# Tonatiuh (actor)
**Tonatiuh** is the professional name of **Tonatiuh Elizarraraz** (born 1995), an American actor, screenwriter and activist known for playing Luis Molina in the 2025 movie musical *Kiss of the Spider Woman*, Mateo Flores in the Netflix thriller *Carry-On* (2024), and Marcos Zamora in the Starz series *Vida* (2018–2020).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6399254) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/tonatiuh) • [3](https://auteurgraph.com/person/tonatiuh-elizarraraz/ratings) He is a Los Angeles-born Mexican American performer who uses he/they pronouns.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6399254)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Tonatiuh Elizarraraz; born in Los Angeles, California, on January 3[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6399254) |
| Breakout role | Luis Molina in Bill Condon's *Kiss of the Spider Woman* (2025), opposite Jennifer Lopez and Diego Luna; cast from more than 900 hopefuls[4](https://today.usc.edu/kiss-of-the-spider-woman-star-tonatiuh-reconnects-usc/) |
| Streaming hit | Mateo Flores in *Carry-On* (2024), Netflix's second most-watched film of all time with over 170 million views in its first four months[5](https://www.caa.com/caaspeakers/tonatiuh/) |
| Television | Series regular in *Vida* (2018–2020, 11 episodes) and ABC's *Promised Land* (2022, 10 episodes)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6399254) |
| Upcoming | Narciso Rodriguez in *Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette* (2026), a Ryan Murphy limited series[6](https://alyshiaochse.com/tonatiuh/) |
| Recognition | Nominated for Best Breakthrough Performance at the Gotham Awards for *Kiss of the Spider Woman*; named to Out magazine's 2025 Out100[7](https://www.them.us/story/tonatiuh-profile-kiss-of-the-spider-woman-ryan-murphy-love-story-lgbtq) • [8](https://www.out.com/out100/2025/artists/tonatiuh) |
| Training | University of Southern California, degrees in theater and film production, class of 2014[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/tonatiuh) • [4](https://today.usc.edu/kiss-of-the-spider-woman-star-tonatiuh-reconnects-usc/) |
## Name and early life
Tonatiuh is the name of the Aztec sun god. According to a Los Angeles Times profile, his immigrant mother chose the name after waking from a dream and deciding her child would be called Tonatiuh.[9](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2025-08-20/fall-preview-tonatiuh-kiss-of-the-spider-woman-fall-preview) He later adopted the single name professionally; in a 2026 profile he described the mononym as a concession that made him more marketable to Anglo audiences without entirely erasing his Indigenous-Mexican identity.[7](https://www.them.us/story/tonatiuh-profile-kiss-of-the-spider-woman-ryan-murphy-love-story-lgbtq) His family roots are in [Guanajuato](https://www.edgepedia.org/guanajuato), Mexico.[10](https://windycitytimes.com/2026/01/19/tonatiuh-spins-a-web-in-the-windy-city-for-kiss-of-the-spider-woman/)
He was born in Los Angeles and raised in [Southern California](https://www.edgepedia.org/southern-california), taking part in drama clubs at West Covina High School.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6399254) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/tonatiuh) He studied at the [University of Southern California](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-southern-california), participating in dance, theater and film and graduating with degrees in theater and film production.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/tonatiuh) During college he performed with Los Angeles theater companies including IAMA Theatre Company and ECHO Theatre Company.[11](https://abc.com/cast/0d8c4fa3-0658-43bb-b75b-4864d4233002)
## Television career
His first professional onscreen appearance came in 2016 with a supporting guest role on [The CW](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-cw)'s *Jane the Virgin*, and in 2017 he was announced as a series regular on the web series *Stargate Origins*.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/tonatiuh)
