Eddie Velez was born and raised in Manhattan by Puerto Rican parents Ramon Velez and Mercedes Luciano. He graduated from the High School Of Art and Design in 1976, majoring in Advertising Art, but a course in Film Appreciation caught his attention and led him to consider a career in show business.
During his four-year stint in the U.S. Air Force, Velez began his theatrical career by joining a theater group on the base with fellow military personnel called The Moffett Players, performing for sailors and airmen stationed at Moffett Field Naval Air Station in Mountain View, California. He portrayed Speed in The Odd Couple, his first lead roles as Dracula in Count Dracula, and Paul Bratter in Barefoot In The Park.
While in the military, Velez took advantage of being stationed in the theater-rich location of Northern California's Bay Area by branching out into the local theater community. He was cast as The Attendant in Bruce Jay Friedman's Steambath at the Palo Alto Playhouse and as Duke Mantee in Robert E. Sherwood's The Petrified Forest. Both shows were huge critical successes and solidified Velez' passion for acting.
After his Honorable Discharge from the Air Force as a Sergeant in 1982, Velez immediately moved to Hollywood and enrolled at the Estelle Harmon Actor's Workshop to further his acting aspirations. His first role in Hollywood was as Xavier in the 1983 smash-hit West Coast Premier production of Lanford Wilson's Balm In Gilead at The Pan Andreas Theater in West Hollywood.
Velez soon followed up with the role of Lenny in the critically-acclaimed World Premiere production of Delirious at the Matrix Theater in Hollywood, both plays winning the Dramalogue Award for Best Ensemble.
