Manuel C Cruz

Born in Corpus Christi, Texas and raised Carrollton, Texas Manuel has been a soldier, public educator and an actor. He studied theater in high school but dropped the elective after receiving nominations to the Naval Academy at Annapolis and the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs. Not accepted to either school; he was accepted at Virginia Military Institute, The Citadel, Marion Military Institute, and New Mexico Military Institute. He chose to attend New Mexico Military Institute whose famous alumni include, Conrad Hilton, Sam Donaldson, Roger Staubach, and Owen Wilson. Prior to reporting to N.M.M.I, Manuel enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves and completed Basic Training at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. Training included infantry training with the Garryowen Squadron, N.M.M.I. and as an officer trainee with E Battery 2/89th Field Artillery Training Center in Amarillo, Texas. After a year of training he received a medical entry level separation from the Army. Manuel rediscovered his love for theater when he returned home and enrolled at Brookhaven College. He studied theater and worked backstage as a student assistant and after graduation worked at odd jobs and with Teatro Dallas as an actor. In the 1990's signed with his first agency and did television and film in the Dallas area. Encouraged to return to finish his degree, Manuel entered Texas A&M University Corpus Christi in the Fall of 2000. He graduated Magna cum Laude from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi with a BA in Communications with emphasis in Theater. In 2013 Manuel returned to school to earn his Masters of Fine Arts in acting at Academy of Art University, San Francisco.