Background and career
Noel Albert Gugliemi is an American character actor best known for his portrayals of Southern Californian gangsters. Gugliemi played Hector in The Fast and the Furious and Furious 7, and loosely reprised the role for other media. Since, Gugliemi has appeared in multiple films playing characters named Hector.
Gugliemi is of Italian and Mexican descent. He was abandoned by his parents, and became homeless at age 13. Although not raised in poverty, he turned to gang life in his late teenage years. He has stated that he would "be dead or in jail" if he had not found acting as a career.
In 2001, at age 29, Gugliemi played Hector in The Fast and the Furious, which boosted his career. He reprised his role in Furious 7 and in the Fast & Furious music video, the latter alongside Chingy, iRome, Neil Brown Jr., Ray Lavender, Sarayah Love "Empire", and Chloe Riley.
Gugliemi is a Christian and began delivering motivational speeches at churches, schools and businesses in 2018. Although he often plays gangsters, Gugliemi discourages young people from involvement in such activity.
