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Michael Peña has distinguished himself in Hollywood as an actor with a wide range of performances who has worked with an impressive roster of award winning directors. Most recently, Peña won the Best Actor Award from the 2006 ALMA Awards for his performance in Paul Haggis's provocative, Oscar-winning film Crash, alongside Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon and Terrence Howard. Critically acclaimed for the film's interpretation of complex race relations in contemporary America, Peña has garnered much notable praise for his performance as well as multiple best ensemble nominations, winning awards from the Screen Actors Guild and the Broadcast Film Critics Association for the cast's performance.

Peña could be seen earlier this year starring in the HBO film Walkout, based on the true story about a young Mexican-American high school teacher who helped stage a massive student walkout in the mid 1960s - which interestingly incited a series of similar walkouts around the country soon after the premiere of the film. Peña's other credits include Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby, Matthew Ryan Hoge's The United States of Leland, and Gregor Jordan's Buffalo Soldiers.

On television, Peña guest appeared last year on the F/X drama The Shield for its fourth season as one of the central leads opposite Glenn Close and Anthony Anderson. Other television credits include a series regular role in Steven Spielberg's NBC series Semper Fi, as well as recurring roles on Felicity, and American Family.

Raised in Chicago, Peña began acting when he beat out hundreds of others in an open call for a role in Peter Bogdonovich's To Sir, with Love II, starring Sidney Poitier.