Emilio Rivera (born February 24, 1961) is a distinguished Native-Latino American businessman, entrepreneur, film and television actor, and producer, best known for his powerful portrayal of Marcus Álvarez, the president of the Mayans Motorcycle Club, in the acclaimed FX series Sons of Anarchy (2008–2014) and its spin-off Mayans M.C. (2018–2023). With a career spanning over three decades, the San Antonio-born actor has become one of Hollywood's most recognizable "tough guys," often cast in high-stakes crime dramas and action films such as Con Air (1997), Traffic (2000), and Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). Beyond his signature biker roles, Rivera has displayed significant range in series like Z Nation, where he played Hector "Escorpion" Alvarez, and the Netflix coming-of-age dramedy On My Block.

Filmography

• 2026Bodyman — Javier Ortega
• 2025Cuisine de la 'Pocalypse — Murray
• 2025Under Fire — Valentino
• 2024Holy Cash — Actor
• Landman — Luis Medina
• 2023Dante's Hotel — Captain Pasado
• 2023Flamin' Hot — Vacho Montañez
• 2023The Movie Teller — Trabajador 3 / José
• Law & Order: Organized Crime — Miguel 'El Diablo' Olivas
• The Upshaws — Barkavious
• 2020Love and Betrayal on the Force — George (voice)
• 2020Ride Hard: Live Free — Gauge
• 20193 from Hell — Aquarius
• 2019El Chicano — Shadow
• Carl Weber's The Family Business — Alejandro Zuniga
• 2018Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot — Jesus Alvarado
• Mayans M.C. — Marcus Álvarez, Marcus Alvarez
• 2018Venom — Lobby Guard Richard
• 2017Avenge the Crows — Carlos Santiago
• 2017Badsville — Lucky Lou
• 2017El Camino Christmas — Vicente Cruz
• 2017Smartass — Poco Efe
• 201648 Hours to Live — Gunner
• 2016North by El Norte — Big boss
• 2016Street Level — Pete
• 2015Hitman: Agent 47 — Fabian
• 2015Mercy for Angels — Machetto
• 201410 Cent Pistol — Melville
• 2014Bullet — Speedy
• Gang Related — Tio Gordo
• 2014Water & Power — Norte
• Z Nation — Escorpion, Hector Alvarez/Escorpion
• 2013American Lowrider — Paisa
• 2013Filly Brown — Mani
• 2013The Devil's in the Details — Bill Duffy
• 2012Act of Valor — Sanchez
• 2012C'mon Man — Steven
• 2012The Obama Effect — Hector Santiago
• 2011Budz House — Big Happy
• 2011Cinema Verite — Nightwatchman
• 2011Narcocorrido — Ramon
• 2011Platinum Illusions — Boss Hogg
• 2010American Flyer — Big Boss
• 2010Cholo Comedy Slam: Stand Up and Lean Back
• Lie to Me — Tony Calvo
• 2009Next Day Air — Bodega
• Sons of Anarchy — Marcus Alvarez
• 2008Street Kings — OG Vato
• Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles — Mexican Police Chief
• The Mentalist — Martin
• 2007Delta Farce — Jorge
• Moonlight — Chemma Tejada
• Raines
• 2007Spider-Man 3 — Policeman at Sand Truck
• Brothers and Sisters — The Sponsor
• Shark — Detective #1
• 2006Splinter — Jesse
• Bones — Ramon Ortez
• 2005Fun with Dick and Jane — Day Laborer
• 2005Harsh Times — Eddy
• Kojak
• My Name Is Earl — Victor
• 2005Purple Heart — Deputy
• 2005Short Fuse — Camacho
• Weeds — El Coyote
• CSI: NY — Little Stevie
• 2004Cake — Fidel
• 2004Collateral — Paco
• 2004Doing Hard Time — Officer David Teal
• 2004El padrino: The Latin Godfather — Rudy
• 2004Sucker Free City — Detective Zepada
• 2003A Man Apart — Garza
• 2003Bruce Almighty — Hood
• 2002Ali G Indahouse — Rico
• 2002Confessions of a Dangerous Mind — Benitez
• 2002High Crimes — Salvadoran Man
• 2002Road Dogz — Big Joe
• The Shield — Navaro Quintero
• 2001Tomcats — Sampson (uncredited)
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation — Bank Robber #1
• Girlfriends — Nick
• Son of the Beach
• 2000The Base 2: Guilty as Charged — Pvt. Alberto Ramirerz
• Titus — Castro
• 2000Traffic — Salazar Soldier #2
• L.A. Heat
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Benito Escobar
• 1999Pros & Cons — Con 1
• 1997Con Air — Carlos
• 1996The Cable Guy — Jail Inmate
• JAG — Drug Runner
• 1995Murder Was the Case — Reporter #2
• 1995Rage — Javier
• ER — Emilio Cardazco
• The X-Files — Brigham
• Walker, Texas Ranger — Juan 'Loco' Morales
• Renegade — Rafe
• Beverly Hills, 90210 — Felipe
• 1977Thunder and Lightning — Honeydew Driver
• Beneath the Cinder Block — Hugo
• House of Guerrero — Tio Turi
• How To Date Again — Rancher
• Purgatory
• RZR Cyber Protocol — Felix
• The Gunfighter — Sanchez

Appearances as themselves (4)

• 2024Chuck Zito: An American Story — Self
• Hot Ones Versus — Self
• 2019To Hell and Back: The Making of 3 From Hell — Self
• Grit — Self