Salma Hayek to Receive Giving Tree Award at the 2023 Baby2Baby Gala

Posted on September 16, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Salma Hayek is being celebrated for her commitment to children in need…

The 57-year-old Mexican American actress/producer will receive this year’s Giving Tree Award at the 2023 Baby2Baby Gala taking place on November 11 in Los Angeles.

The Giving Tree Award is awarded annually to a public figure who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to improving the lives of children in need around the world.

Past honorees include Amy Adams, Jessica Alba, Drew Barrymore, Vanessa Bryant, Jennifer Garner, Kate Hudson, Kim Kardashian, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chrissy Teigen and Kerry Washington.

“I am so honored to be receiving the Giving Tree Award from Baby2Baby. My 39 years of involvement in supporting the wellbeing of women and children give me a deep appreciation and admiration for their heartfelt commitment and efficiency to get the job done. I am very am proud to share their mission and am eager to keep learning from these remarkable women,” said Hayek in a statement.

After lobbying Congress to extend the Violence Against Women Act, she co-founded The Kering Foundation, which leads initiatives aimed at liberating women around the world from sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. Hayek later partnered with Gucci to create Chime For Change, a program advancing education, health, and justice of girls. In 2015, she visited Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon alongside UNICEF and mounted the “Chime for Education” campaign to raise money to educate refugee children.

In 2017, Hayek spearheaded fundraising efforts for earthquake victims in Mexico and helped raise nearly a million dollars for UNICEF. During the disaster relief effort, she also partnered with the PepsiCo. Foundation and Habitat for Humanity to deliver 180 houses for displaced victims of the earthquake. Hayek remains actively engaged in a range of pressing social justice issues and is a longtime supporter of multiple leading nonprofit organizations including Girl Effect, The Cameron Boyce Foundation and Fondo Semilla.

“It’s our honor to pay tribute to Salma Hayek Pinault with this year’s Giving Tree Award for her extensive work on behalf of vulnerable children and families,” shared Baby2Baby co-CEOs Norah Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patricof. “From her commitment to combating social injustices and disaster relief efforts to her work supporting refugee children, Salma exemplifies everything that this award represents. We applaud how she has used her platform to increase resources and opportunities for women and girls, and we are thrilled to highlight her extraordinary commitment to these causes.”

M. Angélica Garcia Named to President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities

Posted on April 16, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

M. Angélica Garcia has joined the committee…

The Latina educational leader, who serves as president of Berkeley City College, has been named to the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities by President Joe Biden.

Bruce Cohen and Lady Gaga will serve as the co-chairs of the revived committee.

In addition to Garcia, Cohen and Lady Gaga, other committee members include Latino educator and journalist Horacio Sierra; musician Jon Batiste; Constance M. Carroll, president of the California Community Colleges Baccalaureate Association; actor George Clooney; Harvard professor Philip J. Deloria; actress Jennifer Garner; art historian, museum director and curator Nora Halpern; bookstore owner and former congressman Steve Israel; producer-writer Marta Kauffman; producer Ricky Kirshner; actor Troy Kotsur; Bad Robot Prods. co-CEO Katie McGrath; Laura Penn, executive director of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society; artist and educator Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya; author and Stanford Professor Emeritus Arnold Rampersad; producer and author Shonda Rhimes; retired attorney and CPA Kimberly Richter Shirley; writer and actress Anna Deavere Smith; singer-songwriter Joe Walsh; actress, director and producer Kerry Washington; and Pauline Yu, president emerita of the American Council of Learned Sciences.

Biden announced last year that he was reviving the committee, which was disbanded during the presidency of Donald Trump.

The committee, set up in 1982 during Ronald Reagan’s administration, advises the president and heads of cultural agencies on ways to elevate the importance of the arts, including through federal support.

In 2017, remaining Obama-era members of the committee resigned in protest of Trump’s response to the Charlottesville riots. Trump did not renew the executive order for the committee.

Biden issued an executive order in September reviving the committee.

In the order, Biden pledged that his administration would “advance the cultural vitality of the United States by promoting the arts, the humanities, and museum and library services,” including when it comes to advancing equity, accessibility and opportunity. The order also pledges to “strengthen America’s creative and cultural economy, including by enhancing and expanding opportunities for artists, humanities scholars, students, educators, and cultural heritage practitioners, as well as the museums, libraries, archives, historic sites, colleges and universities, and other institutions that support their work.”

A number of the members of the committee have ties to Biden, including as campaign donors and supporters. Along with Stephanie Cutter, Kirschner served as executive producer of Biden’s inaugural. Kaufmann hosted First Lady Jill Biden at her home for a midterm fundraising event in September. Batiste performed at a White House state dinner in December.

During the Obama administration, Cohen also served as the entertainment industry liaison for Joining Forces, the initiative from First Lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden to support military service members, veterans and their families. Lady Gaga performed at Biden’s inauguration, and traveled with him to support an initiative to address campus sexual assault.

Thom Nemer to Star in Disney+’s “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”

Posted on March 17, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Thom Nemer is preparing for a very bad day…

The 9-year-old Latino actor has been cast as the titular character in Disney+’s Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

Nemer, who stars in Snowfall, will star opposite Eva Longoria, Jesse Garcia and George Lopez in the film.

From writer Matt Lopez and director Marvin Lemus, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day tells the story of 11-year-old Alexander Garcia, who thinks he has the worst luck in the world. When his family sets off on a road trip to California, he’s pretty sure disaster awaits at every corner. His anxiety only increases when a family secret is revealed.

Longoria and Garcia play Alexander’s parents Val and Frank; Paulina Chávez plays his 16-year-old sister Mia; Rose Portillo plays his grandmother Lidia.

The film, a new take on Judith Viorst’s book after a 2014 movie starring Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner, is produced by Shawn Levy, Dan Levine and Lisa Henson.

Marisol Roncali and Chelsea Ellis Bloch serve as casting directors.

Nemer is best known for portraying Carlo in the FX series Snowfall. Nemer also notably worked alongside Jennifer Coolidge in an Old Navy commercial.

Camila Cabello to Perform on PBS’ “In Performance at the White House” Special

Posted on December 9, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Camila Cabello is headed to the White House…

The 24-year-old Cuban Mexican is set to take part in PBS’ In Performance at the White House, which will return with a holiday season special to air on network on December 21.

But Cabello isn’t the only Latina to participate.

Kirstin Maldonado and her Pentatonix group mates will also perform during the special.

The program will be taped from December 11-14.

Jennifer Garner will host the special, with performances by Andrea Bocelli, Matteo Bocelli, Virginia Bocelli, Eric Church, the Jonas Brothers, Norah Jones, Billy Porter, Northwell Health Nurse Choir, Voices of Service and “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will deliver remarks, and the event, titled Spirit of the Season, will highlight the holiday decor of the White House.

This will be the first In Performance since 2016, as none were held during the presidency of Donald Trump. The special also will be different in that the performances will be taped over a span of a few days, rather than a concert in the East Room, as has been tradition. That is because of Covid-19 protocols.

“We look forward to sharing more special performances recorded at the White House to capture the essence of our nation at its best,” Sharon Percy Rockefeller, president and chief executive officer of WETA-TV, said in a statement.

The Northwell Nurse Choir is a group of frontline nurses that formed last year as their profession faced the challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic. Voices of Service is a quartet that has used their platform to show the impact that music can have on service members recovering from post traumatic stress disorder.

The In Performance specials began in 1978 with an East Room recital by pianist Vladimir Horowitz.

The special is produced by WETA, in association with Ken Ehrlich Productions. Executive producers are John F. Wilson and Ehrlich, with producer Renato Basile and director Toré Livia.

Tessa Thompson to Help Present $1 Million in Scholarships at The Hollywood Reporter’s Annual Women in Entertainment Gala

Posted on November 25, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Tessa Thompson is helping the next generation of women in entertainment…

The 38-year-old part-Panamanian and part-Mexican American actress will appear alongside Jennifer Garner at The Hollywood Reporter’s annual Women in Entertainment gala to shine a spotlight on THR’s Women in Entertainment Mentorship Program.

