Mexican actor Demian Bichir

The star of last year’s A Better Life, Mexican actor Demian Bichir comes from an acting family so prolific that, in 2003, Mexico’s MTV Movie Awards gave the family their own category: “Best Bichir in a Movie.” But to the majority of American audiences, he is an utter unknown. When he appeared on this year’s list of Academy Award nominees—receiving a nod for Best Actor for his role—it was an explosion out of left field. Megawatt names like Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Fassbender and Ryan Gosling (who were all nominated in the same category at the Golden Globes and Critic’s Choice Awards) found themselves snubbed in favor of Bichir, who’s now the underdog in a race against George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Jean Dujardin and Gary Oldman. The surprise has left many with the same question on their lips—who the hell is Demian Bichir?