Raul Esparza - wikipedia Raul Esparza Jump to : navigation , search Raúl Esparza Esparza at the 2014 San Diego Comic - Con International Raúl Eduardo Esparza ( 1970 - 10 - 24 ) October 24 , 1970 ( age 47 ) Wilmington , Delaware , U.S. Alma mater New York University Occupation Actor , singer , voice artist Years active 1993 -- present Spouse ( s ) Michelle Perez ( m . 1994 ; div. 2008 ) Website www.raulesparza.com Raúl Eduardo Esparza ( born October 24 , 1970 ) is an American stage and television actor , singer , and voice artist , best known for his role as New York Assistant District Attorney ( ADA ) Rafael Barba in Law & Order : Special Victims Unit . He has received Tony nominations for his role as Philip Salon in the Boy George musical Taboo in 2004 ; Robert , an empty man devoid of connection in the musical comedy Company in 2006 ; a lazy and snarky man in Harold Pinter 's The Homecoming ; and an aggressive volatile movie producer in David Mamet 's Speed the Plow . He played the role of Riff Raff on Broadway in the revival of The Rocky Horror Show and the role of Caractacus Potts in the Broadway musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang . Esparza has been nominated in all Tony categories for which an actor is eligible . He is widely regarded for his versatility on stage , having performed musicals by Andrew Lloyd Webber , Stephen Sondheim , Kander and Ebb , Boy George , and the Sherman Brothers and plays by Mamet , Pinter , William Shakespeare , Tom Stoppard , and more . His film work includes Sidney Lumet 's Find Me Guilty and Wes Craven 's My Soul to Take and his television credits include roles on Medium , Hannibal , Pushing Daisies , and Law & Order : Special Victims Unit . He narrated the audiobook for Stephen King 's Under the Dome , as well as several others , and sings in concerts all over the country . Contents ( hide ) 1 Early life 2 Career 2.1 Theatre 2.1. 1 Broadway theatre 2.1. 2 Other theatre 2.2 Television 2.2. 1 Law & Order : SVU 3 Personal life 4 Filmography 4.1 Film 4.2 Television 5 Awards and nominations 6 References 7 External links Early life ( edit ) Born in Wilmington , Delaware , to Cuban parents , and raised in Miami , Florida , Esparza graduated from Belen Jesuit in 1988 and won a Silver Knight Award in Drama that same year . In 1992 , Esparza received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama and a Bachelor 's degree in English from New York University 's Tisch School of the Arts . Career ( edit ) Theatre ( edit ) Broadway Theatre ( edit ) Esparza first drew attention with his performance in the 2000 Broadway revival of The Rocky Horror Show , which won him the Theatre World Award . Additional Broadway credits include Cabaret ( 2001 ) , Taboo ( 2003 ) , Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ( 2005 ) and Sondheim 's Company ( 2006 ) . He received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and a Drama Desk Award for his performance in the musical Taboo . His performance in Company earned him a second Tony nomination , this time for Best Actor in a Musical , as well as his second Drama Desk award . Beginning in November 2007 , he appeared in Harold Pinter 's play The Homecoming and was Tony - nominated for Best Featured Actor in a Play . In 2008 , he played Charlie Fox in the revival of David Mamet 's Speed - the - Plow co-starring Jeremy Piven and Elisabeth Moss on Broadway . His performance in Speed - the - Plow earned him a Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Play , making him the second performer ( after Boyd Gaines ) to be nominated in all four acting categories a performer is eligible for at the Tonys , although he has yet to win one . Esparza appeared on Broadway in a limited - engagement revival of Tom Stoppard 's Arcadia , which began previews at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on February 25 , 2011 and opened on March 17 , 2011 . Esparza appeared in the musical Leap of Faith in the role of the `` Reverend '' Jonas Nightingale . He was involved in the workshop in 2008 , the out - of - town tryout at the Ahmanson Theatre ( Los Angeles ) in 2010 , and the Broadway production in 2012 , for which he received a 2012 Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Musical . Other Theatre ( edit ) In 1999 , Esparza portrayed Che in the national tour of Evita , opposite Natalie Toro . The tour was intended to open on Broadway , but failed to do so . In 2001 , he appeared Off - Broadway in tick , tick ... BOOM ! by Jonathan Larson , garnering a Drama Desk Award nomination as Outstanding Actor in a Musical . He appeared in two Stephen Sondheim musicals , Sunday in the Park with George and Merrily We Roll Along at the 2002 Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration . He also appeared as The Arbiter in the Actors Fund of America concert of Sir Tim Rice 's Chess in September 2003 . In 2009 , Esparza starred in a production of Shakespeare 's Twelfth Night at the Delacorte Theater ( New York ) with Anne Hathaway , from June 25 through July 12 . He starred as Hapgood in the City Center Encores ! staged concert production of Anyone Can Whistle from April 8 to 11 , 2010 , opposite Sutton Foster as Fay and Donna Murphy as the Mayoress . Television ( edit ) In 2007 , Esparza had a recurring role on the TV show Pushing Daisies as traveling salesman Alfredo Aldarisio , a role originally given to Paul Reubens . In 2009 , he recorded the audiobook Under the Dome by Stephen King . He has done previous narration for The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer , and The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark . In January 2010 , Esparza performed opposite Lucie Arnaz , Desi Arnaz Jr. and Valarie Pettiford at the 92Y 's Lyrics and Lyricist event honoring Desi Arnaz and his Orchestra , `` Babalu : The American Songbook Goes Latin '' . In 2010 , Esparza appeared as Abel Plenkov in Wes Craven 's My Soul to Take . From 2013 to 2015 , Esparza appeared in the recurring role of Dr. Frederick Chilton in Hannibal . He appeared in the 2016 film Custody , written and directed by James Lapine , as an Administration for Children 's Services agent . Law & Order : SVU ( edit ) In 2012 , Esparza became a recurring actor on the long - running NBC drama series Law & Order : Special Victims Unit as Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Rafael Barba , starting in the third episode of the show 's 14th season , `` Twenty - Five Acts '' . He appeared in 11 episodes of the show 's 14th season . On July 17 , 2013 , he was upgraded to series regular for the show 's 15th season . His character became the first series regular ADA since Stephanie March in the 11th season and the first regular male ADA in series history . His role on SVU was not his first Law & Order role , however , as he had previously portrayed an ADA in a 2009 episode of Law & Order : Criminal Intent , and a suspect in a 2010 episode of the original Law & Order . On February 7 , 2018 , Esparza left the series after six seasons in the episode `` The Undiscovered Country '' . Personal life ( edit ) Esparza married Michele Marie Perez , his high school girlfriend , in 1994 but divorced in 2008 . Esparza was the subject of a New York Times profile in 2006 , in which he revealed that he is bisexual . Filmography ( edit ) Film ( edit ) Year Title Role Notes Ref . 2005 ShowBusiness : The Road to Broadway Himself Documentary film directed by Dori Berinstein 2006 Find Me Guilty Tony Compagna Courtroom comedy - drama crime film co-written and directed by Sidney Lumet based on the true story of the longest Mafia trial in American history My Soul to Take Abel Plenkov 2011 Trouble in the Heights Nevada Ramirez 2016 Custody Luis Sanjuro 2017 Ferdinand Moreno ( voice ) Television ( edit ) Year Title Role Notes Spin City Reporter Episode : `` In the Heat of the Day '' 2007 Pushing Daisies Alfredo Aldarisio 2 episodes 2009 Law & Order : Criminal Intent ADA Kevin Mulrooney Episode : `` Lady 's Man '' Law & Order Dennis Di Palma Episode : `` Blackmail '' Medium David Ostrowski Episode : `` Blood