Néstor Carbonell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Néstor Carbonell
Carbonell at GalaxyCon Columbus in 2022
Born	Néstor Gastón Carbonell (1967-12-01) December 1, 1967 (age 57) New York City, U.S.
Alma mater	Harvard University (AB)
Occupation	Actor director screenwriter
Years active	1989–present
Spouse(s)	Shannon Kenny ​ (m. 2001)​
Children	2

Néstor Gastón Carbonell (born December 1, 1967) is an American actor, director, and screenwriter. He became well-known for playing Luis Rivera in the TV show Suddenly Susan.

He is also famous for his roles as Richard Alpert in the drama series Lost. Later, he played Sheriff Alex Romero in Bates Motel. More recently, he has been Yanko Flores in The Morning Show. Carbonell also appeared as Mayor Anthony Garcia in the superhero movies The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). In 2024, he won an Emmy Award for his part in the series Shōgun.

Early Life and Education

Néstor Carbonell was born in New York City. His parents, Néstor Tulio Carbonell Cortina and Rosa Ramírez de Arellano Cárdenas, were from Cuba. His family has Spanish roots, including Catalan, Basque, Navarran, and Andalusian ancestors.

Because his father worked for PepsiCo, Néstor's family lived in many different places. They spent time in London, Mexico City, the Bahamas, and Caracas. His father also wrote a book about Cuba. Néstor has an older sister, Rosa Maria "Mia" Carbonell, who works at Forbes. The former baseball player Rafael Palmeiro is his cousin. His great-grandfather, José Manuel Cortina, was a famous Cuban speaker and diplomat.

Néstor went to The British School while living in Caracas. Later, his family moved back to the U.S. He attended Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. There, he met Matthew Fox, who would later be his co-star in Lost. In 1990, Néstor graduated from Harvard University with a degree in English. His father and sister also went to Harvard.

Acting Career Highlights

Carbonell promoting Lost in 2010

Néstor Carbonell's first acting job was a small role in the TV show As the World Turns. He then appeared in episodes of many other shows. These included Law & Order, Melrose Place, and A Different World. In 1995, he acted in a play called Getting Away with Murder. That same year, he was a main actor in the TV show Muscle. From 1996 to 2000, he played Luis Rivera in the popular sitcom Suddenly Susan.

Early in his career, Néstor often played characters with strong Hispanic accents. He was so good that many people thought that was his real voice. One of his challenges was to get roles that were not just based on his background. In 2000, Néstor also wrote a comedy film called Attention Shoppers. He starred in the movie as Enrique Suarez.

He later had recurring roles in shows like Resurrection Blvd. and The Tick. He also voiced Señor Senior Jr. in the cartoon Kim Possible. Néstor guest-starred in popular shows such as Scrubs, House, and Monk. In 2006, he appeared in the movie Smokin' Aces with Matthew Fox, his future co-star from Lost.

Becoming Richard Alpert in Lost

Carbonell and Sarah Michelle Gellar at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con

Néstor Carbonell was cast as Richard Alpert in the third season of Lost. His character was mysterious and seemed not to age, which fans talked about a lot. While filming Lost, Néstor was also cast in a new show called Cane. The writers of Lost had to change their plans because they thought Néstor might not be available.

Even though Néstor wanted to return to Lost, the network for Cane said he couldn't. However, Cane was canceled during a writers' strike in 2007-2008. This freed Néstor from his contract. So, in 2008, the creators of Lost announced that Néstor would return as Richard Alpert. He appeared in the fourth season and became a main cast member for the sixth and final season of Lost.

From Gotham City to Bates Motel

In 2008, Néstor played Mayor Anthony Garcia in Christopher Nolan's movie The Dark Knight. His wife, Shannon Kenny, had also worked on a Batman project before. In 2010, Néstor joined the TV series Psych for two episodes. He played Declan Rand, a criminal profiler. In 2011, he starred as FBI agent Victor Machado in the show Ringer. He also had a recurring role in the comedy series Wilfred. The next year, Néstor returned as Mayor Anthony Garcia in The Dark Knight Rises, the last movie in Nolan's Batman series.

Carbonell with the cast of Bates Motel in 2013

From 2013 to 2017, Néstor played Sheriff Alex Romero in Bates Motel. This show was a prequel to the famous movie Psycho. He starred alongside Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore. He started as a recurring actor but became a main cast member in the second season. Néstor also directed three episodes of Bates Motel.

In 2014, he guest-starred in Person of Interest and The Good Wife. He also started a recurring role in the show State of Affairs. In 2017, Néstor directed an episode of The Good Doctor, which starred his Bates Motel co-star, Freddie Highmore. In 2024, he appeared as Rodrigues in the miniseries Shōgun, for which he won an Emmy Award.

Personal Life

Néstor Carbonell married Australian actress Shannon Kenny on January 3, 2001. They first met while working on the TV series Muscle in 1995. They also acted together in the 2000 film Attention Shoppers, which Néstor wrote. The couple has two sons, Rafael (born 2002) and Marco (born 2005).

Néstor's naturally dark eyelashes are often talked about in interviews. Both Néstor and the producers of Lost have confirmed that he does not use makeup to make them look that way. During a Lost event in 2009, there was a short skit where Néstor pretended to apply eyeliner. In an episode of Lost, a character even jokes about his "eyeliner." Also, in an episode of Psych, a character mentions his "impossibly dark eyelashes."

He speaks Spanish fluently. He used this skill in an episode of Lost called "Ab Aeterno", where many scenes were mostly in Spanish. He also appeared in a Spanish-language commercial for Heineken.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage Performances

Other Creative Work

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Nestor Carbonell para niños