Héctor Elizondo
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Héctor Elizondo (born December 22, 1936) is an American character actor. He is known for playing Phillip Watters in the television series '' Chicago Hope'' (1994–2000) and Ed Alzate in the television series '' Last Man Standing'' (2011–2021). His film roles include '' Pocket Money'' (1972), ''The Taking of Pelham One Two Three'' (1974), ''
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'' (1979), '' American Gigolo'' (1980), '' The Flamingo Kid'' (1984), '' Taking Care of Business'' (1990), '' Pretty Woman'' (1990), '' Beverly Hills Cop III'' (1994), ''
How High ''How High'' is a 2001 American stoner comedy film directed by Jesse Dylan in his feature film directorial debut and written by Dustin Lee Abraham. In the film, Method Man and Redman portray two cannabis users who are visited by the ghost ...
'' (2001), and '' Love in the Time of Cholera'' (2007). Elizondo has received an
Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given since 1956 by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theater artists and groups involved in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. Starting just after th ...
, a
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
, and two ALMA Awards, and had been nominated for a
Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...
, a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
, a Satellite Award, and five
Screen Actors Guild Awards Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1995 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...
.


Early life

Elizondo was born in New York, the son of Carmen Medina Reyes and Martín Echevarría Elizondo, an accountant and
notary public A notary public ( notary or public notary; notaries public) of the common law is a public officer constituted by law to serve the public in non-contentious matters usually concerned with general financial transactions, estates, deeds, powers- ...
. His parents were Puerto Ricans of Spanish descent who moved from Puerto Rico to New York City with the hope of finding a better life. He grew up on the
Upper West Side The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper We ...
. At a young age, he demonstrated a talent for sports and music. He sang for the Frank Murray Boys' Choir when he was 10 years old. Upon graduating from junior high school in 1950, he enrolled in the High School of the Performing Arts. He also attended another public high school, where he excelled in
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and
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
. His baseball skills were good enough for him to be scouted by both the
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and the
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.Elizondo profile
, FortuneCity.com; accessed 2016-03-19.
In 1954, Elizondo enrolled in
City College of New York The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a Public university, public research university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York ...
, intending to become a history teacher. However, during his freshman year, he became a father and dropped out of college, going to work full-time to support his family. Later, he divorced and gained full custody of his son, Rodd.


Career

From 1962 to 1963, Elizondo studied dance at the Ballet Arts Company at
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...
. During 1962–63, he also studied acting under Mario Stiletti at Stella Adler Theatre Studio when it was located in the Dryden East Hotel on East 39th St. In 1965, he landed a part in the
off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
show ''Kill the One-Eyed Man''. In 1968, he got a part in the play '' The Great White Hope''. His first major success came when he played "
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" in the guise of a Puerto Rican steam room attendant in '' Steambath'', for his performance in which he won an
Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given since 1956 by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theater artists and groups involved in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. Starting just after th ...
. In 1974, Elizondo played an ex-mafioso-turned-subway hijacker, "Mr. Grey," in '' The Taking of Pelham One Two Three''. He starred as a Puerto Rican widower on the CBS television series '' Popi'' (1975–1976). The short-lived series, which ran for 11 episodes, was one of the first American network television series to feature a Latino theme and cast. In 1975, he portrayed the murderer in an episode of ''
Columbo ''Columbo'' is an American crime drama television series starring Peter Falk as Columbo (character), Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. After two pilot episodes in 1968 and 1971, the show originall ...
'', "A Case of Immunity". He was a member of the cast of the 1985–86 CBS
situation comedy A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
''Foley Square'', starring Margaret Colin. In the 1980s, Elizondo befriended Garry Marshall, who was impressed with his talent. Their first film together was '' Young Doctors in Love'', in which Elizondo displays his guitar-playing talent. His role in '' Pretty Woman'' lasted only 10 minutes, but led to a
Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...
nomination. In 1999, he co-starred in '' Runaway Bride'' as Fisher, the husband of the male protagonist's ex-wife. Elizondo has participated in more than 80 films (18 of which have been Marshall's). He appeared in every film that Marshall directed, including a brief appearance as a Portuguese fisherman in '' Overboard''. In 2001, he was featured in the short-lived television drama '' Kate Brasher'' and portrayed security head Joe in the film '' The Princess Diaries'', a role he reprised in the 2004 sequel, '' The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement''. As a voice-actor, he played Bane in '' Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman''. He may be best known to television audiences as Dr. Phillip Watters on the CBS television series '' Chicago Hope'' created by well-known television creator David E. Kelley. He has won both an
Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...
and ALMA award and was nominated for a Satellite Award and several SAG Awards for playing this role. He is one of only two people to remain on the show for its entire run, the other being Adam Arkin. In 2008, Elizondo joined the cast of the
USA Network USA Network (or simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Media Group division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It was launched in 1977 as Madison Square Garden Sports Network, one of the first national sports ...
series ''
Monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...
'' as Dr. Neven Bell,
Adrian Monk Adrian Monk, portrayed by Tony Shalhoub, is the title character and protagonist of the USA Network television series ''Monk (TV series), Monk''. He is a renowned former homicide detective for the San Francisco Police Department. He has obsessiveâ ...
's new psychiatrist, following the sudden death of Stanley Kamel, the actor who played Monk's original psychiatrist. In 2023, he reprised his role in '' Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie'' after some convincing from
Tony Shalhoub Anthony Marc Shalhoub ( ; ; born October 9, 1953) is an American actor. He is known for a variety of roles ranging from comedic to dramatic on stage and screen. He has received several accolades including five Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, s ...
. From 2011 to 2021, Elizondo played Ed Alzate on the Fox (formerly ABC) comedy '' Last Man Standing'', starring
Tim Allen Timothy Alan Dick (born June 13, 1953), known professionally as Tim Allen, is an American actor and comedian. He is known for playing Tim "The Toolman" Taylor on the ABC sitcom ''Home Improvement'' (1991–1999) for which he won a Golden Gl ...
and Nancy Travis. In 2023, Elizondo guest voiced a character, Romar Adell, a local of Serenno who went into hiding after the
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
bombarded the planet, on '' Star Wars: The Bad Batch''.


