Birth name

Jordi Alejandro Vilasuso

Date of birth (location)

15 June 1981,

Miami, Florida, USA


Trivia

His cousin, Marivi, is married to Andy Garcia. ...

Older brother is in medical school; younger sister is in high school.

Father is a anesthesiologist.



Jordi grew up in Coral Gables, Florida with a very close-knit family. In fact, it was his father who delivered him. His father, who at the time was studying to be an Ob/Gyn doctor, ultimately decided to switch to thearpy. Jordi's father, Dr. Francisco "Frank" is now the head doctor at a pain management clinic; his mother Ana helps out there.

Jordi has an older brother, Javier who is in medical school, and a younger high school aged sister, Marianne. While living in Coral Gabes, he attended Everglades High School and later went to Glendale College in California. While he was in high school Jordi, along with his brother and sister spent weekends working in their father's pain management clinic. Jordi admits, "Sickness freaks me out, so I stayed in the office. I didn't want to deal with the patients, so I did the filing."

Jordi began his acting career while in sixth grade when he auditioned for a role in a school musical. The musical was a spoof of "The Little Shop of Horrors" entitled "Pete's Little Luncheonette of Terror". Jordi explains, "I had never taken any acting classes or sang before. I just auditioned for fun and wound up playing Pete, the main role." Although his parents at first thought he this was the classic action of a middle child seeking attention, they were surprised to hear Jordi expressing his desire to pursue acting as a career. They soon found him an agent and he began doing print work, commercials, and theater. In his first commercial Jordi portrayed a messy kid with tomato sauce on his shirt that had to be washed out with Tide. In 8th grade Jordi landed his first film "The Last Home Run".

While attending Ransom Evergades High School Jordi spent his senior year as the drama club president.

Upon graduating, he left Maimi headed to Los Angeles. While he was out there, his agent sent him to many auditions. His father was very supportive , but his mother was, as Jordi puts it, "a little freaked out, I guess all mothers are worriers". While in L.A. Jordi occasionally visited his cousin Marivi and her husband Andy Garcia (who starred in "Godfather III") for some home-cooked meals. Andy saw something special in Jordi and even told his father, "The kid is good". Jordi auditioned for several of Andy's projects, although they were all unsuccessful attempts. Although Jordi did get work in L.A. He played in an independent film "Angels Don't Sleep Here" and guest starred in "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer", where Jordi admits, "Buffy kicked my ass, and I wasn't even a vampire." He also guest starred in an episode of "Arrest and Trial", "Unsolved Mysteries", and "America's Most Wanted".

After his stay in L.A. Jordi headed to New York for a Guding Light screen test. Although others were optimistic, Jordi worried, he'd already unsuccessfully tried for the part of General Hospital's Juan, Passions's Miguel, and "some kind of conniving prep school kid" on As the World Turns. He and 5 other potential Tonys were flown to New York for chemistry tests with Laura Bell Bundy. Jordi explains his audition: " I flew out of LA at 10 in the morning and got to New York at 7:30pm because it's 3 hours later here. I didn't get to bed until like one in the morning and had to get up at 5:30! I was on the set by 7:00 and tested at around noon. It was tough, but I wasn't really nervous or anything."

Jordi says acting is what he's passionate about, that it is his art and what he loves. He eventually wants to study film production in college and ultimately write and create his own projects.

After receiving his first paycheck, Jordi went on a shopping spree for some new clothes and a Palm Pilot. He also wants to purchase a mountain bike sometime soon.


Filmography:

-Last Home Run, The (1996)...Tommy

-"Buffy, the Vampire Slayer"...guest starred as "Dixon" in episode "Primevil" on 5/16/00


Introducing...Jordi Vilasuso!

Meet Guiding Light's hot new addition to the Santos crime family, Tony Santos portrayed by actor Jordi Vilasuso. He talks about his new role, his real-life family and teases the surprises in store for his arrival to the quiet town of Springfield!


A round-up of answers to the usual questions from one of Guiding Light's newest castmembers

Jordi Vilasuso arrives in Springfield as Tony Santos on Tuesday, August 29.

