Steven Bauer
Steven Bauer (born Esteban Ernesto Echevarría Samson; December 2, 1956) is a Cuban-American actor. Bauer began his career on PBS, portraying Joe Peña, the son of Cuban immigrants on the situation comedy ¿Qué Pasa, USA? He played Manolo "Manny" Ribera, the best friend and right-hand man of Cuban drug lord Tony Montana, in the 1983 crime drama Scarface, and his performance earned him widespread critical acclaim and drew a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture.
Steven Bauer

Romina Espinosa at · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Name
- Steven Bauer
- Birth Name
- Esteban Ernesto Echevarría Samson
- Born
- 2 December 1956
- Birthplace
- Havana, Cuba
- Education
- University of Miami
- Occupation
- Actor
- Known for
- * Scarface (1983)
- Awards
- Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
- Full name
- Esteban Ernesto Echevarría Samson crakoss.
- Nationality
- United States · Cuba
- Fields
- film
- Languages
- Spanish · English
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Steven Bauer (born Esteban Ernesto Echevarría Samson; December 2, 1956) is a Cuban-American actor. Bauer began his career on PBS, portraying Joe Peña, the son of Cuban immigrants on the situation comedy ¿Qué Pasa, USA? He played Manolo "Manny" Ribera, the best friend and right-hand man of Cuban drug lord Tony Montana, in the 1983 crime drama Scarface, and his performance earned him widespread critical acclaim and drew a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture.
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In this article
Biography
Biography
He received further recognition in 2000 as part of the multi-narrative ensemble cast of Steven Soderbergh's crime drama Traffic, sharing in the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. He later played Don Eladio Vuente in the crime dramas Breaking Bad (2011) and Better Call Saul (2017–2022), and the retired Mossad agent Avi Rudin in the crime drama Ray Donovan (2013–2017).
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Steven Bauer • Birth Name — Esteban Ernesto Echevarría Samson • Born — 2 December 1956 • Birthplace — Havana, Cuba • Other Names — Rocky Echevarría • Education — University of Miami • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1977–present • Known for — * Scarface (1983) • Breaking Bad (2011) • Ray Donovan (2013–2017) • Better Call Saul (2017–2022) • Awards — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture • Children — 2
Early life and education
Early life and education
Bauer was born Esteban Ernesto Echevarría Samson, on December 2, 1956, in Havana, Cuba, the son of Lillian Samson Agostini, a schoolteacher, and Esteban Echevarría, a commercial pilot who worked for Cubana Airlines. Bauer's maternal grandfather, whose family names were Samson and Bauer, was Jewish, and immigrated to Cuba from Germany, a refugee looking to escape the devastating effects of the Holocaust; he married a Cuban of Italian descent. Bauer's family emigrated from Cuba to the United States on Independence Day, 1960, when he was three years old, shortly after the end of the Cuban Revolution, settling in Miami, Florida. Once in the United States, he began using the name Steven, an English form of his given name, Esteban. He graduated from Miami Coral Park High School in 1974 and went on to study acting at Miami Dade Community College and then at the University of Miami, where he befriended Ray Liotta.
1979–99
1979–99
Bauer's first substantial role was in the PBS bilingual sitcom ¿Qué Pasa, USA?, 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 acting teacher Stella Adler, and he appeared in several off-Broadway productions. During this time he adopted the stage name Steven Bauer. Bauer was given the role of Manny Ribera (the part played by George Raft in the original 1932 version) in the 1983 epic crime drama movie Scarface, even though (like Raft) 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 earned him widespread critical acclaim, and drew a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In 1986 he had two other important roles. The first was as Det. Frank Sigliano in the Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines buddy cop action comedy Running Scared. The second was as an Israeli soldier named Avner in the 1986 Canadian CTV television movie Sword of Gideon, which tells the story of Mossad agents hunting down terrorists in the aftermath of the 1972 Munich massacre. The Sword of Gideon script was the basis for Steven Spielberg's later 2005 historical drama film Munich, which follows the same storyline and borrows heavily from the Sword of Gideon story and script. In 1990 Bauer played the role of DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena in the television crime drama miniseries Drug Wars: The Camarena Story alongside Benicio Del Toro and Craig T. Nelson. That same year, Bauer took over the series lead of the crime drama television show Wiseguy from Ken Wahl for the fourth and final season, playing U.S. Attorney Michael Santana after Wahl's character disappears.
