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  • Biography
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José Angel Santana

  • Actor
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
In 1984, as an acclaimed young actor, José Angel Santana recognized pervasive media violence's destructive influence on young people's lives. Rather than continue making such programs, in 1987 he set out to work full-time to help young people.

Over his 35 years of working with teenagers and young adults, first as Drama Director of Jane Fonda's Laurel Springs Performing Arts Ranch, then as co-founder and Drama Director of Santa Barbara's award-winning City At Peace Youth Program, Dr. Santana combined professional actor training with the openhearted methods of conflict resolution/mediation to create a unique approach to reaching and teaching "empathy" to young people, who otherwise might have fallen through society's cracks. This effort was partly funded by Dr. Santana's successive years (1996-1999) as a recipient of the Artist in Communities grants awarded by the California Arts Council.

For his work with City At Peace, he was recognized as a Santa Barbara "Local Hero" in 1999.

Today, José Angel Santana, Ph.D. is an award-winning teacher, mentor, actor, director, photographer, and innovator in the field of interpersonal communications. He is the creator of "You, and..." which combines techniques from The Meisner Technique and Viola Spolin Improvisation with best practices from the field of conflict resolution and mediation, including Non-Violent Communication. This combination, he calls the "Performance of Mutual Understanding."

Presently, he serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor of Film at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

He teaches his course, The Art of Connecting (You, and...) to artists and creative media executives in the division of Professional Development at the School of Visual Arts (NYC), since 2007.

From 2008-2012, he was the Area Head of the Directing Actors Department of the Tisch School of the Arts, Kanbar Institute, Film & Television Graduate Film School, an association that began in 1980. He continues to mentor some of the most promising filmmakers working today.

He is an Artist in Residents who teaches Theater & Film to teachers and students for the Union City, NJ Board of Education, and collaborates with TESOL DRAMA INTERNATIONAL, teaching teachers how to use Drama in Education to enhance teacher-student engagement and improve mutual understanding.

Santana received his B.A. in Mass Communications from The University of Vermont. He is a graduate of The Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theater, training under Sanford Meisner. He has an M.A. and Ph.D. in Mythological Studies with an Emphasis in Depth Psychology from the Pacifica Graduate Institute, home of the Joseph Campbell Library.

He is a lifetime member of The Ensemble Studio Theatre.
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    Known for

    Madonna and Rosanna Arquette in Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)
    Desperately Seeking Susan
    6.1
    • Boutique Owner(as Jose Santana)
    • 1985
    Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn in *batteries not included (1987)
    *batteries not included
    6.6
    • Goon #1(as José Santana)
    • 1987
    Whoopi Goldberg in Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986)
    Jumpin' Jack Flash
    6.0
    • Street Tough(as Jose Santana)
    • 1986
    Sylvester Stallone in Nighthawks (1981)
    Nighthawks
    6.3
    • Ripper(as José Santana)
    • 1981

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Actor



    • Lindsay Crouse and Zoe McLellan in Total Stranger (1999)
      Total Stranger
      5.5
      • Steve
      • 1999
    • Luke Perry, Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, Jennie Garth, Tori Spelling, Brian Austin Green, Ian Ziering, and Gabrielle Carteris in Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990)
      Beverly Hills, 90210
      6.5
      TV Series
      • Detective Miller (as Jose Angel Santana)
      • 1994
    • Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn in *batteries not included (1987)
      *batteries not included
      6.6
      • Goon #1 (as José Santana)
      • 1987
    • Angel in Green (1987)
      Angel in Green
      6.7
      TV Movie
      • Rodriguez (as Jose Santana)
      • 1987
    • Robert Clohessy, Michael Warren, and Bruce Weitz in Hill Street Blues (1981)
      Hill Street Blues
      8.2
      TV Series
      • Ricky Diaz (as José Santana)
      • 1987
    • The Morning After (1986)
      The Morning After
      5.9
      • Driver (as José Santana)
      • 1986
    • Whoopi Goldberg in Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986)
      Jumpin' Jack Flash
      6.0
      • Street Tough (as Jose Santana)
      • 1986
    • The Twilight Zone (1985)
      The Twilight Zone
      7.7
      TV Series
      • Aide (segment "A Small Talent for War") (as José Santana)
      • 1986
    • Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in Miami Vice (1984)
      Miami Vice
      7.6
      TV Series
      • Ramon Morandez
      • Guillermo Pino
      • 1984–1985
    • Madonna and Rosanna Arquette in Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)
      Desperately Seeking Susan
      6.1
      • Boutique Owner (as Jose Santana)
      • 1985
    • Kojak: The Belarus File (1985)
      Kojak: The Belarus File
      6.8
      TV Movie
      • Ristivo (as Jose Santana)
      • 1985
    • Anne Bancroft and Ron Silver in Garbo Talks (1984)
      Garbo Talks
      6.4
      • Sanchez
      • Orderly (as Jose Santana)
      • 1984
    • Concrete Beat (1984)
      Concrete Beat
      5.1
      TV Movie
      • Cabbie #2 (as Jose Santana)
      • 1984
    • The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984)
      The Pope of Greenwich Village
      6.6
      • Bus Boy (as José Santana)
      • 1984
    • Prince of the City (1981)
      Prince of the City
      7.4
      • Jose (as Jose Santana)
      • 1981

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Official sites
      • Los Angeles Times
      • New York Post
    • Alternative names
      • Jose Angel Santana
    • Publicity listings
      • 3 Articles

    Did you know

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    • Quotes
      My philosophy: treat regular people like stars and stars like regular people.

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