Raúl Eduardo Esparza (born October 24, 1970) is an American stage, screen, and voice actor. Considered one of Broadway's
leading men since the 2000s, he is best known for his
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
-nominated performance as Bobby in the 2006 Broadway revival of
''Company'' and for his television role as New York Assistant District Attorney (ADA)
Rafael Barba in ''
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', where he had a recurring role in Season 14 and was promoted to a series regular in Seasons 15 to 19.
He made his Broadway debut in 2000 as Riff Raff in the revival of ''
The Rocky Horror Show
''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to the Science fiction film, science fiction and Horror film, horror B movies of the 1930s through to the early 1960s, the ...
.'' Subsequently, he starred as Jonathan in the original Off-Broadway production of ''
Tick, Tick... Boom!'' and
Caractacus Potts in the original Broadway production of ''
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' in 2005. He received
Tony
Tony may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer
* Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...
nominations for his roles as Philip Salon in the
Boy George musical ''
Taboo
A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...
'' in 2004; Bobby in the musical comedy ''
Company'' in 2006; Lenny in
Harold Pinter's play ''
The Homecoming
''The Homecoming'' is a two-act play written in 1964 by Harold Pinter and first published in 1965. Its premières in London (1965) and New York (1967) were both directed by Sir Peter Hall. The original Broadway production won the 1967 Tony A ...
'' in 2008; and Charlie Fox in
David Mamet
David Alan Mamet (; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, filmmaker, and author. He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony nominations for his plays ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1984) and '' Speed-the-Plow'' (1988). He first gained cri ...
's play ''
Speed-the-Plow'' in 2009. Most recently, he starred in the Off-Broadway production
''Seared'' in 2019.
Esparza has been nominated in all Tony categories for which an actor is eligible. He is widely regarded for his versatility on stage, having performed musicals by
Andrew Lloyd Webber,
Stephen Sondheim,
Kander and Ebb,
Boy George, the
Sherman Brothers and in plays by Mamet, Pinter,
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
,
Tom Stoppard, and more. His film work includes
Sidney Lumet's ''
Find Me Guilty'' and
Wes Craven
Wesley Earl Craven (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015) was an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and editor. Craven has commonly been recognized as one of the greatest masters of the horror genre due to the cultural imp ...
's ''
My Soul to Take'', and his television credits include roles on
''The Path'', ''
Medium'', ''
Hannibal'' and ''
Pushing Daisies
''Pushing Daisies'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Bryan Fuller that aired on ABC from October 3, 2007, to June 13, 2009. The series stars Lee Pace as Ned, a pie-maker with the ability to bring dead things back to li ...
''. He narrated the audiobook for
Stephen King's ''
Under the Dome'' as well as several others, and he sings in concerts across the country.
Early life
Esparza was born in
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington (Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...
, to
Cuban parents, María Elena Cecilia García y Gutiérrez and Raúl Esparza y Rues, who had left the country because of the Castro regime.
[Stated on '' Finding Your Roots'', January 4, 2022] While his paternal grandfather had been established in Castro's sugar ministry, his father's family grew disillusioned with the government, and in 1966, his father and grandmother escaped to the U.S. by boat, while his grandfather defected through Spain.
[ Esparza's maternal grandfather had moved to Cuba from ]Figueres
Figueres (, ; , es, Figueras, ) is the capital of the ''comarca'' of Alt Empordà, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain.
The town is the birthplace of artist Salvador Dalí, and houses the Teatre-Museu Gala Salvador Dalí, a large museu ...
, Alt Empordà, Catalonia
Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy.
Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the nort ...
, Spain.[
Esparza was raised in ]Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
, Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. He graduated from Belen Jesuit
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School is a private, Catholic, all-male, preparatory school run by the Antilles Province of the Society of Jesus in Tamiami, Page 1anPage 2/ref> unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, operated by the Society of Je ...
in 1988 and won a Silver Knight Award in Drama that same year. In 1992, Esparza received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama and a Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in English from New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, th ...
's Tisch School of the Arts
The New York University Tisch School of the Arts (commonly referred to as Tisch) is the performing, cinematic and media arts school of New York University.
