Handsome and athletic performer of stage, screen and TV who proved charismatic and very funny playing self-consciously macho Mexican-Americans in two droll satires helmed by Paul Bartel, "Eating Raoul" (1982) and "Scenes From the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills" (1989). Beltran was also Chuck Norris' sidekick in "Lone Wolf McQuade" (1982), the male lead in the sci-fi comedy "Night of the Comet" (1984) and the star of cinematographer-director Haskell Wexler's controversial war drama "Latino" (1985). In the latter, he was a conflicted American Green Beret of Latin descent assigned to Honduras to train the Contras for raids on Nicaragua.
Beltran honed his acting skills as a member of the California Shakespeare Festival appearing in "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "Hamlet", and "Henry IV". He met celebrated playwright, screenwriter and director Luis Valdez and played a small role in his film adaptation of his play "Zoot Suit" (1981). Beltran went on to work with Valdez's "workers'" theater company "El Teatro Campesino" and had his first starring stage role in Valdez's "Corridos". He also collaborated with the playwright on "Rose of the Rancho", "La Pastorela" and "I Don't Have to Show You No Stinkin' Badges". Beltran remains active on the LA stage where he co-founded and serves as co-artistic director of the East Los Angeles Classic Theater Group.
Beltran tends to be cast as Chicanos and American Indians. He made his TV acting debut playing a Sioux brave in "The Mystic Warrior" (ABC, 1984), a historical miniseries. He went on to numerous guest shots and TV-movies as well as starring in several busted pilots. Beltran also had a recurring role on the primetime soap "Models Inc." (Fox, 1994) as the intrepid Lieutenant Soto. He hitched his fortunes to the stars as a regular on "Star Trek: Voyager" (UPN, 1995- ) playing the spiritual Native American First Officer Chakotay.
- Also Credited As:
Adam Beltran, Robert Adame Beltran
- Born:
November 19, 1953 in Bakersfield, California, USA
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Job Titles:
Actor, Fuller Brush salesman, Elementary school coach, Gas station attendant, Grape picker, Halfway house counselor, Janitor, Teacher s assistant, Tractor driver
Family
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Father: Louis Perez Beltran.
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Mother: Aurelia Olgin.
Education
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California State University, Fresno, Fresno, California, theater arts
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California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton, California
Milestones
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1979 Joined the California Shakespeare Festival
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1981 Made feature acting debut in a small role in Valdez s film version of his play Zoot Suit
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1981 Met actor-writer-director Paul Bartel
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1982 First substantial film role, played Raoul in Paul Bartel s Eating Raoul
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1984 Played the male lead in The Night of the Comet
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1984 TV acting debut, starred as a Sioux brave in The Mystic Warrior , an ABC miniseries
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1984 TV-movie debut, Calendar Girl Murders
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1985 Starred as a Chicano Green Beret advisor to the Contras in Honduras in Haskell Wexler s Latino
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1986 Starred in The Family Martinez , a busted CBS sitcom pilot
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1987 Co-starred in Barrington , a busted crime drama pilot broadcast on CBS Summer Playhouse
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1989 Reteamed with Paul Bartel for a featured role in Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills
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1990 Played the title character in El Diablo , a Western-comedy made-for-cable movie co-scripted by John Carpenter on HBO
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1994 Played the recurring role of Lt. Louis Soto on Models, Inc. , primetime soap
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1995 Debut as a series regular, played First Officer Chakotay on Star Trek: Voyager
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1997 Appeared in title role of Hamlet at the Actors Gang Theater
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1999 Co-starred in Luminarias
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Aspired to become a professional football player
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Began acting in elementary school
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Began acting in school plays
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Born and raised in Bakersfield, California
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Co-founded and served as co-artistic director of the East Los Angeles Classic Theater Group
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First starring stage role in Valdez s Corridos
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Met celebrated playwright, screenwriter and director Luis Valdez
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Moved to L.A.
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Worked with El Teatro Campesino, a workers theater company founded by Valdez