E. J. Bonilla

{{Infobox person

| name = E. J. Bonilla

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name = Edward Joshua Bonilla

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=y|1988|09|08}}

| birth_place = Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.

| occupation = Actor

| years_active = 2006–present

| homepage =

}}

Edward Joshua Bonilla (born September 8, 1988)[http://www.soapcentral.com/gl/theactors/bonilla_ej.php About the Actors: E.J. Bonilla] SoapCentral.com. Retrieved 9 June 2009. is an American television and film actor. He is best known for his role as Rafe Rivera on Guiding Light.

Early life

Bonilla was born in Brooklyn to Puerto Rican parents. He attended John Ericsson Junior High School 126 in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where he became involved in poetry, dance, and band, playing the trumpet. He also participated in musical theater while in junior high school and high school. Bonilla attended high school for Environmental Studies. He first became interested in acting in the ninth-grade, when he was cast as Danny Zuko in a performance of Grease.{{cite web |url=http://hydrogen-mag.com/archives/4349 |title='Buzzworthy: E.J. Bonilla |accessdate=2013-07-27}} He graduated from high school in 2006 and then attended Bard College.

Career

His first role was a non-union commercial for a Hilary Duff film called Raise Your Voice. After graduating from high school, he went on to originate the role of Rafe, Natalia Rivera Aitoro son, on Guiding Light in May 2007.[http://www.cbs.com/daytime/guiding_light/bio/ej_bonilla/bio.php E.J. Bonilla biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090328153126/http://www.cbs.com/daytime/guiding_light/bio/ej_bonilla/bio.php |date=2009-03-28 }} CBS.com. Retrieved 9 June 2009.

Bonilla starred in the independent film Musical Chairs. It is a story of a couple (played by Bonilla and actress Leah Pipes) who enter a wheelchair ballroom dancing competition after the girl is disabled in a traffic accident. The film was released on March 23, 2012.

Bonilla received an Imagen Award nomination for his performance as "Dexter," a former high school basketball player whose best days are behind him, in Joshua Sanchez's directorial debut, Four.[http://www.imagen.org/news/imagen-awards/2013/06/nominees-28th-annual-imagen-awards-announced The Imagen Foundation] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141126234519/http://www.imagen.org/news/imagen-awards/2013/06/nominees-28th-annual-imagen-awards-announced |date=2014-11-26 }}. The film was released on September 13, 2013.{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20130716-908756.html |title=Controversial Award-Winning Film - FOUR - Embraced by AMC |accessdate=2013-07-22 | work=The Wall Street Journal |date=July 16, 2013}}

=Awards=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="font-size: 95%;"
scope="col" \|Award ! scope="col" \|Date ! scope="col" \|Film/show ! scope="col" \|Category ! scope="col" \|Result
scope="row" rowspan="1" \| 28th Annual Imagen Awards{{cite web\|url=http://www.imagen.org/news/imagen-awards/2013/06/nominees-28th-annual-imagen-awards-announced\|title=Nominees for the 28th Annual Imagen Awards Announced\|author=\|date=June 2013\|accessdate=21 July 2013\|work=Imagen Award\|url-status=dead\|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141126234519/http://www.imagen.org/news/imagen-awards/2013/06/nominees-28th-annual-imagen-awards-announced\|archivedate=26 November 2014}} \| rowspan="1" \| August 16, 2013 \| Four \| Best Actor/Supporting Actor - Feature Film \| {{Nom}}
scope="row" \| Los Angeles Film Festival{{cite web\|url=http://www.filmindependent.org/press/press-releases/winners-announced-for-2012-los-angeles-film-festival/\|title=Winners Announced for 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival\|author=\|date=24 June 2013\|accessdate=8 May 2013\|work=Film Independent\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907145156/http://www.filmindependent.org/press/press-releases/winners-announced-for-2012-los-angeles-film-festival/\|archive-date=7 September 2015\|url-status=dead}} \| June 24, 2012 \| Four \| Best Performance in the Narrative Competition (Ensemble Cast) \| {{Won}}
scope="row" rowspan="1" \| 36th Daytime Emmy Awards{{cite web \|url=http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_36th_nominations.html \|title=Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards: Full List of Nominees \|author= \|date=14 May 2009 \|accessdate=21 July 2013 \|work=Daytime Emmy Awards \|url-status=dead \|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723202021/http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_36th_nominations.html \|archivedate=23 July 2013 }} \| rowspan="1" \| August 30, 2009 \| Guiding Light \| Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series \| {{Nom}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="font-size: 95%;"

scope="col" |Award

! scope="col" |Date

! scope="col" |Film/show

! scope="col" |Category

! scope="col" |Result

scope="row" rowspan="1" | 28th Annual Imagen Awards{{cite web|url=http://www.imagen.org/news/imagen-awards/2013/06/nominees-28th-annual-imagen-awards-announced|title=Nominees for the 28th Annual Imagen Awards Announced|author=|date=June 2013|accessdate=21 July 2013|work=Imagen Award|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141126234519/http://www.imagen.org/news/imagen-awards/2013/06/nominees-28th-annual-imagen-awards-announced|archivedate=26 November 2014}}

