Jose Moreno Brooks plays Gael Garnica on NBC's new comedy "Telenovela."

Growing up in San Jose, California, Brooks went on to graduate from UCLA with a very practical degree in economics and philosophy, but soon took an acting class and realized that all he had ever wanted to do was tell stories.

Partnering with a writer/director he met in acting class, Brooks embarked on a life-changing journey to Kurdistan, Iraq, to film a feature about an aging athlete pursuing his dream of playing professional soccer. Brooks not only produced and starred in "Mikael," but also served as the film's editor. Inspired by the story, Brooks returned to his lifelong passion of playing soccer and was playing semi-pro until "Telenovela" came along.

Most recently, Brooks starred on the retelling of Stephan Perez's true-life story, MTV's "One Bad Choice." Other credits include a guest starring role on "The Nine Lives of Chloe King," as well as roles on "The Game" and "Big Time Rush."