Eva Longoria Partners with “Welcome to Wrexham” Team on New FX & Disney+ Latin America Bilingual Sports Docuseries Following Mexico’s Club Necaxa

Posted on July 9, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Eva Longoria is getting in the game…

The 49-year-old Mexican American actress, producer, director and business woman is steaming up with Welcome to Wrexham‘s Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds on a new FX and Disney+ Latin America bilingual sports documentary series following a new soccer club.

The untitled project, currently referred to as Bienvenidos a Necaxa, follows Mexico’s Club Necaxa, who were relocated to Aguascalientes, a working-class city known as the “land of good people,” after struggling for several seasons in their original home in bustling Mexico City.

The Spanish/English language series will be led by club owner Longoria, who, alongside co-owners McElhenney and Reynolds, will help breathe new life into Los Rayos as they focus on reclaiming the team’s place as one of Mexico’s top.

Production is set to start soon, which makes sense given that Liga MX, the top professional soccer league in Mexico kicks off its season in July.

The show won’t, however, follow promotion and relegation, as Welcome to Wrexham does given that Liga MX has scrapped both until at least 2026 due to financial problems with lower league teams.

Welcome to Wrexham was a new concept for actors and producers McElhenney and Reynolds that not only boosted their profiles but also interest in the titular team and soccer all over the world, specifically in the U.S. where the sport isn’t as popular as in Europe and South America.

The FX series recently concluded its third season, which followed the team as they landed back-to-back promotions, having been promoted out of non-league to the fourth-tier league. The docuseries was recently renewed by the network for a fourth season, which will follow their journey in League One, which confusingly is the third tier of English soccer.

The new series is executive produced by Longoria, Cris Abrego, Rachelle Mendez, Nick Frenkel, Jackie Cohn, George Dewey, McElhenney, Reynolds and Alex Fumero.

Fumero will serve as showrunner for the series, which is produced by Hyphenate Media Group, More Better Productions, Maximum Effort Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment.

Harvey Guillén Among National Hispanic Media Coalition’s Impact Award Honorees

Posted on May 28, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Harvey Guillén is being feted for his impact…

The National Hispanic Media Coalition has revealed the 2024 Impact Award honorees for its annual gala taking place on June 14, with the 34-year-old Mexican American actor among those being recognized.

Annie Gonzalez (Flamin’ Hot) and Mayan Lopez (Lopez vs. Lopez) will host the celebration.

The Impact Awards is a part of the NHMC’s overall mission to spotlight the importance of accurate, fair and positive representation in media.

Each year, the organization honors individuals who are truly making an impact, shifting societal narratives and setting an example for Latine communities.

The 2024 honorees include:

Harvey Guillén, star of the hit FX series What We Do In The Shadows which is gearing up to premiere its sixth and final season. He will receive the Outstanding Performance in a Series Impact Award.

Issa López, a multi-hyphenate who most recently co-wrote and directed HBO’s True Detective Season 5 starring Jodie Foster. NHMC will recognize López’s achievements with the Trailblazer Impact Award.

Fede Alvarez, writer, director and executive producer of the upcoming feature Alien: Romulus, the seventh installment of the Alien franchise. NHMC will give him the Outstanding Film Director Impact Award.

Tatyana Ali, who most famously portrayed Ashley Banks in the hit comedy series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, will receive the Advocacy Impact Award for her advocacy and policy work in maternal health and reproductive justice.

The Los Angeles Football Club will be honored with the Community Impact Award for their commitment to multiculturalism and creating change for marginalized communities

Tubi will be honored with the For the People Impact Award for its diverse programming providing a platform for Latine series showcasing authentic representations of our communities.

“We are honored to celebrate these powerful figures who represent the present and future of the entertainment industry. This year’s honorees embody where our community is headed and are pushing their industries forward simply by taking up space and using their platforms to uplift other Latine creatives.,” said Brenda Victoria Castillo, President & CEO of the NHMC. “This year more than ever, it is imperative that we continue to celebrate our Latinidad in all aspects of our society, and NHMC is committed to ensuring that our community is recognized – not just at our gala, but in every space.”

Desmin Borges to Appear on New Season of Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building”

Posted on April 7, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Desmin Borges has entered the building…

The half-Puerto Rican actor has joined the cast of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building.

Borges is among a roster of recurring cast additions that includes Siena Werber and newcomer Lilian Rebelo.

