Diego Luna-Alexander is a Mexican actor, director, and producer who shot to fame as a child actor with the roles in television shows such as El Abuelo y Yo (1992) and El premio mayor (1995). He is best known for his performance in the Mexican drama film Y Tu Mamá También (2001), which was nominated at the Academy Awards for the Best Original Screenplay and went on to become the highest-earning Mexican movie during the opening weekend at the time of its release. Luna has also appeared in Hollywood movies such as The Terminal (2004Milk (2008,andElysium (2013).

Early Life
Luna was born to Alejandro Luna, one of the most acclaimed cinema and theater set designers of Mexico, and Fiona Alexander, a British costume designer. As a child, Luna was highly influenced by theater and arts, and his parents made sure Luna is immersed in that particular life. Being an artist himself, Luna’s father would frequently take him to the sets and mentor him; making him learn different aspects of the art.

Personal Life
Diego Luna married the Mexican singer, actress, and model Camila Sodi in 2008. Their first child, a son, Jeronimo was born on August 12, 2008. However, the couple separated in March 2013 and later filed for a divorce.

Movie Career
As an Actor
Luna made his acting debut when he was three, in the movie Antonieta (1982) directed by Carlos Suara. As an adult, his first movie appearance came with the drama movie A Sweet Scent of Death (1999), which was screened at the 21st Moscow International Film Festival. In 2000, Luna got an opportunity to star in his first American film, Before Night Falls directed by Julian Schnabel. However, it was in following year that Luna, who was already a teen idol, appeared in the Mexican drama film Y Tu Mamá También (2001) directed by Alfonso Cuarón. The movie received critical acclaim and was highly praised by the critics with Roger Ebert stating: "One of those movies where 'after that summer, nothing would ever be the same again”.

In 2002, Luna was seen in the Academy Award-winning movie Frida, essaying the role of Alejandro Gonzalez Arias. He soon started to gain recognition in the American market and was also seen in the movie Vampires: Los Muertos, an American western horror film which also stars Bon Jovi. In the subsequent years, the actor appeared in movies such as Open Range (2003), Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004), The Terminal (2004), and Criminal (2004).

Later, after starring in a couple of Mexican films, Luna next appeared in the 2007 movie Mister Lonely directed by Harmony Korine. The actor portrayed the character of a young man, a Michael Jackson lookalike, who makes his living by impersonating the legend. However, the movie was a failure at the box office and was panned by the critics. The following year, Luna was seen in another Academy Award-winning movie Milk (2008). He portrayed the character of the Harvey Milk’s (Sean Penn) emotionally unstable lover, Jack Lira. In 2012, he was cast as the crime lord Gonzalo in the American crime thriller Contraband starringMark Wahlberg, Ben Foster, and Kate Beckinsale.

In the following year, he essayed the role of Julio, a friend of Max Da Costa (Matt Damon), the lead character, in the American sci-fi movie Elysium. The actor’s 2016 releases include the movies Blood Father (2016) and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

As a Director
Luna made his directorial debut with the 2010 comedy drama Abel starring Christopher Ruíz-Esparza, José María Yazpik, and Karina Gidi. The movie was successful at the box office and was nominated in several categories at the 2011 Ariel Awards. In 2010, he also directed one of the short films in Revolución. However, one of his most commendable works as a director came with the 2014 movie César Chávez, a biopic on the life of the American labor leader Cesar Chavez. Michael Peña portrayed the role of César Chávez.

Other Ventures
Diego Luna, along with the Mexican actor, director, and producer,Gael García Bernal founded ‘Ambulante A.C.’ – an organization and film festival that promotes documentary films to places where they are rarely shown. He and Bernal own the production house, Canana Productions and has produced a number of television documentaries.