Blue diamond phillips biography of michaels and wife

He continues to make television appearances and plays poker competitively. The young actor was eventually adopted by his mother's second husband, taking his stepfather's surname, Phillips. Though he was raised in small-town Texas, Lou Diamond Phillips had stars in his eyes from a young age.

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Passing up the opportunity to go to Yale, he instead chose to attend the local University of Texas at Arlington, where he got his Bachelor of Fine Arts in drama. He was active in drama club productions and a local comedy troupe. Eager to break out of the small-town drama scene, Phillips capitalized on whatever opportunities came his way. The up-and-comer would often go to great lengths to meet idols like Robert De Niro when they passed through nearby Dallas.

Phillips remained actively involved in the theater after college, appearing in various productions at Stage West Theatre in Fort Worth, Texas. In , Phillips got his big break in Hollywood with a starring role in La Bamba. In perhaps his most beloved performance, the actor played ill-fated rocker Ritchie Valens in this biopic turned cult hit.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Phillips became one of Hollywood's most promising young stars. Before La Bamba was even released, Phillips had finished Stand and Deliver , in which he gave a dynamic performance as a gang member whose life is changed by a tenacious and caring math teacher played by Edward James Olmos.