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Bendjamin BrettActor
Date of Birth: 16.12.1963
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Benjamin Bratt
Early Life and ChildhoodIt is hard to believe that Benjamin Bratt, known for his role as Detective Reynaldo in "Law & Order," spent a year of his childhood in prison with his mother, older brother, and sisters. The place of their confinement was Alcatraz, and the reason behind it was politics. Bratt's mother, Eldy Bratt, a member of the Quechua tribe, and her husband, an American steelworker, lived in San Francisco and raised their five children. A year after their divorce in 1968, Eldy dedicated herself to another cause. "My mom heard the passionate voice of an Indian announcer on a local radio station calling on Indians of all tribes to unite," recalls Bratt. And Eldy became involved in the American Indian Movement. At that time, Indian activists had raised a treaty stating that local residents could claim unoccupied federal lands. As a political gesture, the activists marked the boundaries of the land to confirm their rights to it. Soon, the entire family, including the five-year-old Bratt, was taken on a high-speed boat and transported to Alcatraz, to prison. "I played everywhere, even in the prison cell. For a five-year-old boy, it was the most amazing playground," recalls Bratt. Returning to the mainland in San Francisco, Eldy dedicated herself to charity work and taking care of her children. "My mother needed tremendous strength to raise five children without outside help and to send them to college."
Teenage Years and Acting Career
As a teenager, Bratt moved in with his father and directed his youthful energy towards sports, becoming the captain of the Lowell High wrestling team. He also became interested in swimming and baseball. At that time, Bratt was only drawn to watching movies with Bruce Lee and Kurt Russell, but his father suggested he audition for a play. The reason behind this was that Bratt's grandfather, George Bratt, was a Broadway actor. However, Bratt responded to his father, "No way! Acting is only for mommy's boys and girls." He was resolute in his decision, so his father chose a different approach: "Listen, I joined a drama club when I was in college and I made the discovery that all the pretty young girls go to those clubs."
Thus, another talented actor found his calling due to hormones. Abandoning his plans of becoming a sports coach, Bratt became a theater major at the University of California, Santa Barbara, which he successfully completed. Later, he was accepted into the American Conservatory Theater. "I knew that I could make a living as an actor after college, but with a master's degree, I could also teach." Unfortunately, young actors and actresses had the honor of being taught by him for only a short time. Soon, he was already playing the lead role in the series "Juarez" about a Mexican-American detective. Bratt endeared himself to the television audience by playing a law enforcement officer. "I have played so many cops," jokes Bratt, "just like a black Brian Dennehy."
Rise in Fame and Personal Life
After "Juarez," Bratt joined the cast of the series "The Cool Team," which he described as "young macho cops dressed in black ninja uniforms running around on narcotics busts." The show only lasted one season. Bratt then seriously pursued his film career, appearing alongside famous stars such as John Travolta ("Golden Chains"), Meryl Streep ("The River Wild"), and Harrison Ford ("Clear and Present Danger"). In 1995, executive producer Dick Wolf needed someone to replace Chris Noth in the series "Law & Order." "I thought for only ten seconds and said 'yes,'" recalls Bratt. The role of Detective Rey Curtis became a breakthrough for Bratt. Working with producers and writers, Bratt added Native American ancestry to his character and also gave him an American wife. "I thought it would be great to portray a hero who, like me, is a person of dual culture, as millions of people in this country have diverse cultural roots."
Bratt used his newfound fame to help various organizations, including the Native American Athletic Program, the American Indian Friendship Association, and the United Indian Nation. He also embarked on his own venture. In 1997, together with his older brother Peter, he released the film "Follow Me Home." Peter served as the film's writer and director. The film tells the story of four artists who decide, against the rules, to paint the walls of the White House. Benjamin plays Abel, one of the quartet, who has problems with his race, women, and drugs. In order to embody his character, Bratt shaved his head, grew a thin beard, got a tattoo, and wore prosthetic teeth. "Laurence Olivier once said that he couldn't grasp the nuances of his character until he walked in his shoes," says Bratt. "I can't grasp the nuances of my character until I put on his teeth." "Follow Me Home" won several awards and was screened at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival, but even strong promotion couldn't attract people to the theaters.
As for "Law & Order," after four years of filming the series, Wolf released Bratt (two years before the end of his contract) but left the door open for his occasional appearances. The reason was that Bratt's family, missing him, begged him to return to Northern California. However, Bratt immediately found work on the big screen. He starred alongside Madonna in the film "The Next Best Thing." He then joined Val Kilmer and Carrie-Anne Moss in the science fiction film "Red Planet" and replaced Matt Dillon as Sandra Bullock's FBI partner and love interest in the film "Miss Congeniality."
Currently, Bratt has appeared in the thriller "After the Storm," where his adversaries are played by Armand Assante and Mila Eshet, and in the new project "The Baker's Dozen." "It is a modern retelling of the story of Jesus Christ and the apostles," says Bratt. "Alfre Woodard will play Mary Magdalene, and I will be one of the 12 apostles."
When his professional and charitable work takes a back seat, people start paying attention to his relationship with Julia Roberts, whom he started dating in 1997. There were constant rumors that Benjamin Bratt and Julia Roberts got married. Then it was said that the couple was on the verge of a breakup. Just recently, the "New York Daily News" reported that Roberts and Bratt had split after nearly four years together. Journalists attributed the reason to Julia's "excessively close friendship" with actor George Clooney. Roberts herself revealed that she initiated the breakup and that she did not feel any bitter feelings. "The only thing I regret is that the press can't see our breakup as a friendly parting: Benjamin is a good person, a wonderful man, and, to the delight of many women, he is no longer mine."
This couple provided plenty of fodder for "sensational" rumors. They constantly had to deal with the fact that they lived on opposite coasts: Roberts in New York and Bratt in San Francisco. Maintaining a long-distance relationship is quite challenging, even for celebrities. One thing is certain: this story will not have any impact on the work of either of them.
