Mike Vitar | |
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Born | Michael Anthony Vitar December 21, 1978 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Occupation(s) | Firefighter (2002–present) Actor (1990–1997) |
Years active | 1992–1997 |
Michael Anthony Vitar (born December 21, 1978) 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. He started acting as a teenager when a casting manager spotted him in line for a ride at a school carnival. He retired from acting after 1997.
He has two older siblings. His older brother, Pablo, played the older version of his character, Benny, in The Sandlot, after which he joined the Los Angeles Police Department in 1996. Pablo died due to colon cancer on January 29, 2008. He also has an older sister, Elizabeth.
He attended St. Francis High School in La Cañada, California, from which he graduated in 1997. Starting in 1996, he worked for Gerber Ambulance in Torrance as an EMT, from which he moved into his career as a firefighter.[1] Since 2002 he has been a firefighter for the Los Angeles Fire Department.[2] He currently resides in Los Angeles.