Hector Elizondo

Elizondo was born in New York, the son of Carmen Medina Reyes and Martín Echevarría Elizondo, an accountant and notary public. His parents were Puerto Ricans of Spanish descent who moved from Puerto Rico to New York City with the hope of finding a better life. He grew up on the Upper West Side.

At a young age, he demonstrated a talent for sports and music. He sang for the Frank Murray Boys' Choir when he was 10 years old. Upon graduating from junior high school in 1950, he enrolled in the High School of the Performing Arts. He also attended another public high school, where he excelled in basketball and baseball. His baseball skills were good enough for him to be scouted by both the San Francisco Giants and the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1954, Elizondo enrolled in City College of New York, intending to become a history teacher. However, during his freshman year, he became a father and dropped out of college, going to work full-time to support his family. Later, he divorced and gained full custody of his son, Rodd. From 1962 to 1963, Elizondo studied dance at the Ballet Arts Company at Carnegie Hall. During 1962–63, he also studied acting under Mario Stiletti at Stella Adler Theatre Studio when it was located in the Dryden East Hotel on East 39th St. In 1965, he landed a part in the off-Broadway show Kill the One-Eyed Man.

In 1968, he got a part in the play The Great White Hope. His first major success came when he played "God" in the guise of a Puerto Rican steam room attendant in Steambath, for his performance in which he won an Obie Award. He often plays the role of the lead character’s friend or sympathizer.

In 1974, Elizondo played an ex-mafioso-turned-subway hijacker, "Mr. Grey," in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.

He starred as a Puerto Rican widower on the CBS television series Popi (1975–1976). The short-lived series, which ran for 11 episodes, was one of the first American network television series to feature a Latino theme and cast. In 1975, he portrayed the murderer in an episode of Columbo, "A Case of Immunity". He was a member of the cast of the 1985–86 CBS situation comedy Foley Square, starring Margaret Colin.

In the 1980s, Elizondo befriended Garry Marshall, who was impressed with his talent. Their first film together was Young Doctors in Love, in which Elizondo displays his guitar-playing talent. His role in Pretty Woman lasted only 10 minutes, but led to a Golden Globe nomination. In 1999, he co-starred in Runaway Bride as Fisher, the husband of the male protagonist's ex. Elizondo has participated in more than 80 films (18 of which have been Marshall's). He appeared in every film that Marshall directed, including a brief appearance as a Portuguese fisherman in Overboard.

In 2001, he was featured in the short-lived television drama Kate Brasher and portrayed security head Joe in the film The Princess Diaries, a role he reprised in the 2004 sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. As a voice-actor, he played Bane in Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman. He may be best known to television audiences as Dr. Phillip Watters on the CBS television series Chicago Hope created by well-known television creator David E. Kelley. He has won both an Emmy and ALMA award and was nominated for a Satellite Award and several SAG Awards for playing this role. He is one of only two people to remain on the show for its entire run, the other being Adam Arkin.

In 2008, Elizondo joined the cast of the USA Network series Monk as Dr. Neven Bell, Adrian Monk's new psychiatrist, following the sudden death of Stanley Kamel, the actor who played Monk's original psychiatrist. In 2023, he reprised his role in Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie after some convincing from Tony Shalhoub.

From 2011 to 2021, Elizondo played Ed Alzate on the Fox (formerly ABC) comedy Last Man Standing, starring Tim Allen and Nancy Travis.

In 2023, Elizondo guest voiced a character, Romar Adell, a local of Serenno who went into hiding after the Empire bombarded the planet, on Star Wars: The Bad Batch.