Queens native Hemky Madera is having a standout year, with roles in two of 2026’s biggest projects.
Best known as Pote Galvez on Queen of the South, Madera will reprise his role as an Imperial warlord in The Mandalorian and Grogu, set to hit theaters May 22. He also appeared in a key recurring role in Season 3 of Euphoria, which aired May 3.
A Queens upbringing and early inspiration
Madera was born in Queens and spent part of his childhood in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. He said he discovered his passion for acting at age 5 after watching On the Waterfront starring Marlon Brando.
“I remember I was sitting on the floor in front of my parents’ bed watching the TV. At the time, I didn’t speak English but I remember watching the movie and I turned to them and said ‘I want to do what he does,’” Madera said. “The acting seemed so natural and it was very intriguing to me.”
At 10, he returned to Queens and grew up in Jackson Heights.
“I’m a Queens boy. I love New York,” Madera said. “As a New Yorker, there’s no B.S with us. You see what you get and you get what you see and we just go forward. We tell you what we like, what we don’t like, take it or leave it.”
He also credited his Dominican roots for shaping his storytelling.
“Every Dominican is an actor. Every Dominican is an artist. We paint with our words,” Madera said. “Any Dominican could tell you stories and you could be there for hours just listening to them talk about what they did during the day.”
Rising career in film and television
Madera’s profile has grown steadily over the past two decades. In addition to Queen of the South, he appeared in Weeds and films such as The Lost City and Dreaming of Julia.
He earned a best supporting actor nomination at the Imagen Awards for his role as Pote.
“I’m thrilled and honored to be where I am right now with the shows that I’m in. I want to act until the day I die, 100 years from now,” Madera said.
Entering the Star Wars universe
Madera returns as an Imperial warlord in The Mandalorian and Grogu, expanding his role from The Mandalorian.
“When they said there wasn’t going to be a Season 4 for ‘The Mandalorian,’ but there was going to be a film, with all honesty, I was not expecting that I was going to be part of the film because there are bigger names and bigger characters that they could bring,” Madera said. “And Jon said from the get-go when I booked for the show, that a Season 4 episode would be mine. So, I guess that episode became part of the film.”
A pivotal role in Euphoria
In Euphoria Season 3, Madera plays a DEA agent who pressures Rue Bennett, portrayed by Zendaya, to become an informant.
“She said, ‘Get ready for this ride because fans of the show are going to go bananas,’” Madera said of a warning from a family friend before his appearance. “I started watching it just to get ready for the audition and then I got hooked … I thought, ‘Wow, this is an amazing show.’ I’m honored to be a part of it.”
Madera also reflected on working with Zendaya.
“From the first moment, from the first rehearsal to the first action, I was welcomed into this set like I’ve been part of the set from Day 1, Season 1,” he said. “I cannot stop speaking all the accolades you can imagine about her. She’s a pro and she’s an amazing actor.”
What’s next
Madera said he plans to continue acting while also pursuing work behind the camera.
“As a movie lover for all my life, I could spend 12 hours watching movies and then reenact what I just learned and figure out what moved me when I watch something. That’s my next immediate goal,” he said.
New episodes of “Euphoria” air Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO, and “The Mandalorian and Grogu” premieres in theaters May 22.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: This Queens-born actor is showing up in two of 2026’s biggest projects
Reporting by Alexandra Rivera, New York Connect Team / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