2000–present
2000–present
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 the movie The Lost City where he served in a minor role alongside the film's star and director Andy Garcia. He also appeared in the motion pictures Primal Fear and the crime drama Traffic (2000), for which he shared the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. In 2007 he appeared on an episode of Burn Notice. In 2011, Bauer appeared on the crime drama series Breaking Bad playing Mexican drug lord Don Eladio. He garnered significant praise from critics for his portrayals in both Breaking Bad and its prequel Better Call Saul. He starred with Julianne Michelle in the 2013 feature film Awakened, a supernatural horror film in which Bauer's performance was met with mixed-to-negative critical reactions from mainstream publications. More recently, Bauer appeared as ex-Mossad agent turned private investigator Avi in the Showtime crime drama series Ray Donovan. Bauer also reprised his Breaking Bad role in 2017 in AMC's prequel series Better Call Saul. In addition, he played El Santo in the crime drama American version of Queen of the South.
Personal life
Personal life
Bauer has married four times: first to Melanie Griffith, from 1981 until 1989; second to Ingrid Anderson, from 1989 until 1991; third to Christiana Boney, from 1992 until 2002; and fourth to Paulette Miltimore, from 2003 until 2012. He has two sons: Alexander Griffith Bauer (born August 22, 1985) with Griffith, and Dylan Dean Steven Bauer (born May 14, 1990) with Anderson. In 2010, Bauer was mistakenly named as the driver of a vehicle that struck and killed 24-year-old Brent Rosenberg of Malibu. Rosenberg was walking on Pacific Coast Highway toward his parked car on the east side of the road when he was struck by a sport utility vehicle. Initial reports said Bauer was the driver of the vehicle but police officials later said it was a different person of the same name.
Television
Television
• Year — Show — Role — Notes • 1977–1979 — ¿Qué Pasa, U.S.A.? — Joe Peña — Main cast (seasons 1–3) • 1978 — The Rockford Files — Jesus Hernandez — Episode: "A Fast Count" • 1980 — From Here to Eternity — Pvt,. Ignacio Carmona — Episode: "Pearl Harbor" • 1981 — Hill Street Blues — Officer Fuentes — Recurring cast (season 1) • One Day at a Time — Eduardo Diaz — Episode: "I Do, I Do" • 1985 — Alfred Hitchcock Presents — Gambler — Episode: "Pilot" • 1990 — Drug Wars: The Camarena Story — DEA Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena — Episode: "Part 1-3" • Wiseguy — Michael Santana — Main cast (season 4) • 1992 — Red Shoe Diaries — Michael — Episode: "Safe Sex" • 1998 — The Outer Limits — Sergeant Waylon Dumar — Episode: "Nightmare" • Welcome to Paradox — Detective Angel Cardenas — Episode: "Our Lady of the Machine" • 1999 — Walker, Texas Ranger — Lorenzo Cabral — Episode: "Rise to the Occasion" • 2000 — Relic Hunter — Tony — Episode: "Fertile Ground" • 2001 — Nash Bridges — Lima — Episode: "Out of Miami" • V.I.P. — Blake Thompson — Episode: "Val Under Covers" • UC: Undercover — Carlos Cortez — Recurring cast • 2005 — Sex, Love & Secrets — Stefano — Episode: "Territorial Defense" • 2006 — E! True Hollywood Story — Himself — Episode: "Scarface" • South Beach — Lieutenant Rivera — Recurring cast • 2007 — Burn Notice — Reyes — Episode: "Hard Bargain" • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Raphael Gardner — Episode: "Paternity" • 2009 — Cold Case — Osmany "Oz" Leon — Episode: "Stealing Home" • American Dad! — Jaramillo (voice) — Episode: "Stan's Night Out" • Mental — Diego Suarez — Episode: "Coda" • 2010 — Hacienda Heights — Mayor Eduardo Garcia — Main cast (season 2) • 2011 — Breaking Bad — Don Eladio Vuente — Recurring cast (season 4) • 2012 — Common Law — Miguel Avila — Episode: "In-Laws vs. Outlaws" • 2013 — The Mentalist — Don Clyde — Episode: "Little Red Corvette" • CSI: Crime Scene Investigation — Bobby Esposito — Episode: "Passed Pawns" • 2013–2017 — Ray Donovan — Avi Rudin — Main cast (seasons 1–5) • 2014 — The Night Shift — Milo Osborne — Recurring cast (season 1) • Hawaii Five-0 — Jimmy Sykes — Episode: "Ho'oilina" • 2015 — Battle Creek — Roderigo — Episode: "Sympathy for the Devil" • 2015–2017 — Blue Bloods — Gerry Guerrero — Guest cast (seasons 6–7) • 2017–2018 — Queen of the South — Santos — Recurring cast (season 2), guest (season 3) • 2017–2022 — Better Call Saul — Don Eladio Vuente — Guest cast (season 3 & 5-6) • 2018 — Goliath — Willie — Episode: "Diablo Verde" • 2019 — Supergirl — Bernardo Rojas — Episode: "Confidence Women" • 2021 — NCIS — Miguel Torres — Episode: "Sangre" • 2023 — S.W.A.T. — Sancho Zamora — Episode: "Legacy" • White House Plumbers — Dr. Manuel Artime — Episode: "True Believers" • The Blacklist — Vicente Sandoval — Episode: "Wormwood (No. 182)"
Video games
Video games
• Year — Game — Role • 2006 — Scarface: The World Is Yours — The Sandman • 2012 — Call of Duty: Black Ops II — Additional Voices • Hitman: Absolution — Birdie • 2016 — Let It Die — Kommando Kawasaki
Music videos
Music videos
• Year — Artist — Song — Role • 1984 — Maria Conchita Alonso — "Noche de Copas" — Main Lover Interest • 1985 — Eurythmics — "Would I Lie to You?" — Biker Boyfriend • The Pointer Sisters — "Dare Me" — Boxer • Miami Sound Machine — "Conga" — Crowd Dancer • 2007 — Pitbull — "Secret Admirer" — Extra • 2013 — Drake — "Hold On, We're Going Home" — Kidnapper • 2016 — Kill My Coquette — "3rd & Bonnie Brae" — Himself • 2018 — Zayn — "Let Me" — Kingpin • "Entertainer"
Accolades
Accolades
Bauer has received recognition from major film, television, and industry organizations for his performances in both film and television ensembles.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1956
Steven Bauer born at Havana.
Film
• Year — Film — Role — Notes • 1981 — She's in the Army Now — Nick Donato — TV movie • 1982 — An Innocent Love — Duncan Widders — TV movie • 1983 — Valley Girl — Guy in Pink Shirt • Scarface — Manolo "Manny Ray" Ribera • 1984 — Body Double — Assistant Director • Thief of Hearts — Scott Muller • 1986 — Running Scared — Detective Frank Sigliano • Sword of Gideon — Avner — TV movie • 1987 — Tales from the Hollywood Hills: A Table at Ciro's — Tony Montoya — TV movie • 1988 — Wildfire — Frank • The Beast of War — Khan Taj • 1989 — Gleaming the Cube — Al Lucero • 1991 — A Climate for Killing — Paul McGraw • Sweet Poison — Bobby — TV movie • False Arrest — Detective Dan Ryan — TV movie • 1992 — Drive Like Lightning — Charlie — TV movie • Raising Cain — Jack Dante • 1993 — Snapdragon — Dr. David "Doc" Hoogstraten • 1994 — Woman of Desire — Jonathan Ashby/Ted Ashby • Improper Conduct — Sam • Stranger by Night — Bobby Corcoran — Video • Terminal Voyage — Reese • 1995 — Codename: Silencer — Vinnie Rizzo • Wild Side — Tony • 1996 — Primal Fear — Joey Pinero • Navajo Blues — Nick Epps/John Cole • 1997 — Plato's Run — Sam — Video • Sisters and Other Strangers — Anthony Quintana — TV movie • The Blackout — Mickey's Studio Actor • Star Portal — Dr. Ray Brady — Video • Miami — – • Kickboxing Academy — Carl • 1998 — The Versace Murder — FBI Agent John Jacoby • Naked Lies — Kevin Dowd • 2000 — Warm Texas Rain — Rush — Video • Forever Lulu — Lou • Rave — Antonio • For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story — Angel — TV movie • Traffic — Carlos Ayala • El Grito — Ibarra • Glory Glory — Jack • 2001 — Boss of Bosses — Vito Genovese — TV movie • The Learning Curve — Mark York • 2002 — King of Texas — Menchaca — TV movie • Malevolent — Captain Greg Pruitt • 2003 — Masked and Anonymous — Edgar • Nola — Leo • 2004 — Raptor Island — Azir — TV movie • Doing Hard Time — Detective Anthony Wade — Video • 2005 — How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer — Victor Reyes • Keeper of the Past — The Mayor — Short • Hitters Anonymous — Theodore 'Teddy' Swan • Pit Fighter — Manolo • The Lost City — Castel • La fiesta del Chivo — Juan Jose Viñas • 2006 — Ladrones & Mentirosos — Oscar • Dead Lenny — Lenny Long — Video • 2007 — Kings of South Beach — Allie Boy — TV movie • The Last Sentinel — Drone Scientist • Category 4 — Robert — Short • Planet Raptor — Captain Mace Carter — TV movie • Natural Born Komics — – — Video • 2008 — Smother — Carl — Short • Mutants — Marcus Santiago • I Didn't Know Who I Was — Mr. David Hernandez — Short • Dark World — Rick • 2009 — Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia — General Manuel Valez — Video • Charlie Valentine — Ferucci • From Mexico with Love — Tito • Camouflage — Bobby • The Intruders — Michael Foster • 2010 — Bulletface — Ned Walker • Fast Lane — Lt. Baynes • Toxic — Conrad • Shadows in Paradise — Agent Stubbs • A Numbers Game — Neal Black • Enemies Among Us — Senator Fred Edmonds • Zenitram — Frank Ramírez • Suicide Dolls — Hank • Raven — William • Disarmed — Col. Caine • Venus & Vegas — Francis • Promises — Detective Stevens • One in the Gun — Arthur • Crumble — Reda — Short • Boyle Heights — Tino • 2011 — The Last Gamble — Steven • Session — Jake Tellman • Joshua Tree — Jefferey • Mommy & Me — Brad Johnson • Pimp Bullies — Mr. Watson • Jackie Goldberg Private Dick — Mr. Lincoln • Driving by Braille — Rudolf Corso • 2012 — Paloma — Enrique — Short • Sins Expiation — Williams • ATypical Love — Brad Johnson • For the Love of Money — Hector • Garbage — Steven • A Dark Truth — Tony Green • Werewolf: The Beast Among Us — Hyde — Video • Gothic Assassins — VOX • Success Driven — The Husband — Short • Showstopper — Detective Vinnie Randall • Revan — Shadow • Knuckleheads — Manny • 2013 — Day of Redemption — Jeffrey Cambell • Counterpunch — Tomas • Real Gangsters — Nick "Big Nick" Salens • Once Upon a Time in Queens — P.O. Ramirez • Five Thirteen — Ernesto Esteban • Chavez Cage of Glory — Brother Jose • Awakened — Lucas Drake • Seasick Sailor — Waldorf — Short • 2014 — The Lookalike — Frank • Killing Frisco — Esteban • 2015 — Sweet Lorraine — Lou • 2016 — Beyond the Game — Eric • Restored Me — Armando • J.L. Family Ranch — Hector Arrieta • Toyed — Mr. Martinez — Short • King of LA — Adrian — TV movie • 2017 — Andover — Father Gregory • Culture of Fear — Vega • Avenge the Crows — Ronaldo • Blue Eyes — Russian — TV movie • 2020 — Deported — Male INS Agent • 2021 — Flinch — Joseph Doyle • Women Is Losers — Don Juan • My Dead Dad — Uncle Tommy • Love on the Rock — Claudio Fairbanks • Mister Mayfair — Mike • Mister Mayfair 2 – A Song to Kill For — Mike • 2022 — Nothing Is Impossible — Archie Touraine • TBA — Barracuda — TBA — Post-production
Awards and nominations
• Year — Association — Category — Nominated work — Result • 1983 — Golden Globe Awards — Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture — Scarface • 2000 — Screen Actors Guild Awards — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture — Traffic • 2012 — ALMA Awards — Favorite TV Reality, Variety, or Comedy Series — ¿Qué Pasa, USA?
