Puertorican Heritage Actors

1. Benicio Del Toro

Benicio Del Toro emerged in the mid-1990s as one of the most watchable and charismatic character actors to come along in years. A favorite of film buffs, Del Toro gained mainstream public attention as the conflicted but basically honest Mexican policeman in Steven Soderbergh's Traffic (2000).

...

2. Roselyn Sanchez

Actress | Act of Valor

Roselyn Milagros Sánchez Rodríguez is a Puerto Rican singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress, producer, and writer. On television, she is best known for her roles as Elena Delgado on the CBS police procedural Without a Trace (2005-09), as Carmen Luna on the Lifetime comedy-drama Devious Maids (...

3. Jennifer Lopez

Producer | Hustlers

Jennifer Lynn Lopez was born on July 24, 1969 in The Bronx, New York City, New York to teacher Lupe López and computer specialist David López. The two Puerto Ricans were brought to the continental United States during their childhoods and eventually met while living in New York City. Their ...

4. Raul Julia

Actor | Street Fighter

Raul Julia was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Olga Arcelay, a mezzo-soprano singer, and Raúl Juliá, an electrical engineer. He graduated from Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola High School in San Juan. Here he studied the rigorous classical curriculum of the Jesuits and was always active ...

5. Rosie Perez

Actress | White Men Can't Jump

Rosie Perez was born in Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York City, to Lydia Perez and Ismael Serrano, a merchant marine. She is of Puerto Rican descent. Rosie attended Grover Cleveland High School in Ridgewood, Queens, New York, and later enrolled at Los Angeles City College in Los Angeles, California. ...

6. Amaury Nolasco

Actor | Prison Break

Amaury Nolasco was born in Puerto Rico. He is an actor and producer, known for Prison Break (2005), A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) and Transformers (2007).

7. Luis Guzmán

Actor | Traffic

Actor of Puerto Rican descent who gained fame making many memorable films in the 1980s and 1990s due to his villainous physical appearance. Guzmán was born in Cayey, Puerto Rico on August 28, 1956 and raised in New York City's Greenwich Village and the surrounding Lower East Side neighborhood. His ...

8. José Ferrer

Actor | The Caine Mutiny

José Ferrer was a Puerto Rican actor and film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for playing the title character in Cyrano de Bergerac (1950). Ferrer was the first Puerto Rican actor to win an Academy Award, and also the first Hispanic actor to win an Academy Award.

In 1912, Ferrer was...

9. Rita Moreno

Actress | West Side Story

Rita Moreno is one of the very few performers to win an Oscar, an Emmy, a Tony and a Grammy, thus becoming an EGOT. She was born Rosita Dolores Alverío in the hospital in Humacao, Puerto Rico on December 11, 1931 (but raised in nearby, smaller Juncos, which had no hospital), to seamstress Rosa ...

10. Zoe Saldana

Actress | Avatar

Zoe Saldana was born on June 19, 1978 in Passaic, New Jersey, to Asalia Nazario and Aridio Saldaña. Her father was Dominican and her mother is Puerto Rican. She was raised in Queens, New York. When she was 10 years old, she and her family moved to the Dominican Republic, where they would live for ...

11. Michelle Rodriguez

Actress | Fast & Furious 7

Mayte Michelle Rodríguez was born on July 12, 1978 in San Antonio, Texas to Carmen Milady Pared Espinal, a housewife, and Rafael Rodríguez Santiago, a U.S. Army solider. Known for tough-chick roles, Michelle is proof that there is a cross between beauty and brawn. Michelle always knew she was ...

12. Dayanara Torres

Actress | Hataw na

Born into a poor but very close-knit family in the small town of Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, Dayanara Torres was discovered during her senior year of high school by two scouts from the Miss Puerto Rico pageant. Although she never imagined she could compete in the pageants she grew up watching, she went ...

13. Freddie Prinze

Actor | Chico and the Man

Freddie Prinze was born Frederick Karl Pruetzel in New York City, New York, to a Puerto Rican mother, Aurea Elena Ruiz, and a German immigrant father, Edward Karl Pruetzel. Freddie grew up in the Washington Heights section of New York City. As a chubby child, he was often bullied, but was quite ...

14. Carlos Ponce

Actor | Couples Retreat

Award-winning actor, singer, songwriter, composer and TV personality, the multifaceted Carlos Ponce has enjoyed a storied career in the entertainment industry. Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, Carlos made his acting debut at the age of six. Since then he has starred in numerous productions on small ...

