Benjamin Bratt

Benjamin Bratt, born December 16, 1963 is an American actor. He is most famous for his role as Rey Curtis on the TV series Law & Order; and his appearances in the movies Blood in Blood Out, Miss Congeniality, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Traffic, and Piñero.

Early life

Bratt was born in San Francisco, California, the son of nurse Eldy (née Banda) and a sheet metal worker father. Bratt's mother is a Peruvian Indigenous activist of the Quechua ethnic group; born in Peru, she moved to the U.S. at age 14. His father was an American of German and English descent. They married December 30, 1960, in San Francisco, but divorced in September 1967. Bratt's paternal grandfather, George Cleveland Bratt (March 5, 1893-March 29, 1984), was a Broadway actor who married his grandmother Wiltrude Hildner on August 6, 1920, in Detroit, Michigan.

As a child, Bratt went with his mother and siblings to participate in the 1969 Native American occupation of Alcatraz. Today Bratt is an active supporter of such Native American causes as the American Indian College Fund and We Shall Remain, a mini-series and multi-media project, narrated by Bratt, that establishes Native history as an essential part of American history from PBS' acclaimed series American Experience.

His brother, Peter Bratt, wrote and directed the 1996 film Follow Me Home, casting Benjamin as Abel. In 2009 Peter wrote and directed the independent film La Mission also starring Benjamin as Che.

Bratt has for years been a strong supporter and board member of San Francisco Bay Area's Friendship House Association of American Indians and Native American Health Center.

Personal life

In 1998, he began dating actress Julia Roberts. He escorted her to the March 25, 2001, Academy Awards ceremony, at which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. Three months later, in June 2001, they announced that they were no longer a couple.

In 2002, he (along with Priscilla López) received the Rita Moreno HOLA Award for Excellence from the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors (HOLA).

Less than a year later, he married his pregnant girlfriend, actress Talisa Soto, on April 13, 2002, in San Francisco. The two met ten years earlier during the casting audition of Blood In Blood Out and afterwards off and on they saw each other. It was not until while filming Piñero that 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, in Los Angeles.

Schooling

In San Francisco, Bratt attended Lowell High School, where he developed his dramatic and oratory skills as a member of the Lowell Forensic Society. Bratt earned a B.F.A. at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he also joined the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. Although accepted into the M.F.A. program at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, he left before receiving his degree to star in the television series Juarez.

Career

Bratt's best-known role has been that of Det. Rey Curtis on the television show Law & Order. In 1999, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work on the series. His more popular films include Miss Congeniality, Blood in Blood out and Traffic. On June 23, 2009, Bratt appeared on The View to promote The Cleaner.

On October 23, 2009, it was announced that Bratt will return as Detective Reynaldo Curtis on Law & Order. Curtis reunited with his former boss, Lt. Anita van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson), which aired on December 11, 2009. After four seasons, he left the show that same year to pursue a film career.

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.

Filmography

1991 One Good Cop Felix

1993 Blood In Blood Out Paco Aguilar Alternative title: Bound by Honor

Demolition Man Officer Alfredo Garcia

1994 Clear and Present Danger Captain Ramírez

The River Wild Ranger Johnny

1996 Follow Me Home Abel

2000 The Next Best Thing Ben Cooper

The Last Producer Damon Black

Red Planet Lt. Ted Santen

Miss Congeniality Eric Matthews

Traffic Juan Obregón

2001 Piñero Miguel Piñero

2002 Abandon Wade Handler

2004 The Woodsman Carlos

Catwoman Tom Lone

2005 Thumbsucker Matt Schramm

The Great Raid Lt. Col. 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 Role

The People Speak Himself

2010 La Mission Che Rivera

Television

Year Title Role Notes

1987 Juarez Sgt. Rosendo Juarez TV-Pilot

1988 Lovers, Partners & Spies Estaban TV-Pilot

Police Story: Gladiator School Officer Dave Ramirez TV-Movie

1988–1989 Knightwatch Tony Maldonado 9 episodes

1989 Nasty Boys Eduardo Cruz TV-Movie

1989–1990 Nasty Boys Eduardo Cruz 13 episodes

1990 Capital News TV-Movie/TV-Pilot

1991 Chains of Gold Carlos TV-Movie

1993 Shadowhunter Nakai Twobear TV-Movie

1994 James A. Michener's Texas Benito Garza Alternative title: Texas

TV-Movie

1995–1999 Law & Order Det. Rey Curtis 95 episodes

1996 Woman Undone Jim Mercer TV-Movie

1996–1999 Homicide: Life on the Street Det. Rey Curtis 3 episodes

1998 Exiled: A Law & Order Movie Det. Rey Curtis TV-Movie

2001 After the Storm Arno TV-Movie

2003 Frasier Kevin, the Caller Episode: The Doctor Is Out

2005–2006 E-Ring Lt. Col. Jim Tisnewski 22 episodes

2007 Love in the Time of Cholera Dr. Juvenal Urbino

2008 The Andromeda Strain Dr. Jeremy Stone Miniseries

2008–2009 The Cleaner William Banks 26 episodes

2009 Freedom Riders

American Experience Narrator 3 episodes

Law & Order Det. Rey Curtis 1 episode

2010 Modern Family Javier Delgado Episode: Up All Night

2011 Private Practice Connor (?) season 4-5