Carlos Armando Ponce Freyre Jr.[note 1] (born September 4, 1972) is a Puerto Rican actor, musician, model, and television personality.

In film, he played Salvadore in Couples Retreat, Matthew Wright in Spy and Rodrigo in Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo.

In television, he played Felix Gonzalez in Cristela, Max Duran in Hollywood Heights, as well as voicing Santiago Santos in Maya & Miguel.

His parents, Carlos Ponce Sr. and Esther Freyre, emigrated from Cuba after the Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro.

However, the Spanish-language television station Univision offered Ponce the opportunity to host a show called Hablando (Talking).

Ponce hosted the 2006 Miss Universe pageant in Los Angeles, with Shandi Finnessey, Nancy O'Dell and Carson Kressley.

In 1998, he made his debut in American television with his participation in the TV series Beverly Hills, 90210 and 7th Heaven where he played the husband of Jessica Biel's character Mary Camden.

[1][2][3] In 2003, Ponce played himself in the movie Chasing Papi alongside fellow Latinos: Puerto Ricans Roselyn Sánchez, Lisa Vidal, Walter Mercado, Colombian actress Sofía Vergara, and Latin pop singer Jaci Velásquez.

In 2006, Ponce participated in the controversial recording of the Spanish-language version of the Star-Spangled Banner, called "Nuestro Himno", alongside Wyclef Jean, Gloria Trevi, and Olga Tañón.

[5][6][7] On the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks Carlos Ponce reached the number-one spot three times with "Rezo" (I Pray), "Decir Adiós" (Say Good-Bye) and "Escúchame" (Listen to Me).

The World Athletic Games held in Seville, Spain, adopted the song "Amelia" from Ponce's second album as its official theme.

That same year, he was contracted by the Walt Disney Studios to sing "Bella Notte" for the animated film Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure.

After the tragedy of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Ponce joined a group of 100 Latin American singers, who united to pay tribute to the victims by recording "Último Adiós" ("Last Good-Bye").

In 2002, he recorded his third studio album, Ponce; later that year he signed a contract with Telemundo to host a reality show called Protagonista de la Musica, which became one of the most popular Hispanic programs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.