Benjamin Bratt
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Benjamin Bratt (born December 16, 1963) is an American actor. He is known for playing Paco Aguilar in Blood in Blood Out. He had supporting film roles in the 1990s in Demolition Man (1993), Clear and Present Danger (1994) and The River Wild (1994). From 1995 to 1999, he starred as Detective Reynaldo Curtis on the NBC drama series Law & Order, for which he received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
In the 2000s, Bratt appeared in Miss Congeniality (2000), Traffic (2000), Piñero (2001), Catwoman (2004), Trucker (2008), and Snitch (2013), among other films. On television, Bratt has portrayed Dr. Jake Reilly on ABC's Private Practice (2011–2013), Steve Navarro on 24: Live Another Day (2014), Jahil Rivera on Star (2016–2018) and Senator Bail Organa on Andor (2025). He has also done voice acting in the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs film franchise (2009–2013), Despicable Me 2 (2013) and Coco (2017).
Early life and education
Bratt was born on December 16, 1963, in San Francisco, California<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the third of five children of Eldy (née Banda), a nurse and political activist, and Peter Bratt Sr., a sheet metal worker.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> His mother was born in Lima, Peru, and is of Quechua descent. She moved to the United States with her family at age 14.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His father has English, German, and Austrian ancestry.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His paternal grandfather, George, was a Broadway actor.<ref>Encyclopaedia of Latino Popular Culture, vol. 1, Cordelia Candelaria, Peter J. Garcia, Arturo J. Aldama, Greenwood Press, 2004, p. 90</ref>
An activist for Native American rights, Bratt's mother took Bratt, age six, and her other children to participate in the 1969 Native American occupation of Alcatraz. Led by young people from San Francisco, it raised national awareness of issues facing Native Americans and attracted participants from across the country.<ref name="Benjamin Bratt - Native Networks">Template:Cite web</ref>
Bratt attended Lowell High School in San Francisco, where he was a member of the Lowell Forensic Society. Bratt earned a B.F.A. at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1986, where he joined the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Enrolled in the M.F.A. program at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, he left before receiving his degree to star in the 1988 television film Juarez.<ref name="Benjamin Bratt - Native Networks"/>
Career
Early work
Bratt started his professional acting career at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, where he played supporting roles in Much Ado About Nothing, Richard III and The Comedy of Errors during their 1987 season. He starred in the 1988 television film Juarez which received critical acclaim. He then landed a supporting role in the television film Police Story: Gladiator School. He had his first film role as Esteban in Lovers, Partners & Spies, which did not perform well at the box office. Bratt worked extensively in television, with roles in the Knightwatch and Nasty Boys series. In 1989, he starred in the film Nasty Boys, based on the television series.
Hollywood breakthrough and success
After several low-budget films and television films, including One Good Cop and Shadow Hunter, in 1993, Bratt appeared in two Hollywood films. He portrayed a gang member turned LAPD officer named Paco Aguilar in Blood in Blood Out, and Officer Alfredo Garcia in Demolition Man. The following year, he played supporting roles in the popular films The River Wild, Clear and Present Danger, and James A. Michener's Texas.
Returning to television, he played Detective Reynaldo Curtis in the series Law & Order replacing Chris Noth, which gained him international recognition. He reprised the role in Homicide: Life on the Street and Exiled: A Law & Order Movie. For his role, he received three American Latino Media Arts Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations, and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
In 1999, Bratt decided to leave Law & Order. "I've felt like it was time to get back home to my family," Bratt said. "How do you walk away from the best job in the world and a group of people that you've grown to love? It's not easy, and it was an extremely difficult decision that I had to make."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On May 26, 1999, Bratt's final episode was aired. In 2009, Bratt returned as the now-retired Curtis on Law & Order, where he was reunited with his former boss, Lt. Anita Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson), in the episode that aired on December 11, 2009. He returned to his film career that same year.
