Joseph Balderrama

Joseph Balderrama is a Mexican actor. His films include Stan & Ollie. On television, he is known for his roles in the Netflix series Heartstopper (2022–2026) and the BritBox series Hotel Portofino (2023). His voice work includes the video games It Takes Two (2021) and Diablo IV (2024).

Early life Balderrama was born in Mexico City to a Mexican father and an American mother and moved to England when he was ten. He attended Alleyn's School in Dulwich, completing his A Levels in 1995. He also studied abroad at Phillips Academy Andover during his time at Alleyn's. He joined the National Youth Theatre. He graduated with a Scottish Master of Arts in History from the University of Glasgow in 1999 followed by a three-year acting diploma on a scholarship at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) in 2002.

Career After graduating from drama school, Balderrama made his professional stage debut as Benvolio in the 2003 English Touring Theatre production of Romeo and Juliet alongside Adam Croasdell, Laura Rees, OT Fagbenle, and Michael Cronin. He also made his television debut and feature film debut with small roles in an episode of the ITV police procedural The Vice and the horror film Alien vs Predator respectively. Balderrama played Santiago in the 2006 film The Flying Scotsman. He appeared in the Oxford Castle productions of The Merchant of Venice and Hamlet, Accidental Death of an Anarchist at the Mercury Theatre in Colchester, No Such Cold Thing at the Tricycle Theatre in London, and The Miser at the Royal Exchange, Manchester.

In 2010, Balderrama starred in Oliver Cotton's Wet Weather Cover at the King's Head Theatre and Arts Theatre, the latter of which marked Balderrama's West End debut. He also had roles in the BBC Four docudrama Canoe Man and the comedy Schizo Samurai Shitzu. He appeared in The White House Murder Case at the Orange Tree Theatre and The Rubber Room at the Old Vic in 2012, and Labyrinth at the Hampstead Theatre and Drones, Baby, Drones at the Arcola Theatre in 2016.

Having begun working on video games in 2008 and early on in his voice work, Balderrama voiced the likes of Stavo Delgado in Wheelman, Killer Moth in Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, and Sangres in Payday 2. He then voiced Cotter in Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series in 2014 and had a small role in the 2015 James Bond film Spectre.

Balderrama returned to the West End in 2017 for All the President's Men at the Vaudeville Theatre, and to the Hampstead Theatre in 2018 for Dry Powder. He portrayed James W. Horne in the 2018 biographical comedy film Stan & Ollie with Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly and had a recurring role as Tony in the BBC One drama Press. He had further voice roles in video games such as the English dub of Dragon Quest XI, The Crew 2, and Ghost Recon Breakpoint.

In 2020, Balderrama had a recurring role as Tim in the HBO and Sky One science fiction series Avenue 5. In 2021, he starred in A Fight Against… at the Royal Court Theatre and the video game It Takes Two with Annabelle Dowler; for the latter, Balderrama performed motion capture and voiced the lead character Cody as well as Dr Hakim. The following year, Balderrama began playing Julio Spring, Charlie Spring's (Joe Locke) father in the Netflix series Heartstopper and appeared in the film Uncharted. Balderrama joined the cast of the BritBox series Hotel Portofino for its second series, which aired in 2023, as Luigi Farrino. That same year, he voiced the Sorcerer in Diablo IV.

In 2025, Balderrama played Rico Fazio, a race engineer, in the film F1 the Movie.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2004 Alien vs. Predator High Priest 2006 Alien Autopsy News Presenter The Flying Scotsman Santiago 2007 I Want Candy Man 2011 Jack and Jill Spanish Valet 2012 The Unfortunate Truth Seymore Galintinee Short film 2013 The Scampi Trail Mr. Pepe 2014 Job's Dinner Eli Short film White Collar Hooligan 3 Detective Pablo The Engagement Ricardo Short film 2015 Last Love Roberto Short film Spectre Head of Nation 2017 Tad the Lost Explorer and the Secret of King Midas Mummy / Construction Worker Voice role (English dub) The Current War: Director's Cut Horace Kaden 2018 Stan & Ollie James W. Horne 2019 A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon Additional voices Master Moley Short film; voice role 2020 Dolittle Prisoner 2022 Uncharted Carlos The Batman Lead Detective The Contract Elio Short film Tad, the Lost Explorer and the Emerald Tablet Mummy Voice role (English dub) 2023 Under the Boardwalk Chauncey Voice role2024 Paddington in PeruElderly Resident Bear 2Voice Role The Substance Craig Silver 2025 F1 Rico Fazio 2026 Heartstopper Forever Julio Spring Television film

