Biography

Raphael Sbarge has explored countless worlds in 50-plus years as an actor, director, producer, and now podcaster. His story began in Manhattan, as the only child of a Broadway costume designer, his mother, Jeanne Button, and his father, Stephen Sbarge an artist, filmmaker, and author.

He began acting at the age of 4 1/2 when a new PBS show called "Sesame Street" was looking for kids. He did his first play at the age of 7 in Tanglewood, and more plays at the Yale Rep starting at 10 when his mother was a professor at the Drama School. At the ripe age of 13, he decided to be an actor. But his mother had no interest in being a "stage mother"-she was busy with her career. So, precocious and very determined, he found himself an agent, began studying in NYC, and started working almost immediately. By age 16, he was in his first Broadway show, The Curse of An Aching Heart, opposite film star Faye Dunaway. At 18, just days after graduating high school, he flew to Chicago to co-star in Risky Business (1983) with Tom Cruise.

He has gone on to appear in dozens of films, including Independence Day (1996), Message in a Bottle (1999), Vision Quest (1985), Pearl Harbor (2001), and The Exorcist: Believer (2023). In the coming months, he will be seen in Friendship (2024) with Paul Rudd, and The History of Sound (2025) with Paul Mescal. His resume includes more than 100 guest appearances and series regular roles on network television shows, among them Dr. Hopper and Jiminy Cricket on Once Upon a Time (2011); David Molk on Murder in the First (2014); The Guardian with Simon Baker and Dabney Coleman. He has recurred in series including Star Trek: Voyager (1995), Dexter (2006), Longmire (2012), 24 (2001), and Prison Break (2005), among many others.

His voice acting credits include the very popular game, Mass Effect, 1,2 and 3, Knights of the Old Republic, and Star Wars: Knights: Republic Commandos among others.

Raphael has also worked behind the camera and is a multi-nominated, Emmy award-winning director winning his first Emmy for a PBS series he directed and produced called 10 Days in Watts (2023). The series was also nominated five times by the LA Press Club and won a journalism award for excellence. His feature documentary Only in Theaters (2022) was a critical success with a theatrical run, playing over 100 dates around the US. The New York Times called the film, "Undeniably compelling." The LA Times called it "Beautiful and Complicated." Variety said it was "(The year's) most emotional theatrical experience." The Forward said it's a "Funny, heartbreaking and moving story about the power of movies." It has a 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. His other feature LA Foodways (2019), was also nominated for an Emmy, and his film of Obie Award-winning play, The Tricky Part (2019) won him Best Director at the Awareness Film Festival. His narrative film, called The Bird Who Could Fly (2017) about a Korean immigrant family, won Best Director at the First Glance Film Festival, Asians on Film Festival, DisOrient Asian American Film Festival, and Greenpoint Film Festival.

In 2024, Raphael began co-hosting a new video podcast with the CEO of Laemmle Theaters, Greg Laemmle, called Inside The Arthouse. Greg and Raphael interview filmmakers, actors, and producers whose films are opening in theaters. Filmed with high production values, they have a very successful YouTube channel and a weekly show.

Raphael has been on Broadway five times, including "Ah Wilderness" with Jason Robards; "Shadow Box" with Mercedes Ruehl; "Voices in the Dark," with Judith Ivey; and "Twilight of the Golds" (including the pre-Broadway national tour and the Kennedy Center). He has performed on stages all over the country, notably with Al Pacino, Frank Langella, Colleen Dewhurst, Blythe Danner, Annette Bening, and Alfred Molina, among many others.

He lives in New York City with his wife Jenna DeAngeles and their dog, Ophelia.
- IMDb mini biography by: Starlight Marketing

Raphael Sbarge is the founder of Green Wish, a non-profit that started as a fund-raising arm for local environmental non-profits and is now dedicated to creating socially relevant content and films to address environmental, economic, and cultural change.

Screen-tested for the role of John Carter on ER (1994), according to Noah Wyle but lost to Wyle in the final round of auditions.

Daughter: Gracie Holiday (born August 6, 2002) and son: Django Garrison.

Raphael is a Certified Volunteer Firefighter in Connecticut.

[on being cast as both a psychiatrist and Jiminy Cricket in 'Once Upon a Time'] When I read the pilot script initially, I thought 'This is fantastic, this is amazing, but they're never going to be able to pull it off'. I've been in shows that made promises and just never hit the mark. When I saw the final airing, it so surpassed my imagination and wildest expectations I was simply floored.

[on screening the first episode of 'Once Upon a Time'] It was one of those classic did-you-just-see-what-I-saw-moments. There was a kind of combined effect, where we just sat there speechless. That was a really special moment and I'll never forget it.