# Arap Bethke

Ricardo Arap Bethke Galdames (born 12 March 1980) is a Mexican actor.

## Early life

Bethke was born on 12 March 1980 in Nairobi, Kenya, as Ricardo Arap Bethke Galdames. In the Kalenjin language "Arap Bethke" means "Bethke's son." His father, Claus Bethke is German and his mother, Patricia Galdames is Chilean. He lived in Nairobi until he was 5 years old. His father worked at the United Nations, so this caused them to move from one country to another. At a very young age, he arrived in Mexico where he lived all his childhood and adolescence. He attended high school at Peterson College. and later studied at the Universidad Iberoamericana, where he graduated with a degree in communication. He has two brothers and a sister, who was born in Washington, United States, and a brother who was born in Ecuador named Beto Bethke. Bethke speaks four languages: Spanish, English, Italian and French. Due to his upbringing, Bethke has called himself a "Mexikenian", due to his Kenyan birth and Mexican nationality.

## Career

Bethke played the role of "Chacho" in the telenovela Clase 406. In 2007 he appeared in the Ugly Betty episode "A Tree Grows in Guadalajara as Antonio Barreiro, a cafe waiter.
Bethke also starred in "Tierra de pasiones", and in Madre Luna as Demetrio Aguirre. He is also one of the main characters in Doña Bárbara (Telemundo series), playing the role of "Antonio Sandoval"."
Bethke has also guest-starred on the 1st season of RBD: La Familia as "Alvaro"; Dulce Maria's new hot conquest, on episode 3 "El Que Quiera Azul Celeste... Que Se Acueste!". His cast members were Alfonso Herrera, Anahí, Dulce Maria, Christopher Uckermann, Maite Perroni, & Christian Chávez, the stars of the show and the members of the Latin pop band RBD from Mexico city.
Arap currently lives in Los Angeles, California. and is engaged to actress Ivana De Maria, with whom he has been dating since 2017.

## Filmography
### Film roles

| Year | Title | Roles | Notes |
| 1999 | A Sweet Scent of Death | Lucio | Uncredited |
| 2013 | Instructions Not Included | Valentín's Lawyer | |
| 2014 | Quetzalcoatl | Warrior | Short film, also a producer |
| 2014 | Amor de mis amores | Andrea's boyfriend | |
| 2015 | Enamorándome de Abril | Fernando | |
| 2018 | Sobredosis de amor | Bruno | |
| 2018 | El minthó Escarlata | Santiago | Short film |

### Television roles

| Year | Title | Roles | Notes |
| 1997 | Mi generación | Rodrigo | |
| 2002–2003 | Clase 406 | Chacho Mendoza Cuervo | 2 episodes |
| 2005–2006 | Soñar no cuesta nada | Roberto "Bobby" | |
| 2006 | Tierra de pasiones | Roberto "Beto" Contreras | |
| 2007 | Decisiones | MartínJuan Andrés | Episode: "A la tercera va la vencida"Episode: "Crema y nata" |
| 2007 | RBD: La familia | Álvaro | Episode: "El que quiera azul celeste, que se acueste" |
| 2007 | Ugly Betty | Antonio | 4 episodes |
| 2007–2008 | Madre Luna | Demetrio Aguirre | Series regular; 141 episodes |
| 2008–2009 | Doña Bárbara | Antonio Sandoval | Main role; 190 episodes |
| 2009–2010 | Victorinos | Victorino Gallardo | Main role; 152 episodes |
| 2010 | Los caballeros las prefieren brutas | Manuel Carmona | Episode: "Batallas de género" |
| 2010 | La Diosa Coronada | Genaro Castilblanco | |
| 2011–2012 | El octavo mandamiento | Iván Acosta | |
| 2012 | Amor cautivo | Fernando Bustamante Arizmendi | Main role; 120 episodes |
| 2013–2014 | Corazón en condominio | Rodolfo Cortina | |
| 2014 | Señora Acero | Gabriel "Muñeco" Cruz | Recurring role (season 1); 2 episodes |
| 2015–2016 | Tanto amor | Bruno Lombardo | Main role; 117 episodes |
| 2015–2019 | Club de Cuervos | Juan Pablo Iglesias | Recurring role (seasons 1–4); 17 episodes |
| 2016 | Eva la trailera | Pablo Contreras | Main role; 118 episodes |
| 2017–2018 | La Piloto | John Lucio | Main role (seasons 1-2); 162 episodes |
| 2018 | Descontrol | Antonio | Episode: "Romerito" |
| 2019 | La usurpadora | Facundo Nava | Main role; 24 episodes |
| 2021 | Buscando a Frida | Detective Martín Cabrera | Main role; 84 episodes |
| 2022 | Mujer de nadie | Alfredo Terán | Main role; 45 episodes |
| 2023 | Juego de mentiras | César Ferrer | Main role |
| 2024–2025 | El extraño retorno de Diana Salazar | Joaquín Nuñez / Lucas de Treviño | Main role |
| 2024 | Fugitivas, en busca de la libertad | Alejandro Castillo | Main role |
| 2025 | Juegos de amor y poder | Roberto Roldán | Main role |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Association | Nominated works | Category | Result |
| 2016 | Premios Tu Mundo | Eva la trailera | Favorite Lead Actor | Nominated |
| 2016 | Premios Tu Mundo | Eva la trailera | The Perfect Couple (with Edith González) | Nominated |
| 2020 | 38th TVyNovelas Awards | La usurpadora | Best Co-lead Actor | Won |