Esai Morales has found a new mission…The 57-year-old Puerto Rican actor has joined the cast of Mission: Impossible 7, replacing Nicholas Hoult s the film’s villain.
The Paramount and Skydance co-production was close to starting production in Italy, when the world shut down due to COVID-19 and that included the Christopher McQuarrie-directed film, which will see Tom Cruise reprise his Ethan Hunt spy character.
The delay put Hoult in conflict with another commitment.
Mission: Impossible 7 is expected to start production in late summer or early fall.
The film was scheduled for release on July 23, 2021 but has been moved to November 19, 2021 to account for the delay.
The entire franchise through six movies has amassed over $3.57 billion for Paramount.
Morales, who rose to acclaim as Bob Morales in La Bamba, most recently completed a stint on How To Get Away With Murder.
His other credits include television roles on Magic City, Chicago P.D. and NCIS: Los Angeles, and film roles in Gun Hill Road, Fast Food Nation and Spare Parts.
The 33-year-old Puerto Rican actor will star as the male lead opposite Shanola Hampton in NBC’s multi-camera comedy pilot Night School, based on the hit 2018 Universal movie.
The project hails from Marlonco-creator Christopher Moynihanand the film’s star-producer Kevin Hart, producer Will Packerand director Malcolm D. Lee.
Segarra was tapped for Night School as he just became available when Netflix canceled the RuPaul-starring dramedy series AJ and the Queenafter one season.
Penned by Moynihan and directed by Phill Lewis, NBC’s Night School revolves around a unique mix of adults at a night school GEDprep class who unexpectedly bond over their shared experience and find themselves helping one another both inside and outside of the classroom.
Segarra will play Teddy Walker, a charming salesman. The role was played by Hart in the movie. Hampton plays the teacher, Carrie Dawes, portrayed by Tiffany Haddishin the film.
In addition to Hampton, Segarra joins previously cast Ian Gomez, Collette Wolfe, James Earland Joe Massingill.
This marks Segarra’s return to NBC and Universal Televisionafter recurring on the network and studio’s drama series Chicago P.D.several years ago. The Orange Is the New Blackalum has been recurring on CW’s Arrow as Adrian Chase/Prometheus; on Comedy Central’s The Other Twoas Lance, Brooke’s simple-minded ex-boyfriend; and on Fox’s holiday event seriesThe Moodys.
The 49-year-old Puerto Rican actor, who starred on NBC’s Chicago Fire and recurred on Chicago P.D. for several seasons, has landed a lead role opposite Natalie Zea and Michael Raymond-James in the high-concept drama pilotLa Brea.
Hailing from writer David Appelbaum, Keshet Studiosand Universal Television, the project begins with a massive sinkhole that mysteriously opens in Los Angeles. It tears a family in half, separating mother (Zea) and son from father (Raymond-James) and daughter (Zyra Gorecki). When part of the family find themselves in an unexplainable primeval world alongside a disparate group of strangers, they must work to survive and uncover the mystery of where they are and if there is a way back home.
Seda will play Dr. Benjamine Glass, a former Navy Sealwho knows how to take charge.
Thor Freudenthalwill direct the pilot.
Last spring, Seda departed the Chicago franchise after seven years on Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D. and Chicago Justice. As his Chicago character had developed a devoted following, his exit was met with strong reaction by fans, and NBC has been looking for ways to bring him back into the fold.
Seda starred as Detective Antonio Dawson Chicago P.D. One of the original stars of the Chicago franchise, he started off as a recurring on the mothership Chicago Fire before he was spun off to Chicago P.D. He also appeared for a time on the short-lived legal drama spinoff Chicago Justice.
Prior to joining the Chicago franchise, Seda played Nelson Hidalgo on Treme. His other credits include appearances on Hawaii Five-0, The Closerand Burn Notice.
This year’s Imagen Awards were doled out over the weekend, with the 28-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress taking home one of the night’s awards.
Rodriguez was named Best Actress – Television for her role as Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista on the FX groundbreaking television drama Pose, which was named Best Primetime Program – Drama alongside CBS’ Magnum P.I.
Pose, created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Afro-Latino television writer/producer Steven Canals, features the largest cast of transgender actors to be starring as series regulars in a scripted show. In addition to Rodriguez, the series also stars 23-year-old Dominican actor Angel Bismark Curiel.
Anthony Ramos won the Best Actor – Feature Film prize for his role in Monsters and Men, which was named Best Feature Film, while Isabela Moner was namedBest Actress – Feature Film for her role inInstant Family.
Jon Seda was named Best Actor – Television for his role in Chicago P.D., while Wilmer Valderrama was named Best Supporting Actor – Television for his role on NCIS.