15. Miguel Ferrer

Actor | Traffic

Miguel Ferrer was an American actor known for playing Morton from RoboCop, Shan Yu from Mulan, Martian Manhunter from Justice League: The New Frontier, Slade Wilson from Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, Death from Adventure Time, Sesa Refumee from Halo 2 and Vice President Rodriguez from Iron Man 3...

16. Talisa Soto

Actress | Mortal Kombat

Born to a Puerto Rican family in Brooklyn, Talisa was raised there and in Massachusetts. She started modeling at age 15 and has appeared on the covers of "Vogue," "Mademoiselle," "Glamour," and "Self," as well as in a "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit issue. She has been making film appearances since ...

17. Jimmy Smits

Actor | Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

Jimmy L. Smits is an American actor. He is best known for playing attorney Victor Sifuentes on the 1980s-1990s legal drama L.A. Law, NYPD Detective Bobby Simone on the 1990s-2000s police drama NYPD Blue, Matt Santos on the political drama The West Wing, and for appearing in Switch (1991), My Family...

18. John Leguizamo

Actor | Moulin Rouge!

Fast-talking and feisty-looking John Leguizamo has continued to impress movie audiences with his versatility: he can play sensitive and naïve young men, such as Johnny in Hangin' with the Homeboys (1991); cold-blooded killers like Benny Blanco in Carlito's Way (1993); a heroic Army Green Beret, ...

19. Naya Rivera

Actress | Glee

Naya Rivera was an Afro-Latina American actress, model and singer known for playing Santana Lopez from Glee and Hillary Winston from The Royal Family. She also was in The Master of Disguise, Baywatch, CSI: Miami, American Dad, Batman: The Long Halloween Parts 1 and 2, Even Stevens and The Bernie ...

20. Wilson Cruz

Actor | Star Trek: Discovery

Award-winning Actor, Producer, Activist, "Actorvist," and Humanitarian Wilson Cruz currently stars as Dr. Hugh Culber on the Award-winning Paramount+ series STAR TREK: DISCOVERY. He appeared on the Netflix series THIRTEEN REASONS WHY and in Hulu's 2020 GLAAD Award- Winning original animated kids' ...

21. Lymari Nadal

Actress | American Gangster

Lymari came to Los Angeles in 2001, and at 22 years old finished her Masters degree in Chemistry at the University of Puerto Rico, where she also took acting classes.

After graduating, she went on to work in theater in San Juan. Her first TV show, a sitcom based on her own experiences in grad ...

22. Freddie Prinze Jr.

Actor | She's All That

Freddie Prinze, Jr. was born on March 8, 1976, in Los Angeles, California, to Kathy Prinze (née Kathy Elaine Barber) and comedian/actor Freddie Prinze. He is of Puerto Rican, German, English, and Irish descent. Freddie lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in his early life. He attended three different...

23. Rosario Dawson

Actress | Rent

This stunning and resourceful actress has been primarily a film player thus far. Only recently has she been opening herself up more to doing television (the series Gemini Division (2008), which she executive-produced), and animated voice-overs. Dawson's powerhouse talent stands out the most in edgy...

24. Esai Morales

Actor | La Bamba

Award-winning actor Esai Morales is a graduate of New York's High School for the Performing Arts. He was born in Brooklyn, to Puerto Rican parents, and began his acting career on the stage, first appearing in El Hermano at the Ensemble Theatre Studio and at New York's Shakespeare Festival In The ...

25. Denise Quiñones

Actress | Smallville

Denise Quiñones was born on September 9, 1980 in Ponce, Puerto Rico. She is an actress, known for Smallville (2001), Smallville: Vengeance Chronicles (2006) and Freddie (2005).

26. Lin-Manuel Miranda

Soundtrack | Hamilton

Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the first incarnation of "In the Heights" his sophomore year at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. Off-Broadway, "In The Heights" received nine Drama Desk nominations, including best music, best lyrics, and it won the award for outstanding ensemble performance; received ...

27. Gina Rodriguez

Actress | Deepwater Horizon

Named the "next big thing" and one of the "top 35 Latinos under 35," by The Hollywood Reporter, Gina Rodriguez's profile has been rising steadily since her breakout performance as the titular character in FILLY BROWN during the Sundance Film Festival in 2012.

Gina Rodriguez was born in Chicago, ...

