It's been 16 years since J.M. Longoria packed his bags and headed to Hollywood, but he said he's never forgotten the Rio Grande Valley. 

“Being from the RGV and coming from there is amazing,” Longoria said.

Longoria is originally from Alto Bonito, just east of Rio Grande City. Longoria said he's a proud Rio Grande City-Grulla ISD graduate and University of Texas alum. 

Longoria has been a part of many different projects. 

“I have been fortunate enough to work as an actor in different capacities, that includes voiceover work, commercials, T.V. and film,” Longoria said.

You have probably seen Longoria on some of your favorite shows. 

“Most recently I have been able to come out on different shows, ABC’s 9-1-1 being one of them which was a fantastic opportunity to work on that popular show, that was fun,” Longoria said.

Longoria has also worked on the Apple TV show “Loot” and the HBOMax series “Hacks.” 

Longoria has also worked for Ford, Toyota, McDonald’s, Zelle and many other brands.

“Most recently, in the voice-over space, I had the great honor of voicing Juan Gabriel in the Netflix docuseries of his life that was all personal video footage he recorded over the years,” Longoria said.

His voice will also be featured in the Netflix series, “The Manny.” Longoria has also produced different projects during his time in Hollywood. But even though he's hundreds of miles away, he'll never forget his roots in the Valley.

“It's really community based, and I think that has been a really big part of my growth,” Longoria said. Longoria said he believes that it's important to show positive Latino representation on air. 

“That's always been my goal, to find projects where you can entertain but educate, and I think that's really important,” Longoria said.

Longoria said he hopes to continue that representation in Hollywood for years to come. 

J.M. Longoria is Made in the 956.

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