In an interview with Fox News, Emilio Rivera revealed that, prior to becoming an actor, he was heavily involved in the gang life of Frogtown, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. Similar to Marcus Alvarez, he was usually the one in charge and demanded respect. However, he didn’t always get it, especially from rival gangs: “I was being shot at [one day]. When you’re getting shot at, you become like Spider-Man and I was gone!”
Rivera admitted that he used to be a pretty mean guy, and that his drug use — including heroin and crack cocaine — made his demeanor much worse. Eventually, after seeing too many friends get killed over senseless violence, he got sober and has been clean for over two decades. He said, “I should be dead by now. It’s all a blessing, definitely a blessing.”
During a cast Q&A, Ron Perlman, who plays Clay Morrow on “Sons of Anarchy,” praised Rivera for his ability to turn a new leaf: “He had a life very similar to the one he plays on the show, and he turned so 180 against what he once was.” Katey Sagal chimed in to say, “He’s a tough guy, but he’s a sweetheart.”
