Born Darnell Garcia in New York City, New York, Darnell moved to Los Angeles, CA in 1954. He attended Fifty Ninth Street Public School, Horace Mann Junior High School, Manual Arts and George Washington High Schools before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1966. Darnell’s military career was actively spent in the Military Police and Intelligence Corps and honorably discharged in 1968.

Darnell continued his education at Los Angeles City College earning an Associate of Arts Degree and on to California State University at Los Angeles where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree. He worked his way through college as a senior Karate Instructor for the Chuck Norris Karate Schools. In 1972, he became Grand Champion at the International Karate Championship.

As Advertising Director at “Inside Kung Fu” magazine, a unit of Unique Publications, he became interested in film acting, appearing in such movies as “Enter the Dragon”, “Wolfen”, Elvis Presley’s “New Gladiators” and others, later becoming the film production manager and distributor for Borden Films, Inc. at Warner Bros. Studios. In addition, he penned and published two books “Explosive Instincts and Mind Power” and “Fighting Art of Tang Soo Do”.

In his early thirties, he embarked on a new career, which would last seven years, in public service beginning with the Los Angeles Police Department where he received a commendation for saving the life of another officer. Then he was recruited by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Justice Department where again he received superior achievement awards.

Currently living and working in Southern California, traveling and keeping up with car racing in F-1, IMSA, NASCAR, Vintage Racing.