Mike Vitar was never interested in the world of acting. Even though Mike began his career at the age of 12, he retired from the industry a few years later. Instead of all the glamor and glitz, Mike chose a normal life. Little can be said about his time in the industry. While he was active, Mike worked on a few movies. His most impressive appearance came in the 1993 movie, The Sandlot (1993). Mike played the role of Benjamin Franklin “Benny the Jet” Rodriguez in the movie. Since retiring from the entertainment industry, Mike has gone off-radar and is barely seen or recognized. In this article, we will take a closer look at the wiki-bio of Mike Vitar.

Wiki/Bio Facts

FactValue
Full nameMichael Anthony Vitar
Date of birthDecember 21, 1978
Place of birthLos Angeles, California, U.S.
Zodiac signSagittarius
NationalityAmerican
AncestryCuban American
GenderMale
SexualityStraight
Height6 feet (1.84 m)
Hair ColorBlack
Eye ColorBrown
SiblingsElizabeth (sister), Pablo (brother)
SpouseKym Vitar, née Allen
Children3 sons
OccupationFirefighter (2002–present), Actor (1990–1997)
Years active as an actor1990–1997
First film roleArturo in Diplomatic Immunity (1991)
First TV roleAnthony Gambuzza in Brooklyn Bridge (1991)
Breakthrough film roleBenjamin Franklin “Benny the Jet” Rodriguez in The Sandlot (1993)
Other notable film rolesLuis Mendoza in D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994) and D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996)
Last film roleBenny the Jet in The Sandlot 2 (2005)
Last TV roleCarlos Lunes in Chicago Hope (1997)
High schoolSt. Francis High School in La Cañada, California
High school graduation year1997
Previous occupationEMT for Gerber Ambulance in Torrance (1996–2002)
Current employerLos Angeles Fire Department
Legal troublesCharged with felony assault for attacking Samuel Chang on Halloween 2015; pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery; suspended without pay for six months; returned to full duty in 2017

How Rich is Mike Vitar?

Mike Vitar has amassed a modest fortune of $300,000. Although he left the acting industry in 1997, he has not been idle since then. He pursued a career as an emergency medical technician and later as a firefighter for the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Childhood & Education

Mike Vitar was born on the 21st of December 1978. Born and raised in Los Angeles California, Mike shares Cuban descent. The youngest of the Vitar siblings, Mike spent much of his early life with his brother and sister. In fact, Mike’s older brother Pablo, played the older version of his character, Benny, in The Sandlot. But like Mike, Pablo quit acting and joined the Los Angeles Police Department in 1996. However, on the 29th of January 2008, Pablo succumbed to colon cancer. Mike also has an older sister Elizabeth, but little is known about her. Mike attended St. Francis High School in La Cañada, California, and graduated in 1997.

Career & Progression

Child Actor

Mike began his acting career at the age of 12. He was spotted by a casting manager in line for a ride at a school carnival. In 1991, Mike was cast in his first role in the movie Diplomatic Immunity. In the same year, Mike made a one-off appearance in the TV series, Brooklyn Bridge. Mike’s next role came in 1993. He was cast in the role of Luis in the movie Sunset Grill. In the same year, Mike got his breakout role as Benjamin Franklin “Benny the Jet” Rodriguez in the 1993 movie, The Sandlot.

In 1994, Mike was cast in the movie D2: The Mighty Ducks. This was followed by a 1996 movie appearance in NYPD Blue. Mike returned for the third iteration of The Mighty Ducks and played the role of Luis Mendoza in  D3: The Mighty Ducks. The movie was released in 1996 and was Mike’s final movie appearance. In 1997, just before retiring, Mike made an appearance in the TV series Chicago Hope.

Ventures Away from Acting

Apart from his work as an actor, Mike also took on several odd jobs. In 1996, Mike started working at the Gerber Ambulance in Torrance. The job proved to be a stepping stone for Mike, who went on to take the role of a firefighter at the Los Angeles Fire Department in 2002 and has been at t ever since.

Legal Troubles

On Halloween of 2015, Mike and fellow firefighters Eric Carpenter and one other approached and violently assaulted college student Samuel Chang. Chang was handing out candies to kids around the area where his grandmother lived. The group choked Chang which led to near death, brain, and other injuries. Chang’s pulse stopped and the firefighters retrieved their gear to save him. The group tried to pin the incident on Chang stating that he was on PCP. However, a drug test cleared him. Vitar and Carpenter were charged with felony assault, which could have resulted in four years of prison time. However, they managed to avoid jail by pleading no contest to a reduced charge of misdemeanor battery. They were sentenced to 90 days of community service and 12-month anger management classes. They also had to pay restitution to Chang and his family. Vitar was suspended from his firefighting job for six months without pay, but he was able to return to full duty after that.

Mike Vitar wife & Kids

Mike Vitar is married to his longtime wife Kim Vitar. The couple began to date in 2003. Two years into the relationship Mike popped up the question with an engagement ring. A year later the couple got married in 2006. Kim is a photographer by profession. So far in seventeen years of conjugal life, Mike and Kim have given birth to three children. Their eldest  Elias Vitar was born in 2007 then came Wesley Vitar in 2009 and the youngest girl Norah Paige was born in 2013.

FAQs

QuestionAnswer
Who is Mike Vitar?Mike Vitar is an American firefighter and former actor who appeared as Benjamin Franklin “Benny the Jet” Rodriguez in The Sandlot and Luis Mendoza in the final two Mighty Ducks films.
When and where was he born?He was born on December 21, 1978, in Los Angeles, California, U.S.
How did he start acting?He started acting at the age of 12 when a casting manager spotted him in line for a ride at a school carnival.
How many Mighty Ducks movies did he appear in?He appeared in two Mighty Ducks movies: D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994) and D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996) as Luis Mendoza, a fast-skating hockey player.
Did he have any siblings?Yes, he had two older siblings: a brother named Pablo and a sister named Elizabeth.
Did his brother also act in The Sandlot?Yes, his brother Pablo played the older version of Benny in The Sandlot.
What happened to his brother Pablo?His brother Pablo died due to colon cancer on January 29, 2008.
What did he do after retiring from acting?He worked as an EMT for Gerber Ambulance in Torrance from 1996 to 2002, and then became a firefighter for the Los Angeles Fire Department since 2002.
Is he married?Yes, he is married and has three children.
Where does he live now?He currently resides in Los Angeles.
Has he appeared in any TV shows?Yes, he has appeared in one episode of Brooklyn Bridge (1991) as Anthony Gambuzza, one episode of Chicago Hope (1997) as Carlos Lunes, and one episode of NYPD Blue (1996) as a teenager.
Has he done any voice acting?No, he has not done any voice acting.
Does he have any social media accounts?No, he does not have any social media accounts.
Has he won any awards for his acting?Yes, he won the collective award for his part in Sandlot as the Young Artist Award in 1994 for Outstanding Youth Ensemble in a Motion Picture
Has he been involved in any legal troubles?Yes, he has been involved in a legal trouble in 2015, when he and two other firefighters assaulted a man who was handing out candy on Halloween.
Does he have any hobbies or interests?Yes, he enjoys surfing, snowboarding, and playing guitar.
Does he have any plans to return to acting?No, he does not have any plans to return to acting.
Is he still friends with his co-stars from The Sandlot and The Mighty Ducks?Yes, he is still friends with some of his co-stars from The Sandlot and The Mighty Ducks.

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