Ana Ortiz In Final Talks to Star in the HBO Max Drama Pilot “More”

Ana Ortiz is thisclose to one more project…

The 51-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress is finalizing a deal to lead the cast of the HBO Max drama pilot More, from Amy ChozickBerlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television.

Ana OrtizOrtiz, who will star alongside Christian Serratos, replaces Veronica Falcón, who originally was tapped for the role.

The recasting decision was made after the table read, according to Deadline.com

Written by journalist Chozick and inspired by her reporting, More follows the Lorenz family, a tight-knit clan of seemingly flawless Latinas led by mom/mastermind Leona (Ortiz). The Lorenzes are the Vanderbilts or the Astors of the Instagram era. Drawing some parallels to the Kardashians and their “momager” Kris Jenner, the Lorenzes pulled their way up from debt and obscurity to reality TV stardom and forged a billion-dollar mega-conglomerate not from oil or steel but from something more elusive and modern: influence.

Ortiz’s Leona Lorenz is the matriarch of the Lorenz family media dynasty. A former single mom, Leona used her formidable, self-taught business skills to scrap her way to the 1 percent, parlaying her four glistening daughters (Serratos, Ceci Fernandez, Yvette Monreal, Georgie Flores) into a billion-dollar media empire, with a top-rated reality TV show and lucrative brand partnerships. But can this stage mom for the Instagram era acquire more fame and power than even she could imagine, without losing her grip on her daughters?

Chozick and Natalie Chaidez serve as executive producers and co-showrunners.

Best known for her role as Hilda Suarez on Ugly BettyOrtiz recently starred as Isabel, Victor’s mother, on Hulu/Disney+’s Love, Victor. She also co-starred on Whiskey Cavalier, which aired for one season on ABC, and recurred on the second season of Netflix’s Special.

HBO Max to Release Season 4 of Diane Guerrero’s DC Series “Doom Patrol” in December

Diane Guerrero is going on patrol in December…

HBO Max will premiere Season 4 of Doom Patrol, starring the 36-year-old Colombian American actress, on December 8 with two brand-new episodes.

Diane GuerreroEach week after that a new episode will drop through January 5.

In addition, it was announced that six more episodes from Season 4 would be released in 2023.

Doom Patrol reimagines some of DC’s most recognized superheroes: “Robotman” aka Cliff Steele (Brendan Fraser), “Negative Man” aka Larry Trainor (Matt Bomer), “Elasti-Woman” aka Rita Farr (April Bowlby), “Crazy Jane” (Guerrero), “Cyborg” aka Victor Stone (Joivan Wade), joined by former super-villain “Madame Rouge” aka Laura de Mille (Michelle Gomez).

Each member of the Doom Patrol suffered a horrible accident that gave them superhuman abilities but also left them scarred and disfigured. Part support group, part Super Hero team, the Doom Patrol is a band of super-powered freaks who fight for a world that wants nothing to do with them.

Doom Patrol Season 4 starts when the team unexpectedly travels to the future and finds an unwelcome surprise. Faced with their imminent demise, the Doom Patrol must decide once and for all which is more important: their own happiness or the fate of the world?

The series also stars Skye Roberts, Riley Shanahan and Matthew Zuk.

Doom Patrol is produced by Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television with showrunner Jeremy Carver, Geoff Johns, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Chris Dingess and Tamara Becher-Wilkinson serving as executive producers.

The series is based on characters created for DC by Arnold Drake, Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani.

Victoria Cartagena to Portray Renee Montoya on the CW’s “Batwoman”

It’s a case of déjà vu for Victoria Cartagena.

The 36-year-old Latina actress has joined the upcoming third season of Batwoman as a new series regular, portraying DC hero Renee Montoya on the CW drama.

Victoria Cartagena

Cartagena’s character, Montoya, is a former GCPD officer who left the force when she could no longer stomach the corruption inside the department. She now runs the “freaks division,” which hasn’t seen a lot of action… until now. Righteous and pragmatic, and LGBTQ+, she’s a woman with a very personal (and mysterious) mission to help clean the streets of Gotham in the right way, by whatever means necessary.

Cartagena previously played Renee Montoya on Fox’s Gotham, though the universes are not connected.

