Biography

Since graduating from the BFA Acting program at the University of Windsor, Juan Carlos has worked in film, TV, theatre, radio and video games as an actor, writer, director and producer across Canada, the US. Latin America and Europe.

He has written various plays, including: Further Beyond (2000 SummerWorks / The Grand theatre in London). Borderlines, a one man show co-written with his father Alfonso Velis Tobar, which premiered in Vancouver BC at the Playwright's Theatre Centre. He has worked opposite Matt Damon, Nicolas Cage, Colm Feore, Barry Pepper, Ed Asner, Eric McCormack, David Thewlis, Paul Sorvino, Christopher Plummer,, Melissa Leo, Cynthia Nixon, Anna Paquin, Brooke Shields, Betsy Brant, Carla Gugino, Laura Osma, and Rosie Perez to name a few. He has been directed by the likes of Alexander Payne, Atom Egoyan, Don McKellar, Jay Russell, Alfonso Quijada, Bruce Beresford and Mimi Leder.

Between 2000 and 2005 he was Artistic Director of Acropolis Theatre Company for five seasons and produced the annual Shakespeare on the Thames Theatre Festival in London. He is in post for the limited mini series Drive, which he co-created with Gary Brennan. His latest play Howling Winds, will premiere this fall in the Niagara region where he lives with his family. Other film work as a director and writer includes: Hereafter, Desire, Giving Grace, Whore and The Migrant Fields. He has various scripts in development under his production company Izalco Films Inc.

He is represented by Barb Godfrey at The Arthur Management Company.
- IMDb mini biography by: TAM Inc.

His acting career started at the age of three, with "Canal 8", "TVE" and "The National Television Network" of his native El Salvador, having leading roles in such television shows as "Club Infantil", "Fantasia", "Letritas" and "Cipotadas".

When he was eight years old, he made his film debut with "Barco de Papel" (Paper Boat), a film that represented El Salvador at various International Film Festivals, for which he received critical acclaim from the Salvadorean Film Critics' Association and The Latin American Press.