Steven Bauer - Biography

Steven Bauer (born December 2, 1956) is a Cuban-American actor. He is known for his role as Manny Ribera in the 1983 film Scarface, and his role on the bilingual PBS show Que Pasa, USA.

Early life

Bauer was born Esteban Ernesto Echevarría Samson in Havana, Cuba, the son of Lillian Samson Agostini, a schoolteacher, and Esteban Echevarria, a pilot who worked for Cubana Airlines. Bauer's maternal grandfather was a Jewish refugee from Germany, and Bauer's maternal grandmother was a Cuban of partial Italian ancestry. His stage surname comes from his maternal great-grandmother. Bauer's parents fled from Cuba to Miami, Florida, on July 4, 1960, following Fidel Castro's Revolution. He graduated from Miami Coral Park High School in 1974. Originally intending to become a musician, Bauer turned to acting while attending Miami-Dade Community College, but then transferred to the University of Miami, where he studied in its Department of Theater Arts and performed at its Jerry Herman Ring Theatre where he became friends with actor Ray Liotta.

Acting career

Bauer's first substantial role was in the PBS bilingual sitcom ¿Qué Pasa, U.S.A.?, playing the teenage son of a Cuban exile family in Miami, from 1977 to 1979. He also appeared in the 1980 TV miniseries From Here to Eternity. He was credited in these and a few other early projects as Rocky Echevarría. In 1981, Bauer starred in the television movie She's in the Army Now, where he met his first wife, actress Melanie Griffith. They both moved to New York City and stayed at Ray Liotta's apartment, while Liotta moved to Los Angeles and stayed at theirs. Both Bauer and Griffith studied under famed acting teacher Stella Adler, and he appeared in several off-Broadway productions. During this time he briefly adopted the stage name Rocky Echevarria, before settling on “Steven Bauer”.

Bauer was given the substantial role of Manny Ribera in the 1983 movie Scarface, even though he was a relatively unknown actor at the time. The producers of Scarface were convinced that he was right for the role based on his strong audition, as well as his authentic Cuban background. His performance drew a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In 1990 he played the role of DEA-agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena in the critically acclaimed television mini-series Drugwars - The Camarena story alongside Benecio Del Toro and Craig T. Nelson.

Since then, Bauer has made his career primarily, though not exclusively, in action films and crime dramas on both the big and small screens, including such motion pictures as Primal Fear and Traffic. He also made an appearance in the video game spinoff Scarface: The World Is Yours, playing drug dealer The Sandman. In 2007 on the show Burn Notice Bauer played Reyes, who was the crook on the episode. In 2011, Bauer appeared on the show Breaking Bad playing Mexican drug lord Don Eladio.

Personal life

Bauer married Melanie Griffith in September 1981. The couple had a son, Alexander Bauer, in 1985, before divorcing in 1987. He remarried in 1989, this time to Ingrid Anderson, with whom Bauer has another son, Dylan, born in 1990. His second marriage ended in divorce in 1991. A year later, he married his third wife, Christiana Boney, but eventually divorced her as well.