Founded on August 17, 1965, Tisch is a training ground for artists, scholars of the a ...
.
While on '' Finding Your Roots'', Season 8, Episode 2, Esparza learned that his Catalan great-great-grandparents founded Garcia de Pou Restaurant Supply Store in Madrid, Spain, which is still owned and operated by members of his family. He also learned that another branch of his family came from the small town of Navata, Girona
Girona (officially and in Catalan , Spanish: ''Gerona'' ) is a city in northern Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 103,369 in 2020. Girona is the capital ...
, Catalonia
Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy.
Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the nort ...
, Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, where they can be traced back 14 generations.
Career
Theatre
Broadway theatre
Esparza first drew attention with his performance in the 2000 Broadway revival of ''The Rocky Horror Show
''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to the Science fiction film, science fiction and Horror film, horror B movies of the 1930s through to the early 1960s, the ...
'', which won him the Theatre World Award
The Theatre World Award is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or Off-Broadway. It was first awarded for the 1945–1946 theatre se ...
. Esparza's other Broadway credits include ''Cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining o ...
'' (2001), ''Taboo
A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...
'' (2003), '' Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' (2005), and Sondheim's '' Company'' (2006). He received a Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and a Drama Desk Award for his performance in ''Taboo''. His performance in ''Company'' earned him a second Tony nomination, this time for Best Actor in a Musical, as well as his second Drama Desk award. Beginning in November 2007, he appeared in Harold Pinter's play ''The Homecoming
''The Homecoming'' is a two-act play written in 1964 by Harold Pinter and first published in 1965. Its premières in London (1965) and New York (1967) were both directed by Sir Peter Hall. The original Broadway production won the 1967 Tony A ...
'' and was Tony-nominated for Best Featured Actor in a Play. In 2008, he played Charlie Fox in the revival of David Mamet
David Alan Mamet (; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, filmmaker, and author. He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony nominations for his plays ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1984) and '' Speed-the-Plow'' (1988). He first gained cri ...
's '' Speed-the-Plow'' co-starring Jeremy Piven
Jeremy Samuel Piven (born July 26, 1965) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Ari Gold in the comedy series '' Entourage'', for which he won a Golden Globe Award and three consecutive Emmy Awards. He also starred in the Britis ...
and Elisabeth Moss
Elisabeth Singleton Moss (born July 24, 1982) is an American actor. She is known for her work in several television dramas, earning such accolades as two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards, which led ''Vulture'' to name her the ...
on Broadway. His performance in ''Speed-the-Plow'' earned him a Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Play, making him the second performer (after Boyd Gaines) to be nominated in all four acting categories a performer is eligible for at the Tonys, although he has yet to win one.
Esparza appeared in a limited-engagement revival of Tom Stoppard's '' Arcadia'', which began previews at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre
The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is a Broadway theater at 241 West 47th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1928, it was designed by Herbert J. Krapp in the Elizabethan, Mediterranean, and Adam styles ...
on February 25, 2011, and opened on March 17, 2011.
Esparza appeared in the musical ''Leap of Faith
A leap of faith, in its most commonly used meaning, is the act of believing in or accepting something outside the boundaries of reason.
Overview
The phrase is commonly attributed to Søren Kierkegaard; however, he never used the term, as he ...
'' in the role of the "Reverend" Jonas Nightingale. He was involved in the workshop in 2008, the out-of-town tryout at the Ahmanson Theatre
The Ahmanson Theatre is one of the four main venues that compose the Los Angeles Music Center.
History
The theatre was built as a result of a donation from Howard F. Ahmanson Sr, the founder of H.F. Ahmanson & Co., an insurance and savings and ...
(Los Angeles) in 2010, and the Broadway production in 2012, for which he received a 2012 Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Musical.
Other theatre
In 1999, Esparza played Che in the national tour of '' Evita'', opposite Natalie Toro
Natalie Toro is an American singer and actress for stage, television, and film.
Early life and education
Toro was born in Bronx, NY, where her parents both immigrated to from Puerto Rico. She debuted at the Apollo Theater at the age of five. Lat ...
