Jacob Romero Joins Cast of Issa Rae’s Max series “Rap Sh!t” for Season Two

Jacob Romero is taking the Rap (Sh!t)

The 26-year-old part-Latino actor has joined the Season 2 cast of Issa Rae’s Max series Rap Sh!t in a key recurring role.

Jacob RomeroRap Sh!t follows two estranged high school friends from Miami, Shawna (Aida Osman) and Mia (KaMillion), who reunite to form a rap group. In their rise to fame, Shawna and Mia find themselves at a pivotal moment in their rap career as they are forced to decide if they will stay true to themselves or conform to the demands of the music industry.

Romero will play Lord AK, a notable musician/rapper from Los Angeles who is headlining a U.S. tour.

Rap Sh!t is created and executive produced by Rae for Hoorae. Syreeta Singleton serves as showrunner and executive produces alongside Dave Becky and Jonathan Berry for 3 Arts Entertainment and Jim Kleverweis.

Hip-hop duo Yung Miami and JT of City Girls serve as co-executive producers, along with Kevin “Coach K” Lee and Pierre “P” Thomas for Quality Control Films, and Sara Rastogi and Jax Clark for Hoorae Rae’s Audio Everywhere Company, Raedio, handles music supervision for the series.

Romero played AJ in OWN’s Greenleaf and will next be seen in Netflix’s upcoming live-action pirate adventure series One Piece. His other TV credits include Grey’s AnatomyAll Rise and The Resident.

Alex Hernandez to Star in Apple TV+’s Drama Series “Sugar”

It’s a sweet project for Alex Hernandez.

The 32-year-old Latino actor has joined the cast of Apple TV+’s Colin Farrell-led drama series Sugar.

Alex Hernandez Hernandez is joining as a series regular.

The LA-set contemporary take on a private detective story stars Farrell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste and Amy Ryan. It was created by Mark Protosevich with Fernando Meirelles directing.

Protosevich and Meirelles executive-produce alongside Farrell, Simon Kinberg, Audrey Chon, Scott Greenberg and Chip Vucelich and the project comes from Apple Studios.

Hernadez’s previous credits include Search Party, The Resident and UnREAL.

Jai Rodriguez to Star in Universal Pictures’ Groundbreaking LGBTQ+ Rom-Com “Bros”

It’s Bros time for Jai Rodriguez.

The 42-year-old half-Puerto Rican actor, musician and former Queer Eye for the Straight Guy co-host is starring in Nicholas Stoller’s groundbreaking LGBTQ+ rom-com Bros for Universal Pictures.

Jai RodriguezRodriguez is starring alongside previously announced cast members including Billy EichnerLuke MacfarlaneTS Madison, Miss LawrenceSymoneGuillermo DiazGuy Branum, Monica Raymund, Jim Rash, Harvey Fierstein, Bowen Yang, Amanda Bearse, Dot-Marie Jones and more.

Bros is the first romantic comedy from a major studio about two gay men. The film written by Eichner and Macfarlane is billed as a smart, swoony and heartfelt story about gay men—played by Eichber and Macfarlane—maybe, possibly, probably, stumbling towards love. Maybe. They’re both very busy. Pic is scheduled to arrive in theaters on September 30th.

Judd Apatow is producing the project alongside Stoller and Josh Church, with Eichner exec producing.

Rodriguez won an Emmy in 2004, as co-host of Outstanding Reality ProgramQueer Eye for the Straight Guy, and will also soon be seen in the Amazon series Bosch: Legacy.

He’s also appeared on series like The RookieEastsidersDollfaceThe Resident and Kingdom, among others.

His film credits include The Producers and The New Guy.

Alex Hernandez to Star in Amazon’s Upcoming Original Series “The Peripheral”

Alex Hernandez has real peripheral vision…

The 31-year-old actor is set to star in The Peripheral, Amazon’s upcoming original series from Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy’s Kilter Films.