In the June 27 Season 2 finale, Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie) has fully taken up the mantle of Batwoman with Kate Kane leaving Gotham in a search for her long-missing cousin Bruce Wayne (aka Batman). It also was revealed that Ryan’s biological mother, who was believed to have died in childbirth, is actually alive.

In addition to Leslie, Rachel Skarsten, Meagan Tandy, Nicole Kang and Camrus Johnson also star; original cast member Dougray Scott recently left the series. 

Batwoman is produced by Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros Television.

Cartagena’s other recent credits include a series regular role on Fox’s Almost Family, and recurring on M. Night Shyamalan’s Apple TV+ series Servant. She also recurred on the first season of NBC’s Manifest.

Melissa De Sousa to Appear on Fourth Season of the CW’s “Black Lightning”

Life’s a flash for Melissa De Sousa. 

The 53-year-old Panamanian American actress will appear on the fourth season of the CW’s Black Lightning in a key recurring role.

Melissa De Sousa

De Sousa plays Chief Anna Lopez, the new Chief of Police of Freeland. Determined to rebuild the city and bring it to a place of peace and justice, Lopez has strong views on the metahuman population that differ from her predecessor, the late Chief Henderson. Seeing metahumans as “freaks” equally as bad as The 100 gang members, Lopez believes they should all be documented, tagged, and monitored at all times. In the end, Lopez will do whatever it takes to level the playing field and protect her officers from the metahumans.

Based on the DC characters, the series hails from Berlanti Productions and Akil Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.

De Sousa most recently starred opposite Kirsten Dunst on Showtime’s On Becoming a God in Central Florida. She also led the cult hit series Single Ladies for BET Networks.

In film, De Sousa is best known for her work in The Best Man and The Best Man Holiday, starring opposite Terrence Howard.

HBO Max Renews Rosie Perez’s “The Flight Attendant” for Second Season

Rosie Perez will be logging more Flight hours…

HBO Max has renewed The Flight Attendant, starring the 56-year-old actress, choreographer and community activist and Kaley Cuoco, for a second season.

Rosie Perez in The Flight Attendant

The series, based on the book of the same name by bestselling author Chris Bohjalian, centers on alcoholic, globe-trotting flight attendant Cassie Bowen (Cuoco) who becomes embroiled in an espionage plot following her affair with a first class passenger, who winds up murdered after their night together.

Flight Attendant was originally intended to be a limited series, but series creator and EP Steve Yockey knew there was more string he could pull upon.

The series finale leaves Cassie in a position to encounter more global intrigue.

HBO Max reports that the first season of Flight Attendant saw week-over-week growth and ranked as the streamer’s No. 1 series overall during its run. The eight-episode first season debuted November 6.

Flight Attendant has a 98% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes and Cuoco has received high praise for her comedic-dramatic turn as a woman continually coming to terms with her torturous past.

The series also stars Perez, Michiel Huisman, Zosia Mamet, Michelle Gomez, T.R. Knight, Colin Woodell, Merle Dandridge, Griffin Matthews and Nolan Gerard Funk.

The Flight Attendant is produced by Warner Bros Television, Berlanti Productions & Yes, Norman Productions.

Rosie Perez’s New Series “The Flight Attendant” Streaming for Free Now on HBO Max

Rosie Perez’s latest project is taking flight earlier than expected…

HBO Max has made the series premiere episode of The Flight Attendant, starring the 56-year-old Puerto Rican actress and community activist, available to stream now for free ahead of its Thursday, November 26 premiere.

Rosie Perez in The Flight Attendant

The comedic dark thriller starring and executive produced by Kaley Cuoco will debut with three episodes on Thanksgiving Day.

Following its debut on HBO Max, the series’ premiere episode will also air on HBO linear channel, On Demand, and on select partners’ streaming platforms starting on Friday, November 27 at 10:00 pm ET/PT during a Free Preview Weekend offered by participating partners, as well as on TBS at 10:30 pm ET/PT on Sunday, November 29 as part of an HBO Max-themed marathon over Thanksgiving weekend.

The limited series continues with two new episodes on December 3, followed by two new episodes on December 10, leading up to the finale episode on December 17.

