Harvey Guillén Joining Cast of George & Mayan Lopez’s “Lopez vs. Lopez” Series

Posted on February 3, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Harvey Guillén has landed a primo role…

The 32-year-old Mexican American actor has joined the cast of NBC’s Lopez vs. Lopez as a family member.

Guillen, known for his scene-stealing role in What We Do In The Shadows, Chelsea Rendon and Jessica Marie Garcia will portray cousins on the series.

Guillén will portray Miguel, Mayan’s (Mayan Lopez) pseudo-intellectual cousin who spends his time getting his doctorate in Chicano studies and bragging about the TED talk he gave on the cultural significance of the Hot Cheeto.

Rendon will portray Luna, Mayan’s free-spirited cousin who travels the world in a camper and loves #vanlife, even if her only roommate is her porta-potty.

Garcia will portray ”Yesika” or @Hellyesika on all her socials. She is Mayan’s fabulous Tik Tok-dancing social media influencer cousin who does everything for “the Gram” including giving Mayan a taste of the glamorous life.

Lopez Vs. Lopez, which hails from The Conners duo Bruce Helford and Debby Wolfe, is a working-class family comedy about dysfunction, reconnection, and all the pain and joy in between.

George Lopez and Mayan Lopez star alongside Selenis Leyva, Brice Gonzalez and Matt Shively with Laci Mosley and Aparna Nancherla recurring.

Season 1 currently airs Friday night at 8 p.m. via NBC.

Jimmy Humilde Launches Own Chicano-Themed Online Series “Desde Abajo”

Posted on August 13, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Jimmy Humilde is heading into under time…

The 42-year-old Mexican American recording artist and record producer has unveiled his very own series called Desde Abajo, which will be available on Amazon Music’s app and Twitch channel.

Focusing on culture and its influence on the music industry in Los Angeles, the series will include the Rancho Humilde founder interviewing special guests like Fuerza Regida, Snow Tha Product, AB Quintanilla, Deorro, among others.

The first episode is already out with new episodes airing at 9:00 p.m. ET every other Wednesday until October 12.

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Jimmy Gonzales to Star in George Lopez’s Amazon Drama Pilot “Once Upon a Time in Aztlan”

Posted on November 17, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Jimmy Gonzales is right on Time…

The Mexican actor has been cast as a lead alongside Arianna Williams on Amazon’s Once Upon a Time in Aztlan, the drama pilot from George Lopez.

They join previously announced cast Lopez, Jesse Garcia and Annie Gonzalez.

Gonzales stars as the morally compromised Hector, whose pursuit of ‘get rich or die trying’ dreams landed his partner Arturo Duran in prison for thirteen years. Since then, he’s further cemented his influence over the Duran family: He has a son with Lola (Gonzalez) and is the de facto father figure for Angela (Williams). Despite his overtures to legitimize himself, he’s a lifelong hustler who’s baiting the attention of the FBI.

Willians portrays the character of Angela, a Gen-Z Afro Latina, who is described as fiercely independent, confident, and always adapting. The face of our modern Los Angeles. The Duran family have hung their hopes on Angela as their luminary, but she’s in deep debt to her nefarious uncle, who’s co-signed her loans to USC. Her father, Arturo (Garcia) returns to her life after a long absence, presenting a challenging new vision of her future.

Written by Javier Rodriguez, the one-hour drama from STXtelevision and Amazon Studios revolves around a Chicano family in the deep suburbs of Los Angeles as they come to terms with the falsehoods of the American dream, and their ability to defy expectations. The pilot will be directed by Ricardo de Montreuil, who helmed Eva Longoria and Demián Bichir in the Blumhouse/Imagine East L.A.-set drama, Lowriders.

Rodriguez executive produces with de Montreuil, photographer/director Estevan Oriol, LA-based artist Mister Cartoon, and Michael Connolly who put the Latinx package together under his STXtelevision-based Mad Hatter Entertainment banner.

Gonzales can currently be seen as the lead in Netflix/Endeavor Content’s Blue Miracle opposite Dennis Quaid. He can next be seen on Fox Searchlight’s biopic Flamin’ Hot as Hector Morales and currently is a recurring guest star on FX’s Mayans M.C.

