Jeff Lima

Jeff Lima is an American actor. He is best known for his recurring role as Leon Cruz on Chicago Fire.

Early life Jeff Lima was born in the Spanish Harlem neighborhood of New York City to a Puerto Rican family. At the age of 11, Lima began taking acting classes and merited a spot in a premiere New York City performing arts high school. While attending high school, he auditioned for a film in which he met Golden Globe winner Gina Rodriguez who introduced him to her agent, at the time, and he would later proceed to sign with them.

Career Lima landed his television debut on Guiding Light as Byron, opposite Jeff Branson and Gina Tognoni. He has appeared in numerous films including Stealing Cars, released in 2015. Lima has guest starred in CBS's Blue Bloods and NBC's Taxi Brooklyn. He was a series regular in the HBO American Miniseries Show Me a Hero. Jeff Lima also appeared in The Bobby Brown Story as Angel in the 2018 BET Network series. Notably, he appears as Leon Cruz in NBC's Chicago Fire.

Jeff Lima partnered with New York University Tisch School of the Arts to support the Film Program of the Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film and Television Graduate Division, by granting The Jeff Lima Production Award of $10,000 to be bestowed upon one directing student enrolled in the Graduate Film Program whose film project advances the Latinx presence on screen. The grant is in its second year with a recipient to be announced every spring.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2017 Bushwick Gregory 2015 Stealing Cars Carlos 2015 Eugenia and John Latino Student 2013 Jack, Jules, Esther & Me Carlos 2011 Mr. Popper's Penguins Freddy 2011 Gun Hill Road Boy in Locker Room 2010 Cop Out youth#2 2009 Mariachi Carlos 2009 Osvaldos Jerry Dominguez 2006 Half Nelson Roodly

Television

Year Title Role Notes 2022 FBI Mateo Diaz 1 episode 2012-2019 Chicago Fire Leon Cruz 9 episodes 2018 The Bobby Brown Story Angel 1 episode 2016 The Get Down El Viejo 1 episode 2015 Show Me a Hero John Santos, Jr. 4 episodes 2014 Taxi Brooklyn Plex/ Maurice 1 episode 2013 Blue Bloods Thomas Lugo 1 episode 2009 Guiding Light Byron 2 episodes