Raúl Esparza Biography: Height, Net Worth, Movies, Parents, Age, Wife, Awards, Ethnicity, Children, Twitter

Raúl Eduardo Esparza, known professionally as Raúl Esparza, is an American actor and singer best known for portraying Assistant District Attorney Rafael Barba in the long-running legal drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Before becoming a familiar face on television, he built an acclaimed career on Broadway, earning multiple Tony Award nominations and establishing himself as one of the stage’s most versatile performers.

His success has extended across theater, film, and television, with notable roles in Hannibal, Dopesick, Candy, and numerous award-winning musical productions.

Raúl Esparza
Wiki Facts & About Data
Real Name:	Raúl Eduardo Esparza
Stage Name:	Raúl Esparza
Born:	October 24, 1970 (age 55 years old)
Place of Birth:	Wilmington, Delaware, United States
Nationality:	American
Ethnicity:	Cuban-American
Height:	5 feet 8 inches
Religion:	Christianity
Parents:	Raúl Esparza y Rues and María Elena Cecilia García y Gutiérrez
Spouse:	Michele Marie Perez
Relationship:	Divorced
Occupation:	Actor and Singer
Net Worth:	$9 million

Early Life and Education

Raúl Eduardo Esparza, (55 years old). He was born on October 24, 1970, in Wilmington, Delaware, to Cuban parents, Raúl Esparza y Rues and María Elena Cecilia García y Gutiérrez, who fled Cuba before settling in the United States.

He was raised in a Christian household and spent much of his childhood in Miami, Florida, where he embraced both his Cuban heritage and bilingual upbringing.

Esparza attended Belen Jesuit Preparatory School in Miami, where he developed an interest in acting through school theatre productions.

After graduating, he enrolled at New York University Tisch School of the Arts and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama in 1992, laying the foundation for his stage career.

Personal Life

Raúl Esparza married his high school sweetheart, Michele Marie Perez, in 1994. After nearly 14 years together, the couple divorced in 2008. They did not have any publicly known children.

In 2006, Esparza publicly revealed that he is bisexual, becoming one of the few prominent Broadway actors to speak openly about his sexuality.

Since his divorce, he has kept his romantic life largely private and has rarely discussed his relationships publicly.

Career

Raúl Esparza began his professional career in regional theatre before making his Broadway debut in The Rocky Horror Show in 2000.

He quickly established himself as one of Broadway’s leading performers with acclaimed roles in tick, tick… BOOM!, Taboo, Company, The Homecoming, Speed-the-Plow, and Arcadia.

His performances earned him multiple Tony Award nominations, making him one of the few actors to receive nominations in every male acting category.

He successfully transitioned to television with appearances in Pushing Daisies and Law & Order: Criminal Intent before joining Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2012 as Assistant District Attorney Rafael Barba.

The role became one of the most celebrated of his career and made him a fan favorite throughout the franchise.

Beyond Law & Order, Esparza portrayed Dr. Frederick Chilton in Hannibal and later appeared in acclaimed productions such as The Path, Dopesick, and Candy.

He has continued balancing television work with Broadway performances while also lending his voice to animated films such as Ferdinand.

Awards

• Theatre World Award (2001)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical (2004)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical (2007)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play (2008)
• Obie Award for Performance (2008)
• Outer Critics Circle Award (2008)
• Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical (2004)
• Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Musical (2007)
• Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play (2008)
• Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Play (2009)
• Imagen Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor – Television (2018)
• Imagen Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor – Television (2021)

Net Worth

Raúl Esparza has an estimated net worth of $9 million.

His wealth has been built through his successful career on Broadway, television, and film, with Law & Order: Special Victims Unit remaining one of his most commercially successful projects.

Social Media

• Instagram: @raulesparza
• X: @RaulEEsparza

Filmography

• The Rocky Horror Show (2000)
• tick, tick… BOOM! (2001)
• Cabaret (2001)
• Taboo (2003)
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (2005)
• Find Me Guilty (2006)
• Company (2006)
• Pushing Daisies (2007)
• The Homecoming (2007)
• Speed-the-Plow (2008)
• Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2009)
• My Soul to Take (2010)
• Arcadia (2011)
• Leap of Faith (2012)
• Trouble in the Heights (2012)
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2012)
• Hannibal (2013)
• Custody (2016)
• The Path (2016)
• Ferdinand (2017)
• Seared (2019)
• Dopesick (2021)
• Candy (2022)
• Oliver! (2023)
• Galileo (2026)