As a teenager, Del Arco became interested in acting and the theater. He often traveled by commuter train to New York City, where he attended plays. He eventually enrolled in acting classes there; and, after graduating from high school, he moved to New York City permanently. Shortly after, Del Arco won a role in the touring company of Torch Song Trilogy. In 1990, with a role on the Miami Vicetelevision show and a role in the independent filmLost Angeles under his belt, Del Arco moved to Los Angeles, California. Guest starring roles on the television series True Colors, Sisters, The Wonder Years, and Blossom as well as a small role in the film The Mambo Kings followed. His most notable role during this period was as the Borg drone Hugh on Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1992, which he reprised in 1993 and again in 2020. Del Arco has appeared in a wide range of live theatrical plays. His Broadway theatre debut came in 1987 in Milcha Sanchez-Scott's Roosters at the INTAR Theatre. Theater critic Mel Gussow called his a "most sensitive performance", and said his debut was "auspicious". His second Broadway role followed in 1988, when he played Martin in Michael Weller's play Spoils of War at the Music Box Theatre, replacing Christopher Collet. This was followed in 1990 by a role in John Jesurun's Everything That Rises Must Converge at the Kitchen Theatre Company. Del Arco's other stage performances include, Amulets Against the Dragon Forces by Paul Zindel, House Arrest by Anna Deavere Smith, Virgin Molly, The by Quincy Long, Common Infractions'Gross Injustices produced by American Repertory Theater, and Blood Wedding by Federico García Lorca. In 1996, Del Arco joined the Hispanic Playwrights Project at the South Coast Repertory, and spent six seasons there. He also spent the summer of 1998 and 1999 at the Institute on the Arts and Civic Dialogue at Harvard University, working under Anna Deavere Smith. Del Arco's breakout role came in 2003 when he landed a recurring guest star role on FX Networks' highly popular series Nip/Tuck, where he played a transgender woman named Sofia Lopez. Roles on other highly rated shows such as 24, The Sopranos, and Dollhouse followed. Beginning in 2007, Del Arco had a recurring role on TNT cable network's The Closer as the openly gay medical examiner, Dr. Morales. He continued the role in the series' spin-off, Major Crimes. In 2014, he appeared in the episode "Love Sucks" of The Crazy Ones, as the previously unseen husband of Brad Garrett's character. He reprised his role of Hugh in ', a direct sequel to.
Political activism
In addition to acting, Del Arco is a political, environmental, and gay rights activist. Del Arco turned to waiting tables in 1995 for an income. Instead, through a friend, he found paid work on an environmental campaign being led by actor/director Rob Reiner. Del Arco then worked on numerous political campaigns. Del Arco credits the political activism with allowing him to find a new passion and expansiveness as an actor, which led to new acting roles. Del Arco volunteered for Barack Obama and has worked for three presidential campaigns; and he served as an Obama Celebrity Surrogate for the 2012 Presidential Campaign. He works to raise awareness for the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, which Del Arco described as life-changing. "Never did I imagine that working for a nonprofit organization would have such a great effect on me personally. It's changed the structure of how I use my career as an actor because now I have a reason beyond entertainment to promote something other than me." In 2013, Del Arco was awarded the 2013 Visibility Award from the Human Rights Campaign and now works with the campaign as a guest speaker. Del Arco is a member of Actors' Equity Association.
Personal life
Del Arco had a partner who died of AIDS in the late 1980s while they resided in the New York City.
