Robert Beltran

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Robert Beltran
Beltran at Fedcon 15 Convention in 2006
Born
Robert Adame Beltran

(1953-11-19) November 19, 1953 (age 70)
OccupationActor
Years active1981–present
Children1[1]
RelativesLouie Cruz Beltran (brother)

Robert Adame Beltran (born November 19, 1953) is an American actor known for his role as Commander Chakotay on the 1990s television series Star Trek: Voyager. He is also known for stage acting in California, and for playing Raoul Mendoza in the 1982 black comedy film Eating Raoul.

Early life[edit]

Beltran was born in Bakersfield, California, the son of Aurelia and Luis Beltran Perez,[2] immigrants from Mexico. He attended East Bakersfield High School and Bakersfield College. He has two sisters and seven brothers, including Latin Jazz musician Louie Cruz Beltran.

Career[edit]

Beltran graduated from California State University, Fresno with a degree in Theater Arts and moved to Los Angeles to begin his acting career. He had his first film role in Zoot Suit in 1981, but his breakthrough came in 1982 when he played the title character in the independently produced dark comedy Eating Raoul. Beltran had a supporting role as Chuck Norris' partner Trooper Kayo Ramos in the 1983 film Lone Wolf McQuade. He then starred in the 1984 TV film The Mystic Warrior as Native American brave Ahbleza, and as Hector in 1984's Night of the Comet. He played Father Michael in a 1993 episode of “Murder She Wrote” (S9, E12) He played Commander Chakotay, the Native American first officer of the starship Voyager, in the science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager from 1995 to 2001. During this time, he won the Nosotros Golden Eagle Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Series in 1997. He was also nominated in 1996 for the NCLR Bravo Award for Outstanding Television Series Actor in a Crossover Role, and the ALMA Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Television Series in a Crossover Role in 1998 and 1999.

Beltran founded and co-directed the East LA Classic Theater Group. He is also a member of the Classical Theater Lab, an ensemble of professional actors who co-produced his production of Hamlet in 1997, which he directed and starred in.

Beltran has collaborated with amateur actors in performing plays and scenes of plays of William Shakespeare. He produced and starred in a Los Angeles production of "The Big Knife" by Clifford Odets, a play which explores the Hollywood environment under the big studio system of the 1940s.[3]

In May 2009, Beltran played the dual roles of Don Fermin and Older Eusebio in the American Conservatory Theater's staging of José Rivera's Boleros for the Disenchanted. He had the recurring role of Jerry Flute in Seasons 3 and 4 of HBO's Big Love.[4]

Recordings[edit]

Latino Poetry – Excerpts from a live performance by Beltran, recorded at the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, California, April 2002[citation needed]

Theater[edit]

Year Title Role Director Writer Theatre Notes
1979 California Shakespeare Festival Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown
1980 Bard in the Box Tour
1980 La Pastorela Luzbel El Teatro Campesino
1981 A Midsummer Night's Dream Oberon William Shakespeare California Shakespeare Festival
1981 Henry IV, Part 1 & Henry IV, Part 2 Unknown
1981 Hamlet Hamlet Robert Beltran and Kris Tabori The Actors' Gang
1981 Romeo and Juliet Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown
1981 The Taming of the Shrew Petraccio
1983 Corridos Unknown El Teatro Campesino
1985 The Quartered Man Agent Mark Travis Donald Freed Los Angeles Theatre Center
1986 I Don't Have to Show You No Stinkin' Badges Sunny Tony Curiel Luis Valdez San Diego Repertory Theatre
1987 Stars in the Morning Sky Unknown Bill Bushnell Alexander Galin Los Angeles Theatre Center
1988 A Burning Beach Cuba Bill Bushnell and Jose Luis Valenzuela Eduardo Machado
1989 Macbeth Banquo Des McAnuff William Shakespeare Mandell Weiss Center
1991 Windows The Lieutenant Robert Egan Ariel Dorfman and Tony Kushner Los Angeles Theatre Center
1993 A Touch of the Poet Cornelius Rubén Sierra Eugene O'Neill Cal State L.A.
1997 Hamlet Hamlet Robert Beltran William Shakespeare The Actors' Gang
2003 The Big Knife Charlie Castle Tonyo Melendez Clifford Odets Lillian Theatre
2009 Henry IV, Part 1 & Henry IV, Part 2 Unknown Unknown William Shakespeare Unknown
2009 Boleros for the Disenchanted Don Fermin/Eusebio Carey Perloff José Rivera American Conservatory Theater
2009 Solitude The Man Jose Luis Valenzuela Evelina Fernandez Los Angeles Theatre Center
2011 Devil's Advocate General Noriega Donald Freed