Rita Moreno was named Best Supporting Actress – Television for One Day at a Time, while Anthony Gonzalez was named Best Young Actor – Television for HBO’s Icebox.
Held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, the Imagen Awards were established in 1985 from a suggestion by veteran television producer Norman Lear to encourage and recognize the positive portrayals of Latinos in media. The winners were judged and selected in 18 categories by an independent panel of entertainment industry executives and Latinx community leaders.
The Imagen Foundation also honored Chairman of Endemol Shine Americasand CEO of Endemol Shine North America’s Cris Abregowith the prestigious Imagen President’s Awardand Luisa Leschinwith the Norman Lear Writer’s Award.
The complete list of winners can be read below.
Best Feature Film Monsters and Men (NEON/Moviepass Films)
Best Director Reinaldo Marcus Green, Monsters and Men (NEON/Moviepass Films)
Best Actor – Feature Film Anthony Ramos, Monsters and Men (NEON/Moviepass Films)
Best Actress – Feature Film Isabela Moner, Instant Family (Paramount Pictures)
Best Primetime Program – Drama (TIE) Magnum P.I. (CBS; CBS Television Studios, Universal Television, Perfect Storm Entertainment, Davis Entertainment, 101st Street Productions) Pose (FX Networks; Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions)
Best Primetime Program – Comedy One Day at a Time (Netflix; Sony Pictures Television for Netflix)
Best Primetime Program – Specials, Movies & Limited Series Icebox (HBO; HBO Films in association with Gracie Films and Endeavor Content)
Best Actor – Television Jon Seda, Chicago P.D. (NBC; Wolf Entertainment in association with Universal Television)
Best Actress – Television Mj Rodriguez, Pose (FX Networks; Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions)
Best Supporting Actor – Television Wilmer Valderrama, NCIS (CBS; CBS Television Studios)
Best Supporting Actress – Television Rita Moreno, One Day at a Time (Netflix; Sony Pictures Television for Netflix)
Best Young Actor – Television Anthony Gonzalez, Icebox (HBO; HBO Films in association with Gracie Films and Endeavor Content)
Best Variety or Reality Show Hip-Hop Houdini (Fuse; 7Beyond)
Best Children’s Programming The Loud House (Nickelodeon)
Best Documentary – Great Performances John Leguizamo’s Road to Broadway (PBS; NGL Studios & Diamante Content Production in association with THIRTEEN PRODUCTIONS LLC for WNET & Latino Public Broadcasting)
Best Informational Program Breaking Big (PBS; Ozy Media)
Best Short-Form Non-Fiction Program SC Featured – A Dreamer’s Path (ESPN Deportes)
The Latin actress has landed a key recurring role on the upcoming seventh season of NBC‘sChicago P.D.
She will play Vanessa Rojas, a street smart, gritty, resilient, fearless undercover cop. The role is reportedly recurring with an option to become a series regular.
Chicago P.D. is a police drama about the men and women of the Chicago Police Department’s elite Intelligence Unit, combatting the city’s most heinous offenses – organized crime, drug trafficking, high-profile murders and beyond.
Regular cast includes Jason Beghe, Jesse Lee Soffer, Patrick John Flueger, Marina Squerciati, LaRoyce Hawkins, Amy Mortonand Tracy Spiridakos. Chavez most recently recurred on ABC’sStation 19. She’s also known for her role as Ximena Sinfuego on The Fosters.
The 31-year-old Mexican actress has landed a recurring role on the upcoming fourth season of USA Network’s Queen of the South, from Fox 21 Television Studios and UCP.
Starring Alice Braga, Queen of the South is based on the bestselling bookLa Reina del Sur by Arturo Pérez-Reverte. It tells the powerful story of Teresa Mendoza (Braga), a woman who is forced to run from the Mexican cartel and seek refuge in America.
In Season 3, Teresa struck out on her own, determined to build a new empire for herself. But as enemies old and new closed in, she realized that being queen would require more work — and more sacrifice — than she ever imagined.
Lama will portray Emilia, Boaz Jimenez’s (Joseph T. Campos) nervous & frightened former fiancee with a secret that could cause things to turn ugly fast.
Dailyn Rodriguez and Ben Lobato will serve as co-showrunners for Season 4 and will executive produce alongside David T. Friendly.
Lama’s recent credits include guest-starring roles on NCIS: Los Angeles, Chicago P.D.and Designated Survivor.
The Dominican actor has joined the ensemble cast of OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network’s upcoming coming-of-age drama series David Makes Man, from Oscar-winning Moonlight co-writer Tarell Alvin McCraney.
