Garcia pursued higher education at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), majoring in communication studies. He further refined his acting skills at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, an acting school with a reputation for training successful performers.

Early Career and Breakthrough with 'Lost'

While auditioning for acting roles, Garcia worked at Borders Books and Music for six years. During this period, he appeared in several commercials, gaining initial public attention from a Jack in the Box advertisement. However, his major career breakthrough came with the television series Lost.

Garcia was the first actor cast for Lost, after executive producers saw his performance on Curb Your Enthusiasm. The character Hugo "Hurley" Reyes was created specifically for him. His portrayal from 2004 to 2010 earned him widespread acclaim and a strong fan following.

Notable Television Roles

Before Lost, Garcia gained visibility with his role as Hector Lopez on the sitcom Becker. Following Lost, he appeared in a number of other television series. He featured in a recurring role on the FOX series Alcatraz and had a minor appearance in ABC’s Once Upon a Time.

He later joined the cast of Hawaii Five-0 as Jerry Ortega, contributing both comic relief and investigative expertise to the team. In 2015, he also became a part of the cast for the film The Healer.