If anyone could ever claim to be an adopted son of Santa Barbara, it would be Leo Carrillo, star of stage, screen, and television. Born in Los Angeles, Carrillo always felt an affinity for Santa Barbara; in his autobiography he called Santa Barbara his “ancestral home.”
Leo Carrillo was born in an adobe near Los Angeles Plaza in 1881. He took great pride as a member of one of the most prominent families of early California. Among his forebears were a comandante of the Santa Barbara presidio, the first alcalde, or mayor, of Los Angeles, and any number of judges and administrators. His father was the first Los Angeles city marshal. It was a distinguished family history.
After attending St. Vincent’s College, the forerunner of Loyola Marymount, Carrillo went to work for the Southern Pacific Railroad in the late 1890s, hoping to save enough money to continue his art studies. He was assigned to a survey team working to close the gap in the rail line between Ellwood and Surf in Santa Barbara County. Carrillo spent time with relatives in Goleta and displayed his budding acting talents in amateur shows at Sexton Hall.