# Enrique Murciano
**Enrique Murciano** (full name Enrique Ricardo Murciano) is an American actor known for playing FBI agent Danny Taylor on the CBS missing-persons drama *Without a Trace* from 2002 to 2009, and for film roles in *Traffic* (2000), *Black Hawk Down* (2001), and *Dawn of the Planet of the Apes* (2014). He is also credited as an executive producer on two productions.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1973, Miami, Florida; spent the first few years of his life in Mexico[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006663/) |
| First role | Alejandro in *Speed 2: Cruise Control* (1997), won at his first audition; the role involved one line but took six months of shooting[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006663/) |
| Breakthrough | DEA agent Ricky in the Academy Award-winning *Traffic* (2000), in scenes with Luis Guzmán and Don Cheadle[2](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/no-fbi-agent-but-plays-one-on-tv/) |
| Signature TV role | FBI MPU Special Agent Danny Taylor on *Without a Trace*, 2002–2009, 160 episodes[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006663/) |
| Later series work | Marco Diaz in *Bloodline* (2015–2017, 26 episodes); Felipe Lobos in *Power*; Ben Almora in *The Night Agent* (2023, 10 episodes)[3](https://www.metacritic.com/person/enrique-murciano/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006663/) |
| Producing | Executive producer of *A Separate Peace* (2004, TV movie) and *Máncora* (2008)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006663/) |
| Training | Tulane University, one year at the New England School of Law, then acting study at the Larry Moss Studio in Los Angeles[4](https://www.tribute.ca/people/enrique-murciano/12965/) |
## Early life and training
Murciano was born in Miami, Florida, in 1973, and spent the first few years of his life in Mexico, according to his IMDb biography[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006663/). Sources differ on his family background: [CBS News](https://www.edgepedia.org/cbs-news) reported in 2003 that he was "born in Cuba"[2](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/no-fbi-agent-but-plays-one-on-tv/), while AlloCiné describes him as born in Miami to a family of Cuban origin[5](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne_gen_cpersonne%3D46900.html) and Tribute.ca says he was born and raised in Miami[4](https://www.tribute.ca/people/enrique-murciano/12965/).
He attended [Tulane University](https://www.edgepedia.org/tulane-university) and then spent a year at law school, which he did not like; his father, a doctor, wanted him to have a professional career[2](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/no-fbi-agent-but-plays-one-on-tv/) • [4](https://www.tribute.ca/people/enrique-murciano/12965/). After leaving law school he moved to Los Angeles and trained at the Larry Moss Studio[2](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/no-fbi-agent-but-plays-one-on-tv/).
## Early career: Speed 2, Traffic, and Black Hawk Down
On his first audition, in 1997, Murciano won the role of Alejandro in *Speed 2: Cruise Control*, appearing alongside [Sandra Bullock](https://www.edgepedia.org/sandra-bullock); the part carried a single line but required six months of shooting[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006663/). A dry spell followed, and in 1999 he landed guest appearances on the television shows *Suddenly Susan* and *The Pretender*[4](https://www.tribute.ca/people/enrique-murciano/12965/).
His feature film debut came as DEA agent Ricky in [Steven Soderbergh](https://www.edgepedia.org/steven-soderbergh)'s Academy Award-winning *Traffic* (2000); a two-day stint on the set turned into several weeks of work, placing him in pivotal scenes with [Luis Guzmán](https://www.edgepedia.org/luis-guzman) and [Don Cheadle](https://www.edgepedia.org/don-cheadle)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006663/) • [2](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/no-fbi-agent-but-plays-one-on-tv/). After the short-lived series *Spyder Games* (2001), he played Sgt. Lorenzo Ruiz in Ridley Scott's *Black Hawk Down* (2001)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006663/). It was during the shooting of that film that he met producer Jerry Bruckheimer, a meeting that led to his role in *Without a Trace*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006663/).
## Without a Trace
From 2002 to 2009 Murciano played Danny Taylor, an agent in the FBI's New York Missing Persons Squad, in 160 episodes of the CBS drama *Without a Trace*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006663/). In a 2003 interview he described the character as "an everyday person that does things for the right reasons"[2](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/no-fbi-agent-but-plays-one-on-tv/). The show employed FBI consultants on set at all times; Murciano said the stories were not real but borrowed heavily from headlines, and that after the show became a success people sometimes stopped him on the street and mistook him for a real FBI agent[2](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/no-fbi-agent-but-plays-one-on-tv/).
During this period he also appeared in *[Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous](https://www.edgepedia.org/miss-congeniality-2-armed-and-fabulous)* (2005) as Jeff Foreman and in *How to Go Out on a Date in Queens* (2006) as Junior[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006663/). His producing credits date from this period as well: he was executive producer of the 2004 television movie *A Separate Peace* and of the 2008 film *Máncora*, in which he also acted as Iñigo[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006663/) • [6](https://www.fandango.com/people/enrique-murciano-474277/film-credits).
## Later television and film work
After *Without a Trace* ended, Murciano moved between recurring television roles and supporting film parts. On television he played Felipe Lobos across the first three seasons of *[Power](https://www.edgepedia.org/power-tv-series)* (2014–2016), Marco Diaz in *[Bloodline](https://www.edgepedia.org/bloodline-tv-series)* (2015–2017, 26 episodes), Julian Gale in *The Blacklist* (2017), Senator Joseph Ramirez in *Briarpatch* (2019–2020), Pete Guillory in *Tell Me Your Secrets* (2021), Sheriff James "Jimmy" Cortez in *Panic* (2021), and Ben Almora in the first season of Netflix's *The Night Agent* (2023, 10 episodes)[3](https://www.metacritic.com/person/enrique-murciano/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006663/). In film, his credits include Kemp in *Dawn of the Planet of the Apes* (2014), Poison in *Bright* (2017), Detective Ruiz in *Rough Night* (2017), Deacon Flores in *The Half of It* (2020), Junior in *Father of the Bride* (2022), Detective Cooley in *Miranda's Victim* (2023), and Carlos Baralt in three 2024 episodes of the anthology series *[Monster](https://www.edgepedia.org/monster-american-tv-series)*[6](https://www.fandango.com/people/enrique-murciano-474277/film-credits) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006663/).
*The Night Agent*, created by [Shawn Ryan](https://www.edgepedia.org/shawn-ryan) and based on Matthew Quirk's novel, became Netflix's most-viewed series of 2023 by view count, and Murciano's Ben Almora was among the recurring cast of its first season[7](https://elpais.com/television/2025-01-23/vuelve-el-agente-nocturno-el-inesperado-exito-de-netflix-con-un-heroe-inesperado.html) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006663/).
## References
1. [Enrique Murciano, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006663/)
2. [No FBI Agent, But Plays One On TV, CBS News (January 24, 2003)](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/no-fbi-agent-but-plays-one-on-tv/)
3. [Enrique Murciano, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/enrique-murciano/)
4. [Enrique Murciano Biography & Movies, Tribute.ca](https://www.tribute.ca/people/enrique-murciano/12965/)
5. [Enrique Murciano, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne_gen_cpersonne%3D46900.html)
6. [Enrique Murciano Filmography, Fandango](https://www.fandango.com/people/enrique-murciano-474277/film-credits)
7. [Vuelve 'El agente nocturno', el éxito de Netflix, El País (January 23, 2025)](https://elpais.com/television/2025-01-23/vuelve-el-agente-nocturno-el-inesperado-exito-de-netflix-con-un-heroe-inesperado.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Mo to Ne*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license