Demián Bichir Nájera, a talented Mexican actor, was born in Mexico City, Mexico, to Maricruz Nájera, an actress, and Alejandro Bichir, a theatre director. His parents met while working in the theatre, and his paternal grandfather hailed from Mlij, Lebanon.
As a child, Demián began acting at the tender age of three at the Palace of Fine Arts in his native Mexico City. He quickly became a member of the National Theater Company of Mexico at the age of 13, where he acted in several plays directed by renowned international masters such as José Tamayo, Clifford Williams, and José Quintero. His credits include starring roles in the Spanish versions of Ah! Wilderness, Equus, Broadway Bound, The Ghost Sonata, and Malcolm VS the eunuchs.
At the age of 22, Demián decided to take a break from acting to experience life and learn English. He landed a job as a busboy at Rosa Mexicano, where he would make guacamole at customers' tables. After four years in Los Angeles, he attempted to land acting roles but was unsuccessful. He was eventually tempted back to Mexico with an offer to star in the film Hasta Morir, for which he won an Ariel, the Mexican equivalent of an Oscar.
His career took off in Mexico, and in 1991, his film Sexo, pudor y lágrimas broke Mexican box office records, becoming the #1 movie in the history of Mexican cinema. Demián decided to try his luck again in America, making his American debut in the television movie In the Time of the Butterflies (2001),starring Salma Hayek.
Later, he went on to play Fidel Castro in Che: Part One (2008) and Che: Part Two (2008). In 2012, he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in A Better Life (2011).