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Coto, Juan Carlos. Steven Bauer Wises Up. Miami Herald. November 10, 1990.
- 2.Steven Bauer Biography (1956–)
- 3.Perez Rivera, Francisco. What's in a name? For Steven Bauer, it's more important what isn't. Chicago Tribune. November 16, 1984.
- 4.Steven Bauer Biography (1956–). www.filmreference.com.
- 5.Keller, Joel. Steven Bauer on Being Ray Donovan's Enforcer, Teaching Gus Fring Spanish and Hanging With Pacino. Parade. July 16, 2013.
- 6.Zekas, Rita. Steve Bauer's got the looks and the talent. Toronto Star. 1986-11-26.
- 7.Kleiner, Dick. Steven Bauer is tough new face. The Frederick Post. March 14, 1984.
- 8.Steven Bauer's official MySpace profile
- 9.Puga, Kristina. Latino actor Steven Bauer reprises iconic role in TV's first bilingual sitcom. NBC News. May 17, 2018.
- 10.Steven Bauer - Biography and Acting Profile. Rakuten Viki.
- 11.Steven Bauer - Golden Globes. Golden Globes.
- 12.King, Susan. 'Wiseguy' Gets Older--and Wiser : Television: Co-creator Stephen J. Cannell has returned to revitalize the series with new star Steven Bauer. Los Angeles Times. November 8, 1990.
- 13.Steven Bauer Biography, Celebrity Facts and Awards. TV Guide.
- 14.Harvey, Dennis. Film Review: 'Tales of Halloween'. Variety. October 20, 2015.
- 15.Linden, Sheri. Awakened: Film Review. The Hollywood Reporter. March 19, 2014.
- 16.Catsoulis, Jeannette. 'Awakened,' a Thriller, Stars Julianne Michelle. The New York Times. March 20, 2014.
- 17.El Camino De la Muerte - Queen of the South (Season 2, Episode 6). Apple TV. December 21, 2017.
- 18.Melanie Griffith Has Had 3 Notable Men in Her Life — Meet Her Husbands!. Closer. August 15, 2019.
- 19.Steven Bauer Walks the Drug World's Dark Side—Again. People.
- 20.Thompson, Avery. Steven Bauer: 'Scarface' Actor, 57, Dating Young Lyda Loudon, 18. Hollywood Life. July 26, 2014.
- 21.SiriusXM. Melanie Griffith Reveals She Was Still Married to Steven Bauer While Pregnant with Dakota Johnson!.
- 22.Actor's car hits pedestrian in Malibu. United Press International. September 19, 2010.
- 23.'Scarface' Actor Involved In Malibu Pedestrian Crash. CBS News. September 18, 2010.
- 24.Vehicle strikes and kills pedestrian on PCH. The Malibu Times. September 22, 2010.
- 25.Foy, Scott. Universal's New Werewolf Casts a Steven and a Stephen. Dread Central. September 16, 2011.
- 26.Steven Bauer Biography, Celebrity Facts and Awards. TV Guide.
- 27.Steven Bauer - Golden Globes. Golden Globes.
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Steven Bauer was recorded at birth as Esteban Ernesto Echevarría Samson crakoss. His recorded languages were Spanish and English. He married Melanie Griffith. Recorded as having studied at Miami Dade College, University of Miami and Miami Coral Park High School.
Identity and origins
Activity and practice
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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