28. Miriam Colon

Actress | Scarface

Miriam Colon was born on August 20, 1936 in Ponce, Puerto Rico. She was an actress, known for Scarface (1983), Sabrina (1995) and Goal! The Dream Begins (2005). She was married to Fred Valle, George Paul Edgar and ???. She died on March 3, 2017 in New York City, New York, USA.

29. Jeirmarie Osorio

Actress | A Grito Herido

Jeirmarie Osorio was born on December 22, 1987 in Ponce, Puerto Rico. She is an actress, known for A Grito Herido (2022), 'Til Jail Do Us Part (2022) and Fast Five (2011).

30. Modesto Lacen

Actor | Celia

Loíza, Puerto Rico, Theater, film, radio and television actor and producer with a history of 20 years of uninterrupted work in Puerto Rico, the United States, Spain and Colombia, among others. He began working professionally as a teenager and continued his training in the Drama Department of the ...

31. Chita Rivera

Actress | Chicago

An accomplished and versatile actress/singer/dancer, Chita Rivera has won two Tony Awards as Best Leading Actress in a Musical and received eight additional Tony nominations for an exceptional 10 Tony nominations. She recently starred in The Visit, the final John Kander/Fred Ebb/Terrence McNally ...

32. Adrienne Houghton

Actress | Coach Carter

Adrienne Eliza Bailon was born on October 24, 1983 in New York City, New York to Nilda Felix & Freddy Bailon. She was raised by her parents & her stepfather Joe Felix. She has a sister named Claudette, who's 3 years older. When they were younger, they would sing for family & friends at home. They ...

33. Melonie Diaz

Actress | Fruitvale Station

Melonie Diaz was raised on New York's Lower East Side. She was bitten by the acting bug while attending the Henry Street Settlement. Melonie was also a student at the Professional Performing Arts High School. Her parents are of Puerto Rican descent. She has one older sister and is very close with ...

34. Marc Anthony

Actor | Man on Fire

Marco Antonio Muñiz (born September 16, 1968), known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer, actor, and producer. Anthony is also the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. The two-time Grammy Award and six-time Latin Grammy Award winner has sold more than 12 million albums ...

35. Ana Ortiz

Actress | Ugly Betty

Ana Ortiz was born on January 25, 1971 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Ugly Betty (2006), Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (2011) and Devious Maids (2013). She has been married to Noah Lebenzon since June 9, 2007. They have two children.

36. Victoria Justice

Actress | Victorious

Victoria Justice is an American actress and singer. She was born on February 19, 1993 in Hollywood, Florida, USA. She is the daughter of Serene Reed and Zack Justice. Her mother has Puerto Rican ancestry, while her father is of English, German, and Irish descent. She has a younger half-sister, ...

37. April Hernandez Castillo

Actress | Freedom Writers

One of the most respected Latina actresses in Hollywood, April Hernandez-Castillo's personal life story is one of victory. Her feature film debut as Eva Benitez in the Image Award-nominated MTV film, Freedom Writers (2007), alongside Academy Award-winner Hilary Swank, put her in the ranks of some ...

38. Daniella Alonso

Actress | Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2

Daniella Alonso was born in New York City, to a large family of Puerto Rican, Peruvian, and Japanese descent, and was raised in an all-women household. At age fifteen, she was discovered by the Ford Modeling Agency, and began booking jobs for teen magazines like Seventeen, YM, and Teen, which led ...

39. Raquel Castro

Actress | Jersey Girl

Raquel's path in the entertainment world was nurtured and encouraged from an early age. By age 4 she was regularly appearing on "Sesame Street" and "Nick Jr." Then at age 7 she became a breakout star when she played the lead role in the feature film "Jersey Girl" alongside megastars Jennifer Lopez ...

40. Alanna Ubach

Actress | Bombshell

Hardly recognizable from one character to the next, Alanna González Ubach has starred in over 150 theater, film and television projects, including the Peabody Award winning "Men of a Certain Age", HBO's "Hung" as Yael Koontz, the Oscar-winning "Coco" as Mama Imelda, critically acclaimed "Euphoria" ...

41. Kiele Sanchez

Actress | A Perfect Getaway

Kiele Sanchez was born on October 13, 1977 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for A Perfect Getaway (2009), The Purge: Anarchy (2014) and Lost (2004). She has been married to Zach Gilford since December 29, 2012. They have one child. She was previously married to Zach ...