on the Tracks '' 2011 Gifted Man , AA Gifted Man Phillip Romero 2 episodes 2012 -- 2018 Law & Order : Special Victims Unit ADA Rafael Barba Recurring ( season 14 ) , Main cast ( season 15 -- 19 ) 115 episodes 2012 666 Park Avenue Phillip Perez Episode : `` Hypnos '' 2013 -- 2015 Hannibal Dr. Frederick Chilton 12 episodes 2014 Dora and Friends : Into the City ! Big Bad Wolf ( voice ) Episode : `` Puppet Theater '' 2016 -- 2017 BoJack Horseman Ralph Stilton ( voice ) 7 episodes 2018 The Path Jackson Neill 4 episodes Awards and nominations ( edit ) Year Project Award Result 2000 The Rocky Horror Show Theatre World Award Outstanding New York Debut Won 2001 tick , tick ... BOOM ! Obie Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Won 2001 tick , tick ... BOOM ! Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Nominated 2002 Sunday in the Park with George Helen Hayes Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Nominated 2003 Green Violin Barrymore Awards Outstanding Actor in a Musical Won Taboo Tony Award Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Nominated Taboo Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Won 2005 N / A HOLA José Ferrer Tespis Awards N / A Won 2005 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical Nominated 2006 Company at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Enquirer Acclaim Awards Outstanding Musical Lead Performance Won 2006 Company at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Cincinnati Entertainment Awards Outstanding Acting Performance by a Visiting Actor Won 2007 Company on Broadway Tony Award Best Actor in a Musical Nominated 2007 Company on Broadway Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Won 2007 Company on Broadway Outer Circle Critics Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Won 2008 The Homecoming Tony Award Best Featured Actor in a Play Nominated 2008 The Homecoming Drama Desk Award Outstanding Ensemble Performance Won 2009 Speed - the - Plow Tony Award Best Actor in a Play Nominated 2009 Speed - the - Plow Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Play Nominated 2011 Leap of Faith at the Ahmanson Theatre Ovation Awards Lead Actor in a Musical Won 2012 Leap of Faith on Broadway Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Nominated References ( edit ) Jump up ^ The International Jesuit Alumni Directory Belen ( Forum Press Inc. , 1994 ) Jump up ^ `` Grad Acting Alumnus Raúl Esparza on Shakespeare in the Park '' . tisch.nyu.edu . Retrieved 2017 - 05 - 20 . Jump up ^ Friedman , Roger ( December 22 , 2008 ) . `` ' Entourage ' Star Bashed For Being Diva '' . Fox News Channel . Retrieved January 1 , 2009 . Jump up ^ BroadwayWorld.com `` Arcadia '' broadwayworld.com , December 12 , 2012 Jump up ^ Jones , Kenneth . `` Leap of Faith , With Raúl Esparza at the Musical Pulpit , Opens on Broadway '' Archived May 1 , 2012 , at the Wayback Machine . playbill.com , April 26 , 2012 Jump up ^ ( 1 ) theatermania.com , April 27 , 2012 Jump up ^ `` Guide to Sondheim Shows '' sondheimguide.com , accessed July 10 , 2009 Jump up ^ Gans , Andrew. `` Julia and Josh Dazzle in All - Star ' Chess ' '' playbill.com , September 23 , 2003 Jump up ^ Hetrick , Adam . `` Hathaway , McDonald , White and Esparza Open ' Twelfth Night ' in Central Park June 25 '' , playbill.com , June 25 , 2009 Jump up ^ Healy , Patrick . `` Raúl Esparza Joins Anyone Can Whistle '' , The New York Times , March 17 , 2010 ; accessed May 16 , 2014 . Jump up ^ `` The House of the Scorpion '' . Simon & Schuster . Retrieved January 25 , 2010 . Jump up ^ `` The Book Of Unholy Mischief '' . Simon & Schuster . Archived from the original on December 28 , 2009 . Retrieved January 25 , 2010 . Jump up ^ `` Lyrics & Lyricists -- Babalu : The American Songbook Goes Latin '' . `` 92Y.org '' . Retrieved January 25 , 2010 . Jump up ^ `` Wes Craven 's 25 / 8 Becomes My Soul To Take '' . Collider.com . Retrieved January 25 , 2010 . Jump up ^ `` Raul Esparza Makes Debut on Hannibal tonight '' . broadwayworld.com . May 2 , 2013 . Retrieved