‘The Bear’ star Richard Esteras starring in ‘Uncle Vanya’ Chicago pro…

Actor Richard Esteras will tell you, he has always played a certain type. At over 6 feet tall and festooned with tattoos, the long-haired, deep-voiced, barrel-chested actor of Mexican heritage has a look that has led to a run of roles he describes as the proverbial “mean guy or bad guy.”

But these aren’t the only roles Esteras, who has a complicated past (more on that later), has in his sights.

Four years ago, Esteras’ acting trajectory changed when he was cast in a recurring role as Manny, a restaurant dishwasher, on the hit Hulu series “The Bear.”

And now, while the show is on hiatus, Esteras takes on his biggest acting challenge to date — the role of Waffles in Anton Chekhov’s classic drama “Uncle Vanya.”

“I enjoy playing different roles, and I don’t get many offers like this,” Esteras says. “When an opportunity like this comes along, I’m…