Diego Luna | |
|---|---|
 Luna in 2025 | |
| Born | Diego Dionisio Luna Alexander (1979-12-29)29 December 1979 (age 46)[1] Toluca, Mexico |
| Other names | Alexander García |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents |
|
Diego Dionisio Luna Alexander (Spanish:[ˈdjeɣoˈlunaaleɣˈsandeɾ]; born 29 December 1979) is a Mexican actor, director, and producer. He is best known for his portrayal ofCassian Andor inRogue One (2016) and its prequel seriesAndor (2022–2025), for which he was nominated twice for aGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama.
Following an early career in Mexicantelenovelas, Luna had his breakthrough in the critically acclaimed 2001 filmY tu mamá también. During the 2000s, he appeared in both Mexican and American films includingFrida,Open Range,Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights,The Terminal,Criminal,Milk,Sólo quiero caminar, andRudo y Cursi. In the 2010s, his films included the science fictionElysium, comedyCasa de mi Padre, and the animated musicalThe Book of Life. From 2018 to 2020, he starred as the drug traffickerMiguel Ángel Félix Gallardo inNarcos: Mexico.
Luna has appeared in numerous Mexican theater productions and produced both film and television projects, many withGael García Bernal. Since 2010, he has directed three feature films:Abel,Cesar Chavez, andMr. Pig. He is the creator and director of the 2013Fusion TV docu-seriesBack Home, theAmazon Studios talk showPan y Circo, which premiered in 2020, and the 2021Netflix scripted seriesEverything Will Be Fine [es]. In 2025,Time magazine listed Luna as one ofthe world's 100 most influential people.[2]
Luna was born inToluca and raised inMexico City. His mother, Fiona Alexander, was a British costume designer of Scottish and English descent.[3][4][5] She died in a car accident when Luna was two years old.[6] His father,Alejandro Luna, was a theater, film, and operaset designer. He has an older sister.[7][8] Luna and his frequent co-starGael García Bernal have known each other since infancy, as their mothers were friends. They spent time together as young children and developed a close friendship growing up.[9] In 1994, Luna participated in youth-led activism in support of Indigenous rights during theZapatista uprising in Chiapas. Alongside classmates, he helped organize protests, fundraisers, and food drives in response to the movement.[10][11]
Luna acted in his first play at age seven. As a child actor, he appeared in several telenovelas and films.[12] In 1992, he hadarcs onTelevisa'sEl abuelo y yo andÁngeles sin paraíso. As a teenager, Luna was part of the main casts ofEl premio mayor (1995–1996) andLa vida en el espejo (1999–2000), playing the main characters' son;[13][14] he also starred in the filmsUn hilito de sangre (A Trickle of Blood; 1995),El cometa (The Comet; 1999), andUn dulce olor a muerte (A Sweet Scent of Death; 1995), all which made him ateen star.[15] He had small roles in the filmsTodo el poder (Gimme the Power; 2000) andBefore Night Falls (2000).
Luna starred as Tenoch Iturbide alongsideGael García Bernal inY tu mamá también (2001), a Mexican road trip film directed byAlfonso Cuarón.[12] A critical and box office success, the role brought him international stardom.[12] The film was the beginning of a series of high-profile collaborations with childhood friend García Bernal,[9] with whom he would costar in several films and go on to establishCanana Films. For these roles and others, the two are considered to be faces of theNuevo Cine Mexicano film movement.[16]
In the following two years, Luna acted in Mexican films along with English-language productions like the miniseriesFidel,Vampires: Los Muertos, theKevin Costner westernOpen Range, and the Academy Award-winningFrida. He starred in the 2003 filmNicotina, which was critically and commercially successful in Mexico. 2004 was a significant year for Luna as he starred inSteven Spielberg'sThe Terminal alongside Tom Hanks, the filmDirty Dancing: Havana Nights (a Cuban-based reimagining ofDirty Dancing), and the indie crime filmCriminal alongsideJohn C. Reilly. He subsequently had starring roles in the filmsFade to Black (2006) andHarmony Korine'sMister Lonely (2007), and also appeared in the critically acclaimedbiopicMilk (2008). In Spanish-language film, he starred inSólo Dios sabe oppositeAlice Braga (Only God Knows; 2006), crime thrillerSolo quiero caminar (Walking Vengeance; 2008)—for which he was nominated for aGoya Award—and the soccer comedyRudo y Cursi (2008), one of thehighest grossing Mexican films of all time.