Later work
In 2000, Bratt appeared in The Next Best Thing. That same year, he played opposite Sandra Bullock in the romantic comedy Miss Congeniality and had a small role in the ensemble work Traffic. In 2004, the actor co-starred in Catwoman. Bratt often portrays Hispanic characters, especially in his later work. Bratt said, "I've played 'Latin-looking spiv, third from the right so many times I can't count." In 2001, he starred in the biopic film Piñero, for which he received an American Latino Media Arts Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture. He played Puerto Rican actor and poet Miguel Piñero. Piñero was bisexual and when talking about Bratt having to portray his bisexuality, Bratt stated that this was "certainly something I wasn't afraid of." He went on to say, "Whether you're talking about Miguel's sexuality or his time spent in jail or his petty crime or his drug addiction, each one of those things is a component that makes up the entirety of the man."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2009, Bratt performed in The People Speak, a documentary feature film that uses dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries, and speeches of everyday Americans, based on historian Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States. That year he starred in and produced the film La Mission, directed by his brother, Peter Bratt. His later films include The Woodsman, Thumbsucker, The Great Raid, Trucker, Snitch, Ride Along 2, The Infiltrator, and Doctor Strange.
Bratt has appeared in several television shows since 2000, including starring as William Banks in The Cleaner, Dr. Jake Reilly in Private Practice, and Jahil Rivera on Star. He appeared in such series as Frasier, Modern Family, 24: Live Another Day, DMZ, and Poker Face.
Bratt has been featured in several animated feature films, which include El Macho, the main antagonist of Despicable Me 2. He played Manny the cameraman in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and reprised his role in its sequel Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2. Also, in 2015, he voiced Superman in Justice League: Gods and Monsters. In the 2017 film Coco, Bratt voiced its main antagonist, Ernesto de la Cruz, who was a Mexican folk legend and the idol of the film's protagonist, Miguel. Bratt sings "Remember Me", a song in the film that is sung by many other characters throughout and won Best Original Song at the 2018 Academy Awards and the film won Best Animated Feature.
In 2025, Bratt joined the cast of the Disney+ Star Wars series Andor for its second season, portraying Senator Bail Organa, who had previously been played by Jimmy Smits in prior Star Wars productions.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Activism and philanthropy
Bratt has been active in the American Indian Movement and supports such causes as the American Indian College Fund.<ref name="Benjamin Bratt - Native Networks"/>
He narrated We Shall Remain (2009), a PBS miniseries about Native Americans, and part of its American Experience.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Bratt has supported and served as a board member of the San Francisco Bay Area's Friendship House Association of American Indians and the Native American Health Center.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bratt also has supported area organizations such as the Tribal Athletics Program, and United Indian Nations.<ref name="Benjamin Bratt - Native Networks"/>
In 2002, Bratt and Priscilla López received the Rita Moreno Award for Excellence from the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors (HOLA).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2017, Bratt served as consulting producer for the film Dolores, which explores the life of Dolores Huerta, an American labor leader and civil rights activist. The film received critical acclaim and several awards.
In 2023, Bratt co-executive produced Wings of Dust, a documentary about water contamination in the Peruvian community of Espinar.
Personal life
From 1998 to 2001, Bratt dated actress Julia Roberts.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2002, he began dating actress and former Bond girl Talisa Soto; they married on April 13 in San Francisco. The two had met ten years earlier during a casting audition. During the filming of Piñero (2001) they began to develop a relationship. Their first child, daughter Sophia Rosalinda Bratt, was born on December 6, 2002; their second child, son Mateo Bravery Bratt, was born on October 3, 2005.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2024, Bratt was awarded an honorary doctorate by San Francisco State University.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Lovers, Partners & Spies | Esteban | |
