Ana Ortiz to Star in Season 2 of Disney+’s Anthology Series “Goosebumps”

Posted on March 21, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Ana Ortiz is (goose)bumping up her television plans…

The 53-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress will star opposite David Schwimmer in the Disney+ anthology series Goosebumps for Season 2 as a series regular.

From Disney Branded Television and produced by Sony Pictures Television, the series is based upon R.L Stine’s bestselling Scholastic series. Each season features a new story, setting and cast. Season 2 will follow teenage siblings who discover a threat stirring, triggering a chain of events that unravel a profound mystery. As they delve into the unknown, the duo find themselves entangled in the chilling tale of four teenagers who mysteriously vanished in 1994.

Ortiz will play Jen, a dedicated police detective who remains rooted in her Brooklyn neighborhood after experiencing a tragic event that involved her friends in adolescence.

Nicholas Stoller and Rob Letterman developed the series and serve as executive producers, alongside showrunner Hilary Winston, Neal H. Moritz, Scholastic Entertainment’s Iole Lucchese, Pavun Shetty, Conor Welch, Scholastic Entertainment’s Caitlin Friedman and Erin O’Malley.

Ortiz broke out as Hilda Suarez on ABC’s hit comedy Ugly Betty, earning both American Latino Media Arts and Imagen Awards prizes for “Best Supporting Actress” for her portrayal as Betty’s (America Ferrera) sassy older sister.

Additional television credits include roles in Marc Cherry’s Devious Maids, The Mindy Project from Fox/Hulu, ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder, FX’s Over There and ABC’s Boston Legal, to name a few.

Most recently, Ortiz was a series regular on the Hulu series Love, Victor.

Jessica Marie Garcia Signs with Creative Artists Agency (CAA)

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Jessica Marie Garcia has new representation…

The 36-year-old Cuban & Mexican American actress has signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA).

Garcia currently recurs on the NBC comedy series Lopez Vs. Lopez opposite George and Mayan Lopez, as cousin ‘Yesika’. Before that, she starred on Netflix’s “Most-Binged Original” hit series On My Block as the spitfire ‘Jasmine Flores’, a role that earned her a Teen Choice Award nomination for Best Summer TV Actress and an MTV Movie & TV Award nomination.

She also appeared in Gina Rodriguez’s Disney+ series Diary of a Female President as ‘Camila,’ as well as recurring on Shonda Rhimes’ How To Get Away With Murder playing ‘Rhonda’ opposite Viola Davis. Additionally, she starred in all four seasons of the Disney Channel original series Liv and Maddie as ‘Willow Cruz.’

Her feature film Avenge the Crows, in which she plays ‘Peaches,’ a tough inner-city gang member, starring alongside Danny Trejo and Lou Diamond Phillips, is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. You can see her earlier work on shows including ABC’s The Middle, as the tough wrestlerette, ‘Becky,’ and as ‘Sierra Cruz’ on ABC Family’s Huge.

Garcia is also a member of the all-female ensemble cast of Betch: A Sketch Show, streaming now on Paramount+. She has also lent her voice to both seasons of the Love in Gravity podcast, which received special recognition at the 2023 GLAAD Awards. She additionally voiced ‘Renee Montoya’ in the hit original audio drama Batman Unburied for Spotify and voiced ‘Ami’ for the audio original book The Honeymoon Crashers by the writing duo Christina Lauren.

Garcia is branching out with her production shingle, where she has been writing and producing, most recently with her film Illegally Brown, directed by Gabby Revilla Lugo, which was recently on the festival circuit. She also shot the film What To Expect with director Gabriela Garcia Medina.

Natalia del Riego to Star in Kurt Sutter’s Western Action Drama “The Abandons”

Posted on March 2, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Natalia del Riego is abandoning her plans…

The Salvadoran & Mexican actress has joined the cast of Kurt Sutter’s Western action drama The Abamdons.

del Riego is among a list of six new series regulars that includes Lucas Till, Nick Robinson, Diana Silvers, Lamar Johnson and Aisling Franciosi.

They join previously announced cast members Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson, who lead the cast as Fiona Nolan and Constance Van Ness, respectively.

del Riego will portray Lilla Belle.

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.

del Riego is best known for her work on shows like NCIS: Los Angeles, Promised Land, The Rookie, How to Get Away with Murder and American Crime.

Nicholas Gonzalez to Star in NBC’s Sci-Fi Drama “La Brea”

Posted on March 23, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Nicholas Gonzalez is ready to sink into a new role…

The 45-year-old Mexican American actor, who has starred as Dr. Neil Melendez on ABC’s The Good Doctor for the last three seasons, will co-star opposite Eoin Macken, Natalie Zea and Jon Seda in NBC’s sci-fi drama La Brea.

