# Jose Pablo Cantillo
**Jose Pablo Cantillo** (born 1979) is an American actor and producer known for playing Hector Salazar on *Sons of Anarchy*, Caesar Martinez on *The Walking Dead*, and Yankie in [Neill Blomkamp](https://www.edgepedia.org/neill-blomkamp)'s *Chappie*, with film credits that also include *Crank*, *Disturbia*, and *[Elysium](https://www.edgepedia.org/elysium-film)*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1504678/) • [2](https://www.fandango.com/people/jose-pablo-cantillo-506102) He has worked steadily in both film and television since the early 2000s, often as men of action on either side of the law, and he created the Spike series *Repo Games*.[2](https://www.fandango.com/people/jose-pablo-cantillo-506102) • [3](https://www.latintimes.com/chappie-movie-cast-interview-jose-pablo-cantillo-talks-about-his-role-yankie-aka-301215)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | March 30; Marshfield, Wisconsin, USA; most sources give 1979, TVmaze gives 1970[2](https://www.fandango.com/people/jose-pablo-cantillo-506102) • [4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10381/jose-pablo-cantillo) |
| Education | Indiana University, 2002, double major in Finance and Marketing; first theater class taken there to fulfill a speech requirement[5](https://sonsofanarchy.fandom.com/wiki/Jose_Pablo_Cantillo) • [3](https://www.latintimes.com/chappie-movie-cast-interview-jose-pablo-cantillo-talks-about-his-role-yankie-aka-301215) |
| Signature TV roles | Hector Salazar on *Sons of Anarchy* (9 episodes, season 3); Caesar Martinez on *The Walking Dead* (13 episodes)[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10381/jose-pablo-cantillo) |
| Signature film roles | Verona in *Crank* (2006), Ricky Verona in *Crank: High Voltage* (2009), Officer Gutierrez in *Disturbia* (2007), Sandro in *Elysium* (2013), Yankie in *Chappie* (2015)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1504678/) |
| Producing | Created *Repo Games* for Spike, which reached a third season; produced the independent film *Where Hope Grows*[3](https://www.latintimes.com/chappie-movie-cast-interview-jose-pablo-cantillo-talks-about-his-role-yankie-aka-301215) • [6](https://undeadwalking.com/2015/07/02/exclusive-interview-the-walking-deads-jose-pablo-cantillo/) |
| Recurring recent TV | Carlos Jimenez on *Mayor of Kingstown* (6 episodes, 2021); Bernie on *Taken* (8 episodes, 2017)[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10381/jose-pablo-cantillo) |
## Early life and education
Cantillo was born in Marshfield, Wisconsin, and grew up in [Terre Haute, Indiana](https://www.edgepedia.org/terre-haute-indiana), the youngest of three competitive brothers.[2](https://www.fandango.com/people/jose-pablo-cantillo-506102) • [5](https://sonsofanarchy.fandom.com/wiki/Jose_Pablo_Cantillo) • [3](https://www.latintimes.com/chappie-movie-cast-interview-jose-pablo-cantillo-talks-about-his-role-yankie-aka-301215) At Terre Haute South Vigo High School he was a tennis standout for four years, leading the Terre Haute South Braves to a State Runner-Up finish in 1996.[5](https://sonsofanarchy.fandom.com/wiki/Jose_Pablo_Cantillo) He also trained in martial arts, studying [Jeet Kune Do](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeet-kune-do) and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and has said that several years of kali stick practice, a stick similar in size to a baseball bat, later helped him wield Martinez's bat on *The Walking Dead*.[7](https://dailydead.com/the-walking-dead-season-3-qa-with-jose-pablo-cantillo-martinez/)
He attended [Indiana University](https://www.edgepedia.org/indiana-university), graduating in 2002 with a double major in Finance and [Marketing](https://www.edgepedia.org/marketing) from the Honors Business Program. He took his first theater class there to fulfill a speech requirement and discovered acting; after graduation he moved to New York to study at the [Atlantic Theater Company](https://www.edgepedia.org/atlantic-theater-company) and the Barrow Group Schools, and worked in off-Broadway stage productions before turning to film and television.[5](https://sonsofanarchy.fandom.com/wiki/Jose_Pablo_Cantillo) • [3](https://www.latintimes.com/chappie-movie-cast-interview-jose-pablo-cantillo-talks-about-his-role-yankie-aka-301215) In a 2015 campus talk he said the choice was hard to explain to friends and family: "It didn't feel right to publicly come out and be an actor."[8](https://www.highlandernews.org/17810/jose-pablo-cantillo-brings-laughter-to-ucr/)
