J.R. Martinez is an actor, best-selling author, motivational speaker, advocate, and wounded U.S. Army veteran. Born in Louisiana and raised by a single mother from El Salvador, he had early dreams of playing in the NFL. Instead, he joined the Army after high school and deployed to Iraq in March 2003 with the 101st Airborne Division. The following month, his Humvee hit a roadside bomb in Karbala, trapping him inside the burning vehicle. Martinez survived with smoke inhalation and severe burns to 34 percent of his body.

During his recovery, Martinez found a new purpose after a nurse asked him to speak with a fellow burn patient. Realizing the positive impact his story had on others, he began visiting patients daily, a path that launched his career as an internationally acclaimed motivational speaker. His resilience opened doors in the entertainment industry, beginning in 2008, when he landed the role of Brot Monroe—a wounded veteran—on the ABC daytime drama All My Children.

His public profile soared in 2011 when he and his partner, Karina Smirnoff, won season 13 of ABC's Dancing with the Stars. Following his televised victory, Martinez expanded his career into writing and advocacy. He wrote the New York Times bestselling memoir Full of Heart: My Story of Survival, Strength, and Spirit, about how he turned his personal tragedy into inspiration for others. His podcast, REBIRTH with J.R. Martinez, is an ode to reinvention and human resilience.