This chameleonic character player broke away from stereotyping early in his career to play a rich variety of comic and dramatic roles. After a brief fling with ballet, Hector Elizondo became established as a versatile stage actor, winning an OBIE Award for his performance as God--in the guise of a Puerto Rican steamroom attendant--in Bruce Jay Friedman's Off-Broadway comedy "Steambath" (1971). He also earned a Drama Desk nomination as George C. Scott's scheming servant in "Sly Fox" (1976), Larry Gelbart's contemporary reworking of "Volpone".

Elizondo made his film debut (fully clothed) in the