Jon Seda
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
A handsome, sexy New Jersey-born leading man of Puerto Rican extraction, Jon Seda was trying to become a professional boxer when his mother suggested he take acting lessons "as a back-up." As a result, he was cast as Romano, the Cuban boxer, in the 1992 feature "Gladiators." His breakthrough role was as the cheating husband of Lauren Velez in Darnell Martin's "I Like It Like That" (1994). Seda went on to play Chris Perez, the musician-husband of "Selena" (1997).
Raised in Clifton, New Jersey, Seda was the second oldest of six children. His first expectations about acting were that he might get a part as an extra. An instinctive actor who oozes masculinity that creates the sexual danger of which male movie stars are made, but also possessing just the right dash of sensitivity, Seda won the role in "Gladiators." From there, he played a tough street kid in "Zebrahead" (1992) and a Dominican hoodlum in Brian De Palma's "Carlito's Way" (1993). More recently, he was Jose, one of the tortured inmates, in Terry Gilliam's futuristic "12 Monkeys" (1995). He won further critical applause for his work as a gangbanger with a brain tumor who takes a doctor hostage in Michael Cimino's little-seen "Sunchaser" (1996) and as a co-worker and rival in love to Leon in "The Price of Kissing" (1997).
Seda's early TV credits included episodes of "NYPD Blue" and "New York Undercover," on which he played a boxer. (According to some sources, he allegedly auditioned for the role series regular Michael DeLorenzo won). He was a cop killer whose trial is disrupted in "Mistrial" (HBO, 1996). Seda made guest appearances as an undercover detective on NBC's acclaimed drama series "Homicide: Life in the Street" (NBC) in 1996 and joined the series as a regular in the fall of 1997. Seda reteamed with director Darnell Martin for the premiere episode of the HBO drama series "Oz" (1997). As hotheaded Dino Ortolani, the actor delivered a mesmerizing portrayal of a tough lifer in a brutal prison environment who meets a gruesome death.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1992
Made feature film debut in "Gladiator," starring Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Brian Dennehy
1993
TV-movie debut, "Daybreak" (HBO)
1994
Had breathrough role as Lauren Velez's husband in "I Like It Like That"
1996
Co-starred in the HBO movie, "Mistrial"
1997
Had a recurring role as prisoner Dino Ortolani in the HBO series, "Oz"
1997
Joined cast of the NBC police drama "Homicide: Life on the Street" as Det. Paul Falsone
1997
Portrayed Chris Pérez opposite Jennifer Lopez in the title role of "Selena"
2001
Cast as Jake Shaw on NBC's "UC: Undercover"
2003
Co-starred with Adrien Brody and Pam Grier in "Love The Hard Way"
2004
Cast as Damian 'Dame' Ruiz in the UPN series, "Kevin Hill"
2006
Joined the cast of the CBS crime drama, "Close to Home"
2010
Played a leading role in the HBO WWII mini-series, "The Pacific"
Family
Companions
