If you’ve been to the movies or turned on the TV in the last 17 years, chances are you’ve seen veteran actor Adrián Martínez. Since starting his acting career in 1993, Martínez, who is of Nicaraguan and Dominican decent, has worked with over a dozen Academy Award winners and nominees including Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn in “The Interpreter” and Denzel Washington and John Travolta in “The Taking of Pelham 123.”



He has also earned roles in a number of award-winning TV shows such as “The Sopranos,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” where Martínez played characters for various skits, which included donning a red wig to imitate the late-night host.



Like he has done for his entire career, Martínez is keeping busy in 2010. His next film is “Cop Out” starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan, which hits theaters Feb. 26. After that, you can see Martínez in the superhero action comedy “Kick Ass” in April, which stars Nicholas Cage and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Currently, he is shooting the film “The Miracle of Spanish Harlem” with Kate del Castillo.



During an interview with EXTRA, Martínez talked about how he started in the industry, what kinds of roles he likes playing the most and why he thinks Conan O’Brien will be just fine wherever he ends up.



EXTRA: What first interested you in acting?

Adrián Martínez: Well, first I went and tried everything else and I was completely incompetent. (Laughs) Some people say I don’t know how to do this either, but I’m doing it anyway. Actually, I was just watching movies like “Raging Bull” and seeing these great performances. It was very alluring to me – the work and the passion of actors. ...