Del Rio Joins the Cast of Fox’s Upcoming Musical “Grease: Live”

Grease is the word for David Del Rio

The 28-year-old Latino actor has joined the cast of Fox’s upcoming musical Grease: Live.

David Del Rio

Del Rio, who starred in the Broadway musical In the Heights, will portray T-Birds’ Putzie in the live event.

Del Rio joins the ensemble cast that includes Julianne Hough (Sandy), Aaron Tveit (Danny), Vanessa Hudgens (Rizzo), Carlos PenaVega (Kenickie), Keke Palmer (Marty), Carly Rae Jepsen (Frenchy) and Kether Donohue (Jan).

Meanwhile singer, Jessie J, will open the live event with a new version of “Grease (Is the Word).” The Bee Gees’ Barry Gibb wrote the song, which originally was performed by Frankie Valli in the animated opening title sequence of the movie and went on top the pop charts.

Also joining the creative team is Glee and Annie choreographer Zach Woodlee. His credits also include the 100th episode of How I Met Your Mother and 2008’s MTV Movie Awards, as well as the films Eat Pray Love, Hairspray, 27 Dresses and 17 Again.

Thomas Kail and Alex Rudzinski are directing the production, which Fox airs on Sunday, January 31 — live in the East and delayed in the West.

Del Rio’s other credits include Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Troop, Pitch Perfect and Spare Parts.

Castro to Star on ABC Family’s “Shadowhunters”

David Castro is casting shadows

The 19-year-old Latino actor has been cast in a recurring role on ABC Family’s straight-to-series drama Shadowhunters.

David Castro

Based on the best-selling young adult fantasy book series The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters follows 18-year-old Clary Fray (Katherine McNamara) who finds out on her birthday that she’s not who she thinks she is, but rather comes from a long line of Shadowhunters — human-angel hybrids who hunt down demons. When her mother Jocelyn (Maxim Roy) is kidnapped, Clary is thrown into the world of demon hunting with mysterious Shadowhunter Jace (Dominic Sherwood) and her best friend Simon (Alberto Rosende).

Castro, who starred in 27 Dresses, will play Raphael, an elegantly handsome, well-dressed vampire. Ambitious and cunning, he’s aspiring to lead the New York vampire clan.

Castro’s other credits include Where God Left His Shoes, Fugly! and A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints.

Castro Lands Role on CBS’ Drama Pilot “Red Zone”

David Castro has landed in the Red Zone

The 18-year-old half-Puerto Rican actor has been cast in CBS’ drama pilot Red Zone.

David Castro

Written by Nikki Toscano and directed by James Foley, the project centers on Holden Weller (portrayed by Without a Trace’s Anthony LaPaglia), a retired CIA operative and intense high school football coach/athletic director who is pulled back into action when a terrorist event rocks Washington, D.C. He’s basically forced to investigate much closer to home than expected, a place where the next generation of terrorists is being bred.

Castro, who earned an Imagen Award nomination for Best Supporting actor for his performance in the film Where God Left His Shoes, will portray Reza, a smart and thoughtful new student at the high school who has just transferred there to play baseball.

Castro’s other credits include roles in the films Tio Papi, Fugly! and 27 Dresses.

Vergara to Star Opposite Reese Witherspoon in “Don’t Mess with Texas”

Don’t Mess with Sofia Vergara?

The 41-year-old Colombian actress will star opposite Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon in Don’t Mess with Texas.

Sofia Vergara

The film is described as a female-driven Midnight Run-style comedy.

Witherspoon will play a police officer and Vergara a prisoner who are forced to go on the lam together.

Witherspoon and Vergara have been in talks to participate in this project for some time now, but their deals are now coming together quickly so that Vergara can shoot the film during her hiatus from ABC’s Modern Family this spring.

27 Dresses and The Proposal director Anne Fletcher is currently in talks to helm the action comedy.