Garner and Thompson will present high school students with nearly $1 million in university scholarships to graduates of the mentorship program, which pairs the best and brightest high school girls from underserved communities in the Los Angeles area with top-level female executives, lawyers and agents.

The mentorship program is a joint venture between THR and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles.

Past mentors have included Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke, Imax Entertainment president Megan Colligan, Netflix vp content Bela Bajaria and Disney TV Studios–ABC Entertainment chairman Dana Walden.

More than 200 girls and 200 mentors have taken part in the program, with the mentees going on to universities including Harvard, UC Berkeley and UCLA, supported by $10 million in scholarships raised by THR.

The gala coincides with the release of THR’s annual Women in Entertainment issue (on newsstands December 8), which highlights the Power 100, the leading female executives in entertainment.

Edgar Ramírez to Star in Netflix Series “Florida Man”

Posted on April 19, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Edgar Ramírez is headed to the Sunshine State…

The 44-year-old Venezuelan actor will star in Florida Man, which has received a formal eight-episode series from Netflix.

Ramirez, the star of the streamer’s popular film Yes Day, will headline the hourlong series from veteran television writer/producer Donald Todd and Jason Bateman & Michael Costigan’s Aggregate Films.

In Florida Man, created by Todd, when a struggling ex-cop (Ramírez) is forced to return to his home state of Florida to find a Philly mobster’s runaway girlfriend, what should be a quick gig becomes a spiraling journey into buried family secrets and an increasingly futile attempt to do the right thing in a place where so much is wrong. The series is described as a wild odyssey into a sunny place for shady people in the spirit of Body Heat and Elmore Leonard’s Out of Sight.

The series is not related to limited series Florida Man starring Joel Edgerton, which is in development at Anonymous Content. It’s based on Tom Cooper’s novel, with Graham Gordy writing.

Ramírez stars opposite Jennifer Garner in Netflix’s movie Yes Day, which was estimated to be seen by 53 million households in the first four weeks. He recently starred opposite Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant in HBO’s high-rated and award-winning limited series The Undoing. He soon will begin production on Borderlands and next will star in Disney’s Jungle Cruise and Universal’s The 355.

Ramírez is a two-time Golden Globe nominee for his performances as Carlos the Jackal in Carlos and as Gianni Versace in American Crime Story.

Edgar Ramirez to Star in Eli Roth’s Film Adaptation of “Borderlands” Video Game

Posted on April 5, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Edgar Ramirez is heading to the borderlands…

The 44-year-old Venezuelan actor will portray Atlas in Eli Roth’s adaptation of the bestselling video game Borderlands for Lionsgate.

Ramirez joins Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ariana Greenblatt, Florian Munteanu, Haley Bennett, and Jack Black. In the game, Atlas is a business titan and arms manufacturer, and the most powerful person in the universe.

“What an incredible honor to have an actor of Edgar’s caliber, talent, and charisma playing opposite Cate Blanchett and this remarkable cast,” Roth said. “Atlas has to be a truly magnetic personality, someone with charisma and charm but that air of menace underneath it all. I’ve been a fan of Edgar’s since his early performances and he continues to amaze me with each dramatic turn. We want to create something wild, fun, and very different from anything they’ve seen from Edgar before. I am so, so excited to work with him.”

In the film, Lilith (Blanchett), an infamous outlaw with a mysterious past, reluctantly returns to her home planet of Pandora to find the missing daughter of the universe’s most powerful S.O.B., Atlas (Ramirez). Lilith forms an alliance with an unexpected team – Roland (Hart), a former elite mercenary, now desperate for redemption; Tiny Tina (Greenblatt), a feral pre-teen demolitionist; Krieg (Munteanu), Tina’s musclebound, rhetorically challenged protector; Tannis (Curtis), the scientist with a tenuous grip on sanity; and Claptrap (Black), a persistently wiseass robot. These unlikely heroes must battle alien monsters and dangerous bandits to find and protect the missing girl, who may hold the key to unimaginable power. The fate of the universe could be in their hands – but they’ll be fighting for something more: each other.

