Richard Esteras (b. August 25, 1968) is an American actor of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage.[1][2] Esteras has played restaurant dishwasher Manny on the FX Networks dramedy The Bear since season one.[3] Raised in Gary, Indiana, after his parents moved there to work in the steel mills, Esteras thought he had a chance as an actor because of his superficial resemblance to Danny Trejo.[2] Esteras appeared in Trejo's horror comedy movie Seven Cemeteries, released in 2024.[4] In 2025, Esteras appeared as Waffles in a Chicago production of Chekov's Uncle Vanya.[2] Esteras shared a Screen Actors Guild Award with the rest of The Bear cast in 2024.[5]
The Bear special "Gary" was set in Esteras' hometown.[6] He posted on Instagram, with Freddie Gibbs' "G.I. Pride" as the attached music, "For the record, I was born in El Paso, Texas. Moved to Gary when I was a year old. My sister, brother, daughter, nephews and grandchildren were all born and raised in Gary. Even my cat Noche was born in Gary lol"[7]
References
- YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhdSZFvuuaI&t=30s Cooking With The Bear's Richard Esteras | Hispanic and Latin American Heritage Month | FX
- Houlihan, Mary (2025-01-03). "'The Bear' star Richard Esteras moves from the kitchen to the factory for 'Uncle Vanya' production". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
- "The Bear (Hulu, June 22) - Yvonne Villarreal". The Huntsville Times. 2023-05-13. pp. S3–03. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
- Philbrick, Jami. "'Seven Cemeteries' Exclusive Interview: Danny Trejo". Moviefone. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
- "Outstanding Film And Television Performances Honored at the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® | Screen Actors Guild Awards". www.sagawards.org. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
- Dorman, Aaron (May 5, 2026). "Hit TV show The Bear crosses Skyway, films at Northwest Indiana chili dog joint". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Munster, Indiana. OCLC 42819936. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
- Esteras, Richard (May 12, 2026). "Article from one of the local newspapers..." Instagram.