Other credits include AMC’s Lodge 49, AMC’s The Walking Dead, and David E. Kelley’s Mr. Mercedes.

Williams played a supporting lead in a 2021 Lifetime Movie opposite Denise Richards. Although a relative newcomer to the small screen, she’s worked with Phylicia Rashad, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Ruben Santiago Hudson at the Billie Holliday Theatre.

Annie Gonzalez to Star in George Lopez’s Drama Pilot “Once Upon a Time in Aztlan”

Posted on October 28, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Annie Gonzalez’s Time card is filling up…

The Chicana actress will star in the drama pilot Once Upon a Time in Aztlan, a project from George Lopez for STXtelevision and Amazon Studios.

Gonzalez will star opposite her Flamin’ Hot co-star Jesse Garcia, as well as Lopez, in the pilot.

Gonzalez will portray Dolores “Lola” Duran, the youngest of Gervasio Duran’s (Lopez) children. She’s the heart of the family, a spitfire mother, and entrepreneur who runs a bar-cabaret with her ex. She is always game, at the party, and in the riot.

Garcia will portray the show’s hero, Arturo Duran. After 13 years in federal prison, Arturo has missed a lifetime’s worth of changes. His second chance at life will be born through his transcendental artistry, which will single-handedly take possession of how the world sees the Southern California Dream.

Written by Javier Rodriguez, the one-hour drama revolves around a Chicano family in the deep suburbs of Los Angeles as they come to terms with the falsehoods of the American dream, and their ability to defy expectations.

Rodriguez executive produces with photographer/director Estevan Oriol, LA-based artist Mister Cartoon, and Michael Connolly who put the Latinx package together under his STXtelevision-based Mad Hatter Entertainment banner.

Gonzalez is returning for Season 2 of Netflix’s Gentefied on November 10. Her previous credits include Vida, Shameless, and American Horror Story. She portrayed Garcia’s wife Judy Montanez in Flamin’ Hot.

Garcia most recently appeared in Netflix’s Narcos: Mexico as DEA agent Sal Orozco. Up next, he will appear in the films Ambulance opposite Jake Gyllenhaal; Netflix’s The Mother with Jennifer Lopez; and the Richard Montanez biopic from Eva Longoria, Flamin’ Hot in the role of Montanez.

Amazon Studios Orders Pilot for George Lopez’s Drama Series “Once Upon a Time in Aztlan”

Posted on October 11, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

George Lopez’s Time has come…

Amazon Studios has ordered a pilot for the drama series Once Upon a Time in Aztlan from STXtelevision, starring and executive produced by the 60-year-old Mexican American actor/comedian via his Travieso Productions banner.

Written by Javier Rodriguez, the one-hour drama revolves around a Chicano family in the deep suburbs of Los Angeles as they come to terms with the falsehoods of the American Dream, and their ability to defy expectations.

Ricardo de Montreuil is directing the pilot and will executive produce along with Oriol and Cartoon’s longtime collaborators Mark Suroff and Marco Valadez, who produced the hit documentary LA Originals, which Oriol directed. Oriol’s work has been showcased in The Smithsonian Center for Latino Initiatives, The Petersen Automotive Museum, The Museum of Contemporary Art, and in Los Angeles’ and New York’s Art in the Streets exhibit, among others.

Natalie Chaidez Developing Television Series Based on the Late Oscar “Zeta” Acosta’s Novels

Posted on July 19, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

The late Oscar “Zeta” Acosta’s life story will be getting the Hollywood treatment…

Half-Mexican American television writer/producer Natalie Chaidez has acquired the film and television rights to the late Chicano attorney, politician, novelist and activist’s novels Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo and The Revolt of the Cockroach People.

She will executive produce and supervise writing for an upcoming television series.

Chaidez is developing the project with Joe Loya and Phillip Rodriguez.