June 12 , 2013 . Jump up ^ DeFore , John . `` ' Custody ' : Tribeca Review '' Hollywood Reporter , April 18 , 2016 Jump up ^ `` Raul Esparza Set to Appear on Law & Order : SVU '' . Broadway World . New York City : Wisdom Digital Media . Retrieved October 2 , 2012 . Jump up ^ The Deadline Team ( July 12 , 2013 ) . `` Raul Esparza Upped To Regular On Law & Order : SVU '' . Deadline.com . United States : Penske Media Corporation . Retrieved July 17 , 2013 . Jump up ^ `` Lady 's Man '' . Law & Order : Criminal Intent . Season 8 . Episode 11 . New York City : NBCUniversal . June 28 , 2009 . NBC . Jump up ^ `` Blackmail '' . Law & Order . Season 20 . Episode 12 . New York City : NBCUniversal . January 15 , 2010 . NBC . Jump up ^ Abrams , Natalie ( February 7 , 2018 ) . `` Raúl Esparza exits Law & Order : SVU after six seasons '' . Entertainment Weekly . New York City : Time Inc . Retrieved February 10 , 2018 . Jump up ^ Ramos , Dino - Ray ( February 7 , 2018 ) . `` Raul Esparza Exits ' Law & Order : SVU ' ; ' Chicago Justice ' Vet Promoted To Series Regular '' . Deadline.com . United States : Penske Media Corporation . Retrieved February 16 , 2018 . Jump up ^ `` Stephen Sondheim 's `` Company '' reviewed for The Advocate by Don Shewey `` . Jump up ^ `` 9 Bisexual & Sexually Open Celebrities '' . Latina . Jump up ^ Interview with New York Times , November 26 , 2006 ; accessed May 16 , 2014 . Jump up ^ `` ShowBusiness : The Road to Broadway '' . Turner Classic Movies . United States : Turner Broadcasting System . Retrieved February 17 , 2018 . Jump up ^ `` Find Me Guilty '' . Turner Classic Movies . United States : Turner Broadcasting System . Retrieved February 17 , 2018 . Jump up ^ Rangel , Jesus ( August 27 , 1988 ) . `` ALL 20 ACQUITTED IN JERSEY MOB CASE '' . The New York Times . New York City : The New York Times Company . Retrieved February 17 , 2018 . ^ Jump up to : Esparza Awards and nominations Broadway `` , ibdb.com , retrieved February 10 , 2018 . Jump up ^ Tick , Tick ... Boom ! , lortel.org , retrieved February 11 , 2018 . Jump up ^ Jones , Kenneth . `` New Works and Big Stars Compete for 2003 Helen Hayes Awards May 5 in DC '' , Playbill , May 5 , 2003 . Jump up ^ Robb , Cooper . `` Andreas , Esparza , Frugé et al. Win Barrymore Awards '' , theatermania.com , October 29 , 2003 . Jump up ^ `` 6th Annual HOLA Awards for Excellence '' , hellohola.org , retrieved February 11 , 2018 . Jump up ^ Hernandez , Ernio . `` ' The Light in the Piazza ' Leads Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations with 11 , Followed by Chitty , Spamalot '' , Playbill , April 24 , 2005 Jump up ^ Pender , Rick. `` 10th Annual CEAs Celebrate Cincinnati Stages '' , backstage.com , September 6 , 2006 . Jump up ^ `` Outer Critics Circle Awards for 2006 - 2007 '' , outercritics.org , retrieved February 10 , 2018 . Jump up ^ Hetrick , Adam . `` ' Leap of Faith ' ' s Raul Esparza , ' Voice Lessons ' Laurie Metcalf Among L.A. Ovation Winners '' , Playbill , November 15 , 2011 . External links ( edit ) Official website Raúl Esparza at the Internet Broadway Database Raúl Esparza on IMDb Raúl Esparza at the Internet Off - Broadway Database Video interview in which Esparza discusses his relationship to Catholicism Interview in which Esparza discusses his stage and film work Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical John Cullum ( 1975 ) Ian Richardson ( 1976 ) Lenny Baker ( 1977 ) Ken Page ( 1978 ) Len Cariou ( 1979 ) Jim Dale ( 1980 ) Kevin Kline ( 1981 ) George Hearn ( 1984 ) Ron Richardson ( 1985 ) George Rose ( 1986 ) Robert Lindsay ( 1987 ) Michael Crawford ( 1988 ) Jason Alexander ( 1989 ) James Naughton ( 1990 ) Jonathan Pryce ( 1991 ) Gregory Hines / Nathan Lane ( 1992 ) Brent Carver ( 1993 ) Boyd Gaines ( 1994 ) Vernel Bagneris ( 1995 ) Nathan Lane ( 1996 ) Robert Cuccioli ( 1997 ) Alan Cumming ( 1998 ) Brent Carver ( 1999 ) Brian Stokes Mitchell ( 2000 ) Nathan Lane ( 2001 ) John Lithgow ( 2002 ) Antonio Banderas / Harvey Fierstein ( 2003 ) Hugh Jackman ( 2004 ) Norbert Leo Butz ( 