Dante Roman Basco (born August 29, 1975) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Rufio, the leader of the Lost Boys, in

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...

's ''

Hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...

'', Dolph in the

cult film A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase, which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage in repeated ...

'' But I'm a Cheerleader'', the lead character Ben Mercado in the independent film '' The Debut'', and for voicing the titular protagonist of '' American Dragon: Jake Long'' and Prince Zuko in '' Avatar: The Last Airbender''. His voice acting roles include Zuko's grandson General Iroh II in ''

The Legend of Korra ''The Legend of Korra'' (abbreviated as ''TLOK'' and also known as ''Avatar: The Legend of Korra'' or more rarely simply as ''Korra'') is an American animated Fantasy television, fantasy action drama television series created by Michael Dante ...

'', Quoc Wong in ''

The Proud Family ''The Proud Family'' is an American animated sitcom created by Bruce W. Smith that aired on Disney Channel for two seasons from September 15, 2001, to August 19, 2005. The series centers on the life of the titular family, including the show’s ...

'', Jingmei in ''

The Boondocks Boondocks are remote, usually brushy areas. Boondocks may also refer to: * The Boondocks (comic strip), ''The Boondocks'' (comic strip), a comic strip by Aaron McGruder ** The Boondocks (TV series), ''The Boondocks'' (TV series), the television s ...

'', Tuck in '' Generator Rex'', Scorpion in ''

Ultimate Spider-Man ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2011. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of the company's Ultimate Ma ...

'', and Jai Kell in ''

Star Wars Rebels ''Star Wars Rebels'' is an American 3D animated science fiction television series produced by Lucasfilm Animation and set in the ''Star Wars'' universe. It takes place 14 years after '' Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith'' (2005 ...

''.

Early life

Basco was born to Filipino parents on August 29, 1975, in

Pittsburg, California Pittsburg (formerly Black Diamond, New York Landing and New York of the Pacific) is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. It is an industrial suburb located on the southern shore of the Suisun Bay in the East Bay region of t ...

, and raised in Cerritos and

Paramount, California Paramount is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. According to the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 53,733, down from 54,098 at the 2010 census. Part of the Greater Los Angeles Area, Paramount is bordered by ...

. He has four siblings, including actor Dion Basco. In the mid-1980s, he and his brothers formed a

breakdancing Breakdancing or breaking, also called b-boying (when performed by men) or b-girling (women), is a style of street dance originated by African Americans and Nuyorican, Puerto Ricans in The Bronx borough of New York City. Breakdancing consist ...

crew and worked as street performers. He attended Orange County High School of the Arts in the Music and Theatre Conservatory and graduated in 1993. In 1998, Basco co-founded the Da Poetry Lounge, a slam and spoken poetry venue in Hollywood.

Career

He began his acting career with minor television roles. His breakthrough performance was when he appeared as the leader Rufio of the Lost Boys in

's 1991 film ''

'' with

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedie ...

and

Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for Dustin Hoffman filmography, his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable charac ...

. In 2017, Basco produced a Kickstarter-funded short film, ''Bangarang'', about the character Rufio. The film was directed by Jonah Feingold. Basco streams gameplay on Twitch. Basco released his memoir ''From Rufio to Zuko'' through the independent publisher Not a Cult. ''Avatar: Braving the Elements'', an official

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

companion podcast to '' Avatar: The Last Airbender'', premiered on June 22, 2021. Basco and

Janet Varney Janet Varney is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer. She is known for voicing the character of Korra in the Nickelodeon animated television series ''The Legend of Korra'', co-starring as Sheriff Evie Barret in the television ser ...

(voice of Korra) host the podcast, which follows them as they rewatch the series, discuss each episode's key moments and behind-the scenes information, and feature special guests.

Voice acting

Basco has done voice acting for many animated productions, including Zuko in '' Avatar: The Last Airbender'', Jai Kell in ''

'' and Jake Long in '' American Dragon: Jake Long''. Additional roles include Kwok Wong in ''

'', Matt Martin/Kewl Breeze in the short-lived animated series '' Zevo-3'', and General Iroh in ''

.'''''' He contributed additional voices for '' Aion'', ''

Mortal Kombat X ''Mortal Kombat X'' is a 2015 fighting game developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It is the tenth main installment in the ''Mortal Kombat'' s ...

'', and ''

Saints Row ''Saints Row'' is a series of action-adventure video games created by Volition and published by THQ and Deep Silver. The series follows the 3rd Street Saints, a fictional street gang originally operating out of the Saints Row district, hence ...

''. He also voiced Shingo in the '' Skate'' series and Seeing Farther in the '' Call of Juarez'' series.

Personal life

On April 19, 2023, Basco became engaged to filmmaker, actress and television host Alice Rehemutula. They married in September 2023 in China. In May 2024, Rehemutula announced her pregnancy with their first child, a son named Dunya Royale, who was born on October 21 of the same year.

Filmography

Film

Television

Web series

Video games

Awards

Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...

– ''

'' ** Won – Best Ensemble Cast ** Nominated – Best Young Actor

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Basco, Dante 1976 births Actual play performers American male film actors American male television actors American male child actors American male voice actors American male video game actors American male actors of Filipino descent

Dante Dante Alighieri (; most likely baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri; – September 14, 1321), widely known mononymously as Dante, was an Italian Italian poetry, poet, writer, and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called ...

Living people People from Pittsburg, California 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Orange County School of the Arts alumni