MY BIO (in a nutshell!)

It all started when the stork dropped me at the home of Joaquin and Carmina Garay. Joaquin was a famous entertainer and radio personality in the 30’s and 40’s. You may know him as the owner of the Copa Cabana on Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco or as the voice of Panchito in the Disney film “The Three Caballeros”. (See SF Museum Link below) Well the apple did not fall far from the tree because at the ripe old age of 4 this Joaquin wanted to entertain too! I've done everything from gulping down Happy Meals for McDonalds to starring in a popular bilingual children's show called Villa Alegre for 4 years, to starring in Disney’s "Herbie Goes Bananas"...You name it...I've done it. I've appeared in over 100 commercials throughout my career! 

I've worked with many greats over the years including the late Harvey Korman, Cloris Leachman, Kurt Russell, Tim Matheson, and Alex Rocco, to name a few.  I am....or was....in all meanings of the word.....a child actor.

What I didn’t know was that as I got older the one thing that would intrigue me the most was COMEDY!! I have made my mark working Improv at the Groundlings and the L.A. Connection in Los Angeles, writing, acting and producing sketch comedy, and working to bring Latin based comedy main stream. SíTV's Unacceptable Behavior brought this full circle where I not only wrote many of the sketches for the show, but got to work with my ever-talented brother, Ricky Garay.  

I began a new venture in 2008 when I stepped onto the stage of live theatre, nabbing the role of Felix Unger in Neil Simon's classic, THE ODD COUPLE.  I followed it up with starring in Ray Bradbury's THE WONDERFUL ICE CREAM SUIT for 2 runs.

Most recently, you can catch me here and there in commercials for AUDI, NATURAL LIGHT, CALIFORNIA LOTTO, and in the festival circuit in a great short film called KILO. You'll also catch me teaching Improv at a High School in the San Gabriel Valley, as well as teaching at the Covina Center for the Performing Arts.

In the years I've been on this earth, I now know that this was what I was born to do.  I am an ACTOR, PERFORMER, WRITER.....CREATOR....and now most recently.....TEACHER.

But through it all, the most impressive and important accomplishment to date by far is the birth of my daughter, Carmina, in August of 2004....and yes, she is a Garay, through and through!

CARMINA ROSE GARAY
(Baby Gap, Fall 2005)

                 2010