They join stars/executive producers Steve Martin, who also co-created the critically acclaimed series, Martin Short and Selena Gomez as well as new recurring players Zach Galifianakis, Molly Shannon, Eva Longoria and Eugene Levy and returning Meryl Streep in the upcoming fourth season.

All new characters will be integral to the twists and turns of the investigation into the murder of Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch), Charles-Haden Savage’s (Martin) stunt double from his years on the series Brazzos and its 2020 revival.

Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich revealed in a recent interview that the Only Murders In the Building trio, Charles, Oliver (Short) and Mabel (Gomez), will kick off the new season with a trip to Los Angeles before returning to The Arconia in their search of Sazz’s killer.

The Season 3 finale saw Loretta (Streep), Oliver and Mabel all contemplating a move to LA.

Produced by 20th Television, Only Murders in the Building, Hulu’s most watched original comedy series, is co-created and co-written by Martin and John Hoffman who also executive produce alongside Short, Gomez, Dan Fogelman and Jess Rosenthal.

Borges is best known for his role as Edgar in five seasons of FX’s comedy You’re the Worst. He can currently be seen opposite Jennifer Lopez in the film Shotgun Wedding, as well as in a series regular role in HBO’s The Time Traveler’s Wife.

His other recent credits include a season-long arc on Fox comedy Welcome To Flatch, Amazon’s Utopia, Netflix dramedy series Living with Yourself and the film Private Life.

He’ll next be seen in the film Hangdog, which premiered at the Provincetown Film Festival.

Newcomer Rebelo is a 2021 graduate of the drama program at Fordham University. She recently starred in Our Dear Drug Lord at the Kirk Douglas Theatre.

Frankie Quiñones Signs with United Talent Agency (UTA)

Posted on April 6, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Frankie Quiñones has new representation…

The 40-year-old Mexican American stand-up comedian and actor has signed with United Talent Agency (UTA) for for representation in all areas.

Quiñones is perhaps best known for starring as Luis, former gang member turned Hugs Not Thugs program participant, on Hulu’s critically acclaimed series This Fool, having been nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the Independent Spirit Awards last year.

He also has a recurring role on FX’s acclaimed vampire comedy series What We Do in the Shadows, as well as Fired on Mars and Victor & Valentino on Max.

His additional acting credits include Mr. Mayor (NBC), Feliz Navidad (Lifetime), The Dress Up Gang (TBS), Papi Chulo (Blue Fox Entertainment) and AMC’s spin-off miniseries The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, to name a few.

Most recently, Quiñones wrapped a pilot for his own sketch show at Hulu titled Get Frankie, with more details forthcoming.

Launched in 2021, his podcast The Frankie Quiñones Show, produced by Will Ferrell’s Big Money Players Network and iHeart Radio, features sketches of colorful characters based on the friends and family that helped shape him into the comedian he is today.

Adriyan Rae to Appear on Mara Brock Akil’s Netflix Series “Forever”

Posted on April 2, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Adriyan Rae has found her Forever home…

The part-Venezuelan actress has landed a recurring role on Netflix’s Forever.

Created by Mara Brock Akil, Forever is a reimagining of the 1975 novel by Judy Blume and follows the epic love story of two Black teens exploring their identities through the awkward — and moving — journey of being each other’s firsts in 2018 Los Angeles.

Like its inspiration, the show will examine “the idea of your first love being with you forever,” said Brock Akil, who created acclaimed stories of Black love and growth like sitcom Girlfriends and drama Being Mary Jane. She was also a writer on the YA comedy Moesha.

Oscar winner Regina King will serve as executive producer and will direct the first episode.

Rae will portray Brittany, one of Keisha’s older cousins, and is described as a social climber who looks out for Keisha and her well-being like an older sister—even if she usually does it with a sarcastic sense of humor and blunt direct attitude. Brittany is a loyal support system for Keisha and her mom Shelly, and always brings a sense of fun to wherever she goes —including affectionately calling Keisha ‘Urkel’ due to her book smart nature.

Lovie Simone will star as Keisha Clarke and Michael Cooper Jr. will portray Justin Edwards. Karen Pittman, and Wood Harris round out the cast so far.

Within the television sphere, Rae currently stars as ‘Brittany Pitts’ in Paramount+’s reboot of The Game. Additionally, she recently led the cast of SYFY’s series Vagrant Queen, starred in NBC’s Chicago Fire and Hulu’s horror-thriller series Light As A Feather, and has guest starred on various shows including FX’s Atlanta, BET’s American Soul, and FOX’s musical drama Star, from the producers of Empire.

