Robert Beltran

Robert Adame Beltran (born November 19, 1953) is an American actor known for his role as Commander Chakotay on the 1990s television series Star Trek: Voyager. He is also known for stage acting in California, and for playing Raoul Mendoza in the 1982 black comedy film Eating Raoul.

Early life Beltran was born in Bakersfield, California, the son of Aurelia and Luis Beltran Perez, immigrants from Mexico. He attended East Bakersfield High School and Bakersfield College. He has two sisters and seven brothers, including Latin Jazz musician Louie Cruz Beltran. Career Beltran graduated from California State University, Fresno with a degree in Theater Arts and moved to Los Angeles to begin his acting career. He had his first film role in Zoot Suit in 1981, but his breakthrough came in 1982 when he played the title character in the independently produced dark comedy Eating Raoul. Beltran had a supporting role as Chuck Norris' partner Trooper Kayo Ramos in the 1983 film Lone Wolf McQuade. He then starred in the 1984 TV film The Mystic Warrior as Native American brave Ahbleza, and as Hector in 1984's Night of the Comet. He played Father Michael in a 1993 episode of Murder She Wrote (S9, E12). He played Commander Chakotay, the Native American first officer of the starship Voyager, in the science-fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager from 1995 to 2001. During this time, he won the Nosotros Golden Eagle Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Series in 1997. He was also nominated in 1996 for the NCLR Bravo Award for Outstanding Television Series Actor in a Crossover Role, and the ALMA Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Television Series in a Crossover Role in 1998 and 1999.

Beltran founded and co-directed the East LA Classic Theater Group. He is also a member of the Classical Theater Lab, an ensemble of professional actors who co-produced his production of Hamlet in 1997, which he directed and starred in.

Beltran has collaborated with amateur actors in performing plays and scenes of plays of William Shakespeare. He produced and starred in a Los Angeles production of The Big Knife by Clifford Odets, a play which explores the Hollywood environment under the big studio system of the 1940s.

In May 2009, Beltran played the dual roles of Don Fermin and Older Eusebio in the American Conservatory Theater's staging of José Rivera's Boleros for the Disenchanted. He had the recurring role of Jerry Flute in Seasons 3 and 4 of HBO's Big Love.

Recordings Latino Poetry – Excerpts from a live performance by Beltran, recorded at the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, California, April 2002

Theater Year Title Role Director Writer Theatre Notes 1979 California Shakespeare FestivalUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknown 1980 Bard in the Box Tour 1980 La Pastorela Luzbel El Teatro Campesino 1981 A Midsummer Night's Dream OberonWilliam ShakespeareCalifornia Shakespeare Festival 1981 Henry IV, Part 1 & Henry IV, Part 2 Unknown 1981 Hamlet Hamlet Robert Beltran and Kris Tabori The Actors' Gang 1981 Romeo and Juliet UnknownUnknownUnknownUnknown 1981 The Taming of the Shrew Petraccio 1983 Corridos Unknown El Teatro Campesino 1985 The Quartered Man Agent Mark Travis Donald Freed Los Angeles Theatre Center 1986 I Don't Have to Show You No Stinkin' Badges Sunny Tony Curiel Luis Valdez San Diego Repertory Theatre 1987 Stars in the Morning Sky Unknown Bill Bushnell Alexander GalinLos Angeles Theatre Center 1988 A Burning Beach Cuba Bill Bushnell and Jose Luis Valenzuela Eduardo Machado 1989 Macbeth Banquo Des McAnuff William Shakespeare Mandell Weiss Center 1991 Windows The Lieutenant Robert Egan Ariel Dorfman and Tony Kushner Los Angeles Theatre Center 1993 A Touch of the Poet Cornelius Rubén Sierra Eugene O'Neill Cal State L.A. 1997 Hamlet Hamlet Robert Beltran William Shakespeare The Actors' Gang 2003 The Big Knife Charlie Castle Tonyo Melendez Clifford Odets Lillian Theatre 2009 Henry IV, Part 1 & Henry IV, Part 2 Unknown Unknown William Shakespeare Unknown 2009 Boleros for the Disenchanted Don Fermin/Eusebio Carey Perloff José Rivera American Conservatory Theater 2009 Solitude The ManJose Luis Valenzuela Evelina FernandezLos Angeles Theatre Center 2011 Devil's Advocate General Noriega Donald Freed

