E.J. Bonilla
American actor

E.J. Bonilla

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American actor
Gender:
Male
Birth:
8 September 1988(New York City, USA)
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Biography

Introduction

Edward Joshua "E. J." Bonilla (born September 8, 1988) is an American television and film actor. He is best known for his role as Rafe Rivera on Guiding Light.

Early life

Bonilla was born in New York City, to Puerto Rican parents. He attended John Ericsson Junior High School 126 in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where he became involved in band, playing the trumpet. He also participated in musical theater while in Junior High School and High School.Bonilla attended High School for Environmental Studies. He first became interested in acting in the ninth-grade, when he was cast as Danny Zuko in a performance of Grease. He graduated from high school in 2006 and then attended Bard College.

Career

His first role was on the PBS educational show Reading Rainbow.After graduating from high school, he went on tooriginate the role of Rafe, Natalia's son, on Guiding Light in May 2007.

Bonilla starred in the independent film Musical Chairs. It is a story of a couple (played by Bonilla and actress Leah Pipes) who enter a wheelchair ballroom dancing competition after the girl is disabled in a traffic accident. The film was released on March 23, 2012.

Bonilla received an Imagen Award for his performance as "Dexter," a former high school basketball player whose best days are behind him, in Joshua Sanchez's directorial debut, Four. The film was released on September 13, 2013.

Awards

Award Date Film/Show Category Result
28th Annual Imagen Awards August 16, 2013 Four Best Actor/Supporting Actor - Feature Film Nominated
Los Angeles Film Festival June 24, 2012 Four Best Performance in the Narrative Competition (Ensemble Cast) Won
36th Daytime Emmy Awards August 30, 2009 Guiding Light (TV) Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series Nominated