| rowspan="1" | August 16, 2013

| Four

| Best Actor/Supporting Actor - Feature Film

| {{Nom}}

scope="row" | Los Angeles Film Festival{{cite web|url=http://www.filmindependent.org/press/press-releases/winners-announced-for-2012-los-angeles-film-festival/|title=Winners Announced for 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival|author=|date=24 June 2013|accessdate=8 May 2013|work=Film Independent|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907145156/http://www.filmindependent.org/press/press-releases/winners-announced-for-2012-los-angeles-film-festival/|archive-date=7 September 2015|url-status=dead}}

| June 24, 2012

| Four

| Best Performance in the Narrative Competition (Ensemble Cast)

| {{Won}}

scope="row" rowspan="1" | 36th Daytime Emmy Awards{{cite web |url=http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_36th_nominations.html |title=Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards: Full List of Nominees |author= |date=14 May 2009 |accessdate=21 July 2013 |work=Daytime Emmy Awards |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723202021/http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_36th_nominations.html |archivedate=23 July 2013 }}

| rowspan="1" | August 30, 2009

| Guiding Light

| Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series

| {{Nom}}

Filmography

=Feature films=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes
2009 \| Don't Let Me Drown \| Lalo \|
2011 \| Yelling to the Sky \| Rob Rodriguez \|
2011 \| The Mortician \| Noah \|
2011 \| Mamitas \| Jordin Juarez \|
2011 \| Musical Chairs \| Armando \|
2013 \| The House That Jack Built \| Jack \|
2013 \| Four \| Dexter \|Nominated – Imagen Award
2019 \| Gemini Man \| Marino \|
2019 \| The Kitchen \| Gonzalo Martinez \|
2023 \| The Exorcist: Believer \| Father Maddox \|
2024 \| In Our Blood \| Danny Martinez \|

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! Notes

2009

| Don't Let Me Drown

| Lalo

2011

| Yelling to the Sky

| Rob Rodriguez

2011

| The Mortician

| Noah

2011

| Mamitas

| Jordin Juarez

2011

| Musical Chairs

| Armando

2013

| The House That Jack Built

| Jack

2013

| Four

| Dexter

|Nominated – Imagen Award

2019

| Gemini Man

| Marino

2019

| The Kitchen

| Gonzalo Martinez

2023

| The Exorcist: Believer

| Father Maddox

2024

| In Our Blood

| Danny Martinez

=Television=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes
2006 \| The Ron Clark Story \| Hispanic Kid \| Television film
2006 \| Law & Order: Criminal Intent \| Fraco \| Episode: "Watch"
2007–2009 \| Guiding Light \| Raphael "Rafe" Rivera \| 158 episodes Nominated – Daytime Emmy Award
2009 \| Law & Order \| Carlos \| Episode: "Bailout"
2009 \| Bored to Death \| Francisco \| Episode: "The Case of the Stolen Skateboard"
2010 \| Cold Case \| Ronnie Tavares '93 \| Episode: "Shattered"
2011 \| Blue Bloods \| Julio \| Episode: "Dedication"
2012 \| The Big C \| Scott \| Episode: "What's Your Story?"
2012–2013 \| Revenge \| Marco Romero \| 4 episodes
2013 \| Shameless \| Jesus \| Episode: "Civil Wrongs"
2015–2016 \| Unforgettable \| Denny Padilla \| Main cast
2017 \| The Long Road Home \| Shane Aguero \| 8 episodes
2017 \| Madam Secretary \| Juan-Luis Moreno \| 1 episode
2018 \| Insecure \| Beat Crew Guy \| 2 episodes
2018 \| Bull \| Gabriel Almonte \| 6 episodes
2022–present \| The Old Man \| Agent Raymond Waters
2024 \| Chicago P.D. \| Officer Danny Alvarado \| Episode: "Safe Harbor"

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! Notes

2006

| The Ron Clark Story

| Hispanic Kid

| Television film

2006

| Law & Order: Criminal Intent

| Fraco

| Episode: "Watch"

2007–2009

| Guiding Light

| Raphael "Rafe" Rivera

| 158 episodes
Nominated – Daytime Emmy Award

2009

| Law & Order

| Carlos

| Episode: "Bailout"

2009

| Bored to Death

| Francisco

| Episode: "The Case of the Stolen Skateboard"

2010

| Cold Case

| Ronnie Tavares '93

| Episode: "Shattered"

2011

| Blue Bloods

| Julio

| Episode: "Dedication"

2012

| The Big C

| Scott

| Episode: "What's Your Story?"

2012–2013

| Revenge

| Marco Romero

| 4 episodes

2013

| Shameless

| Jesus

| Episode: "Civil Wrongs"

2015–2016

| Unforgettable

| Denny Padilla

| Main cast

2017

| The Long Road Home

| Shane Aguero

| 8 episodes

2017

| Madam Secretary

| Juan-Luis Moreno

| 1 episode

2018

| Insecure

| Beat Crew Guy

| 2 episodes

2018

| Bull

| Gabriel Almonte

| 6 episodes

2022–present

| The Old Man

| Agent Raymond Waters

2024

| Chicago P.D.

| Officer Danny Alvarado

| Episode: "Safe Harbor"

References

External links

{{IMDb name|id=2125902}}
[https://www.imdb.com/video/cbs/vi1778124569/YouTube interview]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20090603193849/http://www.soapnet.go.com/soapnet/show/path-showname_guidinglight/section_cast/actor_ejbonilla/sortBy_actor Biography from soapnet.go.com]

Category:1988 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century American male actors

Category:American male film actors

Category:American male soap opera actors

Category:American actors of Puerto Rican descent

Category:Bard College alumni

Category:Male actors from Brooklyn