Gael García Bernal was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, to Patricia Bernal, an actress and model, and José Ángel García, an actor and director. His stepfather is cinematographer Sergio Yazbek. Bernal began his acting career as a child, working with his parents in a variety of plays. When he was fourteen, he starred in a soap opera called El abuelo y yo (1992). He appeared in film school exercises and short films, including De tripas, corazón (1996), directed by Antonio Urrutia, which was nominated for an Academy 'Award' for Best Short Film, and El ojo en la nuca (2001), a short film directed by Rodrigo Plá. Bernal studied acting in the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Amores perros (2000) was his first major feature film, followed by Y tu mamá también (2001), directed by Alfonso Cuarón and photographed by Emmanuel Lubezki.