Tag Archives: Saving Grace

Martinez to Star in Lifetime’s Original Movie About the Menendez Brothers

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Benito Martinez has landed a father of a role…

The 45-year-old Mexican American actor is set to star in Lifetime’s original movie about Lyle and Erik Menendez’s infamous double-murder case.

Benito Martinez

Based on the true story, the movie explores the inner lives and motivation behind the murders of entertainment executive Jose Menendez and his wife Kitty at the hands of their sons Lyle and Erik in 1989. In the months that followed the killings, Lyle and Erik spent their inheritance lavishly, adding to investigators’ suspicions that they were involved in the parents’ deaths. After months of guilt consumed Erik, he confessed to the murders to his psychologist, leading to the eventual arrests of him and older brother Lyle.

Their Los Angeles trial became a national sensation as the public devoured court testimony and the brothers testified that the murders were driven by a lifetime of sexual abuse by their father. After a mistrial and deadlocked jury, the brothers were later re-tried and convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. Erik and Lyle remain incarcerated today, serving their time in separate prisons nearly 30 years since murdering their parents.

Martinez will portray Jose Menendez, while Nico Tortorella (Younger) and Myko Olivier will play brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez, respectively. They join previously announced Courtney Love, who plays mother Kitty Menendez.

Martinez’s credits include American Crime, Sons of Anarchy, Supernatural and Saving Grace.

Gallegos to Star in Clint Eastwood’s New Film “American Sniper”

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Rey Gallegos is getting Clint Eastwood’s SEAL of approval…

The Latino actor, one of the stars of Fox’s upcoming action-drama Gang Related, has joined the cast of the legendary actor-turned-director’s latest film American Sniper.

Rey Gallegos

Starring Bradley Cooper as decorated marksman Chris Kyle, the film is based on Kyle’s memoir American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History.

Gallegos will portray Tony, chief of a U.S. Navy SEALs team and one of the instructors during Kyle’s training.

In addition to Cooper and Gallegos, the film also stars Navid Negahban, Eric Close and Eric Ladin.

Filming on the Warner Bros. project is set to start at the end of March in Morocco.

Gallegos’ previous credits include appearances on Sons of Anarchy, Castle, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Saving Grace, Cold Case, 24 and Prison Break.

ABC Looking to Adapt Mexican Telenovela “Teresa” for American TV

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Hollywood’s obsession with Mexican telenovelas continues…

It appears ABC is developing an adaptation of the popular telenovela Teresa, according to the The Hollywood Reporter.

Teresa Telenovela

From Saving Grace writer/executive producer Nancy Miller, the drama centers on an ambitious law student living a double life — one as an ambitious and smart law student who pretends to be like all the other wealthy kids at UCLA and another as an illegal immigrant living on the wrong side of the tracks.

The project, which has received a script commitment, hails from Lionsgate and Televisa.

Teresa first aired in 2010 and starred Angelique Boyer, Aarón Díaz and Sebastián Rulli. The telenovela ended its run in February 2011, with Univision broadcasting it for from April through October of the same year. That series was a remake of a 1959 telenovela with Maricruz Olivier, with a third attempted in 1989 with Salma Hayek in the lead role.

It’s the latest telenovela adaptation attempt at ABC, the same network that originally tried to bring Devious Maids to the small screen before ultimately passing on the project and letting Lifetime give the Roselyn Sanchez-starrer a lifeline.

Miller, meanwhile, most recently executive produced Lifetime’s short-lived Against the Wall. Her credits include The Closer and CSI: Miami.

Teresa comes as the network has found success with the Emily Van Camp-starrer Revenge, a soapy thriller the network moved to the plumb Sundays at 9 p.m. slot for its second season.