Tag Archives: American Dreams

HBO Max Orders Family Comedy Pilot “Gordita Chronicles,” Starring Olivia Goncalves, to Series

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Olivia Goncalves is preparing to Chronicle(s) her latest endeavor…

HBO Max has picked up to series the family comedy pilot Gordita Chronicles, starring the Latina actress and Hollywood newcomer.

Olivia Goncalves

The project hails from Claudia Forestieri, Josh Berman’s Osprey Productions, Zoe Saldana’s Cinestar Pictures and Sony Pictures Television

Goncalves leads the comedy, written and executive produced by Forestieri and directed by Eva Longoria. Diana Maria Riva and Juan Javier Cardenas also star.

Gordita Chronicles, inspired by Forestieri’s life, centers on Carlota “Cucu” Castelli (Goncalves), a willful 12-year-old Dominican immigrant with a heart of gold. Cucu leaves her home and her parochial school in Santo Domingo to live in Miami and pursue the American Dream during the hedonistic 1980s after her father, a marketing executive with a large airline, gets transferred there. Cucu meets head-on the challenges of being an immigrant in a strange new world with humor, bravado and some really bad choices.

“We are thrilled to partner with Zoe, Eva, Josh and Sony Pictures Television to bring to life this beautiful coming-of-age story inspired by Claudia’s personal journey,” said Jennifer O’Connell, Executive Vice President, Non-Fiction and Live-Action Family Programming, HBO Max.

“HBO Max is proud to work with the powerhouse Latinx talent in front of and behind the camera for this series, which we believe will resonate with all families,” added Sarah Aubrey, Head of Original Content, HBO Max.

Cast also includes Savannah Nicole Ruiz, Noah Rico and Cosette Hauer.

“From the minute we heard Claudia’s childhood story, we knew it was not only incredibly funny, but emotionally poignant and an important story to tell,” said Jason Clodfelter, Co-President, Sony Pictures Television Studios. “Cucu and the Castellis remind us of the iconic sitcom families we grew up watching, but none of those ever captured a Dominican family’s experience of coming to America. This show changes all of that, and we are thrilled and grateful to dive back in and make a wonderful series for our friends at HBO Max.”

Brigitte Munoz Liebowitz serves as executive producer and showrunner. Berman, Chris King and Jennifer Robinson executive produce for Osprey Productions. Longoria executive produces via her UnbeliEVAble Entertainment. Saldana, Mariel Saldana and Cisely Saldana executive produce for Cinestar Pictures. Sony Pictures TV is the studio.

Arlen Escarpeta to Star in the Second Season of OWN’s Drama Series “David Makes Man”

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Arlen Escarpeta is the Manof the hour…

The 39-year-old Belizean actor has been cast as a series regular for the second season of OWN’s acclaimed Peabody-winning drama series David Makes Man.

Arlen Escarpeta

He’ll star alongside Kwame Patterson, who has been tapped to portray the title character, the adult version of David.

Escarpeta will play his brother JG, in the series which hails from Oscar winner Tarell Alvin McCraney and Warner Horizon Scripted Television. 

They join returning series regulars Akili McDowell, Alana Arenas, Travis Coles and Cayden K. Williams for season two.

Created by McCraney and executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, the first season ofDavid Makes Mancentered on David Young (McDowell), a 14-year-old prodigy learning to survive the streets that raised him and the higher education that could offer him a way out. Season two finds David in his early 30s, a rising business man facing an opportunity that will change him and his community forever; the mounting pressure forces David to choose between the instincts that helped him survive or finding a new way to finally, truly live.

Escarpeta’s television credits include series regular roles on Crackle’s The Oath and NBC’s American Dreams, and a recurring role in Syfy’s The Magicians,among others. He also starred as Bobby Brown in the Lifetime original film Whitney. 

His feature film credits include Into the Storm, Final Destination 5, Brotherhood, Friday the 13th (2009), and We Are Marshall, among others.

Escarpeta Lands Recurring Role in Syfy’s Drama Series “The Magicians”

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It’s a magical time for Arlen Escarpeta…

The 35-year-old Belizean actor has landed a recurring role on Syfy’s drama series The Magicians, from Universal Cable Productions.

Arlen Escarpeta

Based on the bestselling novels from Lev Grossman, The Magicians centers on Quentin (Jason Ralph), a brilliant graduate student chosen to attend Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy, a secret upstate New York university specializing in magic.

Escarpeta, who portrayed Bobby Brown in Lifetime’s Whitney Houston biopic, will play Prince Ess, a handsome, rugged, pelt-clad man, with a sort of frat bro air of entitlement and the ruler of Loria.

Escarpeta, a series regular on NBC’s American Dreams for three seasons, also appeared in the feature films Into The Storm and Final Destination 5.

Ramos to Guest Star on “Private Practice” Series Finale

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Sarah Ramos will be seeking professional help this month…

The 21-year-old half-Latina actress will guest star in the series finale of ABC‘s Private Practice, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Sarah Ramos

In the final installment of Shonda Rimes’ long-running series, titled “In Which We Say Goodbye,” Ramos will portray a patient of Dr. Violet Turner’s (Amy Brennenman).

Ramos has had a recurring role on NBC’s Parenthood. She’s beenportraying Haddie Braverman, who this season was sent off to college and briefly returned home after her mother, Kristina, was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Private Practice will wrap its six-season run on January 22 with an episode that will also feature Dr. Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) and Dr. Jake Reilly’s (Benjamin Bratt) wedding. Ramos joins guest stars including Diane Farr ad the return of original cast member Audra McDonald.

Ramos’ credits include American Dreamsand Robot Chicken.