Only one actor has the unique ethnic mixture of Quechua Indian, English and German and who speaks fluent Spanish. Benjamin Bratt's mother is a Quechua Indian from Lima, Peru and his father is an American steel worker of English and German descent. One of five children, Bratt was raised by his mother Eldy after his parents divorce in 1968 until he became a teen. As a teenager he lived with his father, dedicating his energy to sports: swimming, baseball and wrestling. When his high school's theatre department put on a production of "Destry Rides Again" Bratt's father convinced him to audition using the line "That's where all the pretty young ladies were." And the hence a talented actor was born.

Born December 16, 1963 in San Francisco, California, Bratt would spend his formative years in the San Francisco area as a welfare baby. Eldy Bratt was a political activist who raised all five of the Bratt babies on welfare. Mrs. Bratt's political activisim even resulted in a year of living on Alcatraz Island. Bratt's mother had seen a speaker on television of Native American descent who she later tracked down and joined his group which was calling for all Indians to band together. She asked if South American Indian counted and it did so she joined in there political action. The group took over the ten abandoned Alcatraz Island facility and for a year lived there. Three days a week for that year the Bratts lived on the island. It is ironic that as a boy of five, Bratt would spend his time in prison and then later become known for his roles as a cop.

Bratt finished high school and then went on to attend university at the University of California at Santa Barbara. He graduated with honors form the drama program there and was accepted to the Masters degree program at the American Conservatory Theater. "I was confident enough to know that in school, I could probably make a living at being an actor, but with a master's degree in my back pocket, I was also assured that I could teach," Bratt explained to "Detour."

Bratt's first success came on the heals of leaving University with the lead in "Juarez." From there he endeared himself with Television audiences and after having roles on a number of cop dramas including as Detective Reynaldo "Rey" Curtis on "Law & Order", he then broke into movies. You can now see him in a number of big screen fliks like the soon to be released thriller "After the Storm" and "Baker's Dozen" a modern retelling of Jesus Christ's story. In addition to his big screen movies, Bratt has joined with his brother Peter to continue on with their mothers political causes with a movie written and directed by Peter and starring Bratt who also produces it called "Follow Me Home." The film won several Bay Area awards and was accepted by the 1996 Sundance Film Festival but was well received by the viewing audiences.

Bratt is a supporter of Tribal Athletics Program, the American Indian Friendship House Association, the American Indian College Fund, and the United Indian Nations and isn't afraid to use his stardom to promote these causes. When he is not busy with these causes, he spends his free time cultivating his relationship with Julia Roberts, whom he now cohabitates with.