## Film career
Cantillo's early screen work included guest roles on series such as *CSI: Miami*, *Nip/Tuck*, *Bones*, and *[Monk](https://www.edgepedia.org/monk-tv-series)*, and a starring role as Duff Gonzalez in the 2006 series *Standoff*.[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10381/jose-pablo-cantillo) His film breakthroughs came as Verona in *Crank* (2006), a role he reprised as Ricky Verona in *Crank: High Voltage* (2009), and as Officer Gutierrez in *Disturbia* (2007); he also appeared in *The Manchurian Candidate* (2004) and *Redbelt* (2008).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1504678/) • [2](https://www.fandango.com/people/jose-pablo-cantillo-506102)
**Neill Blomkamp collaborations.** Cantillo auditioned on tape for *Elysium* (2013), Blomkamp's second feature, and was cast as Sandro, a role that put him opposite [Matt Damon](https://www.edgepedia.org/matt-damon)'s character in a brain-surgery scene; he has said the director originally wanted a Mexican gangbanger for the part and chose him after seeing his improvised audition.[9](https://www.latinpost.com/articles/41427/20150307/exclusive-chappie-actor-jose-pablo-cantillo-on-neill-blomkamps-promise-driving-in-johannesburg-tv-vs-film.htm) Blomkamp then wrote the role of Yankie, also called Amerika, in *Chappie* (2015) specifically for him, which Cantillo described as something that had never happened in his 12 years in the business.[9](https://www.latinpost.com/articles/41427/20150307/exclusive-chappie-actor-jose-pablo-cantillo-on-neill-blomkamps-promise-driving-in-johannesburg-tv-vs-film.htm) *Chappie* was shot on location in [Johannesburg](https://www.edgepedia.org/johannesburg), including Soweto and an abandoned power station that collapsed two weeks after wrapping, and Cantillo has described the stunts, including a harness scene in a moving van with helicopters firing at him, as the hardest part of the shoot.[9](https://www.latinpost.com/articles/41427/20150307/exclusive-chappie-actor-jose-pablo-cantillo-on-neill-blomkamps-promise-driving-in-johannesburg-tv-vs-film.htm) He worked with Blomkamp a third time in the [Oats Studios](https://www.edgepedia.org/oats-studios) short *Zygote*, playing Quinn opposite Dakota Fanning's Barklay.[10](https://www.desdehollywood.com/jose-pablo-cantillo-talks-zygote-sci-fi-short-film-neill-blomkamp/)
In *El Chicano* (2019), directed by Ben Hernandez Bray and produced by [Joe Carnahan](https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-carnahan), Cantillo played Detective Martinez, the partner of Raul Castillo's lead; Carnahan called it "a great traditionally thankless role as the partner" and said the audience feels it when the character is lost.[11](https://www.comicsbeat.com/el-chicano-interview/)
## Television career
**Sons of Anarchy.** Cantillo played Hector Salazar, former president of the Calaveras MC's Lodi chapter, a recurring role across nine episodes of the FX series' third season in 2010, serving as one of the season's main antagonists before the character's death in the episode "June Wedding".[5](https://sonsofanarchy.fandom.com/wiki/Jose_Pablo_Cantillo) • [4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10381/jose-pablo-cantillo)
**The Walking Dead.** As Caesar Martinez, a survivor aligned with Woodbury under the Governor, Cantillo appeared in 13 episodes across seasons 3 and 4, first appearing in 2013.[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10381/jose-pablo-cantillo) • [6](https://undeadwalking.com/2015/07/02/exclusive-interview-the-walking-deads-jose-pablo-cantillo/) He described the character's death scene, in which Martinez is beaten and devoured by walkers in a pit, as filmed with him upside down and disoriented, held by a harness operated by [David Morrissey](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-morrissey); one of the walkers pulled out a clump of his hair during the take.