Michael Pena

I was on 'The Shield' for a year before 'Crash' came out, and it was like doing an independent film every week.

One of my first real parts was 'Crash' - that won the Oscar.

When I first set out to do it, I wanted to be a working actor, and now it seems like it's superseded even my dreams.

It was an event whenever 'CHiPs' would come on in my house. There wasn't a lot of Latin people being hired to star in TV shows or movies back in the day. Not only was it a fun show, there was a Latino starring in it - so we thought it was extra cool.

I don't know if I'm necessarily a role model, but hopefully I can inspire any artist - Latin or otherwise - to do this thing for a living.

I came to L.A. when I was 19, and my two roommates were blue-eyed, blond dudes. I helped coach them, and they both landed pilots.

Some of the best bad guys in movies are funny and charming.

I want to become more successful.

I think nerves stop you from doing things. Make you stop and maybe make you withdraw. Then there's excitement where you can't wait to do it.

I feel really comfortable with going for the reality of the drama, but I'm not much for the comedy of it. You have to make people laugh, or you have to be true to the character in such a way that makes people laugh. It's a whole different thing.