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), Cuba (1979), American Gigolo (1980), The Flamingo Kid (1984), Taking Care of Business (1990), Pretty Woman (1990), Beverly Hills Cop III (1994), The Princess Diaries (2001), and Love in the Time of Cholera (2007).
Elizondo has received an Obie Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two ALMA Awards, and had been nominated for a Drama Desk Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Satellite Award, and five Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Early life
Hector Elizondo was born on December 22, 1936, in New York, the son of Carmen Medina Reyes and Martín Echevarría Elizondo, an accountant and notary public. 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.
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 basketball and baseball. His baseball skills were good enough for him to be scouted by both the San Francisco Giants and the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1954, Elizondo enrolled in City College of 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.
In 1968, he got a part in the play The Great White Hope. His first major success came when he played "God" in the guise of a Puerto Rican steam-room attendant in Steambath, for his performance in which he won an Obie Award.
In 1974, Elizondo played an ex-mafioso-turned-subway hijacker, "Mr. Grey," in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. 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. 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 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. Adrian Monk'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.
From 2011 to 2021, Elizondo played Ed Alzate on the Fox (formerly ABC) comedy Last Man Standing, starring Tim Allen and Nancy Travis.
Personal life
Elizondo has been married three times. He became a father at the age of 19 with his first wife. Since 1969, he has been married to Carolee Campbell, an Emmy Award-winning actress who played nurse Carolee Simpson on The Doctors. They live in Sherman Oaks, California. 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
{| class="wikitable sortable unsortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1963
| '
|
|
|-
| 1969
| '
| Inspector
|
|-
| 1970
| '
| Hector
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1971
| Valdez Is Coming
| Mexican Rider
|
|-
| Born to Win
| Vivian
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1972
| Deadhead Miles
| Bad Character
|
|-
| Pocket Money
| Juan
|
|-
| Stand Up and Be Counted
| Lou Kellerman
|
|-
| 1974
| '
| Mr. Grey
|
|-
| 1975
| Report to the Commissioner
| Captain D'Angelo
|
|-
| 1976
| Diary of the Dead
| Stan
|
|-
| 1977
| Thieves
| Man Below
|
|-
| 1979
| Cuba
| Capt. Raphael Ramirez
|
|-
| 1980
| American Gigolo
| Det. Sunday
|
|-
| 1981
| '
| Police Insp. Raphael Andrews
|
|-
| 1982
| Young Doctors in Love
| Angelo/Angela Bonafetti
|
|-
| 1984
| '
| Arthur Willis
|
|-
| 1985
| Private Resort
| The Maestro
|
|-
| 1986
| Nothing in Common
| Charlie Gargas
|
|-
| 1987
| Overboard
| Garbage Scow Skipper
| Uncredited
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1988
| Astronomy
|
| Short film
|-
| Beaches
| Judge
| Uncredited
|-
| 1989
| Leviathan
| G.P. Cobb
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1990
| Pretty Woman
| Barnard Thompson
|
|-
| Taking Care of Business
| Warden Frank Toolman
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1991
| Final Approach
| Dr. Dio Gottlieb
|
|-
| Necessary Roughness
| Coach Ed Gennero
|
|-
| Frankie and Johnny
| Nick
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1992
| There Goes the Neighborhood
| Norman Rutledge
|
|-
| Samantha
| Walter
|
|-
| 1993
| Being Human
| Dom Paulo
|
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1994
| Backstreet Justice
| Steve Donovan
|
|-
| Beverly Hills Cop III
| Jon Flint
|
|-
| Getting Even with Dad
| Lt. Romayko
|
|-
| Exit to Eden
| Dr. Martin Helifax
|
|-
| 1995
| Perfect Alibi
| Det. Ryker
|
|-
| 1996
| Dear God
| Vladek Vidov
|
|-
| 1997
| Turbulence
| Lt. Aldo Hines
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1999
| '
| Ernie
|
|-
| Entropy
| The Chairman
|
|-
| Runaway Bride
| Fisher
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2001
| Tortilla Soup
| Martin Naranjo
|
|-
| '
| Joe
|
|-
| How High
| Bill the Crew Coach
|
|-
| 2003
| Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman
| Bane
| Voice, direct-to-video
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2004
| Raising Helen
| Mickey Massey
| Uncredited
|-
| '
| Joe
|
|-
| ¡Mucha Lucha!: The Return of El Maléfico
| Ring Announcer
| Voice
|-
|1971 || The Prisoner of Second Avenue || Mel Edison <small> (replacement) </small> || Eugene O'Neill Theatre, Broadway ||
|-
|1974 || Dance of Death || Kurt || Vivian Beaumont Theatre, Broadway ||
|-
|1976 || Sly Fox || Simon Able || Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway ||
|-
|1992 || The Price || Victor Franz || Criterion Center Stage Right, Broadway ||
|-
|}
Video games
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Ref.
|-
|2003
|Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu
|Bane
|
See also
- List of Puerto Ricans