Best known as Carlos Solis, the unapologetically macho (and unwittingly cuckolded) husband of suburbanite Gabrielle Solis (firecracker Eva Longoria) on the American series phenomenon Desperate Housewives, Texas-born actor Ricardo Antonio Chavira rode the crest of that role from obscurity to national recognition. A graduate of San Antonio's famed Robert E. Lee High School, Chavira reportedly pursued drama at an early age as a clever way to meet women, but in the process discovered a love of the acting craft. The direct descendant of migrant workers, Chavira lost his mother to breast and ovarian cancer before his 16th birthday, and reportedly also used acting as a way to cope psychologically with his family situation. After graduation, the actor earned his undergraduate degree from Incarnate Word College and (after taking some time off) his MFA from the University of California San Diego's esteemed professional actor training program, in 2000. Though Desperate Housewives represented Chavira's breakthrough, he also made guest appearances on such series as NYPD Blue, 24, and JAG, and was a recurring cast member on such series as The Division and Six Feet Under, though he would also stick with Desperate Housewives for season after season.