His days as the hottest stripper at the Hook-Up bar may be over, but Antonio Vega's undercover work isn't cooling off anytime soon. As he becomes more and more embroiled in investigating the Santi crime syndicate-and his own family's part in it-he'll have more secrets to keep from Jessica. “There will be some conflict there,” says his portrayer, Kamar de los Reyes. “But ultimately, Antonio knows what it takes to do the job.”
The former gang member-turned-cop has earned his place on the right side of the law-and he isn't about to back down. “He's worked very hard to get where he is,” says the actor, who originated the role in 1995. “As he's getting older, he's become more mature and thinks, 'Okay, how am I going to provide for my family?'
“I think it's pretty impressive,” he continues. “He may not be loaded with money, but he's a detective with the Llanview P.D.-you have to give him that. He's got his pride, and he's got his little girl.”
Growing Up Antonio
Having the opportunity to play Antonio as a loving father was something that the actor has fought for. “At one point, I thought they weren't going to bring [Jamie back],” says de los Reyes, who is real-life dad to son, Caylen, 7. “But I said that there was something interesting about a man and his child, and I wanted to see them really explore it more.
“Antonio puts on a gun and a badge every morning and leaves his daughter,” he continues. “Aside from her grandmother and grandfather, he's the only real family member that she has, and that should affect his choices as a police officer and the decisions he makes on a daily basis. That slight hesitation might cost him his life-but at the same time, he has to do his job-it's an interesting balance.
On The Big Screen
Off screen, de los Reyes is balancing his long-running daytime gig with a steady stream of feature films, which have included Nixon and The Cell. Next, he stars in Love and Suicide, due to hit the festival circuit next year. “It's a dark, romantic comedy in which I play a music producer who is down on his luck,” he explains. “He decides that he wants to commit suicide, only he's too narcissistic to do it.”
Shot in Cuba, the movie was an eye-opening experience for the actor on many levels. “It was a great opportunity for me to make this film and show a different side of Cuba,” he relates. “It's a beautiful country and the people have such an energy and passion for life-and I don't know how they do it under the [political] circumstances.”
The busy actor also recently wrapped production on Cayo, starring opposite Roselyn Sanchez (ex-Pilar, AS THE WORLD TURNS). “The movie is all in Spanish and was filmed in Puerto Rico,” he relates. “The governor of Puerto Rico has set aside an $8 million grant to kick-start filmmaking there, and this was the first movie awarded the grant. I'm pretty excited about it.”
Giving Back
When he's not working, de los Reyes makes a conscious effort to use his cachet as a performer to help others. Active in many charitable causes, the actor recently trekked to Japan, where he participated in a USO tour to show support for U.S. troops overseas. “It was a humbling experience,” he relates. “It's amazing to see all these young men and women that are serving our country. Until I saw them in person, it never really hit home.”
Next, the actor will travel to Tanzania as a volunteer with The Gabriel Project, a charity which helps save the lives of children with life-threatening heart ailments in Third World countries. “The idea that you can help save the life of a child who comes from a country where they don't do heart transplants is just incredible,” says the Good Samaritan, who will accompany the organization's founder, Mark Melamed, in bringing back a child to the U.S. for life-saving surgery. “I'm going to be able to have a small part in being able to save a child's life. These children have so much to live for.”
