Juani Feliz Lands Recurring Role on Amazon’s Comedy Series “Harlem”

Juani Feliz is heading to Harlem

The Dominican actress has landed a recurring role on Amazon’s Harlem, the comedy series from Tracy Oliver, Amy Poehler’s Paper Kite Productions and Universal Television.

Juani Feliz

Feliz joins a roster of new cast additions that include Andrea Martin, Robert Ri’chard, Kate Rockwell and Sullivan Jones.

They’ll join previously announced Whoopi Goldberg and Jasmine Guy, who also recur.

Created, written and executive produced by Oliver, Harlem, formerly the Untitled Tracy Oliver Project, is a single-camera comedy following the lives of four black women, friends from their college days at NYU, as they navigate sex, relationships and chasing their dreams.

Feliz is Isabela, a local politician on track to beating AOC’s record as the youngest member of U.S. Congress and a new friend of Quinn’s.

Feliz was a series regular on the ABC pilot, Until the Wedding. She has also recurred on CBS Blue Bloods and NBC’s Shades of Blue.

On the film side, her credits include the thriller Canal Street, The Purge: Election Year, The Polka King and indie feature Quiet In My Town.

Tatyana Ali to Star in Lifetime’s Holiday Movie “Secret Santa”

Tatyana Ali is getting into the Christmas spirit…

The 38-year-old half-Afro-Panamanian American actress and former The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star will star in the recently greenlit Lifetime holiday movie Secret Santa (working title).

Tatyana Ali

Ali will star opposite Mindy Sterling, Dan Lauria and Brendan Fehr in the two-hour original movie, which is currently shooting in Salt Lake City, Utah for a premiere this winter.

The plot: Christmas is Hillary Nash’s (Ali) least favorite time of year. As the Senior Financial Analyst at the upscale Hudson Valley Outdoor Mall, she has to be the annual Christmas Grinch and cancel the leases of under-performing stores by the end of the year. One afternoon, her 8-year-old niece Molly, asks the mall Santa to help find a boyfriend for her beloved aunt. Unbeknownst to Molly, and Hillary, the mall Santa is just a substitute filling in and is actually Ryan McCue (Fehr), a lawyer-turned-artist who is decorating the mall for Christmas and trying to find his way after quitting his job and losing his fiancee. As Hillary and Ryan begin to fall for each other, they each don’t realize the other’s true identity: Hillary who is tasked with closing a failing gift wrap shop run by Ryan’s Aunt Patty and Ryan who is too ashamed to tell Hillary that he is the acting mall Santa.

The cast also includes Kim Fields and Jasmine Guy.

Sterling plays cheery Agnes, who along with her husband, played by Dan Lauria, run the mall cookie store, bringing a combination of sweetness, advice and answers to all.

Ali’s recent credits include television

Santiago-Hudson to Star in BET’s Pilot “The Yard”

Ruben Santiago-Hudson is ready for a little Yard work…

The 59-year-old half-Puerto Rican actor has been cast in BET’s two-hour scripted pilot The Yard.

Ruben Santiago-Hudson

The project centers on Eva, the newly elected President of the fictional college Georgia A&M. Upon her arrival, Eva finds a bold, brazen and diverse freshman class that promises to keep her hands full.

In addition to Santiago-Hudson and Rose, the cast includes Sean Blakemore and Jasmine Guy.

Rob Hardy will direct the pilot.

Santiago-Hudson, who has won national awards for his work as an actor, playwright and director, starred in the film Selma, as well as the television programs Public Morals and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.