A Martinez

Although primarily known to soap opera fans for his heartthrob role as Cruz Castillo on "Santa Barbara" (NBC 1984-1993), A Martinez had a long and varied television acting career, having appeared in recurring roles and guest spots on dozens of shows going back all the way to the late 1960s.

Among his more notable performances, Martinez landed recurring parts on the early '80s science fiction series "Whiz Kids" (CBS 1983-84), as well as memorable roles on such primetime dramas as "L.A. Law" (NBC 1986-1994) and "Profiler" (NBC 1996-2000). Martinez returned to soap operas in the 2000s, nabbing recurring roles on "One Life to Live" (ABC 1968-2012; Hulu 2013- ) and "The Bold and the Beautiful" (CBS 1987- ), before returning to more serious television fare in 2012 with a recurring role on A&E's crime drama "Longmire" (2012- ). He may not have been a household name (or initial), but with a career that spanned several decades and a multitude of different roles, A Martinez proved to be one of the most prolific television actors of his generation.

Born Adolfo Laurre Martinez in Glendale, California in 1948, Martinez's family began calling him "Little A" when he was still a young boy to distinguish him from his grandfather and father, both of whom were also named Adolfo. The name eventually stuck, although Martinez would later drop the "Little" once he was older.

Always fascinated by performing, Martinez surprised his family by winning a singing competition at the Hollywood Bowl when he was 12. The rush of performing before a live audience proved intoxicating for the young Martinez, and before long he knew that he was destined to a life in show business. He started taking acting classes while attending UCLA, and by his early 20s, Martinez had nabbed guest-starring roles on the popular TV shows "Mission Impossible" (CBS 1966-1973) and "Ironside" (NBC 1967-1975).

Martinez fulfilled a lifelong dream in 1972 when he was cast alongside an aging John Wayne in the western "The Cowboys." Although his role in the film was small, Martinez would recall in interviews later on that seeing "The Duke" act on a daily basis was a surreal experience. Martinez worked regularly throughout the '70s, appearing in dozens of one-off roles in several TV shows, as well as landing a small recurring part as an employee at Archie Bunker's bar on "All in the Family" (CBS 1971-79).

Despite nabbing regular work, by the late '70s Martinez was still just another working actor in Hollywood trying to land a steady gig. All that would change, however, just a few short years later. In 1984 Martinez made his debut as Cruz Castillo on NBC's daytime soap opera, "Santa Barbara." The show proved to be a breakout hit for the network, and made an overnight star of Martinez.

He starred as Castillo through most of the show's 10-season run, eventually leaving in 1992 to explore other opportunities. Martinez's next breakout performance came in 1994 when he landed a recurring part on the critically acclaimed legal drama "L.A. Law." Martinez continued to work steadily throughout the remainder of the decade, most notably appearing as Agent Nick Cooper on the crime series "The Profiler," before making his triumphant return to daytime soaps in the early 2000s.

He starred as the gangster turned FBI informant Roy DiLucca on one season of "General Hospital" (ABC 1963- ) in 2002, while also nabbing recurring parts in "One Life to Live" and "The Bold and the Beautiful" throughout the remainder of the decade. Martinez returned to primetime television in 2012, after he landed a recurring part on the A&E crime series "Longmire." That show ended its second season in August of 2013.