Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Bonilla began his professional acting career at the age of 16.
He received his first big break when he booked a two-year contract role on CBS’s Guiding Light, which earned him a Daytime Emmy® Award nomination for Outstanding Young Actor in a Drama Series.
Since then, Bonilla has built an impressive resume. His first full length feature, the 2009 Sundance Film Festival favorite Don’t Let Me Drown, was nominated for the Grand Jury Award at Sundance and won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the 2009 San Francisco International Film Festival. Continuing his momentum, Bonilla starred in the coming-of-age drama Mamitas, which earned him an Imagen Award nomination for Best Actor. He received an additional Imagen Award nomination for his performance as "Dexter," a former high school basketball player whose best days were behind him, in Joshua Sanchez's directorial debut, Four. He also starred in the romantic tale Musical Chairs directed by Susan Seidelman.
More recently Bonilla was the series lead on the critically acclaimed series The Long Road Home, for which he won an Imagen Award for Best Actor. He has also appeared as a series regular on Unforgettable where he originated the role of wisecracking “Detective Denny Padilla.” His recurring guest lead TV credits include: Colony, Bull, Insecure, Younger and Revenge.
Other guest appearances: Madam Secretary, Bored to Death, Cold Case, The Big C, Blue Bloods, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Shameless.
Notable roles in recent major feature films include The Kitchen, opposite Melissa McCarthy, and Gemini Man by director Ang Lee.
