Héctor Elizondo

Héctor Elizondo (born December 22, 1936) is an American actor. Elizondo is best known for his television roles playing Dr. Phillip Watters on Chicago Hope and Ed Alzate on Last Man Standing, and movie roles like Mr. Grey in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, Detective Sunday in American Gigolo, Barnard Thompson in Pretty Woman, and Jon Flint in Beverly Hills Cop III.

Elizondo's awards and accolades include a Golden Globe Award nomination, an Emmy Award (five nominations), two ALMA Awards (eight nominations), and five Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.

Early years
Elizondo was born in New York City, the son of Carmen Medina Reyes and Martín Echevarría Elizondo, a notary public and accountant. 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.

At a young age, he demonstrated a talent for sports and music. He sang for the Frank Murray Boys' Choir when he was ten 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 in order to support his family. Later, he divorced and gained full custody of his son, Rodd.

Career
From 1962-63, Elizondo studied dance at the Ballet Arts Company at Carnegie Hall. During 1962-63, he also studied acting under Mario Stiletti at Stella Adler  Theatre Studio when it was located in the Dryden East Hotel on East 39th St. In 1965 he landed a part in the Off-Broadway show Kill the One-Eyed Man.

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 which he won an Obie Award for his performance. Many of his roles involve playing a friend or sympathizer to the lead character.

In 1974, Elizondo played an ex-mafioso-turned-subway hijacker "Mr. Grey" in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.

He starred as a Puerto Rican widower on the CBS television series, Popi (1975–76). The short-lived series, which ran for eleven episodes, was one of the first American network television series to feature a Latino theme and cast. In 1975 he portrayed the murderer in an episode of Columbo, "A Case of Immunity". He was a member of the cast of the 1985-86 CBS situation comedy Foley Square, starring Margaret Colin.

In the 1980s, Elizondo befriended Garry Marshall, who was impressed with his talent. Their first movie together was Young Doctors in Love, in which Elizondo displays his guitar playing talent. His role in Pretty Woman lasted only ten minutes, but led to a Golden Globe nomination. In 1999, he co-starred in Runaway Bride as Fisher, the husband of the male protagonist's ex. Elizondo has participated in more than 80 movies (17 of which have been Marshall's). He appeared in every movie that Marshall directed, including a brief but funny appearance as a Portuguese fisherman in Overboard, which starred Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn. In 2001, he was featured in the short-lived television drama Kate Brasher and portrayed security head Joe in the movie The Princess Diaries, a role he reprised in the 2004 sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. As a voice-actor, he played Bane, one of the more aggressively themed characters in Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman. 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.

On April 30, 2008, it was announced by USA Network that Elizondo would be cast on Monk as Dr. Neven Bell, Adrian Monk's new psychiatrist, following the sudden death on April 8, 2008 from a heart attack of Stanley Kamel, who played Monk's original psychiatrist.

Since 2011, Elizondo has had a leading role on the ABC comedy Last Man Standing, starring Tim Allen and Nancy Travis.

Personal life
Elizondo has been married twice. He has a son from his first marriage. Since 1969, he has been married to Carolee Campbell, an Emmy Award-winning actress, photographer and publisher. They live in Sherman Oaks, California.

In April 2013, Elizondo participated in the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, held at the University of Southern California, promoting children's reading. Proud of his Latino heritage, Elizondo does not accept roles which he feels are stereotypical and/or demeaning in any way.

Awards and nominations
OBIE Award
 * 1971: Won, "Distinguished Performances" - Steambath

ALMA Awards
 * 1998: Nominated, "Outstanding Individual Performance in a Television Series in a Crossover Role" - Chicago Hope
 * 1998: Nominated, "Outstanding Individual Performance in a Television Series in a Crossover Role" - Turbulence
 * 1998: Won, "Outstanding Actor in a Made-for-Television Movie or Mini-Series" - Borrowed Hearts
 * 1999: Nominated, "Outstanding Individual Performance in a Television Series in a Crossover Role" - Chicago Hope
 * 2000: Nominated, "Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film" - Runaway Bride
 * 2000: Won, "Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series" - Chicago Hope
 * 2002: Nominated, "Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture" - Tortilla Soup

Emmy Awards
 * 1992: Nominated, "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special" - Mrs. Cage
 * 1995: Nominated, "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" - Chicago Hope
 * 1996: Nominated, "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" - Chicago Hope
 * 1997: Won, "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" - Chicago Hope
 * 1998: Nominated, "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" - Chicago Hope

Golden Globe Awards
 * 1991: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture" - Pretty Woman

Imagen Foundation Awards
 * 2005: Nominated, "Best Supporting Actor in a Film" - The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

NCLR Bravo Awards
 * 1996: Nominated, "Outstanding Television Series Actor in a Crossover Role" - Chicago Hope

Satellite Awards
 * 1997: Nominated, "Best Performance By an Actor in a Television Drama Series" - Chicago Hope

SAG Awards
 * 1995: Nominated, "Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series" - Chicago Hope
 * 1997: Nominated, "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series" - Chicago Hope
 * 1998: Nominated, "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series" - Chicago Hope

Temecula Valley International Film Festival
 * 2006: Won, "Lifetime Achievement Award"