# Manny Montana
**Manny Montana** (born 1983) is an American actor from [Long Beach, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/long-beach-california), known for playing FBI trainee Joe "Johnny" Tuturro on the [USA Network](https://www.edgepedia.org/usa-network) drama *[Graceland](https://www.edgepedia.org/graceland-tv-series)* (2013–2015) and the criminal Rio on the NBC comedy-drama *Good Girls* (2018–2021). His later television work includes recurring roles on *Mayans M.C.* and *Westworld* (both 2022) and the role of Cousin John in the Marvel series *Ironheart* (2025).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2861303/) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/manny_montana)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1983, Long Beach, California, USA[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/manny_montana) |
| Breakthrough role | Joe "Johnny" Tuturro, *Graceland* (USA Network, 2013–2015)[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/manny_montana) |
| Best-known role | Rio on *Good Girls* (NBC, 2018–2021), 50 episodes[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2861303/) |
| Film work | Axl in Clint Eastwood's *The Mule* (2018); roles in *Blackhat* (2015) and *Undrafted* (2016)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2861303/) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/manny_montana) |
| Recent work | Cousin John in *Ironheart* (2025); Manny in *Mayans M.C.* season 4 (8 episodes) and Carver in *Westworld* season 4 (3 episodes), both 2022[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2861303/) • [3](https://mn2s.com/booking-agency/talent-roster/manny-montana/) |
| Education | Football scholarship to California State University, Sacramento; journalism and broadcasting at California State University, Long Beach[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/manny_montana) |
| Family | Married to Adelfa Marr since 2016; one child[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2861303/bio/) |
## Early life and education
Montana grew up in North Long Beach, California, in what several career profiles describe as a rough neighborhood.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/manny_montana) His first ambition was football: he attended Jordan High School and earned a scholarship to [California State University, Sacramento](https://www.edgepedia.org/california-state-university-sacramento).[3](https://mn2s.com/booking-agency/talent-roster/manny-montana/) After dislocating his shoulder eight times, he gave up the sport and transferred to [California State University, Long Beach](https://www.edgepedia.org/california-state-university-long-beach), where he studied journalism and broadcasting.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/manny_montana)
Broadcasting, not acting, was his entry into performance. He worked as a DJ at the university's student radio station and interned at the Los Angeles station Power 100.3, but participating in student films drew him toward acting.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/manny_montana) Away from school he has remained a lifelong athlete: [TV Guide](https://www.edgepedia.org/tv-guide) lists a Silver Gloves award in California for competitive boxing among his fast facts, and notes that he surfs.[5](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/manny-montana/bio/3030572704/)
## Television career
Montana began acting in 2008, taking a starring role in the low-budget film *East L.A.* and appearing in student films before moving into television guest parts.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/manny_montana) His early credits include *[Terminator](https://www.edgepedia.org/terminator-franchise): The Sarah Connor Chronicles* (Fox, 2008–2009), *The Chicago Code* (Fox, 2011), *Breakout Kings*, *CSI: NY*, *Lie to Me*, *Cold Case*, *Chase*, *Raising the Bar*, *Grimm*, *Lucifer*, *NCIS: Los Angeles*, and *Power*.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/manny_montana) • [6](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=16998)
**Graceland.** His career gained momentum in 2013 when he was cast as Joe "Johnny" Tuturro, an FBI undercover agent, on the USA Network series *Graceland*, which ran for three seasons through 2015.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/manny_montana) The character was written as a fun-loving prankster within a house of federal agents living undercover, and TVSA describes him as Briggs's right-hand man and "the heart of the house".[6](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=16998) Montana said his own upbringing shaped the part: after talking with a writer about the gangs of Long Beach, material from that conversation was written into the script, and he regularly adjusted dialogue to match how he would speak.[7](https://www.etonline.com/tv/136001_Manny_Montana_Graceland_Interview)
**Good Girls.** In 2018 he joined the main cast of NBC's *Good Girls* as Rio, a smart, connected hustler who pulls three suburban mothers into his money-laundering business.[3](https://mn2s.com/booking-agency/talent-roster/manny-montana/) • [8](https://trademarktalent.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/20200326101416/Manny-Montana_EPK.pdf) The part was small at the start; Montana has said he had only four lines in the pilot episode and built the character's development with the show's writers, aiming for a man who could be charming and funny as well as scary rather than a stereotypical threatening drug dealer.[9](https://remezcla.com/features/film/good-girls-manny-montana-tca/) He appeared in 50 episodes across the show's four seasons, which ended in 2021.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2861303/) In interviews he described the balancing act of the role directly: "You have to have a good level of scary and charming and fun," and said he drew on men he had grown up around who were "just about money and business" rather than cartoonish villains.[10](https://www.elevated-horror.com/post/good-girls-interview)
**Later television.** After *Good Girls*, Montana played a character named Manny in season 4 of the FX series *Mayans M.C.* in 2022, appearing in 8 episodes, and Carver in season 4 of HBO's *Westworld*, in 3 episodes the same year.[3](https://mn2s.com/booking-agency/talent-roster/manny-montana/) In 2025 he played Cousin John in the Marvel Studios Disney+ series *Ironheart*, listed by IMDb among 5 episodes of the miniseries.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2861303/)
## Film work
Montana's film credits include the [Michael Mann](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-mann) thriller *Blackhat* (2015), the sports comedy-drama *Undrafted* (2016), and [Clint Eastwood](https://www.edgepedia.org/clint-eastwood)'s *[The Mule](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-mule-2018-film)* (2018), in which he played Axl.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/manny_montana) On Rotten Tomatoes his highest-rated film is *I Hate the Man in My Basement* (2020), in which he played Logan, at 100 percent with critics, and his lowest is *Undrafted* at 25 percent.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/manny_montana) Sources disagree on his character's name in *Blackhat*: Rotten Tomatoes and TV Insider list Alonzo Reyes, while the booking agency MN2S and AlloCiné list Lozano.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/manny_montana) • [11](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/manny-montana/) • [3](https://mn2s.com/booking-agency/talent-roster/manny-montana/) • [12](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-263590/filmographie/)
## Personal life
Montana has been married to Adelfa Marr since 2016, and the couple has one child.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2861303/bio/) IMDb lists his height as 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m).[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2861303/bio/) His stated date of birth differs across sources: IMDb and MN2S give September 26, 1983, while Rotten Tomatoes, TV Insider, and TVmaze give September 12, 1983.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2861303/bio/) • [3](https://mn2s.com/booking-agency/talent-roster/manny-montana/) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/manny_montana) • [11](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/manny-montana/) • [13](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/2017/manny-montana)
## References
1. [Manny Montana, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2861303/)
2. [Manny Montana Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/manny_montana)
3. [Manny Montana, Booking Agent, MN2S](https://mn2s.com/booking-agency/talent-roster/manny-montana/)
4. [Manny Montana, Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2861303/bio/)
5. [Manny Montana Biography, Celebrity Facts and Awards, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/manny-montana/bio/3030572704/)
6. [Manny Montana, TVSA](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=16998)
7. [5 Questions with 'Graceland's' Manny Montana, Entertainment Tonight](https://www.etonline.com/tv/136001_Manny_Montana_Graceland_Interview)
8. [Manny Montana EPK biography, Trademark Talent](https://trademarktalent.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/20200326101416/Manny-Montana_EPK.pdf)
9. [Manny Montana talks new season of NBC show, Remezcla](https://remezcla.com/features/film/good-girls-manny-montana-tca/)
10. ['You Have To Be Scary & Charming & Fun' Says Manny Montana, Rio On 'Good Girls'](https://www.elevated-horror.com/post/good-girls-interview)
11. [Manny Montana, Actor, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/manny-montana/)
12. [Manny Montana : Filmographie, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-263590/filmographie/)
13. [Manny Montana, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/2017/manny-montana)
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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 Mo to Ne*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license