On his character, Tony Santos:
"Tony is a product of his environment. He is in the mob. He loves the mob. But he really hasn't seen any other lifestyle. His father was shot when he was a little kid. His mother died recently. His brother was in the mob before he went into the priesthood. So he really hasn't had anybody lead him down the right path. He's just been enveloped in this lifestyle and he loves it. He loves the respect. He basically does his own thing, he creates his own rules for himself, and that's what gets him into trouble. He's fearless. He really is not afraid of anybody, which is a front for a lot of the baggage that he is carrying. I don't think he cried at his mother's funeral. He deals with death by keeping it inside and he doesn't let anybody crack that big shell he has surrounded himself with."

On working with George Alvarez and Paul Anthony Stewart:
"The first day I got there, they told me "Look, you're one of us. You're part of the family," from rehearsal. Of course, I was still nervous but they gave me that comfort. They made me feel more at home. I haven't met anybody [at the studio] who gives me a negative vibe. Everybody's great."

On his first day on the set:
"I walk into the bar [Millennium], looking for my brother, Ray, and Danny wanting a drink but I'm unable to be served because I don't have my ID. I'm really freaked out and I'm looking for help. I'm looking for Ray to pull in some favors. Danny says that he will talk to Abuela, see if she'll make some calls for me to go into hiding."

"My first day started with a bang: guns were blazing. It was so much fun but there was so much to do the first day. I think I work better like that. Just throw me in!"

On the road less traveled:
"Nobody in my family was into acting. I'm the black sheep. I've always wanted to act. I told my parents this when I was five and they thought it was a phase. In the sixth grade, I tried out for a musical - I can't sing - and I got the main role. My parents were very happy. They saw the twinkle in my eye and wanted me to do it so they said, "Okay." They supported me, they got me my pictures, they took me out to the agencies. I did some print work, then I did some commercials, then I landed my first film in the 8th grade. They supported me. I'm very grateful to them. They did a lot for me."

He's no actor, he's my father:
"About 4 weeks ago, I was doing this heavy duty role on [USA Networks'] Arrest & Trial. The name of the episode is For the Love of a Baywatch Babe. This guy's 22 years old, a mechanic, and he's madly in love with this girl who is an extra on Baywatch. He takes his parents' credit card and spends over ,000 on her. His parents freak out on him. He's at their house for dinner one night, and they just freak out and he loses it on them. He screams at them and walks out of the house. That same night, he comes in and kills his parents and his brother. This is all true, by the way. This is all true. It all happened."

"My father had come into town the day before and I had asked the director if it was alright to bring my parents and my sister on the set. He said, "Sure, tell them to come." The second my dad walks on the set, the director says to him, "You're Jordi's father." And he's like, "Yeah." The director asks, "How would you like to play Jordi's father in the show?" My dad's response: "What? Alright, I'll do it." My dad was shocked. He had never done anything like this before. He got such a big kick out it. He had four scenes and he had to kiss the woman who was playing my mother. My mom freaked out about that."

A tale of three cities:
"Miami [where he was raised] reminds me more of LA. I think Miami is still in puberty. It's still growing up and trying to figure out which way it wants to go. I don't think there is any other place in the States, let alone in Florida, like Miami. Miami is very Latin, very spicy. It's a very sexy town. It's a big party town. Miami's a lot of fun but it can be very relaxing, too. LA's very laid back. New York is just get-up-and-go, it's very intense. I like it a lot, too, but sometimes I think you can get caught up in the chaos."

Some more facts on Jordi!

The movie Wild Things - which featured Guiding Light alumni, Kevin Bacon and, in a smaller role, Paulo Benedeti -- was filmed at my high school while I was a student there.

My father, who is a doctor, delivered me, but later changed his specialty to anesthesiology.

Fittingly enough, The Godfather is my favorite movie.

FILM

 Fire Bay                  Ferrer                                     Randall Fried          

La Linea                    Diablo                                  James Cotten

Ready or Not           The Matador                        Sean Doyle  

Blind                         Lead                                    SilverCulture Pictures

Rumbero                   Lead                                     FIILLA Productions   

The Lost City            Manzanita                          Andy Garcia           

Heights                      Supporting                         Merchant Ivory      

TELEVISION