2005 ) John Lloyd Young ( 2006 ) Raúl Esparza ( 2007 ) Paulo Szot ( 2008 ) Brian d'Arcy James ( 2009 ) Douglas Hodge ( 2010 ) Norbert Leo Butz ( 2011 ) Danny Burstein ( 2012 ) Billy Porter ( 2013 ) Neil Patrick Harris / Jefferson Mays ( 2014 ) Robert Fairchild ( 2015 ) Danny Burstein ( 2016 ) Andy Karl ( 2017 ) Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Ted Ross ( 1975 ) George Rose ( 1976 ) Ken Bichel / Michael Mark / John Miller / Joseph Saulter ( 1977 ) Kevin Kline ( 1978 ) Ken Jennings ( 1979 ) Bob Gunton ( 1980 ) Tony Azito ( 1981 ) Cleavant Derricks ( 1982 ) Charles Coles ( 1983 ) Martin Vidnovic ( 1984 ) René Auberjonois ( 1985 ) Michael Rupert ( 1986 ) Michael Maguire ( 1987 ) Robert Westenberg ( 1988 ) Michael Jeter ( 1990 ) Bruce Adler ( 1991 ) Scott Waara ( 1992 ) Mark Michael Hutchinson ( 1993 ) Jarrod Emick ( 1994 ) Wilson Jermaine Heredia ( 1996 ) Joel Grey ( 1997 ) Gregg Edelman ( 1998 ) Roger Bart ( 1999 ) Stephen Spinella ( 2000 ) Gary Beach ( 2001 ) Shuler Hensley ( 2002 ) Dick Latessa ( 2003 ) Raúl Esparza ( 2004 ) Denis O'Hare ( 2005 ) Jim Dale ( 2006 ) Gavin Lee ( 2007 ) Boyd Gaines ( 2008 ) Gregory Jbara ( 2009 ) Christopher Fitzgerald ( 2010 ) John Larroquette ( 2011 ) Michael McGrath ( 2012 ) Bertie Carvel ( 2013 ) James Monroe Iglehart ( 2014 ) Christian Borle ( 2015 ) Christopher Fitzgerald ( 2016 ) Gavin Creel ( 2017 ) VIAF : 34107258 LCCN : no2001051779 ISNI : 0000 0000 4622 246X GND : 1020257849 SNAC : w6fj49vt Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title= Raúl_Esparza&oldid = 837316285 '' Categories : 1970 births 20th - century American male actors 21st - century American male actors American male film actors American male stage actors American male musical theatre actors American male Shakespearean actors American male television actors American entertainers of Cuban descent American tenors Bisexual male actors Bisexual men Drama Desk Award winners Hispanic and Latino American male actors LGBT Hispanic and Latino American people LGBT entertainers from the United States LGBT people from Delaware Living people Male actors from Miami Male actors from Wilmington , Delaware Tisch School of the Arts alumni Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Use mdy dates from June 2013 Articles with hCards All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from February 2018 Articles with IBDb links Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with SNAC - ID identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch فارسی Français Italiano Magyar Nederlands Русский 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 20 April 2018 , at 01 : 59 . 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Raúl Esparza Esparza at the 2014 San Diego Comic - Con International Raúl Eduardo Esparza ( 1970 - 10 - 24 ) October 24 , 1970 ( age 47 ) Wilmington , Delaware , U.S. Alma mater New York University Occupation Actor , singer , voice artist Years active 1993 -- present Spouse ( s ) Michelle Perez ( m . 1994 ; div. 2008 ) Website www.raulesparza.com Raúl Esparza Esparza at the 2014 San Diego Comic - Con International Raúl Eduardo Esparza ( 1970 - 10 - 24 ) October 24 , 1970 ( age 47 ) Wilmington , Delaware , U.S. Alma mater New York University Occupation Actor , singer , voice artist Years active 1993 -- present Spouse ( s ) Michelle Perez ( m . 1994 ; div. 2008 ) Website www.raulesparza.com Raúl Eduardo Esparza ( born October 24 , 1970 ) is an American stage and television actor , singer , and voice artist , best known for his role as New York Assistant District Attorney ( ADA ) Rafael Barba in Law & Order : Special Victims Unit . He has received Tony nominations for his role as Philip Salon in the Boy George musical Taboo in 2004 ; Robert , an empty man devoid of connection in the musical comedy Company in 2006 ; a lazy and snarky man in Harold Pinter 's The Homecoming ; and an aggressive volatile movie producer in David Mamet 's Speed the Plow . He played the role of Riff Raff on Broadway in the revival of The Rocky Horror Show and the role