Award-winning actor H?ctor Elizondo was born on December 22, 1936 in New York City. Born to parents who immigrated from Puerto Rico, he discovered his talent in sports and music at a young age. After a stint with the Frank Murray Boys’ Choir, he entered High School of Performing Arts, and at the same time entered a regular public high school to cultivate his abilities in basketball and baseball. His talents in the latter was notably noticed, and he was scouted by both the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Elizondo enrolled at the City College of New York in 1954, intending to eventually work as a history teacher. However, he dropped out of his freshman year, as he became a father; he decided to work full-time to support his family. After undergoing a divorce, and subsequently winning full custody of his son, he considered an acting career. He finally trained at the Ballet Dance Company at Carnegie Hall in 1962, and the following year, took parts in several off-Broadway roles. He then became renowned for his role in the play Steambath, where he played God disguised as a steam room attendant; he earned an Obie for the role.
Throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, Elizondo also appeared in numerous films and television programs, some of which were a result of his friendship with fellow actor Garry Marshall. It was he, in fact, who insisted on Elizondo being given credit for his short role on Pretty Woman, which led to a Golden Globe nomination. It was only in 1997 when he was widely recognized for his acting, for his role as Dr. Phillip Watters in the medical drama Chicago Hope; it earned him an Emmy for best supporting actor.
Elizondo had some sort of resurgence into the 2000s, with recurring roles in several television shows—Miracles, Century City and Kate Brasher, among others—and in high-profiles movies, notably as head of security Joe in both The Princess Diaries films. He returned to regular television work in 2007, when he appeared as the family patriarch Pancho Duque on the short-lived drama Cane. The following year, he joined the cast of the comedy series Monk, taking over the role of therapist Neven Bell from Stanley Kamel, who died suddenly in April 2008.