**Vida and Promised Land.** The Mexican American actress and showrunner Tanya Saracho saw Tonatiuh's performance in the play *Fixed* and wrote him into her GLAAD Media Award-winning Starz series *Vida*, in which he played Marcos Zamora for 11 episodes from 2018 to 2020.[11](https://abc.com/cast/0d8c4fa3-0658-43bb-b75b-4864d4233002) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6399254) He became a series regular as Antonio Sandoval in the 2022 ABC drama *Promised Land*, which ABC described as the first entirely Latinx-led ensemble drama on a major network.[11](https://abc.com/cast/0d8c4fa3-0658-43bb-b75b-4864d4233002) Other television work includes Peacock's *Angelyne* (2022), *Chicago Med* (2019), a 20-episode run on *Hidden Canyons* (2021–2022), and voicing Miguel in *The Loud House* from 2018 to 2024.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6399254)
## Kiss of the Spider Woman
After an extensive international search that included the United States, Tonatiuh was cast as Luis Molina, the lead in [Bill Condon](https://www.edgepedia.org/bill-condon)'s film adaptation of [Manuel Puig](https://www.edgepedia.org/manuel-puig)'s 1976 novel *Kiss of the Spider Woman*, starring opposite [Jennifer Lopez](https://www.edgepedia.org/jennifer-lopez) and Diego Luna.[5](https://www.caa.com/caaspeakers/tonatiuh/) • [12](https://roadsideattractionspublicity.com/strapi/uploads/KOTSW_PRODUCTION_NOTES_final_9_30_fecd8a1ce5.pdf) USC reported that Condon cast him from more than 900 hopefuls.[4](https://today.usc.edu/kiss-of-the-spider-woman-star-tonatiuh-reconnects-usc/) According to an El País interview, he was the last candidate to enter the casting, submitting a self-tape in late December for which he learned to dance tango, and learned the day after a candle-lit night with his mother that the role was his.[13](https://english.elpais.com/culture/2025-11-09/tonatiuh-lgbtq-actor-and-child-of-latino-immigrants-we-need-resilience-to-maintain-our-dignity-because-they-want-to-humiliate-us.html) Preparing for the part, he sang, danced and lost 44 pounds (about 20 kilograms).[13](https://english.elpais.com/culture/2025-11-09/tonatiuh-lgbtq-actor-and-child-of-latino-immigrants-we-need-resilience-to-maintain-our-dignity-because-they-want-to-humiliate-us.html)
The film premiered at the 2025 [Sundance Film Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/sundance-film-festival), where reviews singled out his performance as a breakthrough; [The Hollywood Reporter](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-hollywood-reporter)'s David Rooney called it a "head-turning breakout performance" and Deadline's Pete Hammond called Tonatiuh "heartbreakingly good."[5](https://www.caa.com/caaspeakers/tonatiuh/) The Associated Press review described him as a relative newcomer who makes an immediate impact and called his turn "equal parts heart-wrenching, deliciously irreverent and technically impressive."[14](https://apnews.com/article/b7a8682c81993a8a67466e78da8d7f79) • [9](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2025-08-20/fall-preview-tonatiuh-kiss-of-the-spider-woman-fall-preview) The role earned him a Gotham Awards nomination for Best Breakthrough Performance.[7](https://www.them.us/story/tonatiuh-profile-kiss-of-the-spider-woman-ryan-murphy-love-story-lgbtq) In the film, Molina is a gay prisoner in Argentina's 1970s-era [Dirty War](https://www.edgepedia.org/dirty-war) who shares a cell with political prisoner Valentín Arregui (Luna) and recounts a Hollywood musical starring Ingrid Luna (Lopez); Tonatiuh also plays Kendall Nesbit, the dashing leading man of Molina's fantasy sequences, and performs on the film's soundtrack.[4](https://today.usc.edu/kiss-of-the-spider-woman-star-tonatiuh-reconnects-usc/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6399254) The film opened in theaters nationwide on October 10, 2025.[4](https://today.usc.edu/kiss-of-the-spider-woman-star-tonatiuh-reconnects-usc/)
## Carry-On and current projects
Tonatiuh made his Netflix debut in the action thriller *Carry-On* (2024) as Mateo Flores, appearing with [Taron Egerton](https://www.edgepedia.org/taron-egerton) and [Jason Bateman](https://www.edgepedia.org/jason-bateman). The film became Netflix's second most-watched film of all time, with over 170 million views in its first four months.[5](https://www.caa.com/caaspeakers/tonatiuh/)
