Jon Seda Siblings: Getting to Know Sofia Seda

Jon Seda, born Jonathan Seda on October 14, 1970, in Manhattan, New York City, is an American actor of Puerto Rican descent.

Raised in Clifton, New Jersey, by his parents, Hector Seda, a pastor, and Dharma Marrero Seda, he grew up in a close-knit family environment that emphasized resilience and cultural heritage.

Seda’s early life was marked by a passion for boxing, where he competed as an amateur and became a runner-up in the New Jersey Golden Gloves competition, even eyeing a spot in the 1992 Olympics.

However, a serendipitous pivot to acting during an audition changed his trajectory forever.

Seda has built a career spanning over three decades, blending his athletic background with raw emotional depth in roles that often explore themes of family, loyalty, and redemption.

Today, at 54 years old, he continues to captivate audiences, most recently in the sci-fi drama La Brea, while maintaining a grounded family life in Los Angeles with his wife, Lisa Gomez, whom he married in 2000.

Siblings

Jon has one sibling, a sister named Sofia Seda.

However, not much is known about her, including her personal life or career pursuits, as she lives a private life compared to her famous brother.

Career

Seda’s entry into acting was as dramatic as one of his boxing matches; after placing second in the NJ Golden Gloves, he auditioned for a minor role in the 1992 boxing drama Gladiator and landed a co-starring spot as the Cuban boxer Romano, marking his film debut and igniting a lifelong passion for the screen.

This breakout led to a string of early successes in the 1990s, including a supporting turn in Brian De Palma’s Carlito’s Way (1993) alongside Al Pacino and Sean Penn, and a lead nomination-worthy performance as Chucho Guzmán in Darnell Martin’s I Like It Like That (1994), where he captured the nuances of a working-class Latino husband navigating infidelity and urban grit.

His star rose further with the iconic role of Chris Pérez, the husband of Tejano superstar Selena Quintanilla, in the 1997 biopic Selena opposite Jennifer Lopez, a film that resonated deeply with Hispanic audiences and showcased Seda’s ability to portray tender, heartfelt romance amid tragedy.

That same year, he transitioned to television as the brooding Detective Paul Falsone on NBC’s Homicide: Life on the Street, a role that leveraged his boxing prowess in a memorable shirtless sparring scene and earned him widespread acclaim for his raw intensity.

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The early 2000s saw Seda diversify across genres, from the gritty prison drama Oz as the volatile Dino Ortolani, whose shocking demise became a series highlight, to the heroic firefighter Matty Caffey in Third Watch, blending action with emotional vulnerability.

He headlined the short-lived UC: Undercover (2001) and appeared in high-octane films like Bad Boys II (2003) as the drug lord Roberto.

A career pinnacle arrived in 2010 with his portrayal of Medal of Honor recipient U.S. Marine John Basilone in HBO’s The Pacific, directed by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, where Seda’s depiction of the sergeant’s valor from Guadalcanal to Iwo Jima added profound humanity to the war epic.

The 2010s brought his most enduring television success as Detective Antonio Dawson in the Chicago franchise, debuting on Chicago Fire before anchoring Chicago P.D. (2014–2019) as the intelligence unit’s second-in-command—a boxing enthusiast with a troubled past and fierce loyalty to his “sister” Gabby Dawson—and briefly transitioning to prosecutor in Chicago Justice (2017).

Guest spots on House, CSI: Miami, Law & Order: SVU, and Treme further demonstrated his range.

More recently, Seda has embraced sci-fi as Dr. Sam Velez in NBC’s La Brea (2021–2024), navigating sinkholes and prehistoric perils with the same grounded charisma that defines his work.

Throughout, Seda’s career reflects a commitment to authentic Latino representation, amassing over two dozen films and countless TV appearances while balancing roles that honor his roots.

Accolades

In 1995, Seda earned a Best Male Lead nomination at the Independent Spirit Awards for his breakout in I Like It Like That, a nod to his ability to anchor a vibrant urban drama with emotional authenticity.

The following year, 1996, brought a high-profile Palme d’Or nomination for Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival for The Sunchaser, where his portrayal of a terminally ill convict alongside Woody Harrelson drew international praise for its raw vulnerability.

In 1998, Seda received an ALMA Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film for Selena, celebrating his contribution to Latino storytelling in Hollywood.

His television prowess was further affirmed with a 2011 NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series, or Dramatic Special for The Pacific, highlighting his compelling embodiment of wartime heroism.

Adding to these, Seda won the 2000 Margo Albert Award for Most Promising Actor from the Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, recognizing his rising star power and dedication to diverse narratives.

Beyond awards, Seda’s accolades include critical acclaim for roles in Oz, Homicide: Life on the Street, and the Chicago franchise, where his performances have been lauded for blending physicality with profound emotional depth.