Alex Hernandez

Hernandez joins a cast that includes Charlotte RileyJJ Field, Adelind Horan and T’Nia Miller. They’ll star as leads opposite Chloë Grace Moretz and Jack Reynor in the sci-fi thriller drama, based on the bestselling novel by William Gibson.

Created by Scott B. Smith, The Peripheral is described as a dazzling, hallucinatory glimpse into the fate of mankind — and what lies beyond.

The book centers on Flynne (Moretz) and her brother Burton (Reynor). In the novel, Burton, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps’ elite Haptic Recon force, is hired for a security job which takes place in what he thinks is cyberspace. When Flynne temporarily takes his place, she witnesses something that might have been murder.

Hernandez will play Tommy Constantine.

The Peripheral 
is produced by Amazon Studios and Warner Bros Television, in association with Kilter Films. Executive producers are Smith, director Vincenzo Natali, Nolan and Joy, Athena Wickham and Steven Hoban. Greg Plageman is executive producer and showrunner.

Hernandez appeared in the Sony feature Bloodshot, the first film of the Valiant Comics cinematic universe. He also recurs on Fox’s The Resident and can be seen in the second season of AMC’s The Son.

Hernandez also appeared in the third season of the Peabody-winning series Unreal and next will be seen in the upcoming Apple sci-fi thriller Invasion.

Amanda Tavarez to Star in OWN’s Original Holiday Movie “First Christmas”

Amanda Tavarez is ready for her OWN Christmas

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network has expanded its holiday season programming with the new original holiday movie First Christmas, starring the Dominican American actress.

Amanda Tavarez

First Christmas, which also stars Idara Victor and Tonea Stewart, will premiere on Tuesday, December 22. The movie joins the previously announced Our OWN Christmas gospel music special hosted by Meagan Good and DeVon Franklin, which airs on Tuesday, December 1 at 9:00 pm ET/PT.

Given up for adoption and placed in foster care at a young age, writer Halle Downing receives the blessing of a lifetime when she’s invited to spend Christmas in New Orleans with the biological family she never knew she had – The Moores. Halle’s grandmother “Memaw” welcomes the young woman with open arms, completely overwhelming Halle with emotion at the significance of finally finding her family. Extremely excited to meet her twin siblings Tiffany (Samantha Smith) and Glenn (Mason Beauchamp) along with younger brother Drew (Peyton Jackson) for the first time, Halle soon faces the hard reality that finding her place in this close-knit family is going to take longer than she thought, something that becomes particularly evident when she witnesses Tiffany’s apprehension about introducing her new girlfriend Paris (Tavarez) to the family for the first time. However, as Christmas approaches, Halle begins to gain perspective on the Moore family dynamic and ultimately comes to embrace and celebrate her first family holiday with a special gift that tells her she is right where she is supposed to be. 

First Christmas is produced for OWN by MarVista in association with Harpo Films.

Tavarez’s previous credits include Queen Sugar, Dynasty, Cake: The Series and The Resident.

James Roday Rodriguez Developing “Good Serial” Series at 20th Century Fox Television

James Roday Rodriguez is feelin’ Good

The 44-year-old Mexican American actor and Psych star, who recently changed his stage name, has teamed up with frequent collaborator Todd Harthan on Good Serial, a darkly twisted, genre mashing comedy project.

James Roday

It has been set up at 20th Century Fox Television, where The Resident showrunner Harthan is under an overall deal.

Written by Roday Rodriguez and Harthan, Good Serial is centered on a trio of roommates, bonded by tragedy, who become vigilantes serving cold dishes of revenge in the spirit of Dexter and Three’s Company.

As a writing team, Roday Rodriguez and Harthan, previously collaborated on the feature films Gravy(2015), directed by Roday Rodriguez, and Skinwalkers (2006) as well as the Treehouse episode of Hulu’s Into the Dark anthology (also directed by Roday Rodriguez).

