Jorge Garcia has been into stand-up comedy a lot. And as is often the case, the comedian makes the transition to television. In the emerging heyday of serial land in America, he is doing well. Garcia has built a very nice career, with a number of highs and lows.
His first on-screen appearance is in the movie Raven's Ridge, a mediocre nothingness of an action movie. However, Garcia looks around and soon notices that the television world can offer him all kinds of things. As a voice actor, he tries it once at The Wild Thornberrys. Spin City is the first comedy in which he makes an appearance.
After appearing in a few other films - none of which have stuck in our collective memory - Garcia makes a brief appearance in Rock Me, Baby. His name really comes to the surface for the first time in the series that follows: Becker. The comedy about the daily life of Dr. Becker offers him a recurring guest star role as Hector Lopez in the sixth season. A role that suits him well. Garcia uses his roots and appearance, with which his character floats wonderfully to the surface.
That stands out. Garcia is cast in one of the first big success series from the first series wave to blow over from the United States: Lost. Lost is a supernatural thriller that kept people glued to the old-fashioned television tube, especially in the first seasons. Many wanted to know what the fate of the survivors of Oceanic 815 would be. The role of Hugo 'Hurley' Reyes was specially written for Garcia - who was turned down for the part he auditioned for. The happy person that everyone liked became an increasingly important and more appreciated part of the story with the seasons. All thanks to some numbers that had him winning the lottery and then bringing a lot of superstitious bad luck.
As Lost spins and builds to a climax that divided the viewing world at the time into two completely opposite camps - you loved it or you hated it - Garcia can also be seen and heard once in Curb Your Enthusiasm and Higglytown Heroes. In addition, he continues to combine his work for Lost with all kinds of - mediocre, let's say it again - films. He also takes on a role in a video game - Hitman: Blood Money - for the first time.
Is there a life after Lost? With appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in his role as Hurley, Garcia may have seemed to be heading for the Rachel syndrome. He was spared that after some forays into different genres. A guest role in Fringe was a glimpse into a supernatural cop show. A small recurring role in Mr. Sunshine was a return to comedy. Phineas and Ferb a renewed introduction to voice acting.
Garcia takes a new lead role in Alcatraz, in which all the inmates and guards in the famous prison have disappeared in 1963 and suddenly reappear in the present. Although an exciting fact, Alcatraz is not convincing enough to get a second season, so Garcia portraying Dr. Diego Soto doesn't leave a permanent impression.
However, Garcia seems to get plenty of offers. In that period he makes appearances in Californication, Once Upon a Time and How I Met Your Mother before committing to Hawaii Five-O for a long time. There he works with Lost colleagues such as Terry O'Quinn and Daniel Dae Kim - again in Hawaii - on the immensely popular police series set on the tropical island.
In the meantime, there are guest appearances by Garcia in BoJack Horseman, Maggie, Tim and Eric's Bedtime Stories and - again - a large series of less successful (short) films. The end of Hawaii Five-0 is also the moment for Garcia that he disappears from the spotlight. A guest role in the renewed MacGyver is still reserved for him, but otherwise, it remains eerily quiet.
That's not where his story ends. Garcia is working on the series How to Be a Bookie, a series that follows a seasoned bookie who struggles to survive the impending legalization of sports gambling while dealing with unstable clients, family and colleagues. It is not yet clear when that production should appear on the screen. Until then, we just have to hit the couch with Lost or Hawaii one more time...
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