Oscar Isaac

Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada is an American actor born in Guatemala who is recognized for his range and for challenging typical portrayals of Latino characters in Hollywood. Celebrated by major publications as one of the standout performers of his era, his accolades include winning a Golden Globe Award, earning a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, and receiving an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Juilliard. He was also named to Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2016.

Born on March 9, 1979, in Guatemala City to a Guatemalan mother and a Cuban father, Isaac moved to the United States during infancy. Raised in a religious household, he lived in several American cities before his family settled in Florida. During his youth, he developed a passion for music and filmmaking, joined local bands such as the ska punk group The Blinking Underdogs, and acted in school and community theater. After attending Miami Dade College, he gained admission to the Juilliard School, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2005. To avoid being typecast early in his career, he adopted Isaac as his surname for auditions.

Isaac began his professional career with stage performances and secondary screen roles during the 2000s. He gained early notice playing Joseph in the biblical film The Nativity Story (2006) and won an AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for portraying political leader José Ramos-Horta in Balibo (2009). Following supporting appearances in Robin Hood (2010) and Drive (2011), he achieved his mainstream breakthrough as a struggling folk singer in the musical drama Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), earning a Golden Globe nomination.

His film career expanded with starring roles in the crime drama A Most Violent Year (2014), the sci-fi thriller Ex Machina (2015), and the superhero film X-Men: Apocalypse (2016). Isaac attained international star status playing Poe Dameron in the Star Wars sequel trilogy from 2015 to 2019. He made his producing debut with the historical drama Operation Finale (2018) and went on to appear in major features including Annihilation (2018), Dune (2021), The Card Counter (2021), Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), and Frankenstein (2025).

On television, Isaac played lead roles in three miniseries: Show Me a Hero (2015), which earned him a Golden Globe Award for his depiction of Nick Wasicsko, Scenes from a Marriage (2021), and the Marvel Cinematic Universe production Moon Knight (2022). He was also cast in the second season of the anthology series Beef (2026). Alongside his screen work, Isaac has maintained a stage career, performing title roles in theatrical productions of Romeo and Juliet in 2007, Hamlet in 2017, and The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window in 2023.