Gabriel Luna

Some Lesser Known Facts About Gabriel Luna

• Gabriel Luna was brought up only by his mother, as his father passed away before Luna was born.

  

• Throughout his early life, he found guidance and support from mentors like coaches and teachers who became father figures to him.

• Gabriel grew up in Austin, Texas, where his family had been settled for over five generations.

• Luna and his mother lived in a small apartment complex off Oltorf and South First, which his grandmother, Lidia, inherited after her husband’s death.

• After some time, Luna’s half-brother, Timothy and half-sister, Megan, moved into the apartment with him. Their mother stayed closely involved in Luna’s school life. She never missed any of his high school football games and was an active member of the school’s booster club.

• Luna had a great interest in sports during school days.

  

• As a kid, Gabriel was surrounded by a rich cultural mix of Mexican and American influences. His grandmother listened to traditional Mexican singers like Vicente Fernandez and Jose Alfredo Jimenez, while his mother introduced him to rap, R&B, and local Texas hip-hop.

• Gabriel was initially not very close to his grandfather, but when he was 15 and working at Finish Line in Barton Creek Square Mall, they began spending time together. Through shared meals, fishing trips, and sports, their relationship grew stronger, and Gabriel later lived with him during his twenties, affectionately calling him ‘Papa David.’

• Gabriel and his grandfather had previously met once when Gabriel was twelve, but his grandfather had been largely absent due to family circumstances.

• In 1998, Luna was a freshman at Crockett High School in Austin when the film The Faculty was filming and looking for varsity players to appear. He missed the opportunity because he did not join the varsity team until his sophomore year.

• Luna was a skilled football player who joined his high school’s top team, aka the varsity team, as a sophomore. He earned the nickname “Choo Choo” while playing strong safety in high school football in Texas. His teammates said he hit like a train.

• In high school, Gabriel ran his fastest time at 4.67 seconds while weighing 168 pounds.

• Luna played soccer for fun in college. He was also on the basketball team and ran the 300-meter hurdles.

• Gabriel Luna’s chance to play college football ended after a shoulder injury in his senior year. His coach, John Waugh, suggested he try acting instead.

• Gabriel later came across a recording of his deceased father acting in a church drama, which motivated him to try out for a school theatre production. He noticed that both football and acting required dedication and working well with others.

• Luna later got the role of Chief in the play One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which sparked his love for acting.

• Gabriel and his high school girlfriend, Adriene Mishler, acted in several school plays together. They shared a close bond through their mutual interest in theatre and the guidance of their theatre director, Gil Sharp.

• Gabriel then began participating in speech contests. Along with his friend Nick Saenz, he reached the state level in Duet Acting, the first from their school to do so in years.

• In 2001, Luna graduated from high school and earned a full theatre scholarship to attend St. Edward’s University with Adriene Mishler.

• While studying at St. Edward’s University in Austin, he made his stage debut playing Romeo in Romeo and Juliet.

• Luna has acted in many other theatrical productions over the years. In 2009, he played ‘Sergei Maxudov’ in Black Snow at Salvage Vanguard Theatre in Austin and the titular role in Orestes at The Off Center.

• Luna broke up with Adriene Mishler during his sophomore year, and the emotional impact pushed him to leave college and travel across the country in an old Volkswagen, stopping at events like the Kerrville Folk Festival and the Oregon Country Fair with a friend.

• When Gabriel went back to Austin, he lived with his grandfather and earned money by delivering flowers. He joined the local music scene, performing as ‘Mowgli the Feral Child’ and opening for artists like Too $hort and Raekwon, while rapping alongside friends like Zamarron and J.J. “Phranchyze” Shaw.

• In 2010, he played the role of ‘Clov’ in the play ‘Endgame,’ which was performed at the Larry L. King Theatre.

• That same year, Gabriel appeared as ‘Nate Hitchins’ in the film ‘Dance with the One.’

  

• In 2010, Gabriel met Smaranda Ciceu while working in the play Black Snow; Smaranda, a Romanian actor and comedian, was then finishing her final year at the University of Texas at Austin’s graduate theatre program.

• Gabriel and Smaranda grew closer through their love for acting and theatre. Working together on Black Snow helped build their bond, and before long, they began dating.

• Gabriel played the role of ‘Ted’ in Fox’s series ‘Touch’ (2013).

  

• In 2014, he appeared as ‘Vinnie’ in a sports comedy film titled ‘Balls Out.’

  

• Gabriel has appeared in many other films, such as Detective Quesada in ‘Freeheld’ (2015), Lance Flores in ‘Transpecos’ (2016), Mr. Lawrence in ‘Hala’ (2019), and Rev-9 in ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ (2019).

  

• He played the role of ‘Paco Contreras’ in the television series ‘Wicked City’ (2015), which aired on ABC.

  

• Gabriel worked as a producer for the film B.O.O.S.T. (2015).

  

• His work as ‘Robbie Reyes / Ghost Rider’ in ABC’s series ‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ (2016-2017) was highly appreciated by the viewers and critics.
  

• In 2017, he worked as an executive producer for the television series ‘Patti and Marina.’

  

• In 2022, Gabriel lent his voice to the character ‘Sergeant Nielsen’ in Netflix’s adult animated anthology series titled ‘Love, Death & Robots.’

• In 2023, he appeared as a powerful arms dealer named ‘Boro Polonia’ in Netflix’s series ‘FUBAR.’
  

• Gabriel played the role of ‘Tommy Miller’ in HBO’s series ‘The Last of Us’ (2023-2025).

  

• In 2024, he voiced the character ‘King Zimah’ in the adult animated series ‘Secret Level,’ which streamed on Amazon Prime Video.

  

• Gabriel Luna is one of the founders of the Austin-based Paper Chairs Theatre Company.

• He is an avid traveller and often shares his travel experiences on social media.

  

• Luna is a fitness enthusiast and frequently hits the gym.

  

• He is adventurous and enjoys engaging in activities like horse riding and ice skating.

  

• Gabriel Luna is a car enthusiast with a particular love for classic models. His dream car is a 1967 Corvette Stingray. He grew up fascinated by concept cars like the Dodge Viper and even collected Hot Wheels versions of his favourites.

• Luna enjoys singing and playing the guitar, and he often performs live at events.

  

• He often smokes cigars.

  

• Gabriel Luna has worked with actor Arnold Schwarzenegger on several projects. Over time, they have built a close bond, and Arnold often checks in on him.

  

A gif of the character ‘Sergeant Nielsen’ from Netflix’s adult animated series ‘Love, Death & Robots’ (2022)