# Demián Bichir

Demián Bichir Nájera (Spanish pronunciation:; born 1 August 1963) is a Mexican actor. After starring in telenovelas, he began to appear in Hollywood films. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in A Better Life.

## Personal life

Bichir was born in Torreón. His parents are actors Alejandro Bichir and Maricruz Nájera. His brothers, Odiseo and Bruno, are also actors. His paternal family is of Lebanese origin. He worked at the National Theater Company, Shakespeare and Dostoyevsky, and the Mexican Association of Theater Critics. He attended the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. He is an American Civil Liberties Union Ambassador of Immigration Rights. His wife, Stefanie Sherk, died in a swimming pool on 12 April 2019. Bichir has a daughter, Gala.

## Career

Bichir played Fidel Castro in Che and an emigrant in A Better Life. He starred in the crime series The Bridge and the western film The Hateful Eight. His directorial debut film A Circus Story & A Love Song premiered at the Morelia International Film Festival. Other films including Alien: Covenant, The Nun and Chaos Walking. He starred in the drama series Grand Hotel, and in Angelina Jolie's adapted film of Alessandro Baricco's novel Without Blood.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1987 | Hotel Colonial | Young Hotel Clerk | |
| 1988 | The Penitent | Roberto | |
| 1989 | Rojo Amanecer | Jorge | |
| 1993 | Miroslava | Ricardo | |
| 1995 | Nobody Will Speak of Us When We're Dead | Omar | |
| 1996 | Solo | Rio | |
| 1997 | Perdita Durango | Catalina | |
| 1999 | Sexo, pudor y lágrimas | Tomás | |
| 2000 | Gimme the Power | Gabriel | |
| 2001 | Don't Tempt Me | Manny Chavez | |
| 2004 | Hypnos | Miguel | |
| 2007 | Fuera del cielo | Everardo Sánchez | |
| 2007 | American Visa | Mario Alvarez | |
| 2008 | Che | Fidel Castro | |
| 2010 | Hidalgo: la historia jamás contada | Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla | |
| 2011 | A Better Life | Carlos Galindo | |
| 2011 | Foreverland | Salvador | |
| 2012 | Savages | Alex Reyes | |
| 2012 | El Santos vs. la Tetona Mendoza | Pork Gutiérrez #3 | Voice |
| 2013 | The Heat | Hale | |
| 2013 | Machete Kills | Marcos 'The Madman' Mendez | |
| 2013 | Dom Hemingway | Ivan Fontaine | |
| 2014 | Death in Buenos Aires | Inspector Chávez | |
| 2015 | The Hateful Eight | Marco 'The Mexican' / Señor Bob | |
| 2016 | Good Kids | Yaco | |
| 2016 | Lowriders | Miguel Alvarez | |
| 2016 | 7:19 | Fernando Pellicer | |
| 2017 | Alien: Covenant | Sergeant Lope | |
| 2018 | The Nun | Father Burke | |
| 2020 | The Grudge | Detective Goodman | |
| 2020 | The Midnight Sky | Sanchez | |
| 2021 | Land | Miguel | |
| 2021 | Chaos Walking | Ben Moore | |
| 2021 | Godzilla vs. Kong | Walter Simmons | |
| 2023 | Chupa | Chava | |
| 2024 | A Circus Story & A Love Song | Refugio | Also director and writer |
| 2024 | Without Blood | Tito | |
| 2025 | The Black Phone 2 † | TBA | Post-production |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1977–1978 | Rina | Juanito | |
| 1982–1983 | Vivir enamorada | Nacho | |
| 1983 | Cuando los hijos se van | Ricardo | |
| 1983 | Choices of the Heart | Armando | Television film |
| 1984–1985 | Los años felices | Tomas | |
| 1987–1988 | El rincón de los prodigios | Monchito | |
| 1995–1996 | Lazos de Amor | Valente Segura | |
| 1996–1997 | Nada personal | Comandante Alfonso Carbajal | |
| 2001 | In the Time of the Butterflies | Manolo Tavárez | Television film |
| 2008–2010 | Weeds | Esteban Carlos Reyes | 27 episodes |
| 2013–2014 | The Bridge | Detective Marco Ruiz | 26 episodes |
| 2019 | Grand Hotel | Santiago Mendoza | 13 episodes |
| 2022 | Let the Right One In | Mark Kane | 10 episodes |

## Awards

| Award | Category | Title | Result |
| Ariel Award | Best Actor | Hidalgo: La historia jamás contada | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | Best Actor | A Better Life | Nominated |
| ALMA Award | Favorite Movie Actor | A Better Life | Nominated |
| Independent Spirit Awards | Best Male Lead | A Better Life | Nominated |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role | A Better Life | Nominated |
| Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Actor | A Better Life | Nominated |
| Gold Derby Awards | Best Cast | The Hateful Eight | Nominated |
| Hollywood Film Awards | Best Cast | The Hateful Eight | Won |