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In the early 2010s, Luna co-starred in theWill Ferrell Spanish-language comedyCasa de mi Padre (2012) and appeared in the action filmsContraband andElysium.[17] He appeared opposite Katy Perry in her music video for "The One That Got Away;" as of 2024, the music video has over 1 billion views on YouTube.[18] He starred in the animated musical comedyThe Book of Life (2014)whose soundtrack charted in numerous countries. In 2015, thepilot episode of the Amazon Studios seriesCasanova, in which Luna stars asGiacomo Casanova.[19][20] The show was not picked up to series.
In August 2015, it was announced that Luna was part of the cast of what was then known asStar Wars: Rogue One.[21]Rogue One: A Star Wars Story premiered in 2016, and his portrayal ofCassian Andor,[22] a captain and intelligence officer of the Rebel Alliance, brought him international attention. He reprised the role inAndor (2022–2025), theDisney+ series centered around the character. The show was originally announced in 2018 but production was delayed until November 2020 by the development process and theCOVID-19 pandemic.[23] A second and final season began production in Fall 2022 and was expected to wrap up filming in August 2023, however, it was delayed because of the2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[24] The second season wrapped in February 2024 and began its release in April, 2025.[25][26] Luna is an executive producer of the series.[27]
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In 2017, it was announced that he would star in aScarface remake;[28] however, the film went through multiple rewrites and directorial changes in the following years, losing Luna as the lead in the process.[29]
Luna starred as Mexican drug cartel leaderMiguel Ángel Félix Gallardo in theNetflix seriesNarcos: Mexico,[30] which premiered in November 2018.[31] He appeared in the first two seasons of the show. Film roles around this time included ensemble roles in theauteur filmsIf Beale Street Could Talk (2018) andA Rainy Day in New York (2019), and a starring role in the 2020 indie dramaWander Darkly. Luna had a number of voice acting roles in children's animation, including the 2022 box office hitDC League of Super-Pets; notably, he is part of every installment ofGuillermo del Toro'sTales of Arcadia television franchise:Trollhunters (2016),3Below (2018),Wizards (2020) and the filmTrollhunters: Rise of the Titans (2021).In 2024, he again, starred alongside close friend and frequent collaboratorGael Garcia Bernal, in the Hulu Original miniseries,La Máquina, as the eponymous character's long time friend and manager, Andronico "Andy" Lujan. He received a Golden Globe nomination forBest Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role on Television in 2025 for his performance in the series.
With frequent collaboratorGael García Bernal and producer Pablo Cruz, Luna created the production companyCanana Films in 2005.[32][33] Together, they have produced dozens of Mexican film and television productions. Notably, they executive produced the 2009Cary Fukunaga filmSin nombre, which was honored by the Sundance Film Festival andIndependent Spirit Awards, the 2011 thrillerMiss Bala which was submitted asMexico's foreign-language Oscar submission,[34] and the 2015 dramaThe Chosen Ones. In 2015, Luna and Cruz launched the branded entertainment studioGloria for Latin American talent.[35]
Luna and García Bernal departed Canana in 2018, subsequently founding a new production company, La Corriente del Golfo.[33] In October 2019, it was announced that Luna and García Bernal were joining the Creative Advisory Board for the TV and film development company EXILE Content.[36] In 2020, they signed a first-look deal withAmazon Studios.[37]
In 2007, Luna directed his first film, a documentary about Mexican boxerJulio César Chávez.[38][39] His first feature film, adramedy titledAbel, premiered at the2010 Sundance Film Festival and received positive reviews.[40][41]
In 2012, Luna directed thebiopicCesar Chávez; the film starredMichael Peña asCesar Chávez, the founder of theUnited Farm Workers,America Ferrera, andRosario Dawson.[42] The film premiered at the64th Berlin International Film Festival and was awarded an Audience Award for Narrative Feature at the 2014SXSW Film Festival.[43] The film received mixed reviews.[44] The following year, he created and directed the docu-seriesBack Home, which follows celebrity guests on a journey to their family homelands.[45][46] The show was broadcast onFusion TV.
His next feature film wasMr. Pig, also known asSr. Pig, which premiered at the2016 Sundance Film Festival. The film starsDanny Glover andMaya Rudolph whose characters travel on a road trip through Mexico.[47]
It was announced in 2019 that Luna and García Bernal would executive produce an epic miniseriesCortes for Amazon starringJavier Bardem as conquistadorHernán Cortés, then described as "the largest Spanish-language production of all time."[48] Two weeks into production in 2020, the production was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[49]
In 2020, Luna created theAmazon Prime Video talk showPan y Circo, which he produced, directed, and hosts; the following year, he received aDaytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Daytime Talent in a Spanish Language Program.[50] He created his first scripted television series, the satirical dramaEverything Will Be Fine [es], which was released onNetflix in 2021. Luna is also an executive producer of his seriesAndor which premiered in 2022. In 2023, it was announced that Luna is set to executive produce and star in a 'The Boys: Mexico' spinoff alongside his frequent collaborator and friend,Gael García Bernal.[51]
In February 2025, he began shootingA Mouthful of Ash, which he produced, directed and co-wrote based on the novel byBrenda Navarro.[52]
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Luna, García Bernal, and Elena Fortes co-founded Ambulante, also known as theAmbulante Documentary Film Festival, an organization and film festival whose mission is for documentary films to be used as tools for transformation.[53][54] The organization received the prestigiousWashington Office on Latin America's Human Rights Award in 2011.[55][better source needed] In January 2015, Luna narrated a video of theirs about the obstacles faced by children migrating from their home countries and seeking refuge in the U.S.[56][better source needed]
Luna was a repeat host of the 2000s-eraMTV Video Music Awards Latinoamérica, hosting in2002,2003, and2007; he presented an award at the2006 ceremony. In 2004, he co-hosted the18th Goya Awards withCayetana Guillén Cuervo.[57] He has also presented at the2005 MTV Europe Music Awards,Premio Lo Nuestro 2014,2014 MTV Fandom Awards,74th Golden Globe Awards,2018 MTV Europe Music Awards,91st Academy Awards, and74th Primetime Emmy Awards.
Luna was a jury member at the2008 Sundance Film Festival. He was a member of the 2016 jury for theUn Certain Regard section of theCannes Film Festival.[58] In 2017, he was part of the International Jury at the67th Berlin International Film Festival.[59]
Luna marriedCamila Sodi in February 2008;[60] they divorced in March 2013.[61] They have two children: Jerónimo (b. August 12, 2008),[62] and Fiona (b. July 1, 2010), named after Luna's mother.[63] Since 2019, he has been in a relationship withMarina de Tavira; they made their first public appearance together in 2021.[64][65][66]
Luna previously resided inLos Angeles; since 2017, he and his family have lived in Mexico City.[67][68]
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Ámbar | Muni Frahabarana | ||
| 1995 | Morena | Dos | ||
| A Trickle of Blood | León | |||
| 1997 | The Comet [es] | Victor | ||
| 1999 | A Sweet Scent of Death | Ramón | ||
| 2000 | Before Night Falls | Carlos | ||
| Todo el Poder | Esteban | |||
| 2001 | Y tu mamá también | Tenoch Iturbide | ||
| 2002 | Frida | Alejandro Gonzalez Arias | ||
| Vampires: Los Muertos | Sancho | |||
| The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in Hollywood | Himself | |||
| 2003 | Nicotina | Lolo | ||
| Carambola | El Perro | |||
| Soldados de Salamina | Gastón | |||
| Open Range | Button | |||
| 2004 | Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights | Javier Suarez | ||
| The Terminal | Enrique Cruz | |||
| Criminal | Rodrigo | |||
| 2006 | Only God Knows | Damián | Executive producer | |
| Drama/Mex [es] | N/a | Executive producer | ||
