Canadian photographer, director, television personality, model, spokesperson and actor
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Mike Ruiz
Mike Ruiz as the grand marshal of San Antonio's pride parade in 2011
Mike Ruiz is a Canadian photographer, director, television personality, former model, spokesperson, creative director and actor.
Early life
Ruiz, who is of French Canadian and Spanish Filipino ancestry,[1] was born in Montreal in 1964, but raised in Repentigny, Quebec, Canada.[2] He was one of three sons born to Francoise and Anthony Ruiz.[3] He moved to the United States at age 20 to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.[4] After modeling for a decade he moved to Los Angeles to study acting. In 1997, Ruiz appeared in the independent film Latin Boys Go to Hell.[5][6] In 2002 he moved from Los Angeles into old friends Peel & Tracy James' SoHo apartment in New York City to pursue his career in photography. Ruiz was then able to establish a new agent in New York City which propelled his career forward as a photographer.
Career
Photography
At the age of 28, Ruiz began in the field of photography. "I found a camera under my Christmas tree and within minutes, I was obsessed. I began shooting everything in sight. I taught myself the intricate mechanics of the camera but it was several years before I realized that I could actually make a living with my work‚" Ruiz was quoted as saying.[6] Presently based in New Jersey, Ruiz is known for celebrity and fashion photography.[5]
Menswear designer J. Cheikh collaborated with Ruiz to design a capsule collection for the Spring/Summer 2012 menswear collection in hopes of capitalizing on his fashion expertise and personal style. The collection was called "Mike Ruiz for J. Cheikh".[10]
