I Finally Realized Why 'The Waterfront' Star Rafael L. Silva Looks So Familiar—And I Really Should've Seen It Sooner

Before this role, the 31-year-old was a main character on the show 9-1-1: Lone Star, a crime drama series that just wrapped its fifth and final season. Having debuted in January 2020, 9-1-1: Lone Star follows a New York-bred firefighter who is forced to move from Manhattan to Texas. Aside from struggling to adjust to his new environment, he is tasked with balancing the tough demands of his job while also trying to resolve the issues within his personal life.

In the series, Silva portrays Carlos Reyes, a young police officer on a personal mission to find his father’s killer. The show was Silva’s first major acting role, and during a February 2025 interview with TV Guide, the actor told the publication, “Lone Star taught me a lot. It gave me feet to walk on, gave me some strong legs to stand on my own. I grew up as a person so much from the show, and I'm extremely grateful for [co-creators] Tim [Minear] and Ryan [Murphy] for having given me the opportunity.”

He also stated that he had “no idea” what a Texas Ranger was before taking the role. “ I didn't know what a Texas Ranger was to begin with. How does one become a Texas Ranger? So I reached out to a couple of friends who had connections in Texas, and I ended up being able to go to Texas and shadow some Texas Rangers, and I did that for some time. You simply cannot replace personal experience with any sort of study."

Before his big role on Lone Star, Silva starred in a few short films and web series, including 2015’s Drunk Art Love, 2019’s Madame Secretary and 2020’s The Corps.

Want all the latest entertainment news sent right to your inbox? Click here.