[12](https://walkingdeadbr.com/walking-dead-4-temporada-perguntas-e-respostas-jose-pablo-cantillo-martinez/) He discussed the episode "Dead Weight" as a guest on AMC's *Talking Dead* in November 2013.[13](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/talking-dead/episodes-season-3/1030489022/)
His other recurring and guest television work includes Carlos Jimenez in six episodes of *Mayor of Kingstown* (2021), Bernie in eight episodes of *Taken* (2017), roles in *Shooter*, *Damien*, *Constantine*, *Rush*, *The Last Ship*, *The Rookie*, *S.W.A.T.*, *Magnum P.I.*, *Coyote*, *Will Trent*, *Killing It*, and *[American Sports Story](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-sports-story)* (2024, as Jose Baez).[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10381/jose-pablo-cantillo)
## Producing and other work
Cantillo created *Repo Games* for Spike, a series that reached its third season, and has co-created and piloted additional series for Spike and A&E.[3](https://www.latintimes.com/chappie-movie-cast-interview-jose-pablo-cantillo-talks-about-his-role-yankie-aka-301215) He produced the independent film *Where Hope Grows* (2014).[6](https://undeadwalking.com/2015/07/02/exclusive-interview-the-walking-deads-jose-pablo-cantillo/) In 2015 he and Jeff Levine ran a [Kickstarter](https://www.edgepedia.org/kickstarter) campaign for their card game "Free Me", which was over 85 percent funded at the time of an interview that July.[6](https://undeadwalking.com/2015/07/02/exclusive-interview-the-walking-deads-jose-pablo-cantillo/)
## Recent work
Cantillo's recent credits include DEA Agent Dayo Reyes in *The Rip* (2026) and Detective Marco Garcia in the series *Memory of a Killer* (2026), along with a 2022 appearance on *NCIS* as DEA Agent Mark Sisco and a 2023 guest role on *NCIS: Los Angeles*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1504678/) • [4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10381/jose-pablo-cantillo)
## References
1. [Jose Pablo Cantillo, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1504678/)
2. [Jose Pablo Cantillo Overview, Fandango](https://www.fandango.com/people/jose-pablo-cantillo-506102)
3. [Chappie Movie Cast Interview: Jose Pablo Cantillo, Latin Times](https://www.latintimes.com/chappie-movie-cast-interview-jose-pablo-cantillo-talks-about-his-role-yankie-aka-301215)
4. [Jose Pablo Cantillo, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10381/jose-pablo-cantillo)
5. [Jose Pablo Cantillo, Sons of Anarchy Fandom](https://sonsofanarchy.fandom.com/wiki/Jose_Pablo_Cantillo)
6. [Exclusive Interview: The Walking Dead's Jose Pablo Cantillo, Undead Walking](https://undeadwalking.com/2015/07/02/exclusive-interview-the-walking-deads-jose-pablo-cantillo/)
7. [The Walking Dead Season 3 Q&A with Jose Pablo Cantillo (Martinez), Daily Dead](https://dailydead.com/the-walking-dead-season-3-qa-with-jose-pablo-cantillo-martinez/)
8. [Jose Pablo Cantillo brings laughter to UCR, The Highlander](https://www.highlandernews.org/17810/jose-pablo-cantillo-brings-laughter-to-ucr/)
9. [EXCLUSIVE: "Chappie" Actor Jose Pablo Cantillo on Neill Blomkamp's Promise, Latin Post](https://www.latinpost.com/articles/41427/20150307/exclusive-chappie-actor-jose-pablo-cantillo-on-neill-blomkamps-promise-driving-in-johannesburg-tv-vs-film.htm)
10. [Jose Pablo Cantillo Talks Neill Blomkamp's ZYGOTE, Desde Hollywood](https://www.desdehollywood.com/jose-pablo-cantillo-talks-zygote-sci-fi-short-film-neill-blomkamp/)
11. [INTERVIEW: Ben Hernandez Bray and Joe Carnahan on EL CHICANO, Comics Beat](https://www.comicsbeat.com/el-chicano-interview/)
12. [The Walking Dead 4th Season Q&A with Jose Pablo Cantillo, The Walking Dead Brasil](https://walkingdeadbr.com/walking-dead-4-temporada-perguntas-e-respostas-jose-pablo-cantillo-martinez/)
13. [Watch Talking Dead Online, Season 3, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/talking-dead/episodes-season-3/1030489022/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Bu to Ce*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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