At an early age, Cesar got swept up in the gang lifestyle. In his neighborhood, senior gang members would show him respect and were always a part of his upbringing in East Los Angeles. He would see prostitution, shootings, and drug activity all the time, so he never saw it as a problem. He wanted to be a member of his local gang but was too young at this time. He started hanging out with gang members and ditching school and eventually would ditch high school altogether.
As a teenager, Cesar started getting into serious trouble, and by going in & out of jail he quickly learned how gang culture works. After his first time in jail, he joined his local gang to represent his neighborhood. This quickly consumed his life and spiraled out of control. He lost his younger brother Roy at the age of 19 due to a drug overdose, and this was a wake-up call for him. His friends and family were all dropping around him, and it started to sink in. He knew he was going down a dark path & needed a change. With acting, Cesar just "fell into it" by accident. He went to a music video filming for Mary J. Blige, where he would meet his first manager in the business. He auditioned for a role on a whim and ended up getting the part. His lifestyle and knowledge from his gang activity helped him portray realistic characters with an authenticity that regular actors can't provide. His first paying gig was in the background of a Christina Aguilera music video. His first speaking role was on the TV series The Shield. After that, his career took off. He was featured prominently in Fast & The Furious 4, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul & many other TV series and films. Now Cesar is just grateful for every day. He doesn't need any substances to feel high these days, he's just grateful for waking up, breathing, and being alive. He speaks to thousands of kids now trying to share his story in hopes of changing just one kid's life for the better. Cesar says even if just one kid changes out of the thousands that he talks to, it's worth it to him. He also shares stories from the set of all his major films, working with Paul Walker, Bryan Cranston & Vince Gilligan, and more. This is Cesar Garcia in his own words, on Knockin' Doorz Down.For more on the Knockin' Doorz Down podcast and to follow us on social media https://linktr.ee/knockindoorzdown
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