A striking character actor with a knack for playing either cops or outlaws and a sinister undercurrent, Nestor Serrano was born in New York City on February 26, 1957. Serrano got his start as an actor on the New York stage, appearing in off-Broadway productions while supporting himself as a computer operator. Serrano landed his first big break in 1985 when he was an understudy in the Broadway drama The Boys of Winter, starring Matt Dillon, Wesley Snipes, Ving Rhames, and Andrew McCarthy. In 1986, Serrano landed a showier role in the off-Broadway production Cuba and his Teddy Bear, in which Robert De Niro made his first stage appearance in over 15 years. Serrano made his film debut in 1986 with a bit part as a pilot in Brenda Starr, although it would be several years later before the film received a theatrical release. His first role to be seen by audiences was a small part as a housepainter in the comedy The Money Pit. Serrano also began adding television work to his increasingly busy schedule of stage roles and film appearances; he played the recurring role of Officer Geno Toffenelli on the short-lived police drama True Blue, and he was also a regular on two other cop shows, The Hat Squad, which lasted a single season in 1992-1993, and Moloney, another short-lived series which bowed in 1996. However, in 2001, Serrano finally landed a high-profile television role on the sci-fi action fantasy series Witchblade, where he played Captain Bruno Dante, nemesis of detective-turned-superheroine Sara Pezzini (Yancy Butler). Serrano also played notable supporting roles in Bringing Out the Dead, The Negotiator, Bait, and The Insider.