From Rags To Riches

Meet Richard Cabral The Emmy Nominated Ex-Convict. Cabral talks tattoos, his colorful past, and how it shaped him as the actor he is today.

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You may know him from his role as Leprechaun, a gang member on the NBC/TNT television series Southland. That’s where Cabral cut his acting teeth before going on to earn an Emmy nomination for his role as Hector Tonz in Season 1 of John Ridley’s American Crime, and the whirlwind propulsion of Cabral’s career shows no signs of slowing down as he recently landed a lead role on the Sons of Anarchy spinoff Mayans MC. However, despite these impressive acting credentials, Cabral isn’t your average actor…and his past can vouch for that. Born into a Mexican family involved in LA gangs since the 1970s, Richard followed in the foot steps of his familia and also entered the gang life. This decision ultimately led to him to incarceration until the age of 25. It was here that he met Father Greg of Homeboy Industries who changed his life by introducing him to art and acting. Here’s how Cabral went from the streets to the screen.

Growing up in a family involved in gangs, what was the biggest struggle you faced? Not knowing that there is even a struggle is the challenge. Growing up in a community of brokenness, you have no idea you are even struggling.

There is no outlet to let you visualize anything different. In broken communities, this is the norm. I was stuck in a whirlpool of destruction since my birth and so were my other siblings and neighborhood friends. The struggle never eases because our community’s brokenness never ceases.

It was not until life spoke to me, giving me an ultimatum of life or death, was I able to see something different.