Adam Rodriguez to Star in “Winter Spring Summer or Fall”

Adam Rodriguez is celebrating the four seasons…

The 47-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actor will star opposite Jenna Ortega in Winter Spring Summer or Fall for MPCA.

Adam RodriguezPercy Hynes White is also on board for the film, which Ortega will also executive produce.

The romantic drama is being helmed by writer Tiffany Paulsen, marking her feature debut.

The script was written by Dan Schoffer with revisions by Paulsen.

The film is being described as Before Sunrise meets The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the story follows two teens (Ortega and Hynes White) on the cusp of adulthood who meet and fall in love over four significant days of the year. Rodriguez will play Ortega’s father in the film.

Rodriguez currently stars in Criminal Minds: Evolution for Paramount+ reprising the brainy and charismatic brawny fan favorite Luke Alvez.

In addition to starring in iconic shows like the international hit series CSI: Miami and Criminal Minds, Rodriguez  was also an executive producer on multiple projects including HBO’s The Real Magic Mike, a spinoff of Steven Soderberg’s original hit film which he starred opposite Channing Tatum and is also in the upcoming Magic Mike’s Last Dance.

The Motion Picture Corporation of America (MPCA) has a long history of producing successful romantic comedies, most recently the No. 1 Netflix holiday rom-com Falling for Christmas and The Princess Switch trilogy, starring Vanessa Hudgens.

Previously, Rodriguez starred in and executive produced A Christmas Proposal with MPCA for CBS and Paramout+, one of the first Christmas movies on CBS which encompassed an all Latine cast.

Nick Gomez to Star on Season 5 of FX’s “Fargo”

Nick Gomez is headed to Fargo

The Latino actor has joined the cast of FX’s Fargo for the series’ fifth season.

Nick GomezGomez is among a list of new cast additions that includes David Rysdahl, Sam Spruell and Jessica Pohly.

They join the previously announced Juno Temple, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Joe Keery, Lamorne Morris and Richa Moorjani.

The latest installment is set in 2019, and asks the question: when is a kidnapping not a kidnapping, and what if your wife isn’t yours?

Gomez will play Agent Joaquin.

Noah Hawley (creator/writer/director), and his production company 26 Keys, lead the creative team behind the latest installment. Warren Littlefield via his production company The Littlefield Company, also serves as Executive Producer along with Joel & Ethan Coen and others.

Fargo is produced by MGM Television and FX Productions, with MGM Television serving as the lead studio and MGM distributing the series internationally.

Gomez most recently starred in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. His other credits include Criminal Minds, SEAL Team, General Hospital and Bosch.

Anissa Borrego to Star in the Holiday Film “A Hollywood Christmas”

Anissa Borrego is heading to Hollywood this holiday season…

The Latina actress will star in the holiday film A Hollywood Christmas.

Anissa Borrego

 

Hailing from producers Ali Afshar, Daniel Aspromonte and Christina Moore, A Hollywood Christmas centers on Jessica, a young, up-and-coming filmmaker in Hollywood who has made a name for herself directing Christmas movies. But when handsome network executive Christopher shows up threatening to halt production on her latest movie, Jessica’s assistant, Reena, points out the irony: Jessica isn’t just trying to save her Christmas movie, she’s actually living in one. Jessica must now juggle all the classic tropes—her actors falling in and out of love, a wayward elf dog, and her own stirring romantic feelings for her perceived nemesis—in order to get her movie and her life to their happy endings.

The cast of the romantic comedy also includes Jessika Van, Josh Swickard, Riley Dandy, Zak Steiner, Tom Williamson, Emelia Hartford and Missi Pyle.

HBO Max will release A Hollywood Christmas on December 1.

Paramount+ Confirms “Criminal Minds” Revival, Starring Adam Rodriguez

Adam Rodriguez is heading back to his roots

Following more than a year of on- and off- deal-making, Paramount+ has confirmed it has ordered to series a Criminal Minds revival starring the 47-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actor and some of his former cast mates.