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1981 Zoot Suit Lowrider
1982 Eating Raoul Raoul Mendoza
1983 Lone Wolf McQuade Arcadio "Kayo" Ramos
1984 Night of the Comet Hector Gomez
1985 Latino Eddie Guerrero
1987 Slam Dance Frank
1987 Gaby: A True Story Luis
1988 The Bulldance Jack
1989 Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills Juan
1990 El Diablo El Diablo
1991 Kiss Me a Killer Tony Montero
1991 To Die Standing Juan Delgado
1991 Bugsy Alejandro
1995 500 Nations
1995 Nixon Frank Sturgis
1997 Managua Ramon
1997 Trekkies Himself Documentary
1997 How Else Am I Supposed to Know I'm Still Alive
1999 Luminarias Joe
2000 Fahrenheit 452: The Art Police Short
2002 Foto-Novelas
2009 Repo Chick Aguas
2009 Taking Chances Joseph Sleeping Bear
2013 Water & Power
2013 Free Birds Chief Massasoit (voice)
2018 Magic Lantern Ed
2019 The Circuit
2020 Butterflies James Short

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1984 Calendar Girl Murders Mooney Television film
1984 The Mystic Warrior Ahbleza Television film
1985 Street Hawk Marty Walsh 1.5-hour pilot
1986 The Family Martinez Hector Martinez Television film
1987 CBS Summer Playhouse Howard Thunder Episode: "Barrington"
1987 Private Eye Miguel Brojas Episode: "Barrio Nights"
1988 The Bronx Zoo Mike Episode: "A Day in the Life"
1989 Miami Vice Amendez Episode: "Freefall"
1990 Sisters Mike Perez Television film
1990 El Diablo El Diablo Television film
1990 Midnight Caller Carlos Valenzuela
1991 The Chase Mike Silva Television film
1991 Veronica Clare Duke Rado
1991 La Pastorela Luzbel
1992 Stormy Weathers Gio Television film
1993 Shadow Hunter Frank Totsoni Television film
1993 Rio Shannon Tito Carson Television film
1993–1994 Murder, She Wrote Frank Garcia / Father Michael
1994 Lois & Clark Fuentes / Murphy
1994 Models, Inc. Lt. Louis Soto
1994 State of Emergency Raoul Hernandez Television film
1995 Runway One Ramon Perez Television film
1995–2001 Star Trek: Voyager Commander Chakotay Main cast; 172 episodes
1999 Ultimate Trek: Star Trek's Greatest Moments Chakotay (archive footage)
2001 2001 ALMA Awards Himself - Presenter TV special
2003 CSI: Miami Judge Ojeda Episode: "Tinder Box"
2005 Manticore Sgt. Baxter Television film
2007 Fire Serpent Cooke Television film
2007 Medium Father Armando Avilar Episode: "Whatever Possessed You"
2007 Cry of the Winged Serpent Father Juan Television film
2009–2011 Big Love Jerry Flute
2012 Young Justice Maurice Bodaway (voice) Episode: "Beneath"
2022 Star Trek: Prodigy Captain Chakotay (voice) Recurring role; 7 episodes

Video games[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2000 Star Trek: Voyager – Elite Force Cmdr. Chakotay

Notable awards and nominations[edit]

Year Association Category Nominated work Result
1996 NCLR Bravo Award Outstanding Television Series Actor in a Crossover Role Star Trek: Voyager Nominated
1997 Nosotros Golden Eagle Award Outstanding Actor in a Television Series Won
1998 ALMA Award Outstanding Individual Performance in a Television Series in a Crossover Role Nominated
1999 Nominated

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Robert Beltran Biography". tvguide.com. TV Guide. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  2. ^ "Robert Beltran Biography (1953-)". www.filmreference.com. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  3. ^ Robert Beltran Stars In 'The Big Knife', TrekNation.com
  4. ^ Robert Beltran at IMDb

External links[edit]