of Caractacus Potts in the Broadway musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang . Esparza has been nominated in all Tony categories for which an actor is eligible . He is widely regarded for his versatility on stage , having performed musicals by Andrew Lloyd Webber , Stephen Sondheim , Kander and Ebb , Boy George , and the Sherman Brothers and plays by Mamet , Pinter , William Shakespeare , Tom Stoppard , and more . His film work includes Sidney Lumet 's Find Me Guilty and Wes Craven 's My Soul to Take and his television credits include roles on Medium , Hannibal , Pushing Daisies , and Law & Order : Special Victims Unit . He narrated the audiobook for Stephen King 's Under the Dome , as well as several others , and sings in concerts all over the country . Born in Wilmington , Delaware , to Cuban parents , and raised in Miami , Florida , Esparza graduated from Belen Jesuit in 1988 and won a Silver Knight Award in Drama that same year . In 1992 , Esparza received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama and a Bachelor 's degree in English from New York University 's Tisch School of the Arts . Esparza first drew attention with his performance in the 2000 Broadway revival of The Rocky Horror Show , which won him the Theatre World Award . Additional Broadway credits include Cabaret ( 2001 ) , Taboo ( 2003 ) , Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ( 2005 ) and Sondheim 's Company ( 2006 ) . He received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and a Drama Desk Award for his performance in the musical Taboo . His performance in Company earned him a second Tony nomination , this time for Best Actor in a Musical , as well as his second Drama Desk award . Beginning in November 2007 , he appeared in Harold Pinter 's play The Homecoming and was Tony - nominated for Best Featured Actor in a Play . In 2008 , he played Charlie Fox in the revival of David Mamet 's Speed - the - Plow co-starring Jeremy Piven and Elisabeth Moss on Broadway . His performance in Speed - the - Plow earned him a Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Play , making him the second performer ( after Boyd Gaines ) to be nominated in all four acting categories a performer is eligible for at the Tonys , although he has yet to win one . Esparza appeared on Broadway in a limited - engagement revival of Tom Stoppard 's Arcadia , which began previews at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on February 25 , 2011 and opened on March 17 , 2011 . Esparza appeared in the musical Leap of Faith in the role of the `` Reverend '' Jonas Nightingale . He was involved in the workshop in 2008 , the out - of - town tryout at the Ahmanson Theatre ( Los Angeles ) in 2010 , and the Broadway production in 2012 , for which he received a 2012 Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Musical . In 1999 , Esparza portrayed Che in the national tour of Evita , opposite Natalie Toro . The tour was intended to open on Broadway , but failed to do so . In 2001 , he appeared Off - Broadway in tick , tick ... BOOM ! by Jonathan Larson , garnering a Drama Desk Award nomination as Outstanding Actor in a Musical . He appeared in two Stephen Sondheim musicals , Sunday in the Park with George and Merrily We Roll Along at the 2002 Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration . He also appeared as The Arbiter in the Actors Fund of America concert of Sir Tim Rice 's Chess in September 2003 . In 2009 , Esparza starred in a production of Shakespeare 's Twelfth Night at the Delacorte Theater ( New York ) with Anne Hathaway , from June 25 through July 12 . He starred as Hapgood in the City Center Encores ! staged concert production of Anyone Can Whistle from April 8 to 11 , 2010 , opposite Sutton Foster as Fay and Donna Murphy as the Mayoress . In 2007 , Esparza had a recurring role on the TV show Pushing Daisies as traveling salesman Alfredo Aldarisio , a role originally given to Paul Reubens . In 2009 , he recorded the audiobook Under the Dome by Stephen King . He has