Based on the game from Gearbox and 2K, one of the bestselling video game franchises of all time, welcome to Borderlands.

“The force of Edgar’s presence and the strength of his talent as an actor make him an ideal choice to play Atlas, a character who controls the fate of so many in the Borderlands universe. He’s the perfect addition to this perfect cast,” said Nathan Kahane, president of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.

Borderlands is one of the world’s most successful video game franchises, with more than 68 million units sold-in worldwide, including over 24 million units of Borderlands 2, which is the highest-selling title in the history of 2K. The most recent installment, Borderlands 3, which launched in September 2019 and was recently released for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, has sold-in more than 12 million units worldwide and was honored with the award for Best Multiplayer Game at Gamescom 2019 and Best Ongoing Game at Gamescom 2020.

The latest draft of the screenplay is by Craig Mazin.

Ramirez has stayed busy over the past year, most recently starring opposite Jennifer Garner in Netflix’s Yes Day. He was also recently seen in HBO’s critically acclaimed limited series, The Undoing. He will next star in Disney’s Jungle Cruise and Universal’s The 355.

Zoe Saldana to Star in David O. Russell’s Untitled New Regency Film

Posted on January 14, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Zoe Saldana has lined up her next film project…

The 42-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actress has joined the ensemble cast of David O. Russell’s untitled New Regency film.

Saldana will star opposite Rami Malek, Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington in the film.

The production, based on an original idea from Russell, is currently underway. Plot details are being kept under wraps.

Saldana will next be seen reprising her role of Neytiri in the upcoming second installment in the Avatar franchise. She’s also returning as Gamora in Disney/Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and recently joined Jennifer Garner and Ryan Reynolds in The Adam Project for Netflix and Skydance.

Netflix Releases First Look at Edgar Ramirez’s Family Comedy “Yes Day!”

Posted on January 6, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Edgar Ramirez is having a day like no other…

Netflix has released a first look at the family comedy Yes Day!, starring the 43-year-old Venezuelan actor and Jennifer Garner.

The film is an adaptation of Amy Krouse Rosenthal‘s book Yes Day!

Garner, produces and stars in the Miguel Arteta-directed project as Allison Torres, a once-cool and carefree singleton. She traveled the world, went skydiving — no adventure was too risky. But as a wife and mother, Allison is the queen of mean (according to her three kids) and she’s ready to make a change.

Ramirez plays Garner’s husband, Carlos, in a rare comedy project for the actor.

“I’m a very curious person, and one of the most beautiful things about being an actor is that I get to try new things,” says Ramirez. “When Jennifer and Miguel reached out about a movie specifically about being open to new adventures, it encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone. What I love about the idea of a yes day is how everyone can benefit from having one, not just kids. Try it! It might benefit your relationship at home and at work, and most importantly with yourself.”

The film will premiere on the streamer on March 12.

Zoe Saldana to Star in the Netflix Action-Adventure Film “The Adam Project”

Posted on November 18, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

There’s a new Project in Zoe Saldana’s future…

The 42-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actress and Guardians of the Galaxy star will star opposite Jennifer Garner and Ryan Reynolds in the Netflix action-adventure film The Adam Project.

Directed by Shawn Levy, Jonathan Tropper penned the script, with David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger producing for Skydance.

Plot details are being kept under wraps other than it having a time-travel element. The Adam Project marks one of a handful of films Netflix landed this year as studios like Paramount were figuring out their future slate in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Netflix felt like the perfect home as Reynolds was in the midst of wrapping his second film, Red Notice, while Levy has made Netflix his home following the massive success of his series Stranger Things.

The film will be the first project for Reynolds’ The Group Effort Initiative, a self-financed diversity and inclusion program that aims to give people of color a chance to work and learn on the actor’s productions. The Group Effort Initiative is a joint effort between Maximum Effort and B for Effort.

Saldana is known for starring roles in two of three biggest blockbusters in movie history — Avatar and Avengers: Endgame. She next will be seen reprising her role of Neytiri in Avatar 2, 3 and 4. Saldana also will star in and executive produce the limited drama series From Scratch for Netflix.

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