Based on the novel by Chris Bohjalian, the series is a story of how an entire life can change in one night. A flight attendant (Cuoco) wakes up in the wrong hotel, in the wrong bed, with a dead man – and no idea what happened.

In addition to Cuoco and Perez, the series also stars Michiel Huisman, Zosia Mamet, Michelle Gomez, T.R. Knight, Colin Woodell, Merle Dandridge, Griffin Matthews and Nolan Gerard Funk.

The Flight Attendant is produced by Warner Horizon Scripted Television, Berlanti Productions & Yes, Norman Productions.

Susanna Fogel directs and executive produces the first two episodes.

HBO Max to Release “The Flight Attendant” Series, Featuring Rosie Perez, Next Month

Rosie Perez’s latest project will be taking flight next month…

HBO Max has set Thursday, November 26 for the premiere of The Flight Attendant, featuring the 56-year-old Puerto Rican actress and activist.

Rosie Perez

The series stars Kaley Cuoco, who also produced the project.

The streaming service also unveiled the key art, featuring Cuoco, with the tagline “A Deadly Mystery With A Turbulent Descent.”

The Flight Attendant is among shows whose production was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It resumed production in New York this fall after shutting down in March.

The-Flight-Attendant

Based on Chris Bohjalian’s novel of the same name, the series stars Cuoco as Cassie, a flight attendant who wakes up in the wrong hotel, in the wrong bed, with a dead man.

Perez, Michiel Huisman, Zosia Mamet, Michelle Gomez, T.R. Knight, Colin Woodell, Merle Dandridge, Griffin Matthews and Nolan Gerard Funk also star.

The eight-episode limited series is produced by Warner Horizon Scripted Television, Berlanti Productions & Cuoco’s Yes, Norman Productions.

Susanna Fogel directs and executive produces the first two episodes.

Jai Rodriguez to Star in HBO Max’s LGBTQ+ Landmark Events Docuseries “Equal”

Jai Rodriguez has found his Equal

The 41-year-old half-Puerto Rican actor/musician and original culture guide on Queer Eye has joined the cast of HBO Max’s Equal, its upcoming four-part docuseries chronicling landmark events and the forgotten heroes of the LGBTQ+ movement.

Jai Rodriguez

The project hails from Greg Berlanti’s Berlanti Productions, Jim Parsons and That’s Wonderful Productions, Scout Productions, Jon Jashni and Warner Horizon Unscripted Television.

In addition to Rodriguez, who’ll portray José Sarria, the first openly gay candidate for public office in the United States, the cast includes Samira Wiley, Cheyenne Jackson, Anthony Rapp, Sara Gilbert, Shannon Purser, Heather Matarazzo, Jamie Clayton, Isis King, Gale Harold.

They’ll allportray the LBGTQ+ visionaries in the docuseries that contains never-before-seen archival footage.

Part one of the docuseries explores the rise of early organizations, The Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis in Los Angeles and San Francisco, respectively; part two stories chronicles the 20th century trans experience, bookended by the 1966 Compton Cafeteria riots in San Francisco; part three examines the contributions from the Black community on the growing LGBTQ+ civil rights movement; and part four ties in the decades long struggles with the culminated Stonewall uprising – the beginning of the Pride movement.

Stephen Kijak is the showrunner and director of episodes one, three and four alongside ground-breaking trans director Kimberly Reed, who directs episode two.

Here’s a full list with character descriptions:

Cheyenne Jackson as Dale Jennings. Dale was a gay rights activist, playwright and author. He was one of the founding members of the Mattachine Society in the early 1950s, one of the earliest gay rights groups in the United States. Following his entrapment and arrest on sex charges, Jennings fought the charges in a successful court cast which became a landmark moment for the movement. He was also one of the founders of One Magazine, the first pro-gay publication in the U.S.

Anthony Rapp as Harry Hay. Harry was the founder of The Mattachine Society. His manifesto, “The Call,” written feverishly one night in 1948 called for the protection and improvement of the rights of homosexuals and was the foundation on which the group was built.

