Fresno native playing lead role in Amazon Prime movie

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A promising actor is on his way up, but he's firmly rooted in Fresno.

Tom Vera plays the lead character in a new feature on Amazon Prime.

"Narco Sub" is the fictional story of a man who becomes a criminal to save his family.

Vera plays former Navy Seal Bruce Stryker, who makes a deal with a drug cartel that kidnapped his family.

He stars alongside some Hollywood legends such as Lee Majors and Tom Sizemore.

The movie started filming in early 2020 then suspended operations during the pandemic.

The project took about a year to complete because of several production interruptions but Vera is excited to finally see his hard work on the "streaming screen".

While his career is taking him across the country, his heart is right here in the Valley.

"I have a near and dear place in my heart for Fresno," Vera said. "All of my family is still in Fresno, so my mom just moved back there, my sister just moved back there. My father, all my aunts, cousins, so I would love to give a shout out to them. I love you guys."

Vera attended Lincoln Elementary.

When he was nine years old, his family moved to Southern California. The "acting bug" didn't bite until he was in college studying geology.

The married, 34-year-old lives in Houston, where the movie was filmed.

He still has his day-job as a geologist but hopes to become a full-time actor.