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Mexico City -- Demian Bichir learned an important lesson when he left his native Mexico to launch a U.S. acting career and ended up working in a Mexican restaurant in New York: How to live the invisible life of an undocumented immigrant with dignity.

It's a subtle quality he brings to his Oscar-nominated role of Los Angeles gardener Carlos Galindo in the movie "A Better Life."

Like Galindo, Bichir came to the U.S. illegally. The U.S. amnesty program in 1986 put him on the road to a Green Card. The character he plays is not so lucky, trying to climb the rungs from day worker to owner of a gardening business while keeping his American-born teenage son from street gangs.

"It was important for me to relate to that time when I arrived in New York," Bichir told The Associated Press. "Carlos Galindo's dignity is similar to all...

I sat down with actor Demian Bichir during the final months of 2008, when he was appearing in “The Waters of Babylon” at the Geffen Playhouse. Since then, Bichir has become a recognizable face north of the U.S.-Mexico border following his lauded turn in last year’s indie hit “A Better Life,” for which he was tapped with a Best Actor Oscar nomination yesterday.

Demian Bichir Drinks From The Waters Of Babylon, Fights A Revolution With Che And Takes A Walk In The Weeds

By Alex Simon

A native of Mexico City, actor Demian Bichir is currently batting a triple with two high-profile supporting roles on the big and small screen, as well as the male lead (co-starring with Shannon Cochran) in Robert Schenkkan’s play By the Waters of Babylon, which is currently onstage at The Geffen Playhouse. Prior to trotting the boards in Westwood, Demian wrapped Steven Soderbergh...

Demián Bichir, star of the movie A Better Life, may not be a household name, but after a SAG nomination for best actor alongside George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio, he better get used to being in the company of Hollywood's biggest stars. Already well known in his home country, the Mexican-born actor, 48, is about to become more familiar to the rest of the world, too. Here are a few things about him. 1. He got lightheaded after his SAG nomination When People asked Bichir how he felt after his unexpected nomination for his role as an immigrant father...