Wilmer Valderrama Biography

Wilmer Valderrama photo

Born: January 30, 1980

WILMER VALDERRAMA

Date of Birth: January 30, 1980

Born in Miami, Wilmer Valderrama moved with his parents and sister to Venezuela when he was three years old. His father was a farmer but found it hard to make a living so the family sold everything and bought plane tickets to Los Angeles when Wilmer was thirteen.

Wilmer didn't speak English when he arrived back in the States, so he enrolled in drama classes at high school to quickly assimilate into American culture. He performed in plays and at his drama teacher's suggestion, got an agent. His professional debut was in a Spanish Pacific Bell commercial.

In 1998, while still in high school, he landed a small role on the CBS miniseries Four Corners. Just a few months later, Wilmer became a regular on the new series That '70s Show, playing foreign exchange student Fez.

The sitcom was a hit, and during its eight-year run, Wilmer won two Teen Choice Awards as Choice Sidekick and one as Choice Comedy Actor. His life changed drastically overnight. From being a kid who lived in poverty, he became a household name, dating top starlets such as Lindsay Lohan, Mandy Moore and Ashlee Simpson. Best of all, he was able to help out his family.

He began getting roles in films such as Summer Catch (2001) and Party Monster (2003) during breaks from the series, and when the show came to an end, Wilmer began working in films full time, including Unaccompanied Minors (2006), Fast Food Nation (2006) and From Prada to Nada (2011).

In addition, Wilmer created, produced and hosted the MTV series Yo Momma, in which he traveled the country in search of America's best trash-talkers. He has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times critic's choice play Blackout.

Wilmer, who's dated Lindsay Lohan and Mandy Moore in the past, is a close friend of Ashton Kutcher.

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