| 1990 | Bright Angel | Claude | |
| 1991 | One Good Cop | Detective Felix | |
| Chains of Gold | Carlos | ||
| 1993 | Blood in Blood Out | Paco Aguilar | |
| Demolition Man | Officer Alfredo Garcia | ||
| 1994 | Clear and Present Danger | Captain Ramírez | |
| The River Wild | Ranger Johnny | ||
| 1996 | Follow Me Home | Abel | Also producer |
| 2000 | The Next Best Thing | Ben Cooper | |
| The Last Producer | Damon Black | ||
| Red Planet | Lieutenant Ted Santen | ||
| Miss Congeniality | FBI Agent Eric Matthews | ||
| Traffic | Juan Obregón | ||
| 2001 | Piñero | Miguel Piñero | |
| 2002 | Abandon | Detective Wade Handler | |
| 2004 | The Woodsman | Carlos | |
| Catwoman | Detective Tom Lone | ||
| 2005 | Thumbsucker | Matt Schramm | |
| The Great Raid | Lieutenant Colonel Henry Mucci | ||
| 2007 | Love in the Time of Cholera | Dr. Juvenal Urbino | |
| 2008 | Trucker | Leonard 'Len' Bonner | |
| 2009 | Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs | Manny (voice) | |
| The People Speak | Himself | ||
| La Mission | Che Rivera | Also producer | |
| 2013 | Snitch | Juan Carlos 'El Topo' Pintera | |
| The Lesser Blessed | Jed | ||
| Despicable Me 2 | Eduardo Pérez / El Macho (voice) | ||
| Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 | Manny (voice) | ||
| 2015 | Justice League: Gods and Monsters | Lor-Zod / Hernan Guerra / Superman (voice) | |
| 2016 | Ride Along 2 | Antonio Pope | |
| Special Correspondents | John Baker | ||
| The Infiltrator | Roberto Alcaino | ||
| Doctor Strange | Jonathan Pangborn | ||
| 2017 | Shot Caller | Sheriff Sanchez | |
| Coco | Ernesto de la Cruz (voice) | ||
| Dolores | Template:N/a | Consulting producer | |
| 2019 | A Score to Settle | Q / San Quentin | |
| 2020 | Best Summer Ever | Daphne's Dad | |
| 2022 | Wings of Dust | Template:N/a | Short film; executive producer |
| Dead for a Dollar | Tiberio Vargas | ||
| 2024 | Mother of the Bride | Will Jackson | |
| Millers in Marriage | Johnny | ||
| Template:TableTBA | Template:Pending film | TBA |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Juarez | Sergeant Rosendo Juarez | Television film |
| 1988 | Police Story: Gladiator School | Officer Dave Ramirez | Television film |
| 1988–1989 | Knightwatch | Tony Maldonado | 9 episodes |
| 1989 | Nasty Boys | Eduardo Cruz | Television film |
| 1989–1990 | Nasty Boys | 13 episodes | |
| 1990 | Capital News | Carlos Torres | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1993 | Shadowhunter | Nakai Twobear | Television film |
| 1994 | Texas | Benito Garza | Television film |
| 1995–2009 | Law & Order | Detective Reynaldo Curtis | Main role (seasons 6–9); guest role (season 20); 95 episodes |
| 1996 | Late Night with Conan O'Brien | Episode: "Jim Breuer/Matt Frewer/Spacehog" | |
| Woman Undone | Jim Mercer | Television film | |
| 1996–1999 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Detective Reynaldo Curtis | 3 episodes |
| 1998 | Exiled: A Law & Order Movie | Television film | |
| 2001 | After the Storm | Arno | Television film |
| 2003 | Frasier | Kevin (voice) | Episode: "The Doctor Is Out" |
| 2005–2006 | E-Ring | Lieutenant Colonel Jim Tisnewski | 23 episodes |
| 2008 | The Andromeda Strain | Dr. Jeremy Stone | 2 episodes |
| 2008–2009 | The Cleaner | William Banks | 26 episodes; also producer |
| 2009 | American Experience | Narrator | 3 episodes |
| 2010–2020 | Modern Family | Javier Delgado | 6 episodes |
| 2011–2013 | Private Practice | Dr. Jake Reilly | 36 episodes |
| 2014 | 24: Live Another Day | Steve Navarro | Television miniseries |
| 2015 | Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles | Lor-Zod / Hernan Guerra / Superman (voice) | Episode: "Bomb" |
| 2016–2018 | Star | Jahil Rivera | 33 episodes |
| 2021 | Soul of a Nation | Template:N/a | Episode: "Soul of a Nation Presents: Corazón de América – Celebrating Hispanic Culture"; director |
| 2022 | DMZ | Parco Delgado | Television miniseries |
| 2023 | Poker Face | Cliff LeGrand | 5 episodes |
| Skull Island | Cap (voice) | 7 episodes | |
| 2024 | Loot | Himself | Episode: "Mr. Congeniality" |
| 2025 | Andor | Bail Organa | 3 episodes |
Awards and nominations
References
External links
- 1963 births
- Living people
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- American Conservatory Theater alumni
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- American male voice actors
- American people of Peruvian descent
- American people of Quechua descent
- Hispanic and Latino American male actors
- Lowell High School (San Francisco) alumni
- Male actors from San Francisco
- Mission District, San Francisco
- University of California, Santa Barbara alumni
- Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners