Immigrant of the Day: Steven Bauer (Cuba)

Steven Bauer (born December 2, 1956) is a Golden Globe-nominated actor. He is known for his role as Manny Ribera in the 1983 movie Scarface and his role on the bilingual PBS show Que Pasa USA.

Bauer was born Esteban Echevarria in Havana, Cuba.  His family fled from Cuba to Miami in 1960, following the Revolution, when he was three years old.  Originally intending to become a musician, Bauer turned to acting while attending Miami-Dade Community College but then transferred to the University of Miami, where he studied in the Department of Theater Arts. His first substantial role was in the PBS bilingual sitcom ¿Qué Pasa, U.S.A.?, playing the teenage son of a Cuban exile family in Miami, from 1977 to 1979. He also appeared in the 1980 TV miniseries From Here to Eternity.

After moving to New York City, Bauer studied under famed acting teacher Stella Adler and appeared in off-Broadway productions. Bauer was given the substantial role of Manolo Ribera in the 1983 movie Scarface, even though he was a relatively unknown actor at the time. His powerful performance drew a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Since Scarface, Bauer has made his career primarily in action-adventure films and crime dramas on both the big and small screens, including such motion pictures as Traffic.

KJ