Raphael Cruz
American actor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Raphael Cruz (September 5, 1986 – January 26, 2018) was an American acrobat, clown and actor, a Bay Area native and international contemporary circus star, one of three brothers who performed together.[1]
Raphael Cruz | |
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| Born | September 5, 1986 Vallejo, California, United States |
| Died | January 26, 2018 (aged 31) Paris, France |
| Occupations | Acrobat, clown, actor |
After training in San Francisco's Pickle Family Circus and then Montreal's National Circus School, Cruz had many brilliant performances with Montreal's The 7 Fingers and Cirque du Soleil, and the Chicago's Lookingglass Theatre Company.[2] In 2011, Cruz played the lead role of Buster, a Buster Keaton inspired character, in the cinema themed Cirque du Soleil production Iris.[3][4][5] Raphael was part of the choreography team for the opening ceremonies for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.[6]
Raphael died unexpectedly at 31 years old on January 26, 2018, in Paris from undiagnosed heart ailment causing heart and lung failure.[1]
The Raphael Cruz Scholarship Fund was created in 2024 by Club Fugazi, a performing arts theatre in San Francisco to provide Bay Area youth with opportunities to be inspired by Raphael's example and follow in his footsteps.[6]