In film, she has had roles in Sony’s Superfly with Jennifer Morrison, Trevor Jackson and Michael Kenneth Williams, and Netflix’s Burning Sands alongside Alfre Woodard and Trevante Rhodes.

Marc Menchaca to Appear on Kurt Sutter‘s Netflix Western Drama “The Abandons”

Posted on March 19, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Marc Menchaca is abandons-ing his future…

The 46-year-old half-Mexican American actor will appear in a recurring role on Kurt Sutter‘s upcoming Netflix Western drama The Abandons.

Other recurring cast members just added to the ensemble include Patton Oswalt, Sarah Grace White, Michael Ornstein, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Brían F. O’Byrne, Haig Sutherland, Jack Doolan, Jonathan Koensgen and Katelyn Wells.

Details regarding the characters they will portray remain under wraps.

The project reunites Sutter with Ornstein, who played Chucky Marstein in both FX’s Sons of Anarchy and its spinoff series Mayans M.C., which were created and co-created by Sutter, respectively. He will also collaborate again with White and O’Byrne, who co-starred in his short-lived period drama The Bastard Executioner.

Created and executive produced by Sutter, who also serves as showrunner, The Abandons follows a group of diverse, outlier families pursuing their Manifest Destiny in 1850s Oregon, as a corrupt force of wealth and power, coveting their land, tries to force them out. These abandoned souls, the kind of lost souls living on the fringe of society, unite their tribes to form a family and fight back. In this bloody process, “justice” is stretched beyond the boundaries of the law. The Abandons will explore that fine line between survival and law, the consequences of violence, and the corrosive power of secrets, as this family fights to keep their land.

Previously announced series stars include Lena Heady, Gillian Anderson, Nick Robinson, Diana Silvers, Lucas Till, Lamar Johnson, Aisling Franciosi and Natalia del Riego. Mayans M.C. star Clayton Cardenas is set to recur.

Belissa Escobedo to Star in Reba McEntire’s Still-Untitled NBC Comedy Pilot

Posted on March 18, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Belissa Escobedo has lined up her next project…

The 25-year-old Latina actress and Blue Beetle star has been cast in Reba McEntire in her as-yet-untitled NBC multi-cam comedy pilot.

The project is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

The pilot follows Bobbie (McEntire) who inherits her father’s restaurant and is less than thrilled to discover that she has a new business partner in the half-sister she never knew she had.

Escobedo stars as Bobbie’s sister Isabella, an enthusiastic 20-something, who has studied psychology and loves to analyze people. She is thrilled to start working at the tavern and is full of “great” ideas about how to bring it to life.

Escobedo’s star continues to rise following two major roles in DC Entertainment/Warner Bros’ Blue Beetle, where he portrayed the titular character’s (played by Xolo Maridueña) sister Milagro, and Disney’s Hocus Pocus 2 where she popped off the screen—no easy task when you’re starring opposite Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, who returned as the Sanderson sisters.

Additional credits include the ABC dramedy The Baker And The Beauty alongside Carlos Gomez, Lisa Vidal and Victor Rasuk; Ryan Murphy’s FX anthology series American Horror Stories, the Catherine Hardwicke-directed Quibi limited series Don’t Look Deeper and the American High films Sex Appeal (Hulu) and Sid Is Dead.

New Trailer for Apple TV+’s “Palm Royale” Showcases Ricky Martin’s Character

Posted on February 5, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Ricky Martin is bracing for a royale experience…

The 52-year-old Puerto Rican singer-songwriter and actor enters high society in the new trailer for the upcoming Apple TV+ series, Palm Royale.

Martin is set to play Robert in the comedy series that stars Kristen Wiig, Alison Janney, Laura Dern, Kaia Gerber, Bruce Dern and Carol Burnett, who will be making “extra special guest” appearances.

Loosely based on the novel Mr. and Mrs. American Pie by Juliet McDaniel, Palm Royale marks Martin’s first television project since Ryan Murphy’s drama The Assassination of Gianni Versace on FX, in which he played Antonio D’Amico.

In the trailer, Martin is seen as a server at an exclusive club serving up martinis.

Later, he’s show swimming in a pool where he asks Wiig’s character, Maxine, who’s assimilating into the wealthy class, “Do you know anything about rich people?”

According to an official description of the television series, Palm Royale follows Maxine as she “attempts to cross that impermeable line between the haves and the have-nots … ‘Palm Royale’ asks the same question that still baffles us today: ‘How much of yourself are you willing to sacrifice to get what someone else has?’ Set during the powder keg year of 1969, ‘Palm Royale’ is a testament to every outsider fighting for their chance to truly belong.”