David Makes Man centers on David, a 14-year-old prodigy from the projects who is haunted by the death of his closest friend and relied on by his hardworking mother to find a way out of poverty. He must choose between the streets that raised him or the higher education that may offer him a way out. Set in South Florida, the lyrical drama, inspired by events in McCraney’s own life, explores the inherent trauma sustained in the fight for survival.
In addition to Nolasco, who starred in ABC’s anthology series American Crime, cast additions include Alana Arenas, (L.A. Confidential, Chicago P.D.), while Gillian Williams (The Girlfriend Experience),Ruben Santiago-Hudson (The Quad, Billions) and Randy Gonzalez(Bloodline) are set for recurring roles.
They join previously announced cast Phylicia Rashad, Akili McDowell, Nathaniel Logan McIntyre, Isaiah Johnson, Ade Chike Torbert, Jordan Bolger, Cayden K. Williams and Travis Coles.
Directors joining the hour-long drama for Season 1 include Michael Francis Williams, Kiel Adrian Scott, Daina Reid and Cheryl Dunye.
The series, currently in production in Orlando, Florida, is set for a 2019 premiere on OWN.
Arenas will play Gloria, David’s young, hardworking, single mother who wants better for her children. A now-sober, former drug user, she worries that social services might take her sons away.
Williams will recur as Jessica Kelly, David’s former music teacher who is the mother of his best friend, Seren. Santiago-Hudson is Dr. Bree, a clinical psychiatrist who challenges David to examine the trauma of his past and his hopes for the future. Nolasco will play Tio-Teo, the uncle to David’s strained acquaintance, Raynan. He aims to expand his illegal prescription med operation . . . no matter what the cost. Gonzalez is Mr. Lopez, a teacher of remedial math who believes in David more than David believes in himself.
David Makes Man is produced by Page Fright and Outlier Productions in association with Warner Horizon Scripted Television.
Esai Morales has landed an out-of-this-world role…
The 54-year-old Puerto Rican actor has joined the cast for season two of National Geographic global sci-fi series Mars, from Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment and Radical Media.
Shooting began this week in Budapest on the six-episode series, which is slated to premiere in spring 2018.
The second season’s six-part arc jumps ahead several years into the future after the Daedalus astronauts have built a full-fledged colony called Olympus Town. Having established humankind as an interplanetary species, Mars examines the impact that humans have on the Red Planet and the consequences the planet has on us.
Morales will play Roland St. John, CEO of private enterprise Lukrum Corporation.
Reprising their roles from Season 1 are JiHAE (Mortal Engines) as Hanna Seung, a mission pilot and twin sister of Joon Seung, capsule communicator of mission control; Sammi Rotibi (The Darkest Minds) as Robert Foucault, a Nigerian mechanical engineer and roboticist; Alberto Ammann (Narcos) as Javier Delgado, a hydrologist and geochemist; Clémentine Poidatz (Marie Antoinette) as Amelie Durand, French mission physician and biochemist; Anamaria Marinca (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days) as Marta Kamen, a Russian exobiologist and geologist; and Cosima Shaw(The Danish Girl) as Leslie Richardson, a British nuclear physicist.
“This season takes us literally into new territory,” said showrunner Dee Johnson. “With no laws, no government and no safety nets of any kind, what is it like to be among the first settlers of Mars? Not only do we explore dangers and mysteries of this brand-new world, but we also explore what it means to be human in a place where so few exist.”
Morales, a presidential candidate for SAG-AFTRA, most recently starred on Ozark. His other credits include How To Get Away With Murder, Chicago P.D. and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.
The 38-year-old part Chilean and part Spanish/Basque actress, singer and model has joined the cast of FX’s horror drama The Strainin a recurring role for its upcoming third season.
The thriller, from Guillermo del Toro and Carlton Cuse, is based on the best-selling The Strain Trilogy by del Toro and Chuck Hogan.
Olivo will play Kate Rogers, who commands a squad of NYPD combatants.
Olivo, who starred on Chicago P.D., recently guest-starred in an episode of CBS’ Blue Bloods and recurs on Degrassi: The Next Generation.
The Latino actor has booked a series regular role opposite Billy Magnussen in FX’s drama pilotSnowfall.
The series, co-created and co-written by Boyz N The Hood director John Singleton and Eric Amadio and directed by Singleton, is set against the infancy of the crack cocaine epidemic in Los Angeles in the 1980s.
Del Puerto will play Rico Santiago, Logan Miller’s (Magnussen) right-hand man as they venture into the L.A. cocaine trade.
Del Puerto recently recurred on Chicago P.D. and The Bridge. He’ll next be seen in Ride Along 2.
