Hector Elizondo Through the Years: From ‘Pretty Woman’ to ‘Princess Diaries’ and Beyond

From Broadway to Pretty Woman! Héctor Elizondo has had a long and successful career, appearing in many notable and groundbreaking projects. The Beverly Hills Cop III star was born in December 1936 in New York. At a young age, he became extremely passionate about baseball and music. He attended LaGuardia High School of the Performing Arts in 1950 and his baseball skills were so impressive that he was scouted by MLB teams. “I wanted to play baseball for one of New York’s major league teams: the Yankees, the Giants or the Dodgers. Or else I wanted to play jazz or become a schoolteacher,” Elizondo said in a 2011 interview with The Skanner. “But life didn’t lead me that way. I was introduced to the theater, and that hooked me. I landed my first professional acting job in 1960.” From 1962 to 1963, the Valentine’s Day actor studied dance at the Ballet Arts Company at Carnegie Hall, while also studying acting at Stella Adler Theatre Studio. Elizondo’s first major success came in 1970 when he was cast in the off-broadway production of Steambath, which earned him the Obie Award for his performance. After befriending director Garry Marshall in the 1980s, the actor went on to appear in 18 of his films including Pretty Woman and Runaway Bride. “Garry saw me before I saw him. I was a working actor in New York on Broadway. We met finally in 1978 on his basketball court, where he pitched me his first movie, Young Doctors in Love,” Elizondo shared in a 2016 interview with Variety. “I didn’t know who this guy was. I had inadvertently hit him in the face with a basketball pass. ‘That’s a bad pass,’ he said. ‘But you’re a terrific actor. I have a movie for you.’” The Princess Diaries actor may be best known for his role on the CBS drama Chicago Hope, which ran from 1994 to 2000. In 1997, Elizondo won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his performance in the show. After all of his success, Elizondo says his proudest career achievement has been inspiring people who didn’t think someone with an exotic name would have a chance in Hollywood. “You have to put in the time, the sweat. Nowhere is it written that you’re going to be successful. And I’ve reminded kids to redefine success,” he said in a 2021 Emmys interview. “Just put one foot in front of the other. Remind yourself that it’s a lot of hard work and be prepared when you’re called.”Sign up for Us Weekly's free, daily newsletter and never miss breaking news or exclusive stories about your favorite celebrities, TV shows and more! Keep scrolling for a look back at Elizondo’s life and career over the years: