Who Is Demián Bichir From the Biopic About Che Guevara? (9 Facts About the Cinematic Guru, Demián Bichir)

“Demián” is such a cool-sounding name.

You could take it to mean “demonio y angel” or “demon and angel.” But it could also be a reference to the Hermann Hesse novel.

Either way, Demián Bichir’s name is not the most exciting thing about him. Today, I’ll share nine facts about Bichir’s life and career!

Demián Bichir: Quick Bio

First things first, here’s a quick bio:

• • Full Name: Demián Bichir Nájera

• Birthdate: August 1, 1963

• Nationality: Mexico

• Parents: Alejandro Bichir and Maricruz Nájera

• Siblings: Odiseo and Bruno Bichir

• Spouses: Lisset (divorced), Stefanie Sherk (passed away in 2019)

• Children: Gala Bichir

• Net Worth: $8 million

9 Must-Know Facts About Demián Bichir

Let’s dive right into the fact list!

1. He Comes From a Prominent Acting Family

Alejandro Bichir was an actor and theater director. Maricruz Nájera was an acclaimed actress. So, it’s not shocking that one of their kids took the same career path.

But do you know what’s surprising? All their kids ended up in the industry.

Today, “Bichir” is such a household name in Mexico that it got its award category. (More details on that later!)

2. His First Dream Wasn’t Becoming an Actor

At first, Bichir wanted to become a pro soccer player.

His mom, Maricruz Nájera, once told newspapers that little Bichir’s pants were always getting torn at the knees from playing soccer in the street.

3. He Started Acting at a Young Age

While Demián Bichir dreamed about being a soccer player, acting was still on the table. After all, he acted at the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico when he was only three years old!

By 13, young Bichir was a member of the National Theater Company. His pro acting career? That started when Bichir was 14 and had a role in the telenovela “Rina.” From there, he got more telenovela roles.

4. In the 80s, Bichir Worked as a Busboy in New York

When Bichir was in his twenties, he moved from Mexico to the US. He didn’t get any Hollywood roles, though. Instead, he worked as a busboy at a restaurant in New York.

Then, he tried his luck in LA for about four years, but it didn’t work out. So, when he received an offer for a role in the 1994 movie “Hasta Morir,” he headed back to Mexico.

I’d say that was the right move for him at the time. The movie was a hit, and Bichir won an Ariel in 1995.

5. He Tried His Luck in the US… Again

After “Hasta Morir,” Bichir’s acting career began in Mexico. By the time he was around 40 years old, he started picturing his future.

If he didn’t change anything, soon he’d be living in a large house with a swimming pool, which sounds good, right? However, Bichir knew he’d still wonder what could have happened if he had tried harder.

So, he moved back to LA to try again. Lucky for him, things worked out just fine this time.

He had his US TV debut in 2001 with the movie “In the Time of the Butterflies,” starring Salma Hayek. After that, he did several movies, including “The Midnight Sky” and “The Hateful Eight.”

He also got roles in series like the Showtime “Weeds” and the FX crime drama “The Bridge.”

6. Bichir Aces the Role of the Latin American Revolutionary

One morning, Bichir got a call from the director Steven Soderbergh asking him to play Fidel Castro in a biopic about Che Guevara (released in 2008).

Bichir thought playing a character “larger than life” was a blessing for him. So, he said yes. But that wasn’t the only time Bichir got to play a historical figure.

Before his Castro role, Bichir had played Emiliano Zapata in the 2004 mini-series “Zapata: Amor en Rebeldía.”

7. He Was the First Mexican Nominated for Best Leading Actor in a Long Time

In 1958, Anthony Quinn was nominated for the Academy’s Best Actor award for his leading role in “Wild is the Wind.” He got another nomination in 1965 for “Zorba the Greek.”

Then, the category didn’t see any nominations for Mexican actors in leading roles for a long time. Think 45+ years.

In the 84th Academy Awards, Demián Bichir was nominated for his role in “A Better Life.” The award went to Jean Dujardin for “The Artist”, though.

8. MTV Mexico Ran a Special Category Just for the Bichirs

Although Bichir didn’t win the “Best Actor” Nomination at the 84th Academy Awards, he did win many other awards over the years.

The one that stood out to me the most was “Best Bichir in a Film.”

The Bichir family is so well-known that the Mexican version of the MTV Awards created a category dedicated to them in the 2003 awards. The category was titled “Mejor Bichir en una Película.” Yes, that’s “Best Bichir in a Movie!”

Each of the three Bichir brothers was nominated for at least one movie that year. Demián won for his role in “Sin Noticias de Dios.”

9. He’s Also an Ambassador for Immigration Rights

Aside from his work as an actor/director, Bichir is also an activist. He’s an ambassador with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Final Thoughts

Demián Bichir is now a well-known actor both in Mexico and the US. Hopefully, he’ll get that “Best Actor” Oscar soon enough!