J.R. Martinez

Jose Rene "J. R." Martinez (born June 14, 1983) is an American actor, motivational speaker and former U.S. Army soldier. Since 2008 he has played the role of Brot Monroe on the ABC daytime drama All My Children, and was the winner of Season 13 of ABC's Dancing with the Stars. On November 1st, 2011, the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association picked Martinez as the Grand Marshal of the 2012 Rose Parade. In 2003, Martinez sustained severe burns to over 40 percent of his body while serving as a United States Army infantryman in Iraq. Following his recovery, he has traveled around the country speaking about his experiences to corporations, veterans groups, schools, and other organizations. Martinez was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, on June 14, 1983, to Maria Zavala. He is of Central American descent. He has two sisters who were raised with his mother's family in El Salvador, and his sister Anabel died before Martinez ever had the chance to meet her. Martinez has never met his father.