J. W. was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City in a 'barrio' called Sunset Park. After narrowly escaping from high school he desperately sought for a way out of a neighborhood ravished by gang violence and an epidemic known to the world as crack. But more importantly what he truly sought - was for a change within himself. In the weeks that followed he found what he believed was his opportunity, a sort of 'one-shot deal' if you would - he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. A decision he has been quoted as saying, "...at one point it saved my life and at another it almost took it away."In March of 2003 he found himself over 5,000 miles away from home with nearly a thousand other combat-ready U.S. Marines deployed to the small southern town in Iraq known as Nasiriyah; it later became synonymous with the dramatic capture & rescue of Army PFC Jessica Lynch. There they would partake in the beginning phases of our Nation's current war on Terrorism. It was in fact there, in the middle of nowhere through what he has often described as an epiphany that he decided IF and only IF he made it the hell out that he would pursue his childhood dreams. Those dreams of course encompassed a career in acting, singing and writing.Since returning back to the 'world' he has remained true to his promise, relentlessly attacking the industry head-on. He made his first television appearance on the CBS show Nueva Estrella Awards a bilingual American Idol themed show without the 'Simon.' The year 2007 marked his big-screen debut during the '07 NY International Latino Film Festival as 'Magic' - a ruthless narcotics dealing father in the Independent Feature Film "44." He also made a cameo as Joaquin Phoenix's trusty club-bouncer in "We Own The Night."We'll continue to see more of J.W. in the upcoming films "The Last Airbender" directed by M. Night Shyamalan, "Sandman's Box", "A Kiss of Chaos" with CSI Miami's Adam Rodriguez and "As Good As Dead" opposite Cary Elwes.

A combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, he was known to his Marines as Gunnery Sergeant Cortes or 'Heart-Popper.' He has often been quoted as saying, "Without a doubt in my mind - enlisting saved my life more times than I can even count!".All of his siblings to include 90% of his immediate family members have names that begin with the letter J. His two son's are named Jaiden and Jonah.Before moving to Los Angeles worked as a Police Officer in New York City's Grand Central Terminal and Staten Island.Served 2 years in Canberra, Australia as an Embassy Guard as well at the American Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Update PageUpdateYou may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.Add resumeWith our Resume service you can add photos and build a complete resume to help you achieve the best possible presentation on the IMDb.Click here to add your resume and/or your photos to IMDb.