Additionally, Roday Rodriguez and Harthan worked together on the long-running USA Network dramedy series Psych, starring and produced by Roday Rodriguez, where the duo wrote multiple horror-themed episodes over the four seasons Hartahan worked on the show as consulting producer and co-executive producer.

“Todd and I have been horror hounds since we were kids. The genre feels more fluid than ever and this was an opportunity to take another unorthodox swing,” Roday Rodriguez said.

Roday Rodriguez stars in the ABC drama A Million Little Thingsfor 20th Century Television sibling ABC Studios and in Peacock’s Psych 2: Lassie Come Home, which he also co-wrote and executive-produced. He also has directed multiple episodes of The Resident.

Emily Tosta to Star Opposite Nicolas Cage in the Thriller “Wally’s Wonderland”

Emily Tosta is rebelling…

The 21-year-old Dominican & Venezuelan actress is set to star opposite Nicolas Cage in the genre thriller Wally’s Wonderland, currently shooting in Atlanta.

Emily Tosta

Tosta, who currently stars on Freeform’s Party of Fivereboot, will portray the rebellious teena lead in the film from director Kevin Lewis

Tosta’s character Liv joins Cage’s character The Janitor in their bid to survive a hellish night trapped inside an abandoned family entertainment center populated by possessed animatronics.

The film also stars Beth GrantRic ReitzandChris Warner. The screenplay is written by G.O. Parsons.

“I’m so excited to be working with Nicolas Cage, who has always been one of my favorite actors, in this totally fun and unique feature film,” said Tosta.

“When I first saw Emily in Mayans M.C., I was struck by her unique combination of toughness and sensitivity and knew immediately we found our perfect Liv,” added Lewis.

In addition to her roles on Party of Fiveand Mayans M.C., Tosta’s other credits include The ResidentRosewoodand The Last Ship.

Daniella Alonso to Replace Ana Brenda Contreras on the CW’s “Dynasty” Reboot

Daniella Alonso is part of a dramatic dynasty

The CW’s has recast the role of Cristal Jennings in its Dynasty reboot with the 40-year-old half-Puerto Rican and part-Peruvian actress.

Daniella Alonso

Ana Brenda Contreras — who played Cristal in Season 2 — is leaving, and Alonso is now poised to step into her stilettos. 

“Unfortunately, Ana Brenda Contreras will not be returning for the third season of Dynasty due to personal reasons,” executive producer/showrunner Josh Reims said. “We’d like to thank her for her contributions to the show and wish her all the best. We’re excited to welcome Daniella Alonso who will step into the role of Cristal.”

Alonso’s previous credits include RevolutionThe Night ShiftThe ResidentCriminal MindsAnimal KingdomBeing Mary Janeand the film Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2.

Dynasty has gone through a series of casting changes over the past two seasons. One of the original leads, Nathalie Kelley, departed at the end of Season 1. In addition, Elizabeth Gilliestook over the role of Alexis from Nicollette Sheridan.

Season 3 of Dynasty is set to premiere on Friday, October 11 at 9:00 pm ET.

Cruz to Star in Fox’s Medical Drama Pilot “The Resident”

Valerie Cruz is scrubbing in for duty…

The Cuban American actress has been cast as a series regular in The Resident, Fox’s medical drama pilot written by Amy Holden Jones, Hayley Schore and Roshan Sethi.

Valerie Cruz

Directed by Phillip Noyce and produced by Antoine Fuqua, The Resident centers on Devon Pravesh (Manish Dayal), an idealistic young doctor who begins his first day under the supervision of a tough, brilliant and cocky senior resident, Conrad Hawkins (Matt Czuchry), who pulls the curtain back on all of the good and evil in modern day medicine. Lives may be saved or lost, but expectations will always be shattered.

Cruz will play hospital CEO Renata Lopez.

Cruz will next be seen on the big screen in the upcoming feature Locating Silver Lake with Finn Wittrock.