Manuel José Chaves

Born in Bogotá, Manuel kicked off his acting journey early, training at TPB and Studio XXI before even hitting his teens. By 12, he was already on-screen in "De Pies A Cabeza," and, honestly, the guy just took off—one of Colombia’s standout young actors, no question. Fast-forward to ‘96, and boom, he’s scooping up the India Catalina and TV y Novelas awards for breakthrough performance. Not bad for a kid, right? He wasn’t content to just coast, though. Manuel packed his bags for Paris, leveled up at the Sorbonne, and came back sharper than ever. TV-wise, he’s been all over the place: "Francisco el Matemático," "Pura Sangre," "El Capo," "La Niña"—the hits just kept coming. In 2005, he snagged a nomination at the Colombian acting awards for his role as Ernesto Manrique, so clearly, he wasn’t slowing down. His film credits? Huge. Over 13 features, including "Soñar No Cuesta Nada," "Como el Gato y el Ratón," "Edipo Alcalde," and "Al final del Espectro." In 2016, his work in "La Luciérnaga" even landed him a Macondo award nomination for best supporting actor. The next year, he was front and center in "Afuera Del Tiempo," tackling a romantic comedy lead. Now, he’s tangled up in "Bolivar," apparently the biggest thing Caracol TV and Netflix have pulled together. Even with all this, Manuel’s still hungry—he’s moved to Australia, aiming to break into their scene while picking up a business diploma on the side. Guy just doesn’t quit.