Adam RodriguezIn addition to Rodriguez, who portrayed Luke Alvez on the original series, the six fan favorites returning for the reboot includes Joe Mantegna, Kirsten Vangsness, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler and Paget Brewster. 

Also back is the series’ longtime executive producer/showrunner Erica Messer, who closed her deal to return earlier a couple of months ago.

The actors’ contracts had been contingent on Messer signing a pact with ABC Signature where she is under an overall deal.

By February, Criminal Minds studios ABC Signature and CBS Studios had reached a license agreement with Paramount+ for a 10-episode new season of Criminal Minds. The last several months were spent getting Messer and the cast officially on board, triggering a formal green light, with production slated to begin Aug. 21 in Los Angeles. Mantegna teased the shoot on Twitter with a picture of him on a soundstage “doing a little inspection today for an upcoming project” and #criminalminds.

In the revival series, FBI’s elite team of criminal profilers come up against their greatest threat yet, an UnSub who has used the pandemic to build a network of other serial killers. Now, as the world opens back up, the network goes operational, and the team must hunt them down, one murder at a time.

Mantegna, Vangsness, Rodriguez, Cook, Tyler and Brewster represent the majority of Criminal Minds’ cast in its 15th and final season. As Deadline reported in February, missing from the list are original cast member Matthew Gray Gubler, who had indicated that he was ready to move on after playing Spencer Reid for 15 years, and Daniel Henney, who stars in The Wheel of TimeThe Prime Video series, which films in Prague, and any potential Henney guest appearance on Criminal Minds would be subject to his commitment to Wheel of Time and scheduling.

The actors’ agreements for Criminal Minds are multi-year and are not fully exclusive, according to Deadline, with the cast members able to do major recurring roles on ongoing series and series regular parts on limited series if production does not interfere.

The Criminal Minds revival, whose formal green light was first reported by TVLine, was announced with much fanfare at the streamer’s coming-out presentation last February. By July 31, Brewster told fans on Twitter that “we think it’s dead.” Fast forward six months to Feb. 1 when Nicole Clemens, President, Paramount+ Original Scripted Series, told reporters that Criminal Minds is “alive and well.”

“For 15 seasons, Criminal Minds was at the forefront of cutting-edge scripted drama as it explored the psychology behind crime – thrillingly,” Clemens said in a statement Thursday. “The series never stopped evolving during its run, and we are beyond excited to bring it back into a new era with new stories for a new generation of viewers at Paramount+. Erica, the whole cast and creative team are building a season full of new twists that we are sure will electrify audiences.”

The original series, created by Jeff Davis, follows a group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral Analysis Unit, using behavioral analysis and profiling to investigate crimes and find perpetrators. The group is led by Senior Agent David Rossi (Mantegna) and includes Agents JJ Jareau (Cook), Tara Lewis (Tyler) and Luke Alvez (Rodriguez) as well as Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia (Vangsness) and Unit Chief Emily Prentiss (Brewster).

The classic broadcast procedural is being serialized for binge-driven streaming consumption, with the team coming back together to investigate a single case over 10 episodes in the new season for Paramount+.

Messer serves as showrunner, executive producer and writer. Breen Frazier and Chris Barbour will serve as writers and executive producers, Glenn Kershaw will direct and executive produce, and Mark Gordon will also serve as executive producer.

Criminal Minds is among Paramount Global’s most prized titles in the streaming era.

It had been a top performer on Netflix since before the streamer started releasing viewership information. While Paramount+ has all 15 seasons, Netflix carries the first 12. They accounted for 33.9 billion minutes of viewing on the global platform, making it the most watched title on Netflix in 2021. Criminal Minds also was the third-most-streamed series in 2020 on Netflix behind The Office and Grey’s Anatomy, with 590M hours viewed.

Daphne Rubin-Vega to Star in Fox’s Anthology Drama Series “Accused”

Daphne Rubin-Vega stands accused

The 52-year-old Panamanian-American dancer, singer-songwriter and actress will star in Fox’s anthology drama series Accused.

