Famous Puerto Rican Men

Award-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix is widely regarded as one of the most talented actors of his generation. In his career of four decades, he has starred in numerous films playing characters that have become memorable. These include movies like Gladiator, Joker, Walk the Line and Her. The acclaimed actor is also a social activist, environmentalist, animal rights activist and producer.

Born to lawyer parents, Puerto Rican actor-producer Benicio del Toro had initially taken up a business degree course in university. He later dropped out and joined a New York theater school. Known for his Academy Award-winning role in Traffic, del Toro is also an avid environmental activist.

Roberto Clemente was a Puerto Rican baseball player who represented the Pittsburgh Pirates in Major League Baseball (MLB). Apart from being a popular player, Clemente was also a great humanitarian whose impact is still being felt in MLB. Since his untimely death at the age of 38, Clemente has been the subject of several documentaries, articles, and books.

Daddy Yankee is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He is credited with coining the term Reggaeton. Referred to as the King of Reggaetón, Yankee has been cited as an inspiration by several performers, including Natti Natasha, J Balvin, and Ozuna. Also a noted philanthropist, Yankee donated $100,000 to provide food to 9,000 families affected by Hurricane Maria.

Luis Miguel is a Mexican singer. Having performed in a wide range of styles like pop and jazz, Miguel is considered the most successful artist in the history of Latin America. One of the best-selling Latin musicians ever, Miguel is credited with popularizing the bolero genre. Thanks to his popularity, he has been referred to as the Latin Frank Sinatra.

Anuel AA is a Puerto Rican singer and rapper. Regarded as one of the founding fathers and a pioneer of Latin trap music, Anuel AA often incorporates topics like sex and crime in his lyrics. Also one of the most controversial rappers of his generation, Anuel AA has had several legal issues; his debut album was recorded while being incarcerated.

José Ferrer was a Puerto Rican actor and director who established himself in the American theatre and film industry. He received an Academy Award for his performance in Cyrano de Bergerac, becoming the first Hispanic actor and the first Puerto Rican-born actor to win the award. In 1985, he became the first actor to receive the National Medal of Arts.

José Feliciano is a Puerto Rican musician, composer, and singer. He achieved international fame in 1968 after the release of his album Feliciano! Since then, José Feliciano has released more than 50 albums worldwide. Feliciano was made an inductee of the International Latin Music Hall of Fame and the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000 and 2013 respectively.

Puerto Rican reggaeton singer Don Omar, better known as El Ray, or the King of Kings, shot to fame with hits such as Danza Kuduro. Audiences also loved him as Rico Santos in 4 films of the Fast & Furious franchise. His tracks are often based on socio-political themes

Puerto Rican Latin pop star and actor Chayanne has 7 Top 200 albums and has sold over 30 million albums globally. The Grammy-nominated singer has delivered hits such as Violeta and Te Deseo. He spent his later career in Miami and starred in movies such as Dance with Me.

David Zayas is a Puerto Rican actor known for playing important roles in American TV series like Dexter, Oz, and Gotham. His portrayal of Angel Batista in Dexter earned him a Satellite Award and a nomination for the prestigious Screen Actors Guild Award.

Walter Mercado, or Shanti Ananda, was a Puerto Rican actor, astrologer, and TV personality. Viewers loved his segment Walter y Las Estrellas at the end of Primer Impacto. He later disappeared from the limelight due to a tiff with his manager, Bill Bakula. The Netflix documentary Mucho Mucho Amor talks about his life.

Puerto Rican singer Farruko is largely known as a pioneer of reggaeton. After gaining initial fame through the platform Myspace, he worked on many collaborative projects and eventually won a Latin Grammy award with the track 6 AM. He also inspired the HBO documentary Farruko: En Letra de Otro.

Puerto Rican-born guitarist and songwriter Omar Rodríguez-López is best known as the frontman of the progressive rock group The Mars Volta. At 17, he dropped out of high school, hitchhiked throughout the country, and joined the group At the Drive-In. He is also an amateur filmmaker and photographer.

Chi-Chi Rodríguez is a Puerto Rican golfer best known for winning eight PGA Tour titles between 1963 and 1979. In 1989, he won two prestigious awards, namely the Old Tom Morris Award and the Bob Jones Award. In 1992, Chi-Chi Rodríguez became the first Puerto Rican to be made an inductee of the World Golf Hall of Fame.