Richard Esteras (b. August 25, 1968) is an American actor of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage. [1] [2] Esteras has played restaurant dishwasher Manny on the FX Networks dramedy The Bear since season one. [3] Raised in Gary, Indiana, after his parents moved there to work in the steel mills, Esteras thought he had a chance as an actor because of his superficial resemblance to Danny Trejo. [2] Esteras appeared in Trejo's horror comedy movie Seven Cemeteries, released in 2024. [4] In 2025, Esteras appeared as Waffles in a Chicago production of Chekov's Uncle Vanya . [2] Esteras shared a Screen Actors Guild Award with the rest of The Bear cast in 2024. [5]