. The tour was intended to open on Broadway, but failed to do so. In 2001, he appeared Off-Broadway in '' tick, tick... BOOM!'' by Jonathan Larson
Jonathan David Larson (February 4, 1960 – January 25, 1996) was an American composer, lyricist and playwright most famous for writing the musicals ''Rent'' and '' Tick, Tick... Boom!'', which explored the social issues of multiculturalism, ...
, garnering a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Musical. He appeared in two musicals by Stephen Sondheim, '' Sunday in the Park with George'' and '' Merrily We Roll Along'' at the 2002 Kennedy Center
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...
Sondheim Celebration. He also appeared as the Arbiter in the Actors Fund of America concert of Tim Rice's ''Chess
Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to dist ...
'' in September 2003.
In 2009, Esparza starred in a production of Shakespeare's ''Twelfth Night
''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vi ...
'' at the Delacorte Theater (New York) with Anne Hathaway
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (born November 12, 1982) is an American actress. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award, she was among the world's highest-paid actresses in 2 ...
, from June 25 through July 12. He starred as Hapgood in the City Center Encores! staged concert production of '' Anyone Can Whistle'' from April 8 to 11, 2010, opposite Sutton Foster
Sutton Lenore Foster (born March 18, 1975) is an American actress, singer and dancer. She is known for her work on the Broadway stage, for which she has won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical twice, in 2002 for her role as Millie Di ...
as Fay and Donna Murphy
Donna Murphy (born March 7, 1959) is an American actress, best known for her work in musical theater. A five-time Tony Award nominee, she has twice won the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical: for her role as Fosca in '' Passion'' (1994–1995 ...
as the Mayoress.
In July 2013, Esparza starred in a production of '' The Cradle Will Rock'' at the New York City Center.
In February 2018, Esparza played Freddie Trumper in the Kennedy Center's revival of Tim Rice's ''Chess
Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to dist ...
''. From October to December 2018, Esparza played the title role in Classic Stage Company
Classic Stage Company, or CSC, is a classical Off-Broadway theater. Founded in 1967, Classic Stage Company is one of Off-Broadway's oldest theaters. Its 199-seat theatre is the former Abbey Theatre located at 136 East 13th Street between Third a ...
's Off-Broadway production of '' The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui.'' He was nominated for the 2019 Drama Desk Award for Best Actor for the role.
In July 2019, Esparza appeared in a production of '' Road Show'' at the New York City Center. In October of the same year, Esparza played Harry in the off-Broadway comedy ''Seared
Searing (or pan searing) is a technique used in grilling, baking, braising, roasting, sautéing, etc., in which the surface of the food (usually meat such as beef, poultry, pork, seafood) is cooked at high temperature until a browned crust forms ...
'' by Theresa Rebeck.
In April 2020 he was a host, executive producer, and performer in '' Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Celebration'', a virtual concert in honour of the 90th birthday of composer Stephen Sondheim benefiting the charity organisation ASTEP (Artists Striving to End Poverty).
In December 2022, Esparza was a guest narrator at Disney's Candlelight Processional at Walt Disney World
The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, ...
.
Television
In 2007, Esparza had a recurring role on the TV show ''Pushing Daisies
''Pushing Daisies'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Bryan Fuller that aired on ABC from October 3, 2007, to June 13, 2009. The series stars Lee Pace as Ned, a pie-maker with the ability to bring dead things back to li ...
'' as traveling salesman Alfredo Aldarisio, a role originally given to Paul Reubens
Paul Reubens (; born Rubenfeld; August 27, 1952) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and children's entertainer. He is known for his character Pee-wee Herman. Reubens joined the Los Angeles troupe The Groundlings in the 1970s, an ...
. In 2009, Esparza recorded the audiobook '' Under the Dome'' by Stephen King. He has done narration for '' The House of the Scorpion'' by Nancy Farmer
Nancy Farmer is an American author of children's and young adult books and science fiction. She has written three Newbery Honor Books and won the U.S. National Book Award for Young People's Literature for ''The House of the Scorpion'', publish ...
and ''The Book of Unholy Mischief'' by Elle Newmark. In January 2010, Esparza performed opposite Lucie Arnaz
Lucie Désirée Arnaz (born July 17, 1951) is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of actors Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.