Filmography

Film

• Scarface (1983) .... Manny Ribera
• Thief of Hearts (1984) .... Scott Muller
• Sword of Gideon (1986) .... Avner
• Running Scared (1986) .... Det. Frank Sigliano
• Wildfire (1988) .... Frank
• The Beast of War (1988) .... Taj
• Gleaming the Cube (1989) .... Al Lucero
• A Climate for Killing (1991) .... Paul McGraw
• Raising Cain (1992) .... Jack Dante
• Woman of Desire (1993) .... Jonathan Ashby/Ted Ashby
• Snapdragon (1993) .... David
• Terminal Voyage (1994) .... Reese
• Improper Conduct (1994) .... Sam
• Stranger by Night (1994) .... Bobby Corcoran
• Codename: Silencer (1995) .... Vinnie Rizzo
• Wild Side (1995) .... Tony
• Primal Fear (1996) .... Joey Pinero
• Navajo Blues (1996) .... Nick Epps/John Cole
• Miami (1997)
• Kickboxing Academy (1997) .... Carl
• The Blackout (1997) .... Mickey's Studio Actor
• Plato's Run (1997) .... Sam
• Star Portal (1998) .... Dr. Ray Brady
• The Versace Murder (1998) .... FBI Agent John Jacoby
• Naked Lies (1998) .... Kevin Dowd
• El Grito (2000) .... Ibarra
• Glory Glory (2000) .... Jack
• Forever Lulu (2000) .... Lou
• Rave (2000) .... Antonio
• Traffic (2000) .... Carlos Ayala
• Speed Limit (2001) .... Jeff
• The Learning Curve (2001) .... Mark York
• Malevolent (2002) .... Capt. Greg Pruitt
• Masked and Anonymous (2003) .... Edgar
• Nola (2003) .... Leo
• Raptor Island (2004) .... Azir
• Doing Hard Time (2004) (V) .... Det. Anthony Wade
• The Nowhere Man (2005)
• How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer (2005) .... Victor Reyes
• Keeper of the Past (2005) .... The Mayor
• Hitters Anonymous (2005) .... Theodore Swan
• Pit Fighter (2005) .... Manolo
• La fiesta del Chivo (2005) .... Viñas
• The Lost City (2005) .... Castel
• Dead Lenny (2006) .... Lenny Long
• Ladrones & Mentirosos (2006) .... Oscar
• Natural Born Komics (2007) (V)
• Kings of South Beach (2007) .... Allie Boy
• The Last Sentinel (2007) .... Drone Scientist
• Bulletface (2007) .... Ned Walker
• Dark World (2008) .... Rick
• Toxic (2008) .... Conrad
• Mutants (2008) .... Santiago
• I Didn't Know How I Was (2008) .... Mr. Hernandez
• Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia (2009) .... General Manuel Valez
• The Intruders (2009) .... Michael Foster
• Venus & Vegas (2009) .... Francis
• Charlie Valentine (2009) .... Ferucci
• Raven (2009) .... William
• Boyle Heights (2009) .... Tino
• From Mexico with Love (2009) .... Tito
• Fast Lane (2009) .... Lt. Baynes
• A Numbers Game (2009) .... Neal Black
• Disarmed (2009) .... Caine
• Camouflage (2009) .... Bobby
• Shadows in Paradise (2010) .... Agent Stubbs
• Zenitram (2010) .... Frank Ramírez
• One in the Gun (2010) .... Arthur
• Suicide Dolls (2010) .... Hank
• Promises (2010) .... Detective Stevens
• Bulletface (2010) .... Ned Walker
• Session (2010) .... Jake Tellman
• Enemies Among Us (2010) .... Senator Edmonds
• Untitled Wolfman reboot (TBA) .... Hunter

Television

• ¿Qué pasa, U.S.A.? (1977–1978) (TV Series) (as Rocky Echevarría) .... Jose 'Joe' Peña
• From Here to Eternity (1980) (TV Series) (as Rocky Echevarria) .... Pvt. Ignacio Carmona
• Hill Street Blues (1981) (TV Series) .... Officer Fuentes
• She's in the Army Now (1981) (TV) (as Rocky Bauer) .... Nick Donato
• An Innocent Love (1982) (TV) (as Rocky Bauer) .... Duncan
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1985) (TV) .... Gambler (segment "Man From The South")
• Sword of Gideon (1986) (TV) .... Avner
• Tales from the Hollywood Hills: Natica Jackson (1987) (TV) .... Tony Montoya
• Tales from the Hollywood Hills: A Table at Ciro's (1987) (TV) .... Tony Montoya
• Drug Wars: The Camarena Story (1990) (mini) TV Series .... Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena
• Wiseguy (1990) (TV Series) .... Michael Santana
• Sweet Poison (1991) (TV) .... Bobby
• False Arrest (1991) (TV) .... Det. Dan Ryan
• Drive Like Lightning (1992) (TV)
• Sisters and Other Strangers (1997) (TV) .... Anthony Quintana
• Walker Texas Ranger (1999) (TV) ..... Lorenzo
• Warm Texas Rain (2000) (V) .... Rush
• Relic Hunter (Season 2 Episode 5: Fertile Ground) (2000) (TV) .... Tony (Guest star)
• For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story (2000) (TV) .... Angel
• Nash Bridges (2001) (TV Series) (episode: Out of Miami) .... Lima
• Boss of Bosses (2001) (TV) .... Vito Genovese
• ' (2001) (TV Series) .... Carlos Cortez
• King of Texas (2002) (TV) .... Menchaca
• Raptor Island 2: Raptor Planet (2007) (TV) .... Captain Mace Carter
• Burn Notice (2007) (TV series) .... Reyes
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2007) (TV series) .... Raphael Gardner
• Cold Case (2009) (TV series) .... Osmany 'Oz' Leon
• American Dad! (2009) (TV series) (voice) .... Jaramillo
• Mental (TV series) (2009) (TV Series) .... Arturo's Father
• Breaking Bad (2011) (TV Series) .... Don Eladio

Video game

• Scarface: The World is Yours (2006) .... The Sandman (Voice actor)

See also

• List of Cubans

External links

• Steven Bauer's official MySpace profile
• Steven Bauer profile at NNDB