Ulises Acosta(I)
- Actor
Ulises David "Uli" Acosta (born November 1, 1994) is an Afro-Latino actor, singer, musician, and writer. He has made various appearance in films, television shows, and more since the age of seven. Acosta was born and raised in Waukegan, IL., the son of Marisol (Perez), a Puerto Rican housewife and part-time child-caregiver, and Jose David Acosta Jr. II, a Honduran immigrant workingman and entrepreneur. He has two brothers, Jose David Jr. III ("David"), who is six years older, and Uziel David ("Uzi"), who is five years younger. Acosta also grew up alongside many cousins from both sides of his family, and was raised Christian Baptist, citing this upbringing as his introduction to the world of performing, as he often acted in homemade plays with his siblings and cousins, and sang with his mother in the church choir. Before the end of Acosta's middle school years, he'd go on to work in Chicago Broadway, commercial work, print modeling, animated voice overs, and in films alongside greats such as Alfred Molina, John Leguizamo, Frank Vincent, and more. Acosta attended Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep in Waukegan, where he spent a considerable amount of time volunteering for his community at food banks, homeless shelters, and immigration shelters. Acosta trained and performed at the Actors Training Center in Wilmette, IL., starting from the age of 10 until he was 18; later in life, he'd go on to teach at the ATC. After high school, he attended Loyola University Chicago on a full-ride academic scholarship, graduating in 2017 with a B.A. in Theatre. In 2019, Acosta became an official SAG-AFTRA member following his co-star role in "Empire" playing across the great, Taraji P. Henson, Tasha Smith, and Vivica Fox. Acosta lives in Atlanta, Georgia and continues to work as an actor and private acting coach, all while actively promoting his brand "UliEntertains", where he shares originally produced scripts, music, and social media content meant to inspire and promote community.