Velasco received his BFA in Theater in 1972 from the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana and graduated in drama from the University of Hawaii in 1973. He studied acting and dance under coaches such as Sonia Moore, Sally Whalen, and Tom Todoroff. His film credits include the short films Unspoken (2007), Unrest (2010), and 11 24 (2011), and the drama The Master (2013, with Zachary Culbertson).