Daphne Rubin-VegaFrom Howard Gordon, Alex Gansa and David Shore, Accused is based on the BBC’s BAFTA-winning crime anthology. It opens in a courtroom on the accused, with viewers knowing nothing about their crime or how they ended up on trial. Told from the defendant’s point of view through flashbacks, Accused depicts how an ordinary person gets caught up in an extraordinary situation, ultimately revealing how one wrong turn leads to another, until it’s too late to turn back.

Accused, which received a straight-to-series order last May for the 2022-23 broadcast season, is co-produced by Sony Pictures Television and Fox Entertainment. Created by Jimmy McGovern, the original series debuted in 2010 on BBC One.

Meanwhile, Marlee Matlin has tapped three Deaf actors, Puerto Rican star Stephanie NoguerasJoshua Castille and Lauren Ridloff , to star in the episode she’s directing for the anthology drama series.  from Homeland EPs Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa, and David Shore (The Good Doctor, House). The episode is written by novelist and short-story writer Maile Meloy.

Nogueras stars in the lead role of Ava, a deaf woman who becomes a surrogate for a couple, Jenny and Max and commits a crime of advocacy and protection.

Rubin-Vega will star as Ava’s mother.

Nogueras is a deaf actor who made her comedy debut in Killing It on Peacock. Her other recent TV credits include The Good Fight, Criminal Minds and The Magicians.

Tony-nominated Rubin-Vega stars in and produced the independent feature Allswellwhich just premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. She was most recently seen starring as Daniela in the Jon Chu-directed Warner Brothers feature In The Heights. She recently wrapped production on two pilots – Hulu’s Olga Dies Dreaming and NBC’s Dangerous Moms. She is also voicing a role in the A24 animated series Hazbin Hotel.

Vico Ortiz Signs with Paradigm

Vico Ortiz has new representation.

The Latinx, non-binary and gender-fluid actor has signed with Paradigm.

Vico OrtizOrtiz is a known for their work in HBO Max’s Our Flag Means Death and The Sex Lives of College Girls, and Starz’s Vida.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Ortiz’s first breakthrough role was in Amazon Prime Video’s Transparent. They then appeared in recurring roles for Freeform’s The Fosters and Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, and Netflix’s Lucifer. They appeared in Starz’s Vida, where their drag king alter ego Vico Suave made their screen debut.

Currently Ortiz is a series regular on Our Flag Means Death, appearing opposite stars Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby. They play Jim, the first non-binary pirate to exist in a period piece. Their additional credits include S.O.Z: Soldados o. Zombies, American Horror Story: 1984Criminal Minds9-1-1Ray Donovan and Jane The Virgin.

Beyond television, they were a co-lead in The Syed Family Xmas Eve Game Night, which premiered at TIFF in 2021. Ortiz also received a 2021 Queerties Award nomination for their performance in the buzzed about queer digital series, These Thems.

Beyond their on-screen work, Ortiz is an activist and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. They championed organizations including The Dru Project and the Los Angeles LGBTQ Center..

Ortiz is a known for their work in HBO Max’s Our Flag Means Death and The Sex Lives of College Girls, and Starz’s Vida.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Ortiz’s first breakthrough role was in Amazon Prime Video’s Transparent. They then appeared in recurring roles for Freeform’s The Fosters and Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, and Netflix’s Lucifer. They appeared in Starz’s Vida, where their drag king alter ego Vico Suave made their screen debut.

Currently Ortiz is a series regular on Our Flag Means Death, appearing opposite stars Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby. They play Jim, the first non-binary pirate to exist in a period piece. Their additional credits include S.O.Z: Soldados o. Zombies, American Horror Story: 1984Criminal Minds9-1-1Ray Donovan and Jane The Virgin.

Beyond television, they were a co-lead in The Syed Family Xmas Eve Game Night, which premiered at TIFF in 2021. Ortiz also received a 2021 Queerties Award nomination for their performance in the buzzed about queer digital series, These Thems.

