Benjamin Bratt is an Emmy Award-nominated American actor. He was born in San Francisco, California, the son of Eldy (née Banda), a nurse, and a father who was a sheet metal worker. Bratt's father was an American of German and English descent.

In San Francisco, California, Bratt attended Lowell High School, where he developed his dramatic and oratory skills as a member of the Lowell Forensic Society. Bratt earned a B.F.A. at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he also joined Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity. Although accepted into the M.F.A. program at the American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco, California, he left before receiving his degree (to star in the television series Juarez, which never aired).

Bratt's best-known role has been that of Det. Rey Curtis on the television show Law & Order. In 1999, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work on the series. His more popular films include Miss Congeniality, Blood in Blood out and Traffic.

Bratt dated Julia Robertsfor three years. On April 13, 2002, in San Francisco, he married actress Talisa Soto, whom he met while filming Piñero. Their first child, daughter Sophia Rosalinda Bratt, was born on December 6, 2002. Their second child, son Mateo Bravery Bratt was born on October 3, 2005, in Los Angeles.