Carlos Valdes is an American actor best known for his role in the live-action series ‘The Flash.’ With a passion for acting and music, Carlos got his start in theater and eventually made his TV debut in 2014. Since then, he has become a key player in the ‘DC’ universe, appearing in crossover episodes of various series. From his early days in theatrical productions to his current success on screen, Carlos Valdes has proven himself to be a talented and versatile actor.
Quick Facts
- Also Known As: Carlos David Valdes
- Age: 34 Years, 34 Year Old Males
- Born Country: Colombia
- Actors
- American Men
- Height: 5’6″ (168 cm), 5’6″ Males
- City: Colombia
- Education: University of Michigan (2011), Pebblebrook High School
Childhood & Early Life
Carlos Valdes was born Carlos David Valdes, in Santiago de Cali, Colombia, on April 20, 1989, into a family of Mexican ethnicity. After spending the first few months of his life in Cali, Carlos moved to Miami when he was 5 years old. He got the first taste of artistic life when he was in Miami.
By the time he was 12 years old, he had moved with his family to Marietta, Georgia, where he finally settled and completed his education. After graduating high school, he relocated yet again, this time to Detroit. By then, he had become addicted to drama and music and wanted to become a professional actor. He participated in many plays and musicals during his school years.
During his time at the ‘Pebblebrook High School’ in Mableton, he had enrolled into his school’s program for art enthusiasts, known as the ‘Cobb County Center for Excellence in Performing Arts.’ He later enrolled at the ‘University of Michigan’ for a fine arts course in drama. There, he got acquainted with actors from ‘StarKid Productions.’ It was one of the most popular theater companies in the area. It operated from Chicago and had actor Darren Criss as one of its founders.
Carlos started devoting more time to the theater company and honed his acting skills. By the time he was in the final year of college, he had become accustomed to the world of theater. He also had a background in music, which helped him play key parts in musicals.
Career
Carlos went on several tours with ‘StarKid’ and played key roles in several plays. Some of his most well-known plays were ‘High School Musical,’ ‘The Wedding Singer,’ ‘Jersey Boys,’ and ‘Once’. In ‘Once,’ Carlos also played multiple instruments. The musical won multiple ‘Tony Awards,’ the biggest honor for a theatrical production. Following his graduation, Carlos immersed himself into theater.
One of ‘StarKid Productions’s successful plays were ‘Me and My Dick,’ which was an adult musical. Carlos had co-written and provided music to the musical, and its soundtrack was released in the form of an album. The musical was extremely successful and popular.
He auditioned for a role in the ‘DC’ series ‘Arrow.’ This was ‘DC’s first step toward creating its own “TV universe.” Carlos auditioned of the role of ‘Cisco Ramon’ and bagged it. In the first season of ‘Arrow,’ he appeared as ‘Cisco Ramon’ for five episodes.
The producers of ‘Arrow’ were thrilled by the success of the series. The same year, they launched the series ‘The Flash,’ where ‘Cisco’ was a “sidekick” to the main character, the superhero named ‘Flash.’ ‘The series portrayed ‘Cisco’ as a scientific genius working at the ‘S.T.A.R. Labs,’ later turning into a meta-human. Both ‘Arrow’ and ‘The Flash’ turned out to be critical and commercial successes. ‘Cisco Ramon’ became one of the most popular characters of the series. He also acted as a comic relief with some emotional undertones.
In 2015, ‘DC’ launched an animated web series named ‘Vixen.’ Carlos lent his voice to the character of ‘Cisco Ramon’ in the series. It was aired on ‘DC’s online streaming platform, ‘CW Seed.’ Carlos gained immense popularity for his role.
In 2016, ‘DC’ launched two more new series, thereby extending their “universe.” The series named ‘DC’s Legends of Tomorrow’ and ‘Supergirl’ saw Carlos playing ‘Cisco’ again.
In 2017, Carlos played ‘Cisco’ in another web series, ‘Freedom Fighters: The Ray,’ which was yet another extension of the vast ‘DC’ “universe.”
In 2018, Carlos portrayed the character of ‘Lady Passerby’ in the short film ‘Tom and Grant.’
Personal Life
Carlos Valdes and his ‘The Flash’ co-star Grant Gustin are good friends.
Carlos has not revealed much about his private life and is also assumed to be gay by some of his fans.
Before he bagged the role of Cisco in ‘Arrow’, he did not have much knowledge about the ‘DC Comics’ “universe.” However, he had to read a lot and get acquainted with the ‘DC’ characters. This made him a fan of ‘DC Comics’ and of comic books in general.