Early life
Arnaz was born at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of act ...
, Desi Arnaz Jr., and Valarie Pettiford
Valarie Pettiford (born July 8, 1960) is an American stage and television actress, dancer, and jazz singer. She received a Tony Award nomination for her role in the broadway production '' Fosse''. She is also known for her role as "Big Dee Dee" ...
at the 92Y's ''Lyrics and Lyricist'' event honoring Desi Arnaz
Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III (March 2, 1917 – December 2, 1986) was a Cuban-born American actor, bandleader, and film and television producer. He played Ricky Ricardo on the American television sitcom '' I Love Lucy'', in which he c ...
and his orchestra, "Babalu: The American Songbook Goes Latin". In 2010, Esparza appeared as Abel Plenkov in Wes Craven
Wesley Earl Craven (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015) was an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and editor. Craven has commonly been recognized as one of the greatest masters of the horror genre due to the cultural imp ...
's '' My Soul to Take''.
From 2013 to 2015, Esparza appeared in the recurring role of Dr. Frederick Chilton in '' Hannibal''. He appeared in the 2016 film ''Custody'', written and directed by James Lapine
James Elliot Lapine (born January 10, 1949) is an American stage director, playwright, screenwriter, and librettist. He has won the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical three times, for ''Into the Woods'', '' Falsettos'', and '' Passion''. He ...
, as an Administration for Children's Services agent.
''Law & Order: SVU''
In 2012, Esparza became a recurring actor on the long-running NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
drama series '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' as Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Rafael Barba, starting in the third episode of the show's 14th season, " Twenty-Five Acts". He appeared in 11 episodes of the show's 14th season. On July 17, 2013, he was promoted to series regular for the show's 15th season. His character became the first series-regular ADA since Stephanie March
Stephanie Caroline March Benton (born July 23, 1974) is an American actress. She is known for starring as Alexandra Cabot in the crime drama franchise ''Law & Order'', which she played in the NBC series '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (2 ...
in the 11th season and the first regular male ADA in series history. His role on ''SVU'' was not his first ''Law & Order'' role, however, as he had previously portrayed an ADA in a 2009 episode of '' Law & Order: Criminal Intent'', and a suspect in a 2010 episode of the original '' Law & Order''. On February 7, 2018, Esparza left ''SVU'' in the episode " The Undiscovered Country” after six seasons on the show.
Although having left the series to return to the stage, Esparza has been back on the show, making a very brief cameo before the main title in the Season 21 episode "Redemption in Her Corner". He made another guest appearance in Season 22 episode "Sightless in a Savage Land" and in the Season 23 Finale, "A Final Call at Forlini's Bar.
Personal life
Esparza married Michele Marie Perez, his high-school girlfriend, in 1994. They divorced in 2007. Esparza was the subject of a ''The New York Times'' profile in 2006 in which he revealed that he is bisexual.
Filmography
Film
Television
Theater credits
Selected credits
* 1998–99: ''Evita'' (20th Anniversary US National Tour) – Che
* 2002–01: ''The Rocky Horror Show
''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to the Science fiction film, science fiction and Horror film, horror B movies of the 1930s through to the early 1960s, the ...
''; Circle in the Square Theatre (Broadway) – Riff Raff
* 2001: '' Tick, Tick... Boom!''; Jane Street Theatre
The Jane is a boutique hotel located at 505–507 West Street, with its main entrance at 113 Jane Street in the West Village section of the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City.
The building was originally the American Sea ...
(Off-Broadway) – Jonathan
* 2001–02: ''Cabaret''; Studio 54 (Broadway) – The Emcee
* 2002: '' Sunday in the Park with George''; Kennedy Center
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...
