Ektor Rivera

Héctor "Ektor" Ramón Rivera Alicea was born on February 11, 1980, in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, to parents Iris Alicea and Héctor Rivera Sr. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Image and Digital Design from the Escuela de Artes Plásticas y Diseño de Puerto Rico, graduating magna cum laude. In addition to his visual arts training, Rivera pursued acting through independent workshops and courses in Los Angeles and Puerto Rico, studying under mentors including Idalia Perez Garay, Vicente Juarbe, Yamaris Latorre, Alex Taylor, Courtney Burr III, Margie Haber, and Ivana Chubbuck. His vocal training was guided primarily by Francisco "Vale" Rodríguez and Hilda Ramos.

Rivera's Broadway career spanned 2015 to 2017, centered on his role as Emilio Estefan in the musical On Your Feet! at the Marquis Theatre in New York. The production is based on the lives and music of Gloria Estefan and her husband Emilio Estefan. During his time with the show, Rivera performed at several high-profile televised events, including the Tony Awards Billboard's Series, the CBS Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve in Times Square for ABC. He was also recognized as one of the Ambassadors of the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York during this period.

Prior to his Broadway run, Rivera participated in Broadway and Beyond, the production that opened the Walt Disney Theater at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando, Florida. Directed by Richard Jay-Alexander, the show featured performers including Sierra Boggess, Norm Lewis, Chris Mann, Deborah Voigt, and Jane Monheit, all accompanied by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra.

In 2019, Rivera took on the leading role of Juan Perón in a production of Evita at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in London, directed by Jamie Lloyd. The musical, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and book and lyrics by Tim Rice, follows the life of Argentine political figure Eva Perón. The 2019 production received two Laurence Olivier Award nominations in 2020, for Best Musical Revival and Best Choreography, the latter recognizing the work of Fabian Aloise.

In Puerto Rico, Rivera played the lead role of Usnavi in a production of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony-winning musical In the Heights, presented at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico. The production was notable as the first musical theater show staged at that arena. The role of Usnavi had been originated on Broadway by Miranda himself in 2008. Rivera's Puerto Rican theater career also includes leading roles in productions of Rent, in which he played Benjamin Coffin III, High School Musical as Troy Bolton, Hairspray as Seaweed Stubbs, Godspell as Jesus, and The Outsiders as Dallas Winston, among others. His first stage role was as Tyrone Jackson in the musical Fama, produced by Sonia Valentín and Alba Nydia Díaz. In 2008, critic Ileana Cidoncha specifically noted Rivera's scenic presence in his portrayal of Seaweed Stubbs in Hairspray.

Rivera was one of the lead singers on Q'Viva! The Chosen, a television and live show produced by Jennifer López, Marc Anthony, and choreographer Jamie King, and created by Simon Fuller. The program aired simultaneously on Univision and FOX to an audience of over 30 million viewers and was presented live at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas before more than 10,000 people.

His film work includes the 2022 Hallmark Channel movie Groundswell, in which he starred alongside Lacey Chabert. The film was shot in Hawaii, based on a book by Katie Lee Biegel, and directed by Lee Friedlander. Rivera also appeared in the Hallmark Channel film Sugar Plum Twist alongside Jamie Gray Hyder and Laura Rosguer. In 2021, he starred in the Puerto Rican film La Ultima Gira, directed by Douglas-Pedro Sánchez, portraying bolero-era singer Daniel Santos. Rivera performed the character's vocals himself, contributing to a soundtrack of eight songs produced by Orquesta El Macabeo. The album was recognized as the best music album of 2021 by the Fundación Nacional para la Cultura Popular.

Rivera's television credits include appearances on Fantasy Island on FOX, NCIS on CBS, and the Crackle series StartUp on Netflix, in which he played a recurring role as Eddie. He also appeared in Lucía, Ignacio y Otras Historias, Nene Lindo, Tercera, Pasión de Mil Amores, and Incógnita, among other series. He provided voice-over work for Sony Pictures' The Shallows and appeared in promotional sketches for Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC beginning in 2014. In 2017, Rivera competed on the Univision dance program Mira Quien Baila, reaching the finals while representing Puerto Rico and the nonprofit organization Cabecitas Rapadas, which supports cancer patients in Puerto Rico.

Rivera began his music career in 1996 under the stage name Joker, contributing to an underground rap album called Reggae Mania with DJ Joel. He later performed with a tropical music group called Magia, a quartet led by Dominican singer and composer Raldy Vázquez. Producer Edgardo Díaz, known for his work with Menudo and MDO, encouraged Rivera to audition for the reality competition Objetivo Fama. He entered the show's first season in 2004 and finished as the second finalist, behind winner Janina Irizarry and alongside finalist Sheila Romero. In August 2005, Rivera released his debut album Un Paso del Amor, which produced the single "Te Voy a Amar," later used in a Univision telenovela. Rivera has also served as the face of marketing campaigns for brands including Kellogg's Zucaritas, Fruit of the Loom, Intel, JCPenney, McDonald's, Sony, Coors Light, and Heineken.