Shannon Purser & Heather Matarazzo as Del Martin & Phyllis Lyon. Del & Phyllis were a lesbian couple (together for 56 years until Martin’s death in 2008) who founded the Daughters of Bilitis in San Francisco in 1955, the first social and political organization for lesbians in the United States. They also published The Ladder, the first nationally distributed lesbian publication in the US. Active in both gay and feminist politics their whole lives, they were the first same-sex couple to legally wed.

Sara Gilbert as J.M. From Cleveland. “JM” is an “anonymous reader” of The Ladder, representing the isolated lesbians of the 1950’s who found a lifeline in the pages of the magazine, but who were forced to live closeted lives for fear of losing jobs, friends and family.

Anne Ramsay as The FBI Agent: A composite character, the FBI kept active files on the Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis – gay groups were often linked to communism and considered to be dangerous subversives.

Alexandra Grey as Lucy Hicks Anderson. Socialite, chef, and prohibition-era entrepreneur – and one of the first documented Black transgender persons in the USA — Lucy Hicks Anderson was one of the most prominent citizens of Oxnard, CA until 1945 when a syphilis outbreak at her brothel became her undoing, outing her to the community.

Theo Germaine as Jack Starr. Jack is a little-known character in the history of folks who probably would have self-identified as trans. He was a prominent local outcast at the turn of the century in Montana, in and out of jail and in and out of the local headlines for refusing to wear clothes that conformed to the gender assigned to Jack at birth. A Jack-of-all-trades and teller of tall tales, Jack Starr (aka Jacques Moret) is an enigmatic early figure who pushed the boundaries of gender expression.

Jamie Clayton as Christine Jorgensen. Widely known as the world’s first transgender celebrity, Christine became an internationally known figure following the publicity surrounding her gender confirmation surgery in the early 1950’s. She became a popular nightclub entertainer, author, and lecturer and used her celebrity to advance the cause of transgender rights.

Isis King as Alexis. “Alexis” is a composite character, the spirit of the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot in 1966, one of the first known instances of trans and queer folk rising up against police harassment – three years before the Stonewall Riots.

Samira Wiley as Lorraine Hannsberry. Author of the landmark play “A Raisin in the Sun,” Lorraine Hansberry was the first African American female author to have a play performed on Broadway. She was a radical and forceful voice within the Civil Rights Movement, who died far too young at age 34 of pancreatic cancer. While closeted during her lifetime, she wrote extensively under a variety of pseudonyms – in plays, stories and letters that discussed her lesbianism and the oppression of homosexuals in society.

Keiynan Lonsdale as Bayard Rustin. Bayard was an American leader in social movements for civil rights, socialism, nonviolence, and gay rights. He was a close mentor and advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and one of the chief architects of the March on Washington. Because of a 1953 arrest on sex charges his sexuality was often weaponized against him and the movement, but he remained a tireless advocate for social justice his entire life – and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barak Obama in 2013.

Jai Rodriguez as José Sarria. In 1961 José became the first openly gay candidate for public office in the United States, running for a seat on the SF Board of Supervisors 16 years before Harvey Milk. He is also remembered as a beloved and inspiring drag performer at SF’s Black Cat Bar, who raised the spirits and political consciousness of the bar’s gay male patrons with his rousing anthem “God Save Us Nelly Queens”! A lifelong advocate and activist, José founded the Imperial Court System, one of the oldest and largest LGBT organizations in the world.

Hailie Sahar as Sylvia Rivera. Sylvia was a Latina American gay liberation and transgender rights activist. Prominent as an activist and community worker in New York, Rivera, along with close friend Marsha P. Johnson, co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries in 1970, a group dedicated to helping homeless young drag queens, gay youth, and trans women. Whether true or a bit of self myth-making, Sylvia placed herself at the center of the Stonewall Riots – either way, her perspective on the riots and its aftermath are an indelible part of the oral history of Stonewall.

Scott Turner Schofield as Craig Rodwell. Craig was an American gay rights activist known for founding the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop in 1967, the first bookstore devoted to gay and lesbian authors. A witness and participant in the Stonewall riots, he was one of the prime movers in the creation of the first New York City Pride demonstration.

Cole Doman as Mark Segal. Mark is an American journalist and prominent gay rights activist. He participated in the Stonewall riots and was one of the original founders of the Gay Liberation Front where he created its Gay Youth program.

