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Background:
An actor since 1980, Benjamin Bratt attracted Hollywood's attention for his
portrayal of calm Detective Reynaldo Curtis on NBC's Law & Order. He received a
nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor at the Emmys in 1999 and again in
2000 for his spectacular performance in the show. On the wide screen, Brett is
well remembered for his part in Demolition Man (1993), Miss Congeniality (2000),
Traffic (2000) and Pinero (2001). Soon Bratt will be seen in The Great Raid
(2005) and Che (2005).
Being named the Sexiest Man in Hollywood in a new poll on cable channel E!
(October 23, 2002), Bratt is the husband of actress Talisa Soto. His previous
relationships include actress Julia Roberts, actress Jennifer Esposito and
documentary filmmaker Monika McClure.
Scarecrow
Childhood and Family:
In San Francisco, California, Benjamin Bratt was born on December 16, 1963. His
father, a sheet-metal worker, is German and English while his mother, Eldy
Bratt, nurse, is a Quechua Indian from Lima, Peru. The middle of five children,
Benjamin has a brother, Peter Bratt (director; born 1962), and three sisters.
During his childhood, his activist mother took Benjamin and his four siblings to
participate in the takeover of Alcatraz Island.
While in school at Lowell High School in San Francisco, California, Benjamin was
nicknamed Scarecrow because he was so skinny. He continued his studies at the
University of California in Santa Barbara and got his B.F.A in 1986. After
college, the grandson of Broadway actor George Bratt attended the acting program
at the American Conservatory Theater.
After romantically being linked to several actresses, Benjamin married actress
Talisa Soto on April 13, 2002 (met while filming Piņero in 2001). He is the
father of a daughter named Sophia Rosalinda Bratt (born on December 6, 2002 in
New York) and is reportedly expecting his second child in Fall of 2005. The
family resides in New York and San Francisco.
During his off time, Benjamin enjoys surfing, mountain bike riding, rock
climbing, swimming, playing tennis, and skating. He also enjoys relaxing and
going to the movies.
Law & Order Detective
Career:
Actor Benjamin Bratt showed his interest in acting while he was studying in
college. Instead of finishing his Master's program, Bratt started his
professional acting career at the Utah Shakespearean Festival then made his
screen debut in Police Story: Gladiator School (1988, TV). He was cast in his
first lead role as ex-gang boss Tony Maldonado in the short-lived Knightwatch
(1988, TV). The following year, Bratt appeared on Dick Wolf's drama Nasty Boys.
In 1991, Bratt appeared on the wide screen playing the supporting role of Felix
in 1991's One Good Cop. He next played Claude in Bright Angel (1991) and went
back to the small screen to play brutal drug trader Carlos in Chains of Gold
(1991, starring Joey Lawrence and John Travolta). Bratt had leading roles in
Bound by Honor (1993) and Texas (1994) and played supporting roles in Demolition
Man (1993), The River Wild (1994) and Clear and Present Danger (1994).
Bratt eventually got his big break when he was cast as calm, obsessive Detective
Reynaldo Curtis in the television show Law & Order. His outstanding performance
brought him a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at
Emmys in 1999 and again in 2000.
While working on the series, Bratt also appeared in Woman Undone (1996, TV),
made an indie film Follow Me Home (1996, directed by his brother) and played the
role of Detective Rey Curtis in Exiled (1998). At the end of the decade, Brett
made a decision to leave Law and Order in order to be closer to his family and
focus on making movies. Being asked about his decision, Bratt said, "I've felt
like it was time to get back home to my family. 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."
Entering the new millennium, Bratt costarred with Madonna and Rupert Everett in
The Next Best Thing. He then took part in such film projects as The Last
Producer (2000), Red Planet (2000) and Traffic (2000). That same year, Bratt
also played opposite Sandra Bullock in the romantic comedy Miss Congeniality.
Shortly after his performance on TV's After the Storm (2001), Bratt starred in
the movie Pinero (2001), a film based on the true-life story of artist Miguel
Pinero, the New York figure whose urban poetry is known as a forerunner to rap
and hip-hop. Bratt could also be seen in Abandon (2002), costarred with Kevin
Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick in The Woodsman (2004) and played the role of Tom Lone
in Catwoman (2004, also starring Halle Berry and Sharon Stone). Recently, Bratt
made a cameo appearance in Mike Mills' independent feature Thumbsucker (2005)
and will be seen in the upcoming The Great Raid (2005) and Che (2005).
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