Since his debut in the Al Pacino starrer Carlito's Way (1993), actor John Ortiz has appeared in over forty movies and several tv shows, primarily in supporting roles. Some of his best known acting credits include Before Night Falls (2000), American Gangster (2007), the action film Fast & Furious (2009) and the biographical drama Steve Jobs (2015).

Besides these, Ortiz has also appeared in tv shows like The Job (2000-'01) and Togetherness (2015-'16). Along with the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, he also co-founded the LAByrinth Theater Company in 1993. The monster film Kong: Skull Island (2017), the sci-fi action movie Bumblebee (2018) and the epic science fiction thriller Ad Astra (2019) are among the actor's significant movie credits in recent times.