done previous narration for The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer , and The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark . In January 2010 , Esparza performed opposite Lucie Arnaz , Desi Arnaz Jr. and Valarie Pettiford at the 92Y 's Lyrics and Lyricist event honoring Desi Arnaz and his Orchestra , `` Babalu : The American Songbook Goes Latin '' . In 2010 , Esparza appeared as Abel Plenkov in Wes Craven 's My Soul to Take . From 2013 to 2015 , Esparza appeared in the recurring role of Dr. Frederick Chilton in Hannibal . He appeared in the 2016 film Custody , written and directed by James Lapine , as an Administration for Children 's Services agent . In 2012 , Esparza became a recurring actor on the long - running NBC drama series Law & Order : Special Victims Unit as Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Rafael Barba , starting in the third episode of the show 's 14th season , `` Twenty - Five Acts '' . He appeared in 11 episodes of the show 's 14th season . On July 17 , 2013 , he was upgraded to series regular for the show 's 15th season . His character became the first series regular ADA since Stephanie March in the 11th season and the first regular male ADA in series history . His role on SVU was not his first Law & Order role , however , as he had previously portrayed an ADA in a 2009 episode of Law & Order : Criminal Intent , and a suspect in a 2010 episode of the original Law & Order . On February 7 , 2018 , Esparza left the series after six seasons in the episode `` The Undiscovered Country '' . Esparza married Michele Marie Perez , his high school girlfriend , in 1994 but divorced in 2008 . Esparza was the subject of a New York Times profile in 2006 , in which he revealed that he is bisexual . Year Title Role Notes Ref . 2005 ShowBusiness : The Road to Broadway Himself Documentary film directed by Dori Berinstein 2006 Find Me Guilty Tony Compagna Courtroom comedy - drama crime film co-written and directed by Sidney Lumet based on the true story of the longest Mafia trial in American history My Soul to Take Abel Plenkov 2011 Trouble in the Heights Nevada Ramirez 2016 Custody Luis Sanjuro 2017 Ferdinand Moreno ( voice ) Year Title Role Notes Ref . 2005 ShowBusiness : The Road to Broadway Himself Documentary film directed by Dori Berinstein 2006 Find Me Guilty Tony Compagna Courtroom comedy - drama crime film co-written and directed by Sidney Lumet based on the true story of the longest Mafia trial in American history Courtroom comedy - drama crime film co-written and directed by Sidney Lumet based on the true story of the longest Mafia trial in American history Courtroom comedy - drama crime film co-written and directed by Sidney Lumet based on the true story of the longest Mafia trial in American history My Soul to Take Abel Plenkov 2011 Trouble in the Heights Nevada Ramirez 2016 Custody Luis Sanjuro 2017 Ferdinand Moreno ( voice ) Year Title Role Notes Spin City Reporter Episode : `` In the Heat of the Day '' 2007 Pushing Daisies Alfredo Aldarisio 2 episodes 2009 Law & Order : Criminal Intent ADA Kevin Mulrooney Episode : `` Lady 's Man '' Law & Order Dennis Di Palma Episode : `` Blackmail '' Medium David Ostrowski Episode : `` Blood on the Tracks '' 2011 Gifted Man , AA Gifted Man Phillip Romero 2 episodes 2012 -- 2018 Law & Order : Special Victims Unit ADA Rafael Barba Recurring ( season 14 ) , Main cast ( season 15 -- 19 ) 115 episodes 2012 666 Park Avenue Phillip Perez Episode : `` Hypnos '' 2013 -- 2015 Hannibal Dr. Frederick Chilton 12 episodes 2014 Dora and Friends : Into the City ! Big Bad Wolf ( voice ) Episode : `` Puppet Theater '' 2016 -- 2017 BoJack Horseman Ralph Stilton ( voice ) 7 episodes 2018 The Path Jackson Neill 4 episodes Year Title Role Notes Spin City Reporter Episode : `` In the Heat of the Day '' 2007 Pushing Daisies Alfredo Aldarisio 2 episodes 2009 Law & Order : Criminal Intent ADA Kevin Mulrooney Episode : `` Lady 's Man '' Law & Order Dennis Di Palma Episode : `` Blackmail '' Medium David Ostrowski Episode : `` Blood