Juan Pablo Raba Vidal (born 14 January 1977) is a Colombian film, TV and telenovela actor, best known internationally for his role as Gustavo Gaviria in the 2015 Netflix series Narcos.

Juan Pablo Raba
Raba in 2015
Born
Juan Pablo Raba Vidal

(1977-01-14) 14 January 1977 (age 47)
Bogotá, Colombia
Years active1998–present
Spouse
(m. 2011)
Children2

Early life

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Raba was born in Bogotá, Colombia where he graduated from Colegio Nueva Granada. After his parents' divorce, he was raised in Spain by his Argentinian father.

Career

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Raba subsequently returned to Colombia and worked as a model. He sought work from the Colombian TV channel Caracol, who suggested that he take acting lessons. He took acting classes in Bogota with Edgardo Roman and then continued his studies in New York at the Lee Strasberg Institute.[1]

Not long after, he accompanied a friend to an acting class where Colombian professor Edgardo Roman was impressed by Raba's acting ability. Encouraged, Raba began attending auditions. Two months after his first audition, Caracol channel asked him to co-star in the television series Amor En Forma. In 1999, he played a small part in the TV series Marido y mujer.

Immediately after, he took the leading part in the TV series La reina de Queens. Around the same time, he appeared in the theatrical play Chronicle of a Death Foretold, based on the book by Gabriel García Márquez.

Later the Venezuelan channel RCTV asked him to co-star in the telenovela Viva La Pepa. This led to an offer to appear in La niña de mis ojos, which launched Raba's international career. In 2002's Mi gorda bella, Raba played Orestes Villanueva Mercuri, who falls in love with the good-hearted Valentina.

In 2004, when he filmed for RCTV the TV series Estrambótica Anastasia. In 2005, he returned to Colombia and filmed for the channel Caracol the TV series Por amor a Gloria. In 2006 included he appeared in the movie Una Abuela Virgen and as the main character in the TV film Soltera y sin Compromiso.

In the following years he had parts in several soap operas. In 2008 Raba appeared in El Cartel de los sapos, in a 2009 episode of Tiempo final and in an episode of Mental. After that he had a part in Los Caballeros Las Prefieren Brutas. In 2013 he was a main character in Los secretos de Lucía.

In 2014, he was cast as Gustavo Gaviria, the cousin of Pablo Escobar in Narcos. He stated that this was a very personal story for him since his uncle was killed by Escobar.[2] In 2015 Raba joined the third season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as the Inhuman Joey Gutierrez.

Personal life

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In 2003, he met Colombian journalist Paula Quinteros, whom he married on 6 December in a barefoot Celtic ceremony in Los Roques, Venezuela.[3][4]

In 2006, he and Paula announced their separation, which subsequently resulted in their divorce in 2007.

In August 2011, he married television presenter Mónica Fonseca in a private ceremony in Miami, United States. On 19 July 2012, his wife gave birth to their son, Joaquín Raba Fonseca. Raba is an active cyclist and now resides in Miami. With his family, he has been very active in human and animal rights organizations.[5]

Filmography

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Films

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Year Title Role Notes
2006 Elipsis Guest Party Uncredit Cameo
2006 Anillo de compromiso Fede Short film
2007 Una abuela virgen Carlos
2007 Ni tan largos, ni tan cortos Carlos
2007 Puras joyitas Bigote
2009 Día naranja Leo
2011 The Snitch Cartel John Mario Martínez / Pirulo
2012 El cielo en tu mirada Mario Domínguez
2012 La Lectora Waiter Special appearance
2013 Secreto de Confesión Teniente Restrepo
2015 The 33 Darío Segovia
2016 7 años Carlos
2017 Nacido de Nuevo Ramon Short film
2017 Shot Caller Herman Gómez[6]
2018 Peppermint Diego Garcia
2018 Operation Entebbe Juan Pablo
2019 Imprisoned Dylan Burke
2021 The Marksman Mauricio
2023 Freelance President Juan Venegas

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1998 Amor en forma Eduardo
1999 Marido y mujer Isidrio
2000 La reina de Queens Andres Velásquez
2001 Viva la Pepa Luis Ángel Perdomo
2001 La niña de mis ojos Alejandro Rondón
2004 Estrambótica Anastasia Aureliano Paz
2005 Por amor a Gloria Esteban Marín
2006 Soltera y sin compromiso Jaime Villalba Television film
2006 Y los declaro marido y mujer Juan Andrés Gutiérrez
2007 Sobregiro de amor Martín Monsalve
2002 Mi gorda bella Orestes Villanueva Mercouri
2008 El cartel John Mario Martínez / Pirulito
2008 Tiempo final Franco 2 episodes
2009 Sin retorno Diego Episode: "Heroína"
2009 Mental Ray Hernandez Episode: "Pilot"
2010 El Clon Said Hashim Episode: "Encuentro divino"
2010 Los caballeros las prefieren brutas Alejandro Botero
2011 La Reina del Sur Jaime Gutiérrez Solana 5 episodes
2011 Flor Salvaje Emiliano Monteverde Episode: "Gran estreno"
2012 Pobres Rico Gonzalo Rico
2013 Los secretos de Lucía Miguel Gaitán
2013 Wake Up with No Make Up Iván 4 episodes
2014 El corazón del océano Unknown role 3 episodes
2015–16 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Joey Gutierrez 6 episodes
2015–16 Narcos Gustavo Gaviria 10 episodes
2017–2018 Six Ricky "Buddha" Ortiz 18 episodes
2018-19 Distrito Salvaje Jhon Jeiver "Yei Yei"
2021 Coyote Juan Diego "El Catrin" Zamora
2023 Echo 3 Ernesto Matiz
TBA Noticia de un Secuestro Alberto Villamizar Amazon Prime Upcoming series[7]

References

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  1. ^ "Juan Pablo Raba". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  2. ^ Série Maníacos (27 August 2015). "Conversamos com Juan Pablo Raba e Stephanie Sigman de Narcos" (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 October 2021 – via Youtube.
  3. ^ "Juan Pablo Raba se casa el próximo sábado". El Observador (in Spanish). 29 November 2003. Archived from the original on 7 September 2004. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
  4. ^ "Los hombres no las prefieren brutas, dice Juan Pablo Raba". El Universal (Caracas) (in Spanish). 4 June 2010. Retrieved 16 July 2010.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "Juan Pablo Raba".
  6. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (30 April 2015). "Rose McGowan, 2 Others Cast In 'Lower Bay'; Juan Pablo Raba Joins 'Shot Caller'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  7. ^ "Noticia de un secuestro: todo sobre la serie basada en el libro de García Márquez". GQ (in Mexican Spanish). 11 June 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
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