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Sgt Monfriez in Courage Under Fire


Ritchie Valens in La Bamba

Behind The Scenes:
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October 2004 Newsletter : : Behind The Scenes : : Meet The Artist : : FAQ


Meet the Artist: LOU DIAMOND PHILLIPS - Concert of Excellence honoree

The star first burst upon the cultural scene as 1950s teenage rock singer Ritchie Valens in La Bamba. He then drew an arc over dozens of Hollywood movies to rule Broadway in The King and I, and continues, both on and behind camera, to blaze a path where no Asian American actor has gone before.

In almost three decades Lou Diamond Philips has shown that an "ethnic" actor can make it big, cutting across type to become a household name. Yet many are still surprised to discover the background of this almond-eyed trailblazer.

"People often mistake me for a Latino or even Indian, so I always mention in interviews that I am Filipino and I'm proud to be one," says Lou, who will be honored at Second Generation's (2g) third annual benefit, the Concert of Excellence, at the New York State Theater on December 1.

In a career that exemplifies 2g's mission, Lou has made his mark as an actor, writer, director and producer while diversifying the cultural landscape of America. Lou has also embraced social causes such as Read Across America, Artists Against Racism, and the Boys Town Organization for troubled children.

As the nephew of five Filipino American U.S. navy officers (two of whom became White House staff members under President Nixon), Lou has used his celebrity to highlight the achievements of Filipino American soldiers during World War II, and even promote tourism to the Philippines.

In fact, the actor's diverse ancestry also includes Hawaiian, Japanese, Spanish, Scotch Irish and one-eighth Cherokee Indian, giving him unusual and versatile good looks for his varied roles. "I don't care if it's written for a blonde haired blue-eyed guy. If they'll let me in the door, I'm going to take a shot at it and show people what I can do."

Born at Subic Bay Naval Station in the Philippines on February 17, 1962, Lou was named after World War II hero Leland "Lou" Diamond. He adopted his stepfather's last name after his father died. An only child, he lived with his parents all over the United States before finally settling in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Drawn to acting, Lou studied drama and film technique at the University of Texas in Arlington. He also worked as an assistant director and instructor at Adam Roarke's Film Actors Lab in Dallas, Texas, from 1983 to 1986.

Lou was soon starring in low budget films, his first being "Trespasses," which he co-wrote. On TV, he played a terrorist gang member in "Time Bomb," an NBC movie starring Morgan Fairchild, and made guest appearances on the long-running Dallas and Miami Vice.

In 1987 Lou's big break came in La Bamba, the tragic story of rock n' roll star Ritchie Valens. Originally auditioning for the role of Ritchie's half brother, Lou impressed the producers so much that they chose him from 500 other young hopefuls to play the lead role.

"I view a career as an actor, anyone's career, as an ongoing education," says Lou, who learned to play the guitar note by note for La Bamba within a week. "There are so many talents you must be willing to master (at least for a short time) in order to create the illusion of a real life on screen."

His mastery of that illusion in the TV movie, Stand and Deliver -- as a troubled gang member who is shown the error of his ways by Edward James Olmos as a caring teacher -- won Lou an Independent Spirit Award and a nomination for a Golden Globe award in 1989, both for best supporting actor.

Other highlights include Young Guns (1988), Young Guns II (1990), and A Show of Force (1990), a Puerto Rico-based political thriller which gave him one of his best roles. He continued to work on both sides of the camera, as associate producer and star of Dakota (1988), screenwriter and star of Ambition (1991), and director and star of Sioux City (1994).

A surprise turn came in 1996 when Lou stepped into Yul Brynner's shoes in the Broadway revival of The King and I. Confounding skeptics, Lou's powerful portrayal won him all-round praise and an Outer Critics Circle award for Outstanding Debut of an Actor; and a Theatre World Award.

The actor himself was surprised at the skeptics. "I know what I'm capable of doing," he says. "I did theater for years. I used to be a dance guy. I've done comedy. I was part of a repertory company that wrote and directed and produced our own comedy revue for three years running."

In 1996, Lou starred opposite Meg Ryan and Denzel Washington in Courage Under Fire, winning rave reviews.

"Just before Courage I made a decision to start going after quote unquote bigger roles" says Lou. "Courage Under Fire, The King And I and The Big Hit -- all of this was an effort on my part to expand the perception of my range. The range has always been there."

One can only admire and be inspired by Lou's courage to tread into the unknown and establish his name in the often cold and cut throat world of Hollywood. For this and all that he is, 2g is thrilled to honor Lou at the Concert of Excellence. Lou will appear at the New York State Theatre in person on December 1, 2003 to accept the Remy X.O Excellence Award.

By Richard Chang