Elizabeth Faith Ludlow as Stormé DeLarverie. Stormé was a gay civil rights icon and entertainer whose scuffle with police was, according to many eyewitnesses, the spark that ignited the Stonewall riots, spurring the crowd to action. She worked for much of her life as an MC, singer, bouncer, bodyguard and volunteer street patrol worker, the “guardian of lesbians in the Village.”

Gale Harold as Howard Smith. Howard was an Oscar-winning film director, producer, journalist, screenwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. At the peak of the historic Stonewall Riots in New York City in 1969, he managed to get inside the now famous bar with his Village Voice reporter’s police credentials. He was the only journalist who reported about the siege from that dangerous vantage point.

Sam Pancake as Dick Leitsch. Dick was a prominent LGBTQ rights activist and president of the Mattachine Society in the 1960s. He is also known for being the first gay reporter to publish an account of the Stonewall Riots, which appeared in a special edition of the Mattachine Newsletter the day after he witnessed the first night of the riot.

Gina Torres to Star in ABC’s Supernatural Drama Pilot “The Brides”

Gina Torres is vampin’ things up…

The 50-year-old Cuban American actress will lead the cast of The Brides, ABC’s supernatural drama pilot from Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina developer/executive producer Roberto Aguirre-SacasaBerlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television.

Gina Torres

Written by Aguirre-Sacasa and directed by Maggie KileyThe Brides, a sexy contemporary reimagining of Dracula, is a family drama with a trio of powerful female leads at its heart. With strong horror elements, The Brides is a vampire soap about empowered, immortal women and the things they do to maintain wealth, prestige, legacy — and their nontraditional family.

Torres plays Cleo Phillips. One of the three Brides of Draculaand the leader of this vampire trio, Cleo is an imperious woman with a queenly manner —understandably, as she was a queen in her former life who was turned by Dracula after the death of her husband. Now a maven of New York City real estate, Cleo is challenged professionally by a mysterious newcomer — even as her ties to her sisters are dangerously fraying.

While the focus will be on the women, the character of Dracula is featured in the show.

Torres recently played Jessica Pearson, first on USA Network’s popular original series Suits and then in the network’s Chicago-set spinoff series Pearson, which Torres headlined and executive produced. The role has earned Torres an ALMA Award, an Imagen Awardand the National Hispanic Media Coalition’s Award for Outstanding Performance in a Television Series.

At ABC, Torres co-starred on the Shondalanddrama series The Catch, recurred on Revenge and toplined the 2016 pilot The Death of Eva Sofia ValdezAngel and Firefly alumna Torres also did an arc on HBO’s Westwood.

Netflix to Premiere Season 2 of Drama Series “You,” Featuring Jenna Ortega, Next Month

Jenna Ortegais making a You-turn this December…

Netflix will premiere the second season the Penn Badgley drama Youfeaturing the 17-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexican American actress in a key role, on December 26.

jJenna Ortega

Season 2 of the former Lifetime, which will appearexclusively on the streaming service, will once again follow bookstore manager Joe Goldberg (Badgley). 

In the freshman season, which was based on Caroline Kepnes’ bestselling novel and aired on Lifetime, Goldberg becomes obsessed with his customer Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail), using social media and the Internet to stalk her.

The show’s sophomore run is based loosely on the author’s second book in the series, titled Hidden Bodies, and will stream under the Netflix Originalsbanner. It will follow Goldberg to Los Angeles, where he meets Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti), an aspiring chef that isn’t into social media like his previous leading lady.

In addition to Ortega, who will portray Ellie Alves, James Scully will also appear in a key role inSeason 2, with Ambyr Childerspromoted to series regular and Carmela Zumbado joining as a regular. Chris D’EliaAdwin BrownRobin Lord TaylorMarielle ScottMelanie FieldMagda ApanowiczDanny Vasquezand Charlie Barnettare set to recur in Season 2.

The series is produced by Berlanti ProductionsMan Sewing Dinosaur andAlloy Entertainmentin association with Warner Horizon Scripted Television.

Ortega’s previous credits include Elena of AvalorStuck in the MiddleJane the Virginand Bizaardvark.