Benjamin Bratt, born on December 16, 1963, in San Francisco, California, is a renowned American actor and producer.
Raised in a close-knit family, Bratt is the third of five children born to Eldy Banda, a Peruvian Quechua nurse and Native American activist, and Peter Bratt Sr., a sheet-metal worker of German, English, and Austrian descent.
His parents divorced when he was four, leaving his mother to raise the family, fostering a tight bond among the siblings.
Bratt’s early exposure to activism, including participating in the 1969 Native American occupation of Alcatraz at age five, shaped his cultural identity and commitment to social causes.
He attended Lowell High School, where he was part of the Lowell Forensic Society, and later earned a B.F.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1986.
Siblings
Benjamin has four siblings.
His older brother, Peter Bratt Jr., born around 1962, is a writer, director, and producer who has collaborated with Benjamin on several projects.
Peter is known for his critically acclaimed independent film Follow Me Home (1996), where Benjamin starred as Abel, and La Mission (2009), a drama set in San Francisco’s Mission District, which Peter wrote and directed while Benjamin starred and co-produced.
Peter also directed the documentary Dolores (2017), focusing on activist Dolores Huerta.
He owns 5 Stick Films and has been recognized with a 2000 Rockefeller Foundation Film/Video/Multimedia Fellowship for his artistic contributions.
Nadya Bratt, the eldest sibling, works as a teacher on special assignment at the San Francisco Unified School District, dedicating her career to education.
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Georgia Bratt, born around 1965, is another sibling, though details about her professional life are less public.
The youngest, Veruschka Bratt, born in 1969, completes the family. Little is known about Veruschka’s career, but she, like her siblings, was raised in the same activist-oriented environment.
Career
Bratt’s acting career began in 1988 with the television film Juarez, followed by roles in short-lived series like Knightwatch and Nasty Boys.
His breakout came in 1993 with dual roles in Blood In Blood Out, where he played Paco Aguilar, and Demolition Man, portraying Officer Alfredo Garcia alongside Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes.
These roles led to a string of 1990s films, including Clear and Present Danger (1994) and The River Wild (1994).
Bratt gained widespread recognition as Detective Reynaldo Curtis on NBC’s Law & Order from 1995 to 1999, reprising the role in 2009.
His film career expanded in the 2000s with roles in Miss Congeniality (2000), Traffic (2000), Piñero (2001), and Catwoman (2004).
He also voiced characters in animated hits like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009 and 2013), Despicable Me 2 (2013), and Coco (2017) as Ernesto de la Cruz.
On television, Bratt starred in The Cleaner (2008–2009), Private Practice (2011–2013), 24: Live Another Day (2014), and Star (2016–2018).
In 2025, he took on the role of Senator Bail Organa in Disney+’s Andor season two.
Accolades
In 1999, Bratt earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Detective Rey Curtis on Law & Order.
He has won four ALMA Awards for Outstanding Actor, reflecting his impact in roles across film and television, including Law & Order, The Cleaner, and La Mission.
Bratt also shared a Screen Actors Guild Award with the ensemble cast of Traffic (2000) for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.
In 2002, he received the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors Rita Moreno Award for acting excellence.
His work as a producer and actor in La Mission, directed by his brother Peter, garnered critical praise and festival recognition, including at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
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