| Un mundo maravilloso | Reportero en Estocolmo | |||
| Fade to Black | Tommaso Moreno | |||
| 2007 | Mister Lonely | Michael Jackson | ||
| Déficit | N/a | Producer | ||
| Cochochi | N/a | Executive producer | ||
| El búfalo de la noche | Manuel | Co-producer | ||
| J.C. Chávez [es] | Himself | Documentary; director and producer | ||
| 2008 | Just Walking | Gabriel | Executive producer | |
| Voy a explotar | N/a | Executive producer | ||
| Milk | Jack Lira | |||
| Rudo y Cursi | Beto | |||
| 2009 | Sin nombre | N/a | Executive producer | |
| 2010 | Abel | N/a | Director and producer | |
| 2011 | Na Nai'a: Legend of the Dolphins | Himself (narrator) | Documentary | |
| Miss Bala | N/a | Executive producer | ||
| 2012 | Contraband | Gonzalo | ||
| Casa de Mi Padre | Raul | [69] | ||
| Made in Mexico | Himself | Documentary | ||
| 2013 | Paraíso | N/a | Executive producer | |
| Elysium | Julio | |||
| 2014 | César Chávez | N/a | Director and producer | [70] |
| The Book of Life | Manolo Sanchez (voice) | [71] | ||
| 2015 | The Chosen Ones | N/a | Executive producer | |
| 2016 | Mr. Pig | N/a | Director and producer | |
| Salt and Fire | N/a | Executive producer | ||
| Blood Father | Jonah | |||
| The Bad Batch | Jimmy | |||
| Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | Cassian Andor | |||
| 2017 | Flatliners | Ray | ||
| Crow: The Legend | Moth (voice) | Short film | ||
| 2018 | If Beale Street Could Talk | Pedrocito | ||
| 2019 | Chicuarotes | N/a | Associate producer | |
| Berlin, I Love You | Drag Queen | |||
| A Rainy Day in New York | Francisco Vega | |||
| 2020 | Wander Darkly | Matteo | ||
| 2021 | Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans | Krel Tarron (voice) | [72][71] | |
| 2022 | DC League of Super-Pets | Chip (voice) | [73][71] | |
| 2025 | Kiss of the Spider Woman | Valentin Arregui | [74] | |
| On the Road (En el camino) | N/a | Producer | ||
| 2026 | México 86† | TBA | Also executive producer | [75] |
| TBA | A Mouthful of Ash† | N/a | Post-production; director, writer, and producer | [76] |
| Eleven Days† | Federico Carrasco | Post-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | El abuelo y yo | Luis | ||
| 1992–1993 | Ángeles sin paraíso | Móises | ||
| 1995 | El premio mayor | Quique Domínguez | Recurring | |
| 1999 | La vida en el espejo [es] | Eugenio Román Franco | ||
| 2002 | Fidel | Renato Guitart | Television film | |
| 2010 | Great Migrations | Narrator | Miniseries | |
| Gritos de muerte y libertad | Guadalupe Victoria | Miniseries | ||
| 2010–2012 | Soy tu fan | N/a | Co-producer | |
| 2011 | Niño Santo | N/a | Associate producer | |
| 2013 | Alguien Más [es] | N/a | Co-producer | |
| American Dad! | Mauricio (voice) | Episode: "Poltergasm" | ||
| Back Home | N/a | Creator, director, executive producer | [46] | |
| 2015 | Casanova | Giacomo Casanova | Amazon Studios pilot | |
| 2018–2020 | Narcos: Mexico | Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo | Lead role; 20 episodes | |
| 2018 | Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia | Krel Tarron (voice)[71] | Episode: "In Good Hands" | |
| 2018–2019 | 3Below: Tales of Arcadia | Lead role | ||
| 2020 | Wizards: Tales of Arcadia | 3 episodes | ||
| Home Movie: The Princess Bride | Inigo Montoya | Miniseries | [77] | |
| Pan y Circo | Himself (host) | Talk show; creator and executive producer | ||
| 2021 | Everything Will Be Fine [es] | N/a | Creator, director, and executive producer | |
| Maya and the Three | Zatz (voice) | Miniseries | [78][71] | |
| 2022–2025 | Andor | Cassian Andor | Lead role and executive producer; 23 episodes | [79] |
| 2024 | La Máquina | Andronico "Andy" Lujan | Lead role, executive producer;Hulu original miniseries |
Selected credits
| Year | Title | Artist | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | "The One That Got Away" | Katy Perry | Artist Boyfriend | [89] |
| 2018 | "El beso" | Mon Laferte | Man |
