[1] Hernandez was born in Placerville, California, 15 years after the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

[1] In 1888, Hernandez made his acting debut on stage at the old California Theatre in San Francisco.

[1] He later became part of the resident company at the Francois Theatre in Montreal, and also appeared at the Grand Opera House in New York.

[1] From late 1897 through May 1899, Hernandez was a traveling Shakespearean actor with the Janet Waldorf Company, appearing in As You Like It and Romeo and Juliet.

[citation needed] Hernandez was a member of the William Nicholas Selig stock company, which pioneered filmmaking in Southern California.