Jose Yenque
Jose Yenque is an American actor born on December 29, 1966, in Brooklyn, New York. Also known as J.R. Yenque, he studied at City-As-School High School and California State University San Marcos. He started acting as a teenager after his mother, actress Teresa Yenque, enrolled him in theater classes.
He has appeared in films such as The Blue Diner (2001), Miss Bala (2011), and Beginners, and is known for his role in Traffic (2000). Yenque won an ALMA Award for Outstanding Latino Cast in Traffic and later received an Imagen Award for his work in Between (2007).
Yenque helped start the East Los Angeles Society of Film & Arts. In 1995 he acted in a play called El Cano with Ed Trucco. While filming The Blue Diner in 1999, Esra Gaffin noted Yenque’s versatility, mentioning his ability to handle various firearms based on his previous roles.
He has been recognized for his community work as well. In 2007 he was named Ambassador of the Year at the International Hispanic Awards, and he began donating to a Tijuana orphanage because he felt Latino roles were poorly represented. In 2012 he founded Arts for a Better Tomorrow to support orphanages in Baja California.
In 2020, Yenque helped raise funds during a virtual reading of Flowers Behind the Mountain by Barbara Bennion, benefiting the Artes Para un Mejor Mañana foundation. He also acted opposite Paco Mufote in Contratiempo.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 04:56 (CET).