Bio
Lou Diamond Phillips, named for Marine legend Lou Diamond, is an American actor best known for his starring role as Ritchie Valens in the 1987 film La Bamba.
He also has a starring role as Henry Standing Bear, a local bar owner and Walt Longmire's lifelong best friend who is fiercely protective of his tribe, in the crime drama television series Longmire, based on the mystery novels by Craig Johnson.
Phillips first came to the public's attention when he starred as Richie Valens in La Bamba. He then solidified his reputation in Stand and Deliver, for which he won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor and received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Phillips also co-starred in Ed Zwick's critically acclaimed drama, Courage Under Fire, for which he received strong reviews and a Blockbuster Award for Best Supporting Actor.
He also starred in CHE, alongside Benicio Del Toro and Benjamin Bratt. Other notable film credits include Supernova, Hollywood Homicide, Young Guns, The Big Hit, Brokedown Palace and El Cortez.
Phillips earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor for his performance as the King of Siam in the Broadway production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King and I, which received six Tony nominations in all. He also starred in the national tour of Camelot, as King Arthur.
On television, Phillips had a recurring role on Cougar Town and the final season of the SyFy series Stargate: Universe alongside Robert Carlyle and Ming-Na. Phillips also had a recurring role on the hit CBS series Numb3rs as Agent Ian Edgerton during its six-year run.
A few of his other memorable television credits include Chuck, Psych, Law and Order: SVU, Wolf Lake, The Beast and The Triangle.
As a director, Phillips helmed the Hallmark Channel movie Love Takes Wing in 2009. He made his directorial debut with the psychological thriller Dangerous Touch, which he co-wrote for HBO. He has also directed episodes of Resurrection Blvd., The Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone.
Originally born in the Philippines, Phillips was raised in Texas. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife Yvonne. He has four daughters: Indigo, Grace, Isabella and Lili.