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1981 Zoot Suit Lowrider 1982 Eating Raoul Raoul Mendoza 1983 Lone Wolf McQuade Deputy Arcadio "Kayo" Ramos 1984 Night of the Comet Hector Gomez 1985 Latino Eddie Guerrero 1987 Slam Dance Frank 1987 Gaby: A True Story Luis 1988 The Bulldance Jack 1989 Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills Juan 1991 Kiss Me a Killer Tony Montero 1991 To Die Standing Juan Delgado 1991 Bugsy Alejandro 1995 500 Nations 1995 Nixon Frank Sturgis 1997 Managua Ramon 1997 Trekkies Himself Documentary 1997 How Else Am I Supposed to Know I'm Still Alive 1999 Luminarias Joe 2000 Fahrenheit 452: The Art Police Short 2002 Foto-Novelas 2009 Repo Chick Aguas 2009 Taking Chances Joseph Sleeping Bear 2013 Water & Power 2013 Free Birds Chief Massasoit (voice) 2018 Magic Lantern Ed 2019 The Circuit 2020 Butterflies James Short

Television Year Title Role Notes 1984 Calendar Girl Murders Mooney Television film 1984 The Mystic Warrior Television film 1985 Street Hawk Marty Walsh 1.5-hour pilot 1986 The Family Martinez Hector Martinez Television film 1987 CBS Summer Playhouse Howard Thunder Episode: "Barrington" 1987 Private Eye Miguel Brojas Episode: "Barrio Nights" 1988 The Bronx Zoo Mike Episode: "A Day in the Life" 1989 Miami Vice Amendez Episode: "Freefall" 1990 Sisters Mike Perez Television film 1990 El Diablo "El Diablo" Television film 1990 Midnight Caller Carlos Valenzuela 1991 The Chase Mike Silva Television film 1991 Veronica Clare Duke Rado 1991 La Pastorela Luzbel 1992 Stormy Weathers Gio Television film 1993 Shadow Hunter Frank Totsoni Television film 1993 Rio Shannon Tito Carson Television film 1993–1994 Murder, She Wrote Frank Garcia / Father Michael 1994 Lois & Clark Fuentes / Murphy 1994 Models, Inc. Lieutenant Louis Soto 1994 State of Emergency Raoul Hernandez Television film 1995 Runway One Ramon Perez Television film 1995–2001 Star Trek: Voyager Commander Chakotay Main cast; 172 episodes 1999 Ultimate Trek: Star Trek's Greatest Moments Chakotay (archive footage) 2001 2001 ALMA Awards Himself - Presenter TV special 2003 CSI: Miami Judge Ojeda Episode: "Tinder Box" 2005 Manticore Sergeant Baxter Television film 2007 Fire Serpent Cooke Television film 2007 Medium Father Armando Avilar Episode: "Whatever Possessed You" 2007 Cry of the Winged Serpent Father Juan Television film 2009–2011 Big Love Jerry Flute 2012 Young Justice Maurice Bodaway (voice) Episode: "Beneath" 2022 Star Trek: Prodigy Captain Chakotay (voice) Recurring role; 7 episodes

Video games Year Title Role Notes 2000 Star Trek: Voyager – Elite Force Commander Chakotay

Awards and nominations Year Association Category Nominated work Result 1996 NCLR Bravo Award Outstanding Television Series Actor in a Crossover Role Star Trek: Voyager 1997 Nosotros Golden Eagle Award Outstanding Actor in a Television Series 1998 ALMA Award Outstanding Individual Performance in a Television Series in a Crossover Role 1999