Lou Diamond Phillips (born February 17, 1962) is an American film, television, and stage actor. Phillips
was born Lou Diamond Upchurch at the Subic Bay Naval Station in the Philippines, the son of Lucita and
Gerald Upchurch, a naval officer. His father was an American of Scottish, Irish and Cherokee descent and
his mother was of Filipino, Hawaiian, Chinese and Spanish descent. Phillips was named after Marine legend
Lou Diamond and adopted his surname, "Phillips", from his stepfather.

Phillips is one of Hollywood's most distinctive actors and is known for his intense performances. He is a
tall, slender man with raven-black hair, deep-brown almond-shaped eyes, and cheekbones reminiscent of
ancient Mayan statues. His distinctly "ethnic" looks come from his rich family heritage. Phillips claims
he is part Hawaiian, Filipino, Cherokee, and Scots-Irish. His dark complexion and exotic looks have
relegated him to "ethnic" roles in Hollywood.

Actor Lou Diamond Phillips is no stranger to the dramatic ups and downs and surprises of his profession.
Just look at the way he burst onto the Hollywood scene in 1987 with the surprise hit biopic La Bamba after
years of working in Fort Worth theater and small Texas-produced independent films. His portrayal of
doomed '50s rocker Ritchie Valens won him acclaim. His next role, that of a troubled gangleader who is
reluctantly inspired to change by a charismatic math teacher in Stand and Deliver (1988) which was
actually finished before La Bamba's release and his portrayal of young outlaw Jose Chavez Y Chavez in
Young Guns (1988) made it seem that Phillips' youthful prediction that he would become a major star would
indeed come true. But then Phillips showed up in a long line of box-office and direct-to-video bombs and
he disappeared into obscurity and he seemed destined to remain there for the rest of his career.

After the only moderate success of Young Guns, Phillips' career faltered with films such as First Power
(1989), the dismal Young Guns 2 (1990), and the laughably self-important Shadow of the Wolf (1992).
Phillips made an inauspicious directorial debut with Dangerous Touch (1993), following it up with Sioux
City (1994). Though he worked steadily in films through the decade, Phillips was almost a forgotten
quantity in Hollywood.

In 1995, Phillips' career took a surprising and unexpectedly successful turn when a casting director
spotted Phillips and brought him in to audition for the role of King Mongkut in a new production of
Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King and I. Despite having only worked relatively briefly on-stage, Phillips
was personally approved by the Rodgers estate to play the part. Phillips realized that in taking it, he
would be expected to fill the shoes of the great Yul Brynner who originated the role. It did not help that
many critics did little to hide their surprise and dismay at the audacious casting of Phillips, who was
determined to find new nuances in the Siamese King's relationship with British schoolteacher Anna.
Phillips also made important changes for the character, especially in his appearance. Despite the
naysayers' dire predictions for the musical's revival, Phillips succeeded in his goals and the show became
a smash hit. Among the benefits of his reemergence has been renewed interest in Phillips from Hollywood.
Though he never really left, Phillips had a "comeback" when he starred opposite Denzel Washington in
Courage Under Fire (1996). Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

On September 11, 2007, Phillips joined the touring troup for Lehrner and Lowe's Camelot in the role of
King Arthur. Phillips also played a role in the first season of the TV series "24" as secret government
agent Mark DeSalvo. The first low-budget film in which he starred in was called Trespasses. Phillips plays
the recurring role of FBI agent Ian Edgerton in the television series Numb3rs. Edgerton is the FBI's best
tracker and sniper, working as as a sniper instructor at Quantico FBI Academy when he is not working a
case in the field.

Phillips plays on the World Poker Tour in the Hollywood Home games. He plays for the Sierra Canyon H.S.
and Santa Suzanna Montessori charity. In an interview titled "Shine on Lou Crazy Diamond" in Smash Hits
magazine, Phillips revealed that his favorite band is Pink Floyd, and that his favorite song is "Shine
On You Crazy Diamond".

Phillips is an outspoken, long-time advocate of HR 4574, the Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2006,
legislation which would honor the service of Filipino World War II veterans by granting them the same
benefits made available to other U.S. World War II veterans.