In 1995, Bustamante enrolled in the
Parsons School of Design in
New York City, paying for school by working in retail as a security guard and eventually became the security manager in one of a retail store on
Fifth Avenue. In the fall of 1999, he used his work in the security field to transfer to
San Francisco. While in the Bay Area, Bustamante attended the
Shelton Studios, also known as the Jean Shelton Actors Lab, where he studied under acting coach and mentor Jean Shelton. In March 2000, Bustamante met acting coach Nancy Berwid, who invited him to an acting workshop. A year later, at a workshop Berwid hosted Hector met Donna Eckholdt, VP of talent development and casting for Paramount's Big Ticket Television. After seeing Bustamante's work, Eckholdt considered him for a series regular role on a project based on the life of a New York City private investigator. A year later while still in San Francisco, Bustamante made his first major TV appearance on
CBS'
The Agency, playing the head of the Colombian police. Within weeks he landed his second role in
NYPD Blue opposite
Dennis Franz and
Mark-Paul Gosselaar. In the spring of 2003 Bustamante resigned from his security job and moved to Los Angeles. Since then he has performed in guest star roles on such shows as
24,
Crossing Jordan,
Without a Trace,
Monk, and films such as,
Hostage opposite
Bruce Willis and
Sueño opposite
John Leguizamo. ==Filmography==