Noé Hernández Álvarez was born on November 10, 1969, in Atitalaquia, Hidalgo, into a peasant family. He studied dramatic art at the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico. He was going to become a lawyer, but changed his mind at the last moment while leafing through the school's brochure, since he had already participated in theatrical productions in high school. After graduating in 1994, he taught at a high school in Toluca for seven years while also founding an experimental theater group, and then moved to Mexico City because he wanted to act in films.

Hernández attended three to four auditions a week for three years until he signed a contract to shoot a commercial, and then got a small role in the film "Foreign Property" in 2007. The following year he had his first supporting role in the film "Spiral" (2008), and then a 40-second role in the film "Nameless," directed by Cary Fukunaga. He then appeared in supporting roles in the films "Evaporation" (2010), "We Are What We Are" (2010), and "Hell" (2010).

During the filming of "Nameless," Hernández met director Gerardo Naranjo, who years later offered him the lead role in the film "Miss Bala," written by Naranjo and Mauricio Katz; the film tells the story of a beauty pageant contestant played by Stephanie Sigman.

In 2024, he received the Ariel Award for Best Actor for his role in the film "Cocoloco."