Michael Arevalo's journey in the entertainment industry began while working at a bar in Beverly Hills, where he received valuable advice from veteran movie star Sylvester Stallone, "Create your own opportunities". This mantra stuck with him as he worked as an assistant on the 20th Century Fox lot, where he met director Robert Rodriguez, with whom he formed a lasting friendship.
Arevalo's big break came when he was offered the role of the Opponent, the guy with the broken leg, in the 1995 blockbuster film Desperado, directed by Robert Rodriguez. Prior to this, he had trained in martial arts under Guro Dan Inosanto at Inosanto Academy, where he was one of the students of Chad Stahelski, the director of the John Wick series. Arevalo holds a 1st Degree Black Belt in Machado Brazilian Jiujitsu.
In addition to his work in film, Arevalo has been writing and directing his own projects, including performing with his comedy rap group The Baking Soda Mob. Growing up on both sides of the border, Arevalo developed a unique perspective that would later inform his filmmaking. He is well-versed in Mexican culture, including telenovelas, classic films, mariachi music, palenques, and Mexican wrestling.
In 2002, Arevalo founded his own Latino distribution company, with the goal of making an impact in the domestic home video market and targeting Latinos and Mexican immigrants. He was responsible for acquiring the rights to valuable pop culture icons such as "Cantinflas" and "El Santo", many of which had been collecting dust until Arevalo brought them to life.