(Washington, D.C.) – George Seurat
* 2002: ''Merrily We Roll Along''; Kennedy Center (Washington, D.C.) – Charley Kringas
* 2003: ''Comedians''; Samual Beckett Theatre (Off-Broadway) – Gethin Price
* 2003–04: ''Taboo''; Plymouth Theatre (Broadway) – Philip Sallon
* 2004: ''The Normal Heart
''The Normal Heart'' is a largely autobiographical play by Larry Kramer.
It focuses on the rise of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in New York City between 1981 and 1984, as seen through the eyes of writer/activist Ned Weeks, the gay founder of a pro ...
''; The Public Theater
The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American Li ...
(Off-Broadway) – Ned Weeks
* 2005: ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang''; Hilton Theatre (Broadway) – Caractacus Potts
* 2006: '' Company''; The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (Regional) – Robert
* 2006–07: ''Company''; Ethel Barrymore Theatre
The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is a Broadway theater at 241 West 47th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1928, it was designed by Herbert J. Krapp in the Elizabethan, Mediterranean, and Adam styles ...
(Broadway) – Robert
* 2007–08: ''The Homecoming
''The Homecoming'' is a two-act play written in 1964 by Harold Pinter and first published in 1965. Its premières in London (1965) and New York (1967) were both directed by Sir Peter Hall. The original Broadway production won the 1967 Tony A ...
''; Cort Theatre
The James Earl Jones Theatre, originally the Cort Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 138 West 48th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States. It was built in ...
(Broadway) – Lenny
* 2008–09: '' Speed-the-Plow''; Ethel Barrymore Theatre
The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is a Broadway theater at 241 West 47th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1928, it was designed by Herbert J. Krapp in the Elizabethan, Mediterranean, and Adam styles ...
(Broadway) – Charlie Fox
* 2009: ''Twelfth Night
''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vi ...
''; Delacorte Theatre (Shakespeare in the Park
Shakespeare in the Park is a term for outdoor festivals featuring productions of William Shakespeare's plays. The term originated with the New York Shakespeare Festival in New York City's Central Park, originally created by Joseph Papp. This c ...
) – Orsino
* 2010: ''Leap of Faith''; Mark Taper Forum (Los Angeles) – Jonas Nightingale
* 2011: ''Arcadia''; Ethel Barrymore Theatre
The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is a Broadway theater at 241 West 47th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1928, it was designed by Herbert J. Krapp in the Elizabethan, Mediterranean, and Adam styles ...
(Broadway) – Valentine Coverly
* 2012: ''Leap of Faith''; St. James Theatre (Broadway) – Jonas Nightingale
* 2015: ''Cymbeline
''Cymbeline'' , also known as ''The Tragedie of Cymbeline'' or ''Cymbeline, King of Britain'', is a play by William Shakespeare set in Ancient Britain () and based on legends that formed part of the Matter of Britain concerning the early Celti ...
''; Delacorte Theatre (Shakespeare in the Park
Shakespeare in the Park is a term for outdoor festivals featuring productions of William Shakespeare's plays. The term originated with the New York Shakespeare Festival in New York City's Central Park, originally created by Joseph Papp. This c ...
) – Iachimo
* 2018: '' The Waves''; Powerhouse Theater (Poughkeepsie) – Bernard
* 2018: '' The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui''; Lynn F. Angelson Theater (Off-Broadway) – Arturo Ui
* 2019: ''Seared''; MCC Theater (Off-Broadway) – Harry
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
*
*
Video interview
in which Esparza discusses his relationship to Catholicism
Interview
in which Esparza discusses his stage and film work
{{DEFAULTSORT:Esparza, Raul
1970 births
Living people
American entertainers of Cuban descent
American male film actors
American male musical theatre actors
American male Shakespearean actors
American male stage actors
American male television actors
American male voice actors
Bisexual male actors
Drama Desk Award winners
Hispanic and Latino American male actors
LGBT Hispanic and Latino American people
LGBT people from Delaware
Male actors from Miami
Male actors from Wilmington, Delaware
Tisch School of the Arts alumni
Theatre World Award winners
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
LGBT people from Florida
American bisexual actors
American people of Catalan descent