42. Freddy Rodríguez

Actor | Planet Terror

Freddy Rodríguez was born in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Planet Terror (2007), Poseidon (2006) and Harsh Times (2005). He has been married to Maria Elsie Rivera since December 23, 1995. They have two children.

43. Lana Parrilla

Actress | Once Upon a Time

Lana Maria Parrilla (born July 15, 1977) is an American actress. Parrilla is best known for her roles on television and radio. She was a regular cast member in the fifth season of the ABC sitcom Spin City (1996) from 2000 to 2001. She later starred in Boomtown (2002-2003), Windfall (2006), ...

44. Esmeralda Santiago

Writer | Almost a Woman

Esmeralda Santiago was born on May 17, 1948 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She is an actress and writer, known for Almost a Woman (2002) and QUEJATE (2004). She has been married to Frank Cantor since June 11, 1978.

45. Caridad 'La Bruja' De La Luz

Actress | Bamboozled

Caridad 'La Bruja' De La Luz made her feature film debut in Spike Lee's Bamboozled. She appeared as supporting actress in Sundance Award-winning independent feature Down to the Bone, played Tituba in The History Channel's series "Witch Hunt." and has a special guest appearance in the upcoming ...

46. Laura Aleman

Actress | Runner Runner

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, veteran actress Laura Alemán has been making waves across TV and film both in English and Spanish for several decades. Born into an entertainment family, Laura began her career in a theater variety show at age 7, with her mother, a vocal coach. A professional dancer ...

47. Mariana Paola Vicente

Actress | Ozark

Mariana Paola Vicente was born on January 8, 1989. She is an actress and producer, known for Ozark (2017), Lucifer (2016) and American Horror Story (2011). She has been married to Enrique Hernandez since December 10, 2018. They have one child.

48. Cordelia González

Actress | Born on the Fourth of July

Cordelia González is a movie and theatre Actress, Master of Ceremonies, Voice and Broadcast Media professional born in San Juan, Puerto Rico.Mrs. González has a Bachelor's Degree in Drama / Theatre Arts and Stagecraft from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus and also a Master of Fine ...

49. Judy Reyes

Actress | Scrubs

Judy Reyes was born on November 5, 1967 in Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Scrubs (2001), Smile (2022) and Devious Maids (2013). She was previously married to Edwin M. Figueroa.

50. Wilmer Calderon

Actor | Fast & Furious

Wilmer Calderon was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, and moved to Brandon, Florida, near Tampa at the age of two. He learned to speak Spanish at home from his parents and English from watching Sesame Street (1969). At the age of five, he started playing baseball, a year-round sport in Florida, and it...

51. Andrea Navedo

Actress | Remember Me

Andrea Navedo was born on October 10, 1969 in The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and director, known for Remember Me (2010), Bright (2017) and Jane the Virgin (2014).

52. Ivonne Coll

Actress | Instinct

"A formidable actress as she continues to deliver breakthrough performances on television, film and theater" -Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

Ivonne Coll is a Theater, Television, and Film award-winning actress born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico where as a child she trained in classical ballet and ...

53. Yara Martinez

Actress | The Tick

Yara Martinez was born on August 31, 1979 in Puerto Rico. She is an actress and producer, known for The Tick (2016), The Hitcher (2007) and True Detective (2014). She has been married to Joe Lewis since 2018.

54. Norma Maldonado

Actress | The Good Doctor

Born on Governors Island, New York County, New York, actress Norma Maldonado has had a love for acting since childhood. She is of Puerto Rican and Spanish heritage. Norma's father, Juan Arturo Maldonado, was in Air America for the US Air Force. Her family frequently relocated and required her to ...

55. John Ortiz

Actor | Silver Linings Playbook

John Ortiz was born on November 21, 1969 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Silver Linings Playbook (2012), American Gangster (2007) and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007). He is married to Jennifer Ortiz. They have one child.

56. Luis Roberto Guzmán

Actor | Cobra Kai

In the beginning, he tried to enter the musical group Menudo, but didn't make it. Later he entered the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras, completing his studies in the Department of Drama. He moved to Mexico in 1999. He continues academic study with Patricia Reyes Spindola and Art Studies ...

57. Ramon Fernandez

Actor | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II

Ramon Fernandez is an actor, writer and director born in Madrid, Spain.

Moving to New York, he quit a Wall street career in finance to focus fully on his passion for the cinema. After a quick turn on "The Sopranos", roles came in steady on such TV shows as "Law & Order", "CSI Miami", "Sons of ...

