Mike Vitar
Michael Anthony Vitar (born December 21, 1978) is an American former actor who appeared as Benjamin Franklin "Benny the Jet" Rodriguez in The Sandlot and Luis Mendoza in the final two Mighty Ducks films. He started acting at the age of 12 when a casting manager spotted him in line for a ride at a school carnival. He retired from acting after 1997.
Mike Vitar | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michael Anthony Vitar December 21, 1978 Los Angeles, California, U.S |
| Occupation | Firefighter (2002–present) Actor (1990–1997) |
| Years active | 1990–1997 |
He has two older siblings. His older brother, Pablo, played the older version of his character, Benny, in The Sandlot, after which he joined the Los Angeles Police Department in 1996. Pablo succumbed to colon cancer on January 29, 2008. He also has an older sister, Elizabeth.
He attended St. Francis High School in La Cañada, California, from which he graduated in 1997. In 1996, he worked for Gerber Ambulance in Torrance as a stepping stone into the EMS field to move into his current career as a firefighter.[1] Since 2002 he has been a firefighter for the Los Angeles Fire Department.[2] He currently resides in Los Angeles.
On Halloween night 2015, after some mothers asked Samuel Chang to stop giving out candy at their homes, Vitar, Eric Carpenter, Thomas Molnar, Eugene Elbert and Michael Cirlin approached and assaulted Chang. The assailants accused Chang of handing out drug-laced candy. [3] Vitar was charged with misdemeanor battery charge which he did not contest.[4]
Filmography
- Chicago Hope (1 episode, 1997) – Carlos Lunes
- D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996) – Luis Mendoza
- NYPD Blue (1996) – Teenager
- D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994) – Luis Mendoza
- The Sandlot (1993) – Benjamin Franklin "Benny the Jet" Rodriguez
- Sunset Grill (1993) – Luis
- Brooklyn Bridge (1 episode, 1991) – Anthony Gambuzza
- Diplomatic Immunity (1991/I) – Arturo
References
- "Mike Vitar, 'Sandlot' Star Turned Los Angeles Firefighter, Adored by Internet". LA Weekly. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- After They Were Famous Archived 2011-07-08 at the Wayback Machine
- "'Sandlot' Star: Brutal Details of Attack ... Victim Died ... Revived by Alleged Assailants". TMZ. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- "An L.A. firefighter choked and seriously injured a man giving out Halloween candy. His sentence? No jail". Los Angeles Times. July 27, 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
