Happy 50th birthday to Benjamin Bratt, the most decorated fake cop in all of Hollywood. The actor, best known for playing a lengthy roster of police officers throughout his career, has experienced a tonal shift in this present day, now venturing into comedies and animated films.
Though his most recognizable role is probably as a detective on Law & Order (for which he was nominated for an Emmy), other audiences can likely pin him down as the partner to Sandra Bullock’s beauty queen FBI agent in Miss Congeniality. With Traffic, he was able to stray away from his usual officer schtick and play the other side for once, as the leader of a sprawling Mexican drug cartel. Blood In, Blood Out allowed him to explore both at the same time, by portraying a Los Angeles gang member who gets his life together to become a decorated cop. Clearly, the man knows what he’s best at, and sticks with it.
But nowadays, he has been venturing into more “family friendly” territory, racking up voice work points (and probably cool dad points) by starring as Manny, the camera man from the Weather News Network in the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs franchise. He’s also got another animated credential as Eduardo Perez, the owner of the Mexican restaurant in Despicable Me who moon lights as the infamous bank robber El Macho.
Now let’s see what he can do next — it’s about time Law & Order expanded into the cartoon division, isn’t it?