Acosta was a Mexican American activist in the Chicano Civil Rights Movement who disappeared in Mexico in 1974, a year after his second novel The Revolt of the Cockroach People was released and is presumed dead. He is also famously known for his friendship with Hunter S. Thomson, who characterized Acosta as Samoan attorney Dr. Gonzo in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

“Oscar Zeta Acosta has been a passion of mine since I first encountered his books in an East LA library. Acosta’s story is one of the deepest and cinematic stories in the Latinx canon. I’m thrilled to bring his story to life,” Chaidez told Deadline in an exclusive statement.

The televison series will feature elements from both of his published novels, the first is loosely based on his early years, and the second tells real stories from his later years during the Chicano movement while changing the identities of those involved. It’s currently being shopped around to networks and streamers.

Chaidez is currently co-showrunner on the second season of HBO Max’s The Flight Attendant alongside Steve Yockey currently in production. She was previously an executive producer and writer on USA Network’s Queen of the South and served as creator and executive producer of the Syfy drama Hunters.

Annie Gonzalez Signs with Innovative Artists

Posted on June 14, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Annie Gonzalez has new representation…

The Chicana actress has signed with Innovative Artists for representation.

Gonzalez plays Lidia on Netflix hit series Gentefied, which is heading into its second season. Her other recent credits include the role of Amanda on Starz’s Vida, as well as Showtime’s Shameless and Amazon’s Good Girls Revolt.

Gonzalez, a East Los Angeles native, grew up singing with the band Quetzal, which has been a noted force in the Chicano movement.

She was one of the original dancers on Jamm X Kids for the WB and has been appearing on TV since the age of 10. She was recently cast in the series regular role of Jessie on ABC’s comedy pilot Bucktown, opposite Jane Lynch and Nicole Richie.

She also has a YouTube page with videos dedicated to her thoughts on spirituality, self-love, peace, positivity and living life as a Latina.

Jesse Garcia to Star in the Eva Longoria-Directed “Flamin’ Hot” Film

Posted on May 4, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a flamin’ hot time for Jesse Garcia.

The 38-year-old Mexican American actor and former Quinceañera star has landed the lead role in Eva Longoria’s feature directorial debut Flamin’ Hot from Searchlight Pictures and Franklin Entertainment.

Garcia will play Richard Montanez, the architect of the Flamin’ Hot Cheeto, while Annie Gonzalez of Gentefied will portray his wife, Judy.

Flamin’ Hot tells the true life story of Richard Montanez, the Frito Lay janitor who took inspiration from his Mexican American heritage to create Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, the snack that disrupted the food industry and became a pop culture phenomenon.

Desperate Housewives actress and Telenovela, Grand Hotel, and Devious Maids EP Longoria beat out several directors for the job after impressing Franklin and Searchlight with her authentic approach to the project.

“It has been my biggest priority to make sure we are telling Richard Montañez’s story authentically,” said Longoria in a statement. “I am so happy to have two extremely talented and fellow Mexican-Americans on board in these pivotal roles. Jesse and Annie have a deep understanding of our community and will be able to help tell this story of great importance for our culture.”

Also new to Flamin’ Hot is scribe Linda Yvette Chavez who has come aboard for revisions on the Lewis Colick-penned screenplay. Chavez is the creator of Netflix’s Gentefied and she’s also adapting I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter at the streamer for America Ferrera’s upcoming directorial debut.

Garcia appears in the Searchlight Pictures title Under the Same Moon, alongside Kate del Castillo and Ferrera. He has been widely recognized for his role in the highly acclaimed Quinceañera winner of the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. For his performance as Carlos, Garcia was nominated and won the prestigious ALMA Award (American Latino Media Arts) as Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture in 2007. Garcia can also be seen in The Avengers.

Gonzalez is a Chicana actress and East Los Angeles native. She grew up singing with the band Quetzal, (which has been a noted force in the Chicano movement), was one of the original dancers on Jamm X Kids for the WB and has been appearing on TV since the age of 10. She is most known for her roles in Gentefied, Vida, Shameless, and Legion. She was recently cast in the ABC pilot, Bucktown starring opposite Jane Lynch and Nicole Richie. Gonzalez also has a YouTube page with videos dedicated to her thoughts on spirituality, self-love, peace, positivity and living life as a Latina.