The series is written, executive produced, and showrun by Abe Sylvia for Aunt Sylvia’s Moving Picture Company. The first three episodes of Palm Royale premiere March 20 on Apple TV+, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through May 8.

David Labrava Signs with The Green Room for Representation

Posted on January 27, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

David Labrava is making room for new representation…

The 61-year-old Latino actor, who starred on Sons of Anarchy and Mayans M.C., has signed with The Green Room for representation.

Labrava is best known for his portrayal of Happy Lowman- the assassin in the biker drama from Kurt Sutter, FX’s Sons of Anarchy, since the show’s inception in 2008 to its conclusion in 2014 for a total of seven seasons.

He began his journey on the series as a technical advisor to day player to finally a series regular who also co-wrote the Season 4 episode “Hands.” Additionally, he contributed to the success of the show by writing “Fat Bob’s Blog” on the FX website for seven years.

The Miami native reprised the popular character Happy in the show’s spinoff series Mayans M.C., co-created by Sutter and Elgin James, for three seasons. He was one of the last surviving members of the original M.C. until his demise in the final season.

“I am extremely excited to be back at The Green Room. Alex is a class act, always has been. Big things are coming. I am writing every day, and grateful to be working with a team of talented people bringing art and culture to a planet that so desperately needs it,” Labrava tells Deadline in an exclusive statement.

Labrava wrote, starred in and directed his first feature film entitled Street Level in 2015. Based on a true story, Street Level is a modern-day love story about two junkies exploring drug addiction and survival on the streets of Los Angeles. It starred many of his Sons co-stars including Drea de Matteo, Kristen Renton, Mark Boone Junion, Emilio Rivera, Robert Patrick and Danny Trejo; in addition to Marilyn Manson, Charisma Carpenter and Chuck Zito.

His additional film credits include the Swedish film 1% The Voice Within, directed by Jesper Sanneving, in the 2020 feature film Hunters Moon directed by Michael Caissie and in 2022, Shadows from Lionsgate.

Although he’s recognized for his on-screen portrayals, Labrava is nary far from a pen and paper—or his laptop. He has a best-selling novel through Amazon entitled Becoming A Son and has recently completed his second novel Trust Issues which is being printed at the time of this writing.

His forthcoming novel puts everyday people in some not-very-normal situations. It’s about the magic of love and the power of trust and two people wielding both.

JD Pardo Signs First-Look Deal with FX Productions to Develop New TV Programming for FX

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

JD Pardo is getting a first look… Deal, that is.

The 43-year-old Argentine & Salvadoran American Emmy-nominated actor, who starred in five successful season of Mayans M.C., has signed a first-look deal with FX Productions to develop new television programming for FX.

Pardo portrayed Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes on the hit Sons of Anarchy spinoff, created by Kurt Sutter and Elgin James, from 2018 to 2023.

On-screen, Pardo’s EZ went from prospect to influential member of the M.C. to leader of it all by series end.

Pardo also grew professionally and creatively, he began his journey as the show’s lead actor, later adding producer to his credits to making his directorial debut in the Season 5 episode titled, “I See The Black Light.”

Additionally, Pardo was also recently seen starring in Prime Video’s action-thriller series The Terminal List, alongside Chris Pratt.

He will next be in Prime Video’s reimagining of the 1989 MGM film Road House, starring alongside Jake Gyllenhaal. Directed by Doug Liman, the film will premiere in early 2024.

Born and raised in Panorama City, CA, Pardo the son of an Argentinean father and El Salvadorian mother, found his love for acting while taking a high school theater class. He began his career with recurring arcs on NBC’s 2004 musical series, American Dream and in the CBS series Clubhouse. Two years later, Pardo starred in the Lifetime movie A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story, which chronicles the true story of the titular transgender teen (played by Pardo) who was murdered by four male acquaintances. The movie was honored with the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Movie for Television in 2006.

Additional film credits also include F9: The Fast Saga (2021), Guillermo Arriaga’s The Burning Plain (2008), Snitch (2013) and Summit’s final installment of the Twilight Series Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012).

In 2016, Pardo was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Digital Daytime Drama Series for his work on Hulu’s East Los High. His additional television credits include starring roles in JJ Abram’s NBC drama Revolution and CW’s The Messengers, among others.

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

Tag Archives: FX