He is starring as Narciso Rodriguez in *Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette*, the 20th Television/FX limited series written and executive produced by Connor Hines, with Ryan Murphy and DV Vincentis showrunning, alongside [Naomi Watts](https://www.edgepedia.org/naomi-watts) and [Grace Gummer](https://www.edgepedia.org/grace-gummer).[6](https://alyshiaochse.com/tonatiuh/) His film credits also include the SXSW-selected *Drunk Bus* (2020), *Shoplifters of the World* (2021), and *Roses on the Vine* (2025).[11](https://abc.com/cast/0d8c4fa3-0658-43bb-b75b-4864d4233002) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6399254) Away from acting, he helped launch the popular card game [Exploding Kittens](https://www.edgepedia.org/exploding-kittens), and he has said he is pursuing a Broadway debut.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/tonatiuh) • [8](https://www.out.com/out100/2025/artists/tonatiuh)
## Identity and advocacy
Tonatiuh is openly queer and has made representation a stated part of his career. Out magazine included him in its 2025 Out100 list of LGBTQ+ people.[8](https://www.out.com/out100/2025/artists/tonatiuh) In interviews he has spoken about the difficulty of finding roles for a queer Mexican American actor and described his mission as ensuring that the communities he comes from feel part of the celebration of his career.[7](https://www.them.us/story/tonatiuh-profile-kiss-of-the-spider-woman-ryan-murphy-love-story-lgbtq) • [10](https://windycitytimes.com/2026/01/19/tonatiuh-spins-a-web-in-the-windy-city-for-kiss-of-the-spider-woman/) He has also hosted fundraising screenings of *Kiss of the Spider Woman* benefiting immigrant and refugee organizations, and each summer he returns to his own high school to teach acting to teenagers.[10](https://windycitytimes.com/2026/01/19/tonatiuh-spins-a-web-in-the-windy-city-for-kiss-of-the-spider-woman/) • [13](https://english.elpais.com/culture/2025-11-09/tonatiuh-lgbtq-actor-and-child-of-latino-immigrants-we-need-resilience-to-maintain-our-dignity-because-they-want-to-humiliate-us.html)
## References
1. [Tonatiuh, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6399254)
2. [Tonatiuh, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/tonatiuh)
3. [Tonatiuh Ratings, AuteurGraph](https://auteurgraph.com/person/tonatiuh-elizarraraz/ratings)
4. [Greg Hernandez (October 16, 2025). 'Kiss of the Spider Woman' star Tonatiuh reconnects with USC. USC Today.](https://today.usc.edu/kiss-of-the-spider-woman-star-tonatiuh-reconnects-usc/)
5. [Tonatiuh, CAA Speakers](https://www.caa.com/caaspeakers/tonatiuh/)
6. [Tonatiuh, Alyshia Ochse podcast page](https://alyshiaochse.com/tonatiuh/)
7. [Michael Cuby (March 13, 2026). Tonatiuh Is a New Kind of Leading Man. Them.](https://www.them.us/story/tonatiuh-profile-kiss-of-the-spider-woman-ryan-murphy-love-story-lgbtq)
8. [Tracy E. Gilchrist (October 16, 2025). The 2025 Out100: Tonatiuh. Out.com.](https://www.out.com/out100/2025/artists/tonatiuh)
9. [His immigrant mother named him after a sun god. Now Tonatiuh is a breakout star. Los Angeles Times (August 20, 2025).](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2025-08-20/fall-preview-tonatiuh-kiss-of-the-spider-woman-fall-preview)
10. [Jerry Nunn (January 19, 2026). FILM Tonatiuh spins a web in the Windy City for 'Kiss of the Spider Woman'. Windy City Times.](https://windycitytimes.com/2026/01/19/tonatiuh-spins-a-web-in-the-windy-city-for-kiss-of-the-spider-woman/)
11. [Tonatiuh biography as Antonio Sandoval, ABC Promised Land cast page](https://abc.com/cast/0d8c4fa3-0658-43bb-b75b-4864d4233002)
12. [Kiss of the Spider Woman production notes, Roadside Attractions](https://roadsideattractionspublicity.com/strapi/uploads/KOTSW_PRODUCTION_NOTES_final_9_30_fecd8a1ce5.pdf)
13. [Tonatiuh, LGBTQ+ actor and child of Latino immigrants: 'We need resilience to maintain our dignity, because they want to humiliate us'. El País English (November 9, 2025).](https://english.elpais.com/culture/2025-11-09/tonatiuh-lgbtq-actor-and-child-of-latino-immigrants-we-need-resilience-to-maintain-our-dignity-because-they-want-to-humiliate-us.html)
14. [Movie Review: Tonatiuh dances away with 'Kiss of the Spider Woman'. AP News (October 8, 2025).](https://apnews.com/article/b7a8682c81993a8a67466e78da8d7f79)
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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 T*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 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