Alex Meraz | |
|---|---|
 Meraz at a Twilight Saga: New Moon promotional appearance in Houston, Texas, November 10, 2009 | |
| Born | Alejandro Meraz January 10, 1985[1] Mesa, Arizona, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, dancer, martial artist |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Spouse | Kim (m. 2007) |
| Children | 2 |
Alejandro "Alex" Meraz (born January 10, 1985) is an American actor and martial artist. He is best known for playing the werewolf named Paul Lahote in the film New Moon[2] and Border Patrol agent Ivan Muños in Dark Winds.
Life and career
Meraz was born in Mesa, Arizona, and is of Purépecha descent. As a child, his family would visit his relatives in Santa Maria Ostula, Michoacán, Mexico.[3] He attended the New School for the Arts and studied painting and illustration.[1] Alex was active in break-dancing circles in the early 2000s, under the name "Nomak." He also performed with Indigenous contemporary dancing companies, specifically with choreographers Santee Smith (Mohawk), Rulan Tangen, and Raoul Trujillo. In 2001, he moved to San Francisco and joined the newly established Dancing Earth company, directed by Tangen. Later he toured with Smith's Kaha:wi Dance Theatre in Canada and was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award, a Canadian award for theatre, dance and opera.[3]
Alex has studied mixed martial arts, winning tournaments in karate and the martial art of Capoeira. Alex's first big film was The New World as one of the Powhatan core warriors, inspiring him to continue acting.[3] His next break came when he was cast as werewolf Paul Lahote in the film New Moon.[4] Alex has been in CSI: New York., Single Ladies, The Walking Dead, Suicide Squad, and Landman.
Personal Life
On December 31, 2007, Alex married Kim. A Twilight fan, she suggested that he audition for New Moon, believing he was perfect for the part. They have a son, for whom his mentor, actor Raoul Trujillo, is the godfather.[4][5] In June 2012, the couple had another son.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | The New World | Core Warrior | |
| 2007 | Two Spirits, One Journey | Luke | Short film |
| 2009 | The Twilight Saga: New Moon | Paul Lahote | |
| 2010 | The Twilight Saga: Eclipse | Paul Lahote | |
| 2011 | The Roommate | Frat Boy | |
| 2011 | Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown | Zack | |
| 2011 | The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 | Paul Lahote | |
| 2012 | Mine Games | TJ | |
| 2012 | 186 Dollars to Freedom | Nicaragua | |
| 2012 | The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 | Paul Lahote | |
| 2012 | The Reward | Renegade Cop | Short film |
| 2014 | Cry Now | Eric | |
| 2015 | Bone Tomahawk | Eagle Skulls | |
| 2016 | The Bronx Bull | Paco | |
| 2016 | Suicide Squad | Gomez | |
| 2017 | Bright | Serafin | |
| 2020 | Bad Dad | Alex | |
| 2021 | The Last Son | Patty | |
| 2021 | Primordial Man | The Primordial Man | Short film |
| TBA | Subversion | Filming[6] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Dancing with Spirit | Dancer | Episode: "Here on Earth" |
| 2009 | American Experience | Warrior | Episode: "We Shall Remain: Part II - Tecumseh's Vision" |
| 2009 | Freedom Riders | Warrior | Unknown episodes |
| 2011 | CSI: NY | Odelin Gonzales Jr. | Episode: "Food for Thought" |
| 2013 | The Glades | Moses Clearwater | Episode: "Happy Trails" |
| 2013 | Big Thunder | Hosa | Television film |
| 2014 | Single Ladies | Sergio | Recurring role; 2 episodes |
| 2014 | New Worlds | Masca | Television mini-series |
| 2017 | Animal Kingdom | Javi Cano | Recurring role; 6 episodes |
| 2017 | Scalped | Dashiell Dash Bad Horse | Television film |
| 2021–2022 | The Walking Dead | Brandon Carver | Recurring role; 4 episodes |
| 2024 | American Sports Story | Carlos 'Charlie Boy' Ortiz' | 8 episodes |
| 2024 | Landman | Jimenez | 4 episodes |
| 2025 | Dark Winds | Ivan Muños | 4 episodes |
References
- 1 2 Alex Meraz at IMDb
- ↑ Alex Meraz: Life On The Set Of 'New Moon'. Access Hollywood. April 16, 2009. Archived from the original on May 2, 2009. Retrieved April 16, 2009.
- 1 2 3 Montiel, Anya (Fall 2009). "Alex Meraz: Staying Grounded". American Indian (Magazine of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian). 10 (3): 39–40, 47.
- 1 2 "Celebuzz". Celebuzz. Archived from the original on January 21, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
- ↑ alexmerazus (November 11, 2009). "Alex Meraz on Rachel Ray". Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2018 – via YouTube.
- ↑ Grobar, Matt (September 23, 2025). "Amazon MGM's Submarine Actioner 'Subversion' Adds Six To Cast". Deadline. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
External links
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| National | |
