When he was six years old, Carlos Gallardo fantasized about being involved in the world of television. He did not know he would do it, but his greatest desire was to enter that marvelous dream world. It came at no surprise, then, when at a young age he decided on a career as a filmmaker. From the day he made this decision onwards, he let his imagination run free.

Carlos began by making home videos, but by the time he turned 13, he had become a full-fledged director: 'I made my first movie with an 8mmm camera loaned to me by a friend of my father', he reminisces about his early experiences in film. Now, at age 29, he has become an expert in his field. Inspired by well-known directors such as John Carpenter and George Miller, this lover of Mexican culture and tradition has never ceased to expand his creative vision behind and in front of the camera. Without a doubt, the project which brought him the most recognition from Hollywood was the incredibly successful film Mariachi, El where he participated as an actor and producer.

Together with his close friend Robert Rodriguez, the young adventurer took his work to Los Angeles. To his great surprise, the film gained the attention of several big-time producers. Carlos Gallardo, the youngest of three brothers from the Mexican state of Coahuila, was beginning to make a name for himself in the world of Hollywood filmmaking.

After his success with Mariachi, El Carlos proceeded to work as an actor and co-producer on the film which would help to launch the English-language careers of Salma Hayek and Antonio Banderas: Desperado. This movie opened the door to many new projects, such as Bravo and _Single Action (1997)_ , in which Carlos filled the roles of producer, director and screenwriter.

Having proved himself to the world, today Carlos Gallardo is fulfilling a promise he made to himself eight years ago - to make his film _Bandido (2002)_ a reality by bringing it to the big screen. Directed by award-winning director Roger Christian, Carlos plays Max Cruz - man of the world, music lover and all around ladies' man. Soon he will have another feather in his cap with the release of Once Upon a Time in Mexico, featuring Johnny Depp, Willem Dafoe, Enrique Iglesias, Eva Mendes, and of course Hayek and Banderas. For now, though, the only thing he asks is to be called not Carlos Gallardo, but simply - BANDIDO.