Television Year Title Role Notes 2003 The Vice Bell Boy Episode: "Birdhouse" 2005 The Robinsons Alfonso 1 episode 2007 The Bill Santi Garcia Episode: "Lead on a Merry Chase" Bremner, Bird and Fortune Mexican Rory 1 episode The Omid Djalili Show John Boy Ross 1 episode 2008 Holby City Ray Glover Episode: "The Extra Mile" 2010 Canoe Man Carlos Television film Schizo Samurai Shitzu Hood 5 episodes 2011 Episodes Tour Guide 1 episode 2014 Borgia Gugliemo Farnese Episode: "1495" Not Going Out Mario Episode: "Surprise" 2015 I Live with Models Client Episode: "Anna the Agent" 2017 Snatch Filippe Episode: "A Family Affair" 2018 Press Tony 3 episodes 2019 Turn Up Charlie Ethan 1 episode Living the Dream Frank Episode: "The British Method" 2020 Let's Go See... Egypt Captain Ollie / Lucas Voice role 2020–2022 Avenue 5 Tim 6 episodes 2021 The Great Escapists Miniseries 2022 Tulipop Voice role The Creature Cases Armadillo Voice role 2022–2024 Heartstopper Julio Spring Recurring role 2022 FBI: International Dr. Luc Michaud Episode: "Get That Revolution Started" Best & Bester Various Voice role Big Tree City Tricks / Russell Plaza Voice role Combat Ships 3 Narrator Docuseries 2023 Hotel Portofino Luigi Farrino Main role Jack Ryan Javier Oreja Episode: "Proof of Concept" Ancient Empires Parmenion Episode: "Alexander the Great" 2025 SiloJames Alameda2 episodesMan vs. Baby Cesar Jimenez Episode 1

Video games Year Title Role Notes 2008 Haze Additional voices 2009 Wheelman Stavo Delgado Colin McRae: Dirt 2 2010 APB: All Points Bulletin 2011 Operation Flashpoint: Red River Marines 2012 Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes Killer Moth 007 Legends Additional voices 2013 Lego City Undercover Payday 2 Sangres 2014 Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series Cotter 2017 Dragon Quest XI Don Rodrigo English version The Lego Ninjago Movie Videogame Kai Need for Speed Payback 2018 A Way Out Additional voices Lego The Incredibles Citizen The Crew 2 Edgar "Tio" Marquez Overkill's The Walking Dead The Family 2019 Ghost Recon Breakpoint Various 2020 Relicta Dr. Ollin Kwarizmi / The Parasite Troy: A Total War Saga 2021 It Takes Two Cody / Dr. Hakim Evil Genius 2: World Domination Espectro / Blue Saint Battlefield 2042 Santiago "Dozer" Espinoza 2022 Horizon Forbidden West Additional voices Triangle Strategy Patriatte Sniper Elite 5Lt. Jeff Sullivan As Dusk Falls Lone Cop 2023 Peppa Pig: World Adventures Señor Cat Diablo IV Sorcerer Aliens: Dark Descent Sergeant Rico Martinez Jagged Alliance 3 Fidel Lies of P King of Riddles / Arlecchino Reprises role in 2025 Overture DLC Transformers: EarthSpark Ratchet Alan Wake 2

Stage Year Title Role Notes 2003 Romeo and Juliet Benvolio English Touring Theatre 2006 The Merchant of Venice Gratiano Oxford Castle, Oxford Arabian Nights Ali Babba / Ensemble Mirror Tent BMW, Cowley Hamlet Laertes Oxford Castle, Oxford 2008 Accidental Death of an Anarchist Bertozzo Mercury Theatre, Colchester No Such Cold Thing Sergio Tricycle Theatre, London 2009 The Miser Maitre Simon / Dame Claude Royal Exchange, Manchester 2010 Wet Weather Cover Pepe King's Head Theatre / Arts Theatre, London 2012 The White House Murder Case Capt Weems Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond-upon-Thames The Rubber Room Mr. Rodriguez Old Vic, London 2016 Labyrinth Minister / Business Man Hampstead Theatre, London Drones, Baby, Drones Jay Neroli / Ramon Arcola Theatre, London 2017 All the President's Men Menendez / Murphy / Durbin Vaudeville Theatre, London 2018 Dry Powder Jeff Hampstead Theatre, London 2021 A Fight Against… Bob Royal Court Theatre, London

Audio Year Title Role Notes 2016 The Old Man and the Sea Manolin BBC Radio 4 2019 DK Life Stories: Nelson Mandela Narrator Audiobook On the Plain of Snakes Narrator Audiobook