Beyond their on-screen work, Ortiz is an activist and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. They championed organizations including The Dru Project and the Los Angeles LGBTQ Center.

Adam Rodriguez Among Six Original “Criminal Minds” Cast Members In Talks For Show’s Paramount+ Revival

Adam Rodriguez may be returning to his Criminal roots…

The 46-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actor is among the original cast members reportedly in final talks to star in the Criminal Minds revival for Paramount+.

Adam RodriguezIn addition to Rodriguez, other fan favorite cast members who’ve reportedly agreed to come back include Joe MantegnaKirsten VangsnessA.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler and Paget Brewster, subject to closing their deals and availability.

Contract talks with Rodriguez and the other original cast members have been put on hold, according to Deadline, as Criminal Minds lead studio, ABC Signature, is focusing on making a deal with the series’ longtime executive producer/showrunner Erica Messer.

Negotiations with Messer, who has an overall pact with the studio, are still ongoing, with the two sides getting closer to a deal.

A license agreement for a 10-episode new season of Criminal Minds has been reached between Paramount+ and the studios behind the crime drama, ABC Signature and CBS Studios.

Rodriguez and the other five originals represent the majority of Criminal Minds’ cast in its 15th and final season.

The original series, created by Jeff Davis, follows a group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral Analysis Unit, using behavioral analysis and profiling to investigate crimes and find perpetrators. The group is led by Senior Agent David Rossi (Mantegna) and includes Agents JJ Jareau (Cook), Tara Lewis (Tyler) and Luke Alvez (Rodriguez) as well as Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia (Vangsness) and Unit Chief Emily Prentiss (Brewster).

The classic broadcast procedural is being serialized for binge-driven streaming consumption, with the team coming back together to investigate a single case over 10 episodes in the new season for Paramount+.

Criminal Minds is among ViacomCBS’ most prized titles in the streaming era. It had been a top performer on Netflix since before the streamer started releasing viewership information. While Paramount+ has all 15 seasons, Netflix carries the first 12. They accounted for 33.9 billion minutes of viewing on the global platform, making it the most watched title on Netflix in 2021. Criminal Minds also was the third-most-streamed series in 2020 on Netflix behind The Office and Grey’s Anatomy, with 590M hours viewed.

Stephanie Nogueras to Star in Craig Robinson’s New Peacock Comedy Series “Killing It”

Stephanie Nogueras is killing it

The 31-year-old Puerto Rican actress has been cast in Craig Robinson’s new Peacock comedy series Killing It.

Stephanie Nogueras

Nogueras joins a cast that includes Claudia O’Doherty, Rell Battle, Scott Macarthur, Wyatt Walter, and Jet Miller.

Robinson leads the cast as Craig, a man who will do anything to make his American Dream come true, even compete in a state-sponsored python hunt. Nogueras plays his ex-wife Camille with whom he uneasily co-parents their pre-teen daughter, Vanessa (Jet Miller).

Production of the 10 episode series is already underway in New Orleans. Each episode will be 30 minutes long.

Dan Goor and Luke Del Tredici will serve as co-showrunners, writers, and executive producers. Robinson, Mark Schulman, and Mo Marable will also executive produce. Marable will direct the first three episodes.

Nogueras previously appeared on The Good Fight, Criminal Minds, The Magicians and Switched at Birth.

Frankie Loyal Upped to Series Regular on FX’s “Mayans M.C.”

There are more rides in Frankie Loyal’s future…

The 51-year-old Latino actor/producer has been upped to series regular on FX’s biker drama Mayans M.C. alongside Joseph Lucero and Vincent Vargas for season 4, which is scheduled to return in early 2022.

Frankie Loyal

Loyal, Lucero and Vargas took on larger roles in season 3, which saw their characters Hank Loza, Neron “Creeper” Vargas, and Gilly Lopez, respectively, flourish and develop into fully rounded characters with storylines fans embraced fully.

