Who Is Benjamin Levy Aguilar? Facts About 'Chicago P.D' Actor Who Became a Series Regular
Benjamin Levy Aguilar, who first joined the cast of "Chicago P.D." series as Dante Torres, a rookie cop in Season 9, got promoted. He is now a regular on the show after they recruited him to join the Intelligence Unit in Season 10.
When Benjamin Levy Aguilar first joined "Chicago P.D.," he was partnered with Detective Jay Halstead, played by Jesse Lee Soffer. His partner suspected he was a gang member sent to infiltrate their unit.
The detective's suspicions were confirmed, as Benjamin Levy Aguilar's character was part of a gang as a teenager. However, after spending time in juvie because he beat his mother's abusive husband into a coma, he reformed himself.
Aguilar's Torres decided to be the kind of cop he didn't see while growing up. On joining the team as a permanent part of the 21st District, he has proven to be a valuable teammate.
Besides being a valuable teammate, the actor's character has shown that he would do anything to protect his family and those he loves, even if it means taking off his badge and gun.
Benjamin Levy Aguilar at the SCAD aTVfest 2020 in Atlanta on February 27, 2020 | Source: Getty Images
Main Facts about Benjamin
Aguilar is a writer, actor, and stuntman of Spanish descent born in Guatemala, Central America. He grew up with a single mother and excelled in soccer as a child.
His mother, Mariluz Aguilar Rivas, was the 1988 Miss Guatemala, and she competed at the Miss World, where she became the Miss Photogenic of The World 1988.
The beauty queen, who studied business administration, met the actor's Brooklyn-born Jewish entrepreneur father, Jeff Levy, the same night she won her Miss Guatemala contest. He passed away when their son was young.
At 18, the actor, whose current age is unknown, moved to Hollywood to explore the possibilities of a new life. Aguilar now shares this life with over 67 thousand fans on his Instagram.
Benjamin Was a Soccer Player
Aguilar's first dream was to become a professional soccer player. The sport kept him sane and healthy and got him through many things as a child.
When the AC Milan youth team recruited him and took him to Italy to play for them, things looked up for him. Unfortunately, a fracture in his femur two years later cut his soccer career short.
Aguilar eventually acquired a black belt in the Israeli martial art "Krav Maga," developed for the Israel Defense Forces. In addition, he learned Tactical Shooting and Evasive Driving, skills that led him to work on the Presidential Elections in Guatemala in 2011 and other high-profile events.
Acting Career
When Aguilar could no longer play soccer, even though he had worked for the Israeli embassy, he felt unfilled as he wanted more out of life. He was looking for a big dream to chase.
As he talked to his mother about him, she encouraged him to try acting. Initially, he was clueless and did not know people made money out of it or had an acting career.
He did not also know that there was something called acting classes. After citing the Oscar Award-winning actor Brad Pitt as an example, his mother told him Hollywood was the best place to start.
Once Aguilar saw the prospect of being an actor in his future, they immediately called the airline and booked a ticket to Hollywood for the following week.
In 2012, he landed his first role as a student on "Glee," even though he did not receive credit for it. The actor is now represented by Innovative Artists, Paul Hastings LLP, and Industry Entertainment.
He had starred in "Mostly Ghostly: Have You Met My Ghoulfriend?," "Dope," "Rukky," "Social Norm," "Aloha Haha," "My Life for Yours," and more.
After starring in several uncredited roles in projects, movies, and short films, Aguilar got a manager who gave him his breakthrough role.
Two weeks after their meeting, the manager sent him for the pilot season of "Filthy Rich," where he starred as Antonio Rivera, an up-and-coming boxer, an illegitimate love child to a televangelist, a single dad, and unexpected heir of the Monreaux empire.
The role was what Aguilar needed as he learned everything he could about the industry from there. He revealed that it was his first call back, first screen test, and his first in many things.
The actor starred in "The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window." He also landed a role in "Chicago P.D." and has an upcoming role in "Black Spot."
Private Life
Aguilar's role in "The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window" has female fans admiring him, but the actor is not single. He has been in a relationship with another actress.
On September 25, 2020, the actor first appeared kissing Olivia Macklin on her Instagram. They reportedly met on the "Filthy Rich" set where she stars as Becky Monreaux, and he was her half-brother-in-law.
Although he has not spoken out on his relationship with the actress, they often share cozy images of their time on their Instagram pages.
In the last picture the actress shared, she and Aguilar visited the Lincoln Park Zoo on September 2, 2022. The actress, born on March 16, 1994, has a career that dates back to 2014.
She has starred in "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll," "The Young Pope," "The New Pope," "#NOTHONDURAS: Spring Break!," "Noches con Platanito," "Radium Girls," "Dead to Me," "LA to Vegas," "Pretty Smart," and more.