Ten years ago things looked bright for Benjamin Bratt. After paying his dues in a massively successful TV cop series he crossed over to movies with a role in Oscar-winner, Traffic, and a co-star opposite Sandra Bullock in the massive hit comedy, Miss Congeniality. Then he played the love interest in Catwoman… how one movie can destroy your career overnight.

To be fair, the offers weren’t exactly flooding in for this brooding actor, probably sidelined because of his slightly exotic looks – Hollywood is still a tough place for actors with a Latino background.

He had the good sense to pass on Miss Congeniality 2 and Basic Instinct: Audience Aversion, and it was back to TV for the actor, who just recently popped up in hit sitcom Modern Family.

Bratt makes a return to US theaters this Friday (9 April) in a gay interest movie written and directed by his brother. La Mission is set in San Francisco’s Mission District, which has a large Latino population, and Brett plays Che Rivera, a macho father, lowrider and reformed convict trying to keep to the straight-and-narrow. He’s worked hard to maintain his place and respect in a very masculine environment and bring up a son on his own, but when the son comes out and suffers a violent attack for being gay, Che’s whole belief system and outlook is brought into sharp focus.

Bratt’s looks might have faded quite noticably, but it’s good to see him in a meaty, starring role and in a movie with a unique voice, Benjamin and his brother clearly using their background as inspiration.

La Mission opens in New York and L.A first, then San Francisco a week later. Variety rather liked this gay themed movie.