The trio have been a part of the series throughout its three-season run.

Mayans M.C., a spin-off series of the network’s hit Sons of Anarchy, follows a motley crew of Latino men who found a family in the motorcycle club charter Santo Padre on the California and Mexico border. While the story is about the M.C., it also features powerful female characters that are bold and powerful in their own right.

The character of E.Z. Reyes (JD Pardo) is at the center of the story as he finds his place in the gray area of a world that is mostly black and white.

It’s helmed by co-creator and executive producer Elgin James; and co-stars Clayton Cardenas, Danny Pino, Richard Cabral, Michael Irby, Carla Baratta, Sarah Bolger, Emilio Rivera, Edward James Olmos, Raoul Trujillo, Emily Tosta, and Sulem Calderon.

Loyal, whose character Hank serves as Sergeant-of-Arms to the M.C., guest-starred on FX’s Better Things opposite Pamela Adlon. On the big screen, he starred in The Deep End alongside Tilda Swinton and Goran Visnjic. He will next be seen in the drama feature Die Like A Man.

Lucero made his debut in the 2006 drama Gridiron Gang alongside Dwayne Johnson, Xzibit, Moe McCrae, and Jurnee Smollett. He was also featured in Father G and the Homeboys, an award-winning documentary chronicling Father Greg Boyle’s work with Los Angeles’ toughest gang members. Lucero’s television credits include Dirt, ERThe ShieldCold Case, Criminal MindsThe CloserShameless, S.W.A.T., and FBI.

Vargas is a veteran of the U.S. Army that served three combat deployments who continues to serve his country today for the Army Reserve. In 2009, he became a Federal Agent with the Department of Homeland Security and was a Medic with the Special Operations Group.

He has starred and produced several films including Lucy Shimmers and the Prince of Peace (co-executive producer), Not a War Story (executive producer), and Dads in Parks (writer). Vargas pulled double duty since season 2 on Mayans M.C. as recurring star and technical advisor.

Renée Victor to Appear on Gloria Calderón Kellett’s Amazon Series “With Love”

Renée Victor is embracing the love

The 68-year-old Latina actress will appear in a recurring role alongside veteran character actor Pepe Serna in With LoveAmazon’s one-hour romantic comedy series from Gloria Calderón Kellett, her GloNation Studios and Amazon Studios.

Renée Victor

Victor and Serna will appear opposite Emeraude Toubia and Mark Indelicato on the series.

Created and written by Calderón Kellett, With Love follows the Diaz siblings, Lily (Toubia) and Jorge (Indelicato), who are on a mission to find love and purpose. The Diaz siblings cross paths with seemingly unrelated residents during some of the most heightened days of the year — the holidays.

Victor will play Marta Delgado, grandmother to Lily, Jorge and Sol and married to Luis (Serna). She wants to know everything about everybody in the family and while she’s very accepting she is uncompromising about church attendance.

Serna’s Luis Delgado, is Marta’s husband and grandfather to Lily, Jorge and Sol. He’s the founder of the family’s Mexican restaurant, Casa based on his mother’s recipes. Still very attracted to his beautiful wife, Marta.

The series, which falls under One Day at a Time creator Calderón Kellett’s overall deal with Amazon, had been fast-tracked since the pitch stage with the goal to launch it during the 2021 holiday season.

All episodes will be written and executive produced by Calderón Kellet. The pilot will be directed and executive produced by Meera MenonWith Love is produced by Kellett’s production company, GloNation and Amazon Studios.

Known for her role as the wisecracking Lupita in Weeds, Victor also recurs Flo Gutierrez on Netflix’s Dead To Me. She’s also known as the voice of Abuelita in the Oscar-winning animated feature Coco.

Over a nearly 50-year career, Serna’s film credits include Scarface, American Me, Car Wash, The Black Dahlia, Downsizing and The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez, among many others. His recent television work includes guest/recurring roles on Criminal Minds and Kingpin.