José María Yazpik

Yazpik was born in Mexico City, the son of gynaecologist Jose Maria Meza and housewife Cristina Yazpik. He has two siblings, Carlos and Cristina. When Yazpik was a child, Meza decided to move the family to San Diego, California. He started a practice in Tijuana, which bordered the two countries. The family settled in La Jolla, a wealthy district of San Diego. After loans were taken out on the forecasted profits of the new practice, the two boys were enrolled at St. Augustine High School, an all-boys school directed by priests. Meza failed in his gynaecology business and on other financial investments. After a year, with the dollar increasing in value against the Mexican peso, the family had to move to Tijuana. Cristina had to take on work to support their income. Through loaned money, José María and his brother Carlos continued to attend school in San Diego.

Yazpik did not graduate from high school as he struggled academically, but his ability in sports saved him from expulsion. He was indecisive about what career to pursue. A teacher recommended that he participate in theatre school, as she had noticed his ability. Although he liked theatre and realised that this was the only way he could truly express himself, Yazpik returned to Tijuana and began to study communication at the local branch of the Universidad Iberoamericana. Again, he struggled with his studies and left after three months. He enrolled in law at the University of Baja California, but also left as he realized it was not his passion.

Yazpik's first acting job came from a friend of his father, who produced the TV movie The Brute With the Angel of Death. He moved to Mexico City to study at the Centro de Educación Artística (CEA) of Televisa. Upon graduating he was offered minor roles in youth soap operas on Televisa, which he wanted to decline as they did not offer him the chance to really express himself. However, his exclusive contract with the station forced him to accept all the roles he was offered. He had his first major role on television in the soap opera The Dove in 1995, produced by José Rendón, which stopped production because of the death of its star actor Gerardo Hemmer.

In 1996, Yazpik acted in his second telenovela, Song of Love, produced by Luis de Llano Macedo, and in the film Última llamada, directed by Carlos Garcia Agraz. In 1997, he gained roles in television, playing a villainous youth in the telenovelas Pueblo chico, infierno grande and Ángela, both produced by José Alberto Castro.

Yazpik portrayed Mexican narcotics trafficker, Amado Carrillo Fuentes, in the third season of the Netflix drama Narcos (2017) and in all three seasons of Narcos: Mexico (2018-2021).

Yazpik is the father of two daughters. The oldest named Leonor was born in November 2009, with Mexican actress Iliana Fox. The Youngest named Martina was born in May 2018, with Mexican actress Johanna Murillo .

• José María Yazpik at IMDb
• Interview with José María Yazpik in Leopard: "José María Yazpik profile