three episodes), Just Shoot Me!, Walker, Texas Ranger (two episodes), Murder, She Wrote, JAG, Tour of Duty, Cagney & Lacey (two episodes), The Commish, Profiler and Empty Nest. He appeared in films such as Split Decisions, Traffic, Repo Chick, Romero, Repo Man, The Hunted, Most Wanted, Rooftops and White Chicks.
Velez has starred and co-starred in television programs including Bay City Blues, playing Pepe Garcia, Berrenger's, playing Julio Morales, Charlie & Co., playing Miguel Santana, The A-Team, playing Frankie Santana, Trial and Error, playing John Hernandez, True Blue, playing Officer Frankie Avila and Live Shot, playing Ricardo Sandoval. He also played as Detective Alexander Garcia in the soap opera television series Port Charles and as Malko and Paul Mendez in Days of Our Lives.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1984 | Repo Man | Napo |
| 1985 | Doin' Time | Wetback |
| 1986 | Extremities | Officer #1 |
| 1987 | The Women's Club | Carlos |
| 1988 | Split Decisions | Julian 'Snake' Pedroza |
| 1989 | Rooftops | Lobo |
| 1989 | Romero | Lt. Columa |
| 1994 | A Passion to Kill | Morales |
| 1997 | Under Oath | Ray Ramírez |
| 1997 | Most Wanted | Sgt. Peyton |
| 1998 | Running Woman | Reuben Alvarez |
| 2000 | Traffic | Agent Johnson |
| 2003 | The Hunted | Richards |
| 2003 | White Rush | Santos Chabron |
| 2004 | White Chicks | Agent Vincent Gomez |
| 2005 | Black Dawn | Brody |
| 2007 | The Anna Nicole Smith Story | Playboy Photographer |
| 2007 | Born | Father Anthony |
| 2008 | Beautiful Loser | Diego (adult) |
| 2009 | Repo Chick | Justice Espinoza |
| 2010 | Bulletface | Eric Muller |
| 2010 | The Forgotten Jewel | Taniguchi |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1983 | For Love and Honor | Lucas | Television film |
| 1983–1984 | Bay City Blues | Pepe Garcia | 8 episodes |
| 1984 | Summer Fantasy | Stratis | Television film |
| 1985 | Berrenger's | Julio Morales | 11 episodes |
| 1985 | Double Dare | Cabbie | Episode: "Double Talk" |
| 1985 | Children of the Night | Tom | Television film |
| 1985 | Charlie & Co. | Miguel Santana | 13 episodes |
| 1985, 1986 | Cagney & Lacey | Various roles | 2 episodes |
| 1986 | C.A.T. Squad | Carlos | Television film |
| 1986–1987 | The A-Team | Frankie Santana | 13 episodes |
| 1987 | Hill Street Blues | Ramon Mendez | Episode: "Sorry Wrong Number" |
| 1987 | Houston Knights | Lopez | Episode: "Houston's Hero" |
| 1988 | Supercarrier | Tony Mendez | Episode: "Ring of Fire" |
| 1988 | Trial and Error | John Hernandez | 8 episodes |
| 1989 | Tour of Duty | Lt. Escobar | Episode: "Non-Essential Personnel" |
| 1989 | Monsters | Belphamelech | Episode: "All in a Day's Work" |
| 1989 | Shannon's Deal | Chuy Vargas | Television film |
| 1989–1990 | True Blue | Officer Frankie Avila | 12 episodes |
| 1990 | Drug Wars: The Camarena Story | Ramon Varona | 3 episodes |
| 1991 | Midnight Caller | Benny Fuentes | Episode: "Uninvited Guests" |
| 1991 | Empty Nest | Jose Martinez | Episode: "Food for Thought" |
| 1991–1992 | The Trials of Rosie O'Neill | Mack Delgado | 3 episodes |
| 1992 | Danger Island | Vic | Television film |
| 1992 | Flying Blind | Paco | Episode: "The Week of Living Dangerously" |
| 1992 | From the Files of Joseph Wambaugh: A Jury of One | Tommy Alomar | Television film |
| 1993 | Body Bags | Baseball Player | Television film |
| 1993–2004 | Days of Our Lives | Paul Mendez / Malko | 64 episodes |
| 1994 | Bitter Vengeance | Harry Carver | Television film |
| 1994 | Hardball | Diego Escobar | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1994 | Murder, She Wrote | Pete Grimaldi | Episode: "Crimson Harvest" |
| 1994 | A Rainy Day | Armando | Television film |
| 1995 | The Commish | Tommy Le Grange | Episode: "Accused" |
| 1995 | High Tide | Roacha | Episode: "Down South" |
| 1995 | Live Shot | Ricardo Sandoval | 13 episodes |
| 1996 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Fontemuro | 2 episodes |
| 1996 | Tracey Takes On... | Angelo | Episode: "Health" |
| 1996 | L.A. Firefighters | Doctor | Episode: "The Fire Down Below" |
| 1997 | Gun | Detective Jiminez | Episode: "The Shot" |
| 1997 | Pacific Blue | Eddie Montez | Episode: "Sandman" |
| 1997 | Night Man | Bruce | Episode: "I Left My Heart" |
| 1997 | The Parent 'Hood | Det. Perez | Episode: "Don't Go There" |
| 1998 | Air America | Carlos Rey de Lupos | Episode: "Lost City" |
| 1999 | Seven Days | Rene | Episode: "Parkergeist" |
| 1999 | Soldier of Fortune, Inc. | Bartoloméw Sanchez | Episode: "The Vestige" |
| 1999 | Profiler | Luis Ortiz | Episode: "Las Brisas" |
| 1999–2001 | Port Charles | Det. Alexander Garcia | 52 episodes |
| 2000 | A Father's Choice | Detective Cortez | Television film |
| 2000 | Just Shoot Me! | Miguel | Episode: "Fast Times at Finchmont High" |
| 2004 | Charmed | Inspector | Episode: "Styx Feet Under" |
| 2005 | Numbers | Raynor | Episode: "Man Hunt" |
| 2007 | By Appointment Only | Detective Sosa | Television film |
| 2020 | Interrogation | Counselor | Episode: "P.I. Charlie Shannon vs Eric Fisher 1996" |
| 2020 | Deputy | Ryan | Episode: "10-8 Selfless" |
| 2022 | Walker: Independence | Gil Santiago | Episode: "Friend of the Devil" |