After five successful decades working as an actor in front of the camera, Raphael Sbarge began exploring life behind the camera, adding the title of Director and producer to his resume in 2011. As an award-winning conscious creator, producer and director, the focus of many of Raphael’s films and series have been about social justice, environmental justice, and underserved voices.
While growing up in New York City, Raphael began working on Sesame Street at the age of 4.5. Son of Broadway costume designer, Jeannie Button, he grew up backstage, appearing in his first play at Tanglewood at the age of seven. Since Raphael’s mother was also a professor at Yale Drama School, he began acting in plays at the Yale Rep starting at the age ten. His father was an artist, photographer, and documentary filmmaker, which lead to him growing up with two creative and visually-dynamic people as his role models. He acted in his first Broadway play at the young age of sixteen, opposite Faye Dunaway and has since been in five total, including the revival of Ah, Wilderness opposite Jason Robards, and Coleen Dewhurst. At 18, just days after graduating high school, he flew to Chicago to co-star in Risky Business with Tom Cruise
He has gone on to appear in dozens of films, including INDEPENDENCE DAY , MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE , VISION QUEST , PEARL HARBOR and THE EXORCIST BELIEVER. In the coming months, he will be seen in FRIENDSHIP with Paul Rudd, and THE HISTORY OF SOUND with Paul Mezcal. His resume includes more than 100 guest appearances and series regular roles on network television shows, among them Dr. Hopper and Jiminy Cricket on ONCE UPON A TIME ; David Molk on MURDER IN THE FIRST; THE GUARDIAN with Simon Baker and Dabney Coleman. He has recurred on series including STAR TREK: VOYAGER , DEXTER, LONGMIRE, 24, PRISON BREAK , among many others.
His voice acting credits include the very popular game, Mass Effect, 1,2 and 3, Knights of the Old Republic, and Star Wars: Knights: Republic Commandos among others.
In 2020, Raphael earned his first Emmy nomination for LA FOODWAYS, a one-hour feature documentary and a six-part series that he directed and produced. It debuted on KCET-PBS, which his production company, Wishing Well Entertainment, co-produced with the network. He has directed and produced several other films for KCET that have aired. His feature film, called ONLY IN THEATERS, was a critical success with a theatrical run, playing over 100 dates around the US. The film follows The Laemmle Theaters, a fourth-generation family business and beloved art house cinema chain with ties to the origins of Hollywood. The New York Times called the film,“Undeniably compelling.” The LA Times called it “Beautiful and Complicated.” Variety said it was “(The year’s) most emotional theatrical experience.” The Forward said it’s a “Funny, heartbreaking and moving story about the power of movies.” It has a 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Raphael earned his first Emmy for a PBS series he directed and produced called 10 DAYS IN WATTS , set in Watts, CA. The series follows another legacy story of a third-generation family working to “improve the lives of the citizens of Watts” for over 57 years. Through the series, viewers meet many of the long resident of Watts, as they prepare for the opening of a 2 ½ acre farm at the foot of one of the most notorious housing projects, Jordan Downs. The series was also nominated five times by the LA Press Club and won a journalism award for excellence.
Prior to this, Raphael directed a series with Ed Begley Jr. on the building of his LEED home, also with Jeff Goldblum and Sharon Lawrence. His narrative film about an immigrant Korean family, THE BIRD WHO COULD FLY, won Best Director, Best Ensemble, and Audience Awards at several Asian festivals around the US. He filmed Broadway actor Marty Moran in his Obie Award-winning play called THE TRICKY PART, centering around the complicated issue of male sexual abuse. The film, supported by Anthony Edwards, played many festivals around the US, winning Best Director at the Awareness Festival.
In 2024 Raphael began co-hosting a new video podcast with the CEO of Laemmle Theaters, Greg Laemmle, called INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE. Greg and Raphael interview filmmakers, actors and producers whose films are opening in theaters. Filmed with high production values, they have a very successful YouTube channel and a weekly show.
Raphael is married to artist/writer Jenna DeAngeles, and has two children, Willow and Django. Sbarge is also a certified volunteer firefighter in the state of Connecticut.