58. Luna Lauren Velez

Actress | Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens, New York among eight siblings, including her twin sister Lorraine, Lauren Velez dreamed of becoming an actress ever since she played a groundhog in a school play in second grade. Immediately following high school, she received a scholarship from the Alvin Ailey...

59. Lorraine Velez

Actress | Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Lorraine Velez was born on November 2, 1964 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. She is an actress, known for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), Doctor Who (2005) and Law & Order (1990).

60. John Vargas

Actor | Primary Colors

John Vargas was born on April 24, 1958 in New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for Primary Colors (1998).

61. Ramón Franco

Actor | Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood

Ramon Franco is considered by many in the industry one of the finest character actors of his generation.In 2014 he made Grantland's list of "The 10 Most Underappreciated Actors on TV This Year" for his role as Fausto Galvan in the Peabody award-winning show "The Bridge". He's best known to movie ...

62. Christian Navarro

Actor | 13 Reasons Why

Christian Navarro was born on August 21, 1991 in Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for 13 Reasons Why (2017), Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018) and Prey for the Devil (2022).

63. Brandon Larracuente

Actor | 13 Reasons Why

Brandon Larracuente sparks his passion for entertainment and reignites his inspirations at every corner. Pushing the bounds of storytelling, his performances transcend the screen and touch the hearts of viewers. The Thirteen Reasons Why actor continues to explore new creative avenues and roles as ...

64. Shalim Ortiz

Actor | All Rise

Shalim Ortiz is a Puerto Rican artist that has been one of the few Latino actors of his generation to successfully establish himself both in the English and Spanish markets. Working throughout the arts, Shalim has received critical acclaim in acting (television & film), theatre & as a recording ...

65. Adria Arjona

Actress | Father of the Bride

Accustomed to airplanes and distant countries since she could recall, Adria Arjona was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Mexico City. Falling asleep in Guatemala and waking up in Argentina was not out of norm for her. She is the daughter of a Puerto Rican mother, Leslie, and a Guatemalan father, ...

66. Aubrey Plaza

Actress | Safety Not Guaranteed

Aubrey Christina Plaza (born June 26, 1984) is an American actress and comedian known for her deadpan style. She portrayed April Ludgate on Parks and Recreation (2009), and after appearing in supporting roles in several films, had her first leading role in the 2012 comedy Safety Not Guaranteed (...

67. Frankie Muniz

Actor | Agent Cody Banks

Frankie was born in Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, to Denise, a nurse, and Francisco Muniz III, a restaurateur. His father is of Puerto Rican heritage and his mother is of Irish and Italian descent. Frankie was home-schooled since Grade Six. He started his acting career performing the role of Tiny Tim in ...

68. Kirk Acevedo

Actor | Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Born and raised in the Bronx, and spent most of his formative years hanging out in New York City, Kirk Acevedo, who is of Puerto Rican descent, received his BFA from SUNY Purchase and founded a theater company called The Rorschach Group. After guest-starring on several television shows like New ...

69. Justina Machado

Actress | Torque

Justina Machado was born on September 6, 1972 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Torque (2004), Six Feet Under (2001) and One Day at a Time (2017).

70. Ismael Cruz Cordova

Actor | In the Blood

Ismael Cruz- Córdova is an actor, entrepreneur currently based in New York. Born and raised in Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico. At age fifteen, Ismael began working locally in commercials, TV and film shortly after joining his High School Drama Club. In 2006 he decided to further pursue his dream and ...

71. Anthony Ramos

Actor | In the Heights

Anthony Ramos Martinez is an American actor, singer and songwriter. In 2015, he originated the dual roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the Broadway musical Hamilton. Ramos also appeared in the 2021 film version of In the Heights as Usnavi and in the 2018 film A Star Is Born as Ramon. In ...

72. Hector Elizondo

Actor | Pretty Woman

Hector Elizondo was born in New York City, New York, where he was raised on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. He is the son of Carmen Medina Reyes and Martín Echevarría Elizondo. Hector is of Basque and Puerto Rican descent, and "Elizondo" means "at the foot of the church" in Basque. His lifestyle ...

73. Alondra Delgado

Actress | All American

Alondra Delgado is an actress and writer known for her roles on Safehouse (2023), All American (2018), Vida (2018), and Mayans M.C (2018). Delgado started her acting career young being just 7 years old when she booked her first leading role on a Feature Film, Zompi (2004). Originally from Puerto ...