Manuel Uriza to Appear on Netflix’s Dramedy “Gentefied”

Posted on April 25, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Manuel Uriza is getting gentefied…

The Latino actor has landed a recurring role on Netflix’s dramedy Gentefied.

Uriza joins a list of new recurring cast additions that includes Clarissa Thibeaux, Ivana Rojas and Melinna Bobadilla.

The series hails from Marvin Lemus and Linda Yvette Chávez, the duo behind the Sundance Film Festival darling Gente-fied: The Digital Series, and Macro.

Created by Chicano first-gen writers Lemus and Chávez, Gentefied is a half-hour dramatic comedy adapted from the 2017 Sundance digital series of the same name. Described as a badass bilingual series about family, community, brown love, and the displacement that disrupts it all, Gentefied follows three Mexican-American cousins who struggle to chase the American Dream, even while that same dream threatens the things they hold most dear: their neighborhood, their immigrant grandfather, and the family taco shop. Set in a rapidly changing Los Angeles, the dramedy navigates important themes like identity, class, and balancing insta-fame with translating memes for their parents.

Karrie Martin, JJ Soria, Carlos Santos and Joaquín Cosio star.

Uriza will play Ernesto Morales, Pop’s estranged, oldest son. By any measure, the personification of the American Dream, Pop has never forgiven him for moving his family from East LA to the calmer suburbs of Boise, Idaho. Unlike the rest of the family, Ernesto is the only one who can stand up to Pop, as their relationship reaches a boiling point.

Rojas will portray Sarai Damian. An up-and coming Chef, Sarai is career-focused, hella ambitious, and a truth-teller. She knows what she wants and she isn’t willing to compromise her dream for anyone. We meet her as she is about to be catapulted into her biggest career high, but it comes with a big price to pay.

Bobadilla will play Melinna Barragan, a fierce non-profit lawyer, she’s down for her community, even if it means working pro-bono. If your prima with the big hoops who always got into fights got her law degree at ELAC – that would be Melinna. Passionate and fierce, she treats her clients like family.

Uriza’s credits include Magnum P.I., Hawaii Five-O, Rambo: Last Blood, The Last Ship and Snowfall.

Eva Longoria Developing Latinx Family Drama “Chicano,” Based on Richard Vasquez’s Novel, for ABC

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Eva Longoria’s hoping to bring the Chicano story and struggle to the small screen.

The 45-year-old Mexican American actress and former Desperate Housewives star has joined forces with Natalie Chaidez and Forest Whitaker to develop the family drama Chicano, inspired by Richard Vasquez’s novel of the same name, for ABC.

Written by Chaidez, known for her work on 12 Monkeys, Hunters and The Sarah Connor Chronicles, the drama is a multi-generational saga about the Sandovals, a Mexican-American family that immigrates to Los Angeles in pursuit of the American Dream.

It will follow the struggles and triumphs of the Sandoval family from 1920 through present and explores the question of what it means to be American.

20th Century Fox Television is the studio on the project, which is being produced in association with Longoria and Ben Spector’s UnbeliEVAble Entertainment and Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi’s Significant Productions.

ABC has handed the project a script and additional development material plus penalty commitment. Chaidez, Longoria, Spector, Whitaker, Yang Bongiovi serve as executive producers.

It’s the latest ABC project for UnbeliEVAble Entertainment, which is currently under a deal at 20th Century Fox Studios Television. The company previously produced Grand Hotel.

Development of the project began with one of the executive producers, Doug Pray, working with Sylvia Vasquez, daughter of Chicano author Richard Vasquez, while Chaidez is a third generation Mexican-American whose own family’s immigration journey closely parallels the story told in Chicano.

“Chicano is just the first of many projects that we expect from Eva and Ben as we look to ramp up our slate of Latinx programming. As part of our studio family, they are valuable partners in helping us expand our commitment to compelling stories for underrepresented communities,” said Karey Burke, president, ABC Entertainment. “With Forest, Nina, Natalie and Doug also at the helm of this project, we know we have the perfect powerhouse team to bring this Mexican-American family’s story to life and cultivate the next generation of Latinx storytelling.”

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