 | This section of abiography of a living personneeds additionalcitations forverification. Please help by addingreliable sources.Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced orpoorly sourcedmust be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentiallylibelous. Find sources: "Diego Luna" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(January 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Year | Association | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Asociacion Mexicana de Criticos de Teatro | Best Debutant Actor in a Play[80] | El Cantaro Roto | Won | |
| 2002 | Venice Film Festival | Marcello Mastroianni Award(shared withGael García Bernal) | Y tu mamá también | Won | |
| MTV Movie Awards Mexico | Best Insult(shared with Gael García Bernal) | Won | |||
| Best Kiss(shared withMaribel Verdú and Gael García Bernal) | Nominated | ||||
| 2004 | Favorite Actor | Nicotina | Won | ||
| Worst Smoker | Won | ||||
| Best Diego Luna in a Movie | Won | ||||
| Hottest Scene | Nominated | ||||
| Premios Juventud | ¡Qué Actorazo! | Nominated | |||
| 2005 | Nominated | ||||
| 2007 | Sólo Dios Sabe | Nominated | |||
| 2009 | Cinema Writers Circle Awards | Best Actor | Just Walking | Nominated | |
| Goya Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
| Ariel Award | Best Actor | Rudo y Cursi | Nominated | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Best Ensemble | Milk | Nominated | ||
| Critics Choice Award | Best Ensemble | Won | |||
| 2010 | Morelia International Film Festival | Premio Cuervo Tradicional | Won | ||
| 2011 | Ariel Awards | Best Picture(as director) | Abel | Nominated | |
| Best Director | Nominated | ||||
| Best Screenplay (with Augusto Mendoza) | Won | ||||
| 2012 | Imagen Award | Best Supporting Actor/Feature Film | Casa de mi padre | Won | |
| MTV Movie Awards | Best Latino Actor | Nominated | |||
| Premios Juventud | ¡Qué Actorazo! | Nominated | |||
| 2014 | Nominated | ||||
| Audience Awards | Narrative Spotlight | Cesar Chavez | Won | ||
| 2017 | Imagen Award | Best Actor – Feature Film | Rogue One | Won | [90] |
| Saturn Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Film | Nominated | |||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Sci-Fi Movie Actor | Nominated | |||
| 2018 | Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | Best Ensemble | If Beale Street Could Talk | Nominated | |
| Seattle Film Critics Society | Best Ensemble Cast | Nominated | |||
| 2019 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actor in a Drama Series | Narcos: Mexico | Nominated | |
| Platino Awards | Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV series | Won | |||
| 2020 | Imagen Award | Best Actor – Television | Won | [91] | |
| 2021 | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Daytime Talent in a Spanish Language Program | Pan y Circo | Won | |
| Platino Awards | Platino Honorary Award | Won | |||
| 2022 | Peabody Awards | Entertainment | Andor | Won | [92] |
| 2024 | Critics' Choice Awards | Best Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated | [93] | |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor – Television Series Drama | Nominated | [94] | ||
| Critics' Choice Super Awards | Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Series | Nominated | [95] | ||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Nominated | [96] | ||
| 2025 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role on Television | La Máquina | Nominated | [97] |
...I remember it was a good connection with my sister, who was fifteen years older...
Luna cut his teeth acting in telenovelas. ... Those shows transformed Luna into a teen idol in Mexico, and the immediacy of that fame was disorienting, especially in relation to his previous theater experience...
Even if Luna will forever be one of the faces of the New Mexican Cinema, he eschews the pedestal of national representation.
