Before Hemky Madera became the Hollywood sensation who renders thrilling performances on the small and big screens, he appeared in many Dominican Republic productions. Madera was five years old when he told his parents he wanted to become an actor after watching On the Waterfront (1954) but the journey wasn’t as smooth as he envisioned. He began his acting career with small roles in miniseries En La Olla, Un Asalto en la Lincoln, and Trio en Alta Mar while working with popular Dominican director/producer Alfonso Rodríguez in his formative years.
Hemky Madera juggled different jobs before making progress in acting. After several roles in lesser-known productions, Madera began appearing in renowned projects such as The Shield, Criminal Minds, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Rango, and Weeds. He also appeared in films like Spider-Man: Homecoming and Kaleidoscope. The actor has worked with renowned actors like Harvey Keitel, Johnny Depp, Ving Rhames, and Bill Murray. Beyond his robust career milestones, Madera has several interesting facts about him.
What Nationality Is Hemky Madera?
Hemky Madera is of Dominican-American nationality. He was born to Dominican parents, Luis and Gisela Madera on January 26, 1977, in Queens, New York. His birth was unexpected as he arrived prematurely when his mother was visiting relatives in the Big Apple. Two months after his birth, the family returned to Santiago, Dominican Republic where he was raised. Madera has not shared any details about siblings he may have shared his childhood with.
Growing up in the Dominican Republic, Hemky Madera struggled with his academics due to an undiagnosed dyslexia. His senior class voted him “Most Likely to do Nothing in This World” but he excelled against all odds. He got his first degree from Santiago Christian School while trying different jobs. After college, he decided to explore his passion for acting and moved to New York to work with Gabriel Macht on the production of The Bookie’s Lament. However, he returned to Dominican Republican to work on lead roles on projects such as Asalto en la Lincoln, Ciudad Nueva, and Los Electrolocos.
A Breakdown of Hemky Madera’s Movies and TV Shows
Upon his return to the United States, Hemky Madera had a rough time before he began getting minor roles in films and television series. He appeared in the feature film Dreaming of Julia (2003). In 2005, Madera portrayed Miliciano in The Lost City and rounded up the decade with more film roles in La Soga (2009) and King of the Adventure. Madera did his first voice work in Rango (2011) as Chorizo. After several short film appearances, Madera portrayed Chavez in Bless Me, Ultima (2013) and Miguel in Supremacy (2014).
After playing Raul in Joseph Castelo‘s 2015 crime drama film, The Preppie Connection, Hemky Madera appeared in an uncredited role in La La Land (2016). Madera joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2017 when he portrayed Mr. Delmar in Spider-Man: Homecoming and reprised the role in Spider-Man: Far From Home but his scenes in the latter were deleted. Other notable projects under his belt include The Happytime Murders (2018) and Muzzle (2023).
Hemky Madera began garnering television credits in 2000, appearing in minor roles on Paraíso and Los Electrolocos. At the early stage of his career, he appeared in single episodes of popular shows such as Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Shield, Brothers & Sisters, My Name Is Earl, and The Good Guys. From 2008 to 2012, Madera played the recurring role of Ignacio on Weeds, marking his breakthrough. Madera has notably appeared on shows such as NCIS: Los Angeles, Blue Bloods, Bosch, Queen of the South, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Lincoln Lawyer.
Hemky Madera Has Been Married To Jesse Lynn Since 2011
While he doesn’t talk much about his love life, Hemky Madera has been happily married since 2011. However, very little is known about how he met his wife Jesse Lynn Madera. The two are parents to two boys named George and Jack. Madera and his family share a close bond as seen on his social media posts. They often spend time together, even on movie sets.
Hemky Madera‘s wife is a star in her own right. Born and raised in Virginia and Houston respectively, Jesse is a talented American singer-songwriter. She has released two albums, “Fortunes” and “Speed of Sound” while working with industry greats such as Dan Navarro and Jim Scott. Meet the cast of Queen of the South where Madera starred as Pote Gálvez.
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