Robert Beltran

Robert Adame Beltran was born on November 19, 1953, in Bakersfield, California, as the seventh of ten children. His heritage is Mexican-Native American. He developed an interest in acting during his college years, graduating from Fresno State College with a degree in Theater Arts. After moving to Los Angeles, Beltran secured his first film role in Luis Valdez’s “Zoot Suit” (1981). A year later, he gained recognition for his lead role as Raoul in Paul Bartel’s independent black comedy, “Eating Raoul” (1982). His early film career also included appearances in “Night of the Comet” (1984), “Gaby: A True Story” (1987), and Oliver Stone’s “Nixon” (1995).

Beyond his film work, Beltran has a significant background in theatre. He has performed in productions for El Teatro Campesino, the LA Theater Center, and the California Shakespeare Festival. His passion for theatre led him to co-found and serve as co-artistic director of the East LA Classic Theater Group. With this group, he has taken on roles such as Hamlet and also engaged in co-producing and directing. His stage credits include performances in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “King Henry IV,” “A Touch of the Poet,” and “The Price.” He is also a member of the Classical Theater Lab.

Beltran’s most prominent role came in 1995 when he was cast as Commander Chakotay in the science fiction television series “Star Trek: Voyager,” a role he maintained for all seven seasons until 2001. During this period, he received a Nosotros Golden Eagle Award (1997) for Best Actor in a Television Series. He also garnered nominations for the NCLR Bravo Award (1996) and ALMA Award (1998, 1999) for his performance. He later reprised his voice role as Captain Chakotay in the animated series “Star Trek: Prodigy” (2022-2024). In addition to his acting career, Robert Beltran supports the National Down Syndrome Society, an organization close to him due to his youngest brother having Down Syndrome.