The son of two school teachers, Andres grew up both in urban East Los Angeles and suburban San Diego. His exposure to gangs and the turbulent urban life of East L.A. at an early age prompted him to seek to become a role model in the Latino community. After obtaining his MFA in acting from NYU, he became the first male (on the Mexican side of his family) to hold a post-graduate degree, something he is very proud of. Outside of his Film/TV work, he is an active member of several non-profit community organizations dedicated to utilizing the arts to help inner-city (primarily Latino) youth in Los Angeles learn non-violent conflict resolution, language development, and public speaking skills.