on the Tracks '' 2011 Gifted Man , AA Gifted Man Phillip Romero 2 episodes 2012 -- 2018 Law & Order : Special Victims Unit ADA Rafael Barba Recurring ( season 14 ) , Main cast ( season 15 -- 19 ) 115 episodes 2012 666 Park Avenue Phillip Perez Episode : `` Hypnos '' 2013 -- 2015 Hannibal Dr. Frederick Chilton 12 episodes 2014 Dora and Friends : Into the City ! Big Bad Wolf ( voice ) Episode : `` Puppet Theater '' 2016 -- 2017 BoJack Horseman Ralph Stilton ( voice ) 7 episodes 2018 The Path Jackson Neill 4 episodes Year Project Award Result 2000 The Rocky Horror Show Theatre World Award Outstanding New York Debut Won 2001 tick , tick ... BOOM ! Obie Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Won 2001 tick , tick ... BOOM ! Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Nominated 2002 Sunday in the Park with George Helen Hayes Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Nominated 2003 Green Violin Barrymore Awards Outstanding Actor in a Musical Won Taboo Tony Award Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Nominated Taboo Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Won 2005 N / A HOLA José Ferrer Tespis Awards N / A Won 2005 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical Nominated 2006 Company at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Enquirer Acclaim Awards Outstanding Musical Lead Performance Won 2006 Company at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Cincinnati Entertainment Awards Outstanding Acting Performance by a Visiting Actor Won 2007 Company on Broadway Tony Award Best Actor in a Musical Nominated 2007 Company on Broadway Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Won 2007 Company on Broadway Outer Circle Critics Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Won 2008 The Homecoming Tony Award Best Featured Actor in a Play Nominated 2008 The Homecoming Drama Desk Award Outstanding Ensemble Performance Won 2009 Speed - the - Plow Tony Award Best Actor in a Play Nominated 2009 Speed - the - Plow Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Play Nominated 2011 Leap of Faith at the Ahmanson Theatre Ovation Awards Lead Actor in a Musical Won 2012 Leap of Faith on Broadway Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Nominated Year Project Award Result 2000 The Rocky Horror Show Theatre World Award Outstanding New York Debut Won 2001 tick , tick ... BOOM ! Obie Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Won 2001 tick , tick ... BOOM ! Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Nominated 2002 Sunday in the Park with George Helen Hayes Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Nominated 2003 Green Violin Barrymore Awards Outstanding Actor in a Musical Won Taboo Tony Award Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Nominated Taboo Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Won 2005 N / A HOLA José Ferrer Tespis Awards N / A Won 2005 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical Nominated 2006 Company at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Enquirer Acclaim Awards Outstanding Musical Lead Performance Won 2006 Company at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Cincinnati Entertainment Awards Outstanding Acting Performance by a Visiting Actor Won 2007 Company on Broadway Tony Award Best Actor in a Musical Nominated 2007 Company on Broadway Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Won 2007 Company on Broadway Outer Circle Critics Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Won 2008 The Homecoming Tony Award Best Featured Actor in a Play Nominated 2008 The Homecoming Drama Desk Award Outstanding Ensemble Performance Won 2009 Speed - the - Plow Tony Award Best Actor in a Play Nominated 2009 Speed - the - Plow Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Play Nominated 2011 Leap of Faith at the Ahmanson Theatre Ovation Awards Lead Actor in a Musical Won 2012 Leap of Faith on Broadway Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Nominated
Raúl Eduardo Esparza Raúl Eduardo Esparza