George Enrique Alvarez (born January 25)[1] is a Cuban-American actor. He is best known for playing the roles of Det. Alex Garcia on General Hospital (1992 to 1994, 1995 to 1999) and Port Charles (1997 to 1999), Enrique Alvarez on The Bold and the Beautiful (1996 to 1997), and Father Ray Santos on Guiding Light (1999 to 2009).
Early life
Alvarez was born in Cuba. His family emigrated to the United States in the late 1950s and he was raised in West New York, New Jersey. He graduated from Memorial High School. After high school, Alvarez enrolled at Parsons School of Design in Manhattan. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, but he decided that he would rather pursue an artistic career than work at an advertising agency to make money.[1][2]
Career
After graduating from Parsons, Alvarez worked at Studio 54 in its original heyday. Through the connections he made there, he responded to a casting call for a film. He got the part, but the project, an early attempt to adapt the Anne Rice novel Interview with the Vampire, wasn't produced. Nonetheless, Alvarez realized that acting was what he wished to do, saying, "You get to pretend, get to be a kid again, and get paid well to do it."[2]
After doing some theater work in New York, Alvarez moved to Los Angeles to audition for film and television roles. He also began to develop a passion for writing screenplays.[2] In 1991, he made his television debut with a guest starring role on Beverly Hills, 90210. He then played Juan Campos in the NBC mini-series Drug Wars: The Cocaine Cartel.[3] Alvarez was cast as Tommy in the 1992 film Class Act.[4]
In 1999, Alvarez began playing the recurring role of Father Ray Santos on the CBS soap opera Guiding Light.[2] He replaced Jaime Passer in the role. Alvarez stayed on the show until the final episodes aired in September 2009.[11]
