Sonny Mario Ayon

Sonny Ayon was born in Upland, California, on April 30, 1982. Raised in Rialto, CA, he rose from the poverty-filled warzone into a young man imbued with hardened dreams and aspirations for the better. At the age of 13, he decided he wanted to become a wrestling superstar like his heroes on TV. He was a five foot tall scrawny kid when he entered the School of Hard Knocks in San Bernardino. The owners Bill Anderson and the legend, Jesse Hernandez, trained him on weekly basis, as Ayon dedicated his life to the sport. Eventually, he spent about 10 years traveling to places such as Japan, Korea, and Guam, wrestling with the likes of WWE superstars such as Honky Tonk Man, Iron Sheik, and the One Man Gang. Other mentors who took him under their wings throughout the years included the world famous Guerrero family (Eddie, Mondo, Chavo, and Hector), Louie Spicolli. By 2000, Ayon felt like a change of place was in the works. Through a series of fortunate events, his trainer Jesse Hernandez helped get him cast in a direct-to-video flick called "Backyard Dogs". The CD chose Ayon as one of the lead wrestlers, Psycho Dave, which led to solid screen time. Once the experience ended, he was inspired him to turn his pursuits towards the career path of acting. In 2006, Ayon auditioned for director Richard LaGravenese (P.S. I Love You) for the film "Freedom Writers". He beat out thousands of Hispanic actors to score the coveted role as one of two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank's main Freedom Writers. Working alongside industry notables such as Grey's Anatomy's Patrick Dempsey, recording artist Mario, and Imelda Staunton, Ayon learned a great deal on set, reinforcing his desires to become a successful working actor. In that same year, he signed with the Momentum Talent Agency. As 2008 rolled inwards, Ayon scored the role of George in an episode of "America's Most Wanted". In the same year, he personally read for Kevin Bacon in his directorial effort for TNT's "The Closer" and was booked for the episode. Furthermore, numerous auditions for FX's "The Shield" throughout the course of the year for various roles, the casting director hired him for one of the last episodes of the final season, in the role of Flaco, a hardened gangster that robs Walton Goggins, who plays Michael Chiklis' partner in the series. Ayon recently finished up a stint as the big bully in the band Red Jumpsuit Apparatus' "Say Your Prayer" music video, a fun FX-filled extravaganza beloved by the pop-rock community. Capping off 2009, he was booked on two big NBC shows, "Southland" and "Trauma". On "Southland", he played Hando Ruiz, a main henchman devoutly loyal to his female gang leader. His stint on "Trauma" is his biggest to date, as he portrays Popeye Vasquez, a madman guilty on accounts of rape and shooting innocent people. His performance is a tour de force that displays his stunt skills and versatile dramatic range. Sonny Ayon is currently represented by Alexander's Talent Management, one of the leading acting management companies in the Hollywood industry.