Ian Gomez, also known as Ian Braque Gomez, was born on December 27, 1964, in New York City. His mother was a dancer of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage with Russian ancestry, while his father was an artist of Puerto Rican descent.
He is a well-known American actor recognized for his humorous performances in television shows, such as his recurring roles as Javier in Felicity and Andy in Cougar Town.
Ian Gomez’s Career
From 1995 to 2004, Ian Gomez portrayed Larry Almada, a colleague of Drew Carey (who shared the same name as his character) at Winfred-Louder on The Drew Carey Show.
He also collaborated with Carey on Whose Line is it Anyway? in 1999. Additionally, he took on the role of Javier Clemente Quintata on Felicity, which aired on the WB from 1998 to 2002.
In 1999, Gomez became a cast member on the ABC sitcom Norm alongside Norm Macdonald. He remained a key figure on the show until it ended in 2001, after airing for three seasons. The following year, Gomez took on a leading role in Alanis Morissette’s music video for “Hands Clean.”
That year, he was featured in two episodes of the HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm alongside Jeff Garlin, Ted Danson, Michael York, and Hugh Mellon. He portrayed the role of the “bald chef” who was hired by Larry to work in his restaurant.
Ian Gomez made an appearance on ABC’s Jake in Progress (2005-2006), alongside John Stamos. In 2006, he also appeared in the fourth episode of the third season of Lost, titled “Every Man for Himself”, as well as in the April 2006 episode of Reba, titled “Here We Go Again”, where he played the role of a therapist.
From 2009 to 2015, Gomez starred as Andy Torres on the comedy series Cougar Town on ABC and TBS, alongside his former The Drew Carey Show colleague Christa Miller. The following year, he and his then-spouse Nia Vardalos co-hosted The Great American Baking Show, a reboot of The Great Holiday Baking Show.
He also starred in the Clint Eastwood movie Richard Jewell in 2019. In 2020, Gomez was chosen to play Luis Flores in the NBC comedy pilot Night School, which was based on the 2018 film and written by Christopher Moynihan. Unfortunately, NBC ultimately decided not to continue with the show.
Personal Life
Ian Gomez was married to actress-writer Nia Vardalos. Nia is famous for her work in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. She also starred in many of her movies, including Connie and Carla, My Life in Ruins, I Hate Valentine’s Day, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2.
Gomez has Puerto Rican and Russian Jewish heritage. He joined Greek Orthodoxy after marrying Vardalos, which is shown in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
In 2008, the couple welcomed a daughter through adoption. On July 3, 2018, Vardalos officially filed for divorce from Gomez after being married for 25 years, citing irreconcilable differences. The divorce was officially completed in September of the same year.
Net Worth
According to reports, Ian Gomez’s net worth is approximately $40 million. His career in acting began in 1993, and he achieved widespread success in 1995 when he landed a recurring role on The Drew Carey Show.
