Cortez's film career began in 1974, when he was introduced in Daigdig ng Sindak at Lagim.
He is become an assistant director of the film Kapag Lumaban ang Api in 1987.
He became the president of the Mowelfund (Movie Workers Foundation, Inc.)[2] after Boots Anson-Roa retired on April 1, 2020.
[5] In 1986, Cortez campaigned for the reelection of president Ferdinand Marcos in the 1986 snap election.
[7] On August 31, 2021, Cortez's daughter Cai posted on Instagram that he will undergo surgery for a suspected liver cancer.