Personal life

Elizondo has been married three times. He became a father at the age of 19 with his first wife. His son Rodd was born on September 5, 1956, and died February 24, 2017 at the age of 60. Since 1969, he has been married to Carolee Campbell, an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
-winning actress who played nurse Carolee Simpson on '' The Doctors''. They live in Sherman Oaks, California. In April 2013, Elizondo participated in the ''
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'' Festival of Books, held at the
University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...
, promoting children's reading. Proud of his Latino heritage, Elizondo has said he does not accept roles that he feels are stereotypical or demeaning in any way.


Filmography


Film


Television


Theatre


Video games


Awards and nominations

OBIE Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given since 1956 by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theater artists and groups involved in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. Starting just after th ...
* 1971: Won, "Distinguished Performances" – ''Steambath'' ALMA Awards * 1998: Nominated, "Outstanding Individual Performance in a Television Series in a Crossover Role" – ''Chicago Hope'' * 1998: Nominated, "Outstanding Individual Performance in a Television Series in a Crossover Role" – ''Turbulence'' * 1998: Won, "Outstanding Actor in a Made-for-Television Movie or Mini-Series" – ''Borrowed Hearts'' * 1999: Nominated, "Outstanding Individual Performance in a Television Series in a Crossover Role" – ''Chicago Hope'' * 2000: Nominated, "Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film" – ''Runaway Bride'' * 2000: Won, "Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series" – ''Chicago Hope'' * 2002: Nominated, "Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture" – ''Tortilla Soup''
Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
* 1992: Nominated, "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special" – ''Mrs. Cage'' * 1995: Nominated, "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" – ''Chicago Hope'' * 1996: Nominated, "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" – ''Chicago Hope'' * 1997: Won, "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" – ''Chicago Hope'' * 1998: Nominated, "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" – ''Chicago Hope''
Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual Awards ceremony, award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally ...
* 1991: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture" – ''Pretty Woman'' Imagen Foundation Awards * 2005: Nominated, "Best Supporting Actor in a Film" – ''The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement'' NCLR Bravo Awards * 1996: Nominated, "Outstanding Television Series Actor in a Crossover Role" – ''Chicago Hope'' Satellite Awards * 1997: Nominated, "Best Performance By an Actor in a Television Drama Series" – ''Chicago Hope'' SAG Awards * 1995: Nominated, "Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series" – ''Chicago Hope'' * 1997: Nominated, "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series" – ''Chicago Hope'' * 1998: Nominated, "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series" – ''Chicago Hope'' Temecula Valley International Film Festival * 2006: Won, "Lifetime Achievement Award"


See also

*
List of Puerto Ricans This is a list of notable people from Puerto Rico which includes people who were born in Puerto Rico (Borinquen) and people who are of full or partial Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican descent. Puerto Rican citizens are included, as the governm ...


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Elizondo, Hector 1936 births 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male film actors American male musical theatre actors American male soap opera actors American male television actors American male voice actors American actors of Puerto Rican descent Hispanic and Latino American male actors Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni Living people Male actors from Manhattan Obie Award recipients Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners People from the Upper West Side People from Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles American people of Basque descent American people of Canarian descent American people of Spanish descent