# E. J. Bonilla

Edward Joshua 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 Brooklyn to Puerto Rican parents. He attended John Ericsson Junior High School 126 in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where he became involved in poetry, dance, and 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 a non-union commercial for a Hilary Duff film called Raise Your Voice. After graduating from high school, he went on to originate the role of Rafe, Natalia Rivera Aitoro 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 nomination 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 | Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated |

## Filmography
### Feature films

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2009 | Don't Let Me Drown | Lalo | |
| 2011 | Yelling to the Sky | Rob Rodriguez | |
| 2011 | The Mortician | Noah | |
| 2011 | Mamitas | Jordin Juarez | |
| 2011 | Musical Chairs | Armando | |
| 2013 | The House That Jack Built | Jack | |
| 2013 | Four | Dexter | Nominated – Imagen Award |
| 2019 | Gemini Man | Marino | |
| 2019 | The Kitchen | Gonzalo Martinez | |
| 2023 | The Exorcist: Believer | Father Maddox | |
| 2024 | In Our Blood | Danny Martinez | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2006 | The Ron Clark Story | Hispanic Kid | Television film |
| 2006 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Fraco | Episode: "Watch" |
| 2007–2009 | Guiding Light | Raphael "Rafe" Rivera | 158 episodes Nominated – Daytime Emmy Award |
| 2009 | Law & Order | Carlos | Episode: "Bailout" |
| 2009 | Bored to Death | Francisco | Episode: "The Case of the Stolen Skateboard" |
| 2010 | Cold Case | Ronnie Tavares '93 | Episode: "Shattered" |
| 2011 | Blue Bloods | Julio | Episode: "Dedication" |
| 2012 | The Big C | Scott | Episode: "What's Your Story?" |
| 2012–2013 | Revenge | Marco Romero | 4 episodes |
| 2013 | Shameless | Jesus | Episode: "Civil Wrongs" |
| 2015–2016 | Unforgettable | Denny Padilla | Main cast |
| 2017 | The Long Road Home | Shane Aguero | 8 episodes |
| 2017 | Madam Secretary | Juan-Luis Moreno | 1 episode |
| 2018 | Insecure | Beat Crew Guy | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Bull | Gabriel Almonte | 6 episodes |
| 2022–present | The Old Man | Agent Raymond Waters |
| 2024 | Chicago P.D. | Officer Danny Alvarado | Episode: "Safe Harbor" |