Richard Cabral from gangs to acting success · The Somatic Academy by Soma+IQ

Richard Cabral from gangs to acting success

Here's another from gangs and drugs to success story showing that there's hope for anyone.

Richard Cabral was born on August 28, 1984, and grew up in East Los Angeles in a second-generation Mexican-American family deeply affected by gang culture. He became involved in gang activity very early, joining his local gang around the age of 13 or 14. Throughout his teenage years, Cabral was repeatedly incarcerated for various crimes, including stealing a wallet at 13 and violence later on. By 15, he was addicted to crack cocaine and methamphetamines.

Cabral’s criminal life escalated, and at 20, he was arrested for shooting a man, facing a possible 35-year sentence. He ultimately served around 2–7 years in prison for violent assault with a deadly weapon, depending on the source, and was released at age 25. During his incarceration he earned a GED, discovered writing poetry, and began coaching other inmates, using writing and art as positive outlets.

After his release, Cabral was determined to change. He sought help from Homeboy Industries, an LA-based gang intervention program, where he took up various jobs such as working in a bakery, answering phones for support groups, and began mentoring other former gang members.

Homeboy Industries’ connection to Central Casting offered Cabral his first audition for a non-speaking TV role. He started with small parts, including an appearance on CSI: Miami, and soon booked more substantial roles on TV shows like Southland (TNT). Cabral's breakout came in 2015 with his Emmy-nominated performance as Hector Tontz, a former gang member, in the ABC drama series American Crime.

His real-life gang experience and unflinching honesty brought authenticity to his on-screen performances. He has continued acting—most notably in Mayans M.C. on FX—and co-wrote a one-man show, Fighting Shadows, about his transformation from gang life to an artistic career. Now, Cabral uses his platform to inspire others, advocate for criminal justice reform, and mentor at-risk youth, never forgetting the struggles or lessons from his past.

Cabral’s journey from violence and incarceration to becoming a respected actor, poet, and activist is recognized as a powerful example of redemption and hope.

Richard Cabral spent his childhood in Montebello, a predominantly Latino, working-class suburb in Los Angeles County, located about eight miles east of downtown Los Angeles. His upbringing was marked by instability and deep exposure to gang culture. He grew up in a second-generation Mexican-American family where gang involvement was a generational legacy, with relatives connected to local gangs since the 1990s.

From an early age, Cabral experienced family separation and lacked stable parental support, being raised primarily by a single mother. By age 13, the influence of his environment contributed to his decision to join the gang "Varrio 213," marking the start of his criminal involvement. That same year, he was incarcerated for the first time for stealing a wallet—a signal moment that marked the beginning of a cycle of arrests and detentions throughout his adolescence.

The Montebello neighborhood, while close-knit, faced socioeconomic challenges and an entrenched gang presence that contributed to Cabral's early struggles. The pressures of his environment, combined with a lack of opportunities and exposure to violence, accelerated his descent into drugs and crime: by 15, Cabral had already become addicted to crack cocaine.

Overall, Cabral's childhood in Montebello was shaped by poverty, neighborhood loyalty, generational trauma, and an early introduction to gang life—factors that deeply affected his youth and later influenced both his personal and artistic trajectory.

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