Gonzalez also joins previously cast Veronica St. Clair, Chiké Okonkwo, Jack Martin, Zyra Gorecki and Lily Santiago.

In La Brea, written by David Appelbaum, when a massive sinkhole mysteriously opens in Los Angeles, it tears a family in half, separating mother (Zea) and son (Martin) from father (Macken) and daughter (Gorecki). When part of the family find themselves in an unexplainable primeval world alongside a disparate group of strangers, they must work to survive and uncover the mystery of where they are and if there is a way back home.

Gonzalez will play Levi Brooks, an Air Force pilot and Gavin’s (Macken) best friend who is recruited to lead the mission to save the people who fell into the sinkhole.

Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, is the studio, producing with Keshet Studios.

For the past three seasons, Gonzalez was a series regular on ABC’s hit medical drama The Good Doctor, playing the popular character of Dr. Melendez, who died in the two-part Season 4 premiere. His series credits include Being Mary Jane, How to Get Away With Murder and Pretty Little Liars.

Gerardo Celasco to Star in ABC’s Drama Pilot “National Parks”

Posted on February 24, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Gerardo Celasco is putting his career in Park(s)…

The 38-year-old Salvadoran-American actor has landed a lead role opposite Billy Campbell and Angel Parker in National Parks, ABC’s drama pilot co-written and executive produced by Yellowstone star Kevin Costner.

The project hails from Costner’s Territory Pictures Entertainment, 20th Century Fox Television and A+E Studios.

Co-written by Costner, Aaron Helbing and Jon Baird and to be directed by Anthony Hemingway, National Parks follows a small group of elite national parks service agents as they solve crimes while protecting the parks — which, while being known for their sweeping, beautiful landscapes, also attract a vast array of criminal activity.

Celasco will play Lincoln Kane, a fearless ISB Special Agent who is haunted by his past and carries the world on his shoulders. Lincoln’s commitment is never in question as he finds his own way to go above and beyond the call.

Celasco most recently wrapped production on the Swimming with Sharks drama series reboot, starring opposite Diane Kruger and Kiernan Shipka. He co-starred in the Fox sci-fi series Next and recurred as Xavier Castillo on Shonda Rhimes’ ABC drama How To Get Away With Murder.

Celasco’s feature credits include Moneyball opposite Jonah Hill and Pete Berg’s Battleship.

Tracy Vilar to Star in the Netflix Dramedy “Maid”

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Posted on October 12, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Tracy Vilar is maid to order…

The 52-year-old Latina actress has been cast as a series regular opposite Margaret Qualley in Maid, Netflix’s dramedy series from writer Molly Smith Metzler, John Wells Productions, Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television.

Written by Metzler, Maid is inspired by Stephanie Land’s bestselling memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive. It revolves around Alex (Qualley), a single mother who turns to housekeeping to — barely — make ends meet as she battles against poverty, homelessness, and bureaucracy. Told primarily through her point of view, Maid is described as a beautiful, alive, gritty and inspiring exploration of poverty in America.

Vilar will play Yolanda, the owner of “Value Maids,” the cleaning business that eventually employs “Alex” (Qualley). A woman who suffers no fools and runs a tight ship, Yolanda has managed to survive in a world (and economy) that is not always kind to her.

In addition to Qualley, Vilar joins previously cast Andie MacDowell, Nick Robinson and Anika Noni Rose. Maid is currently filming in Vancouver.

Vilar co-starred on the CBS comedy series Partners. Her television series credits include major roles on Fox’s House and TNT’s Saved and guest shots on three Shondaland/ABC series, Grey’s Anatomy, How To Get Away with Murder and For the People. She also appeared in the features Grace of My Heart and K-Pax.

Nicholas Gonzalez to Star in the Survival Thriller “Borrego”

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Nicholas Gonzalez is ready to lay down the law…

The 44-year-old Mexican American actor will star opposite Lucy Hale in the survival thriller Borrego.

Hale will play a young botanist who relocates to a small desert town to study an invasive plant species. While out conducting research, she comes to the aid of a downed plane only to find herself taken captive by an inexperienced drug mule who forces her to lead a trek across the sweltering desert to his drop.

The local sheriff (portrayed by Gonzalez) is drawn into the hunt as his rebellious daughter sets out to find the missing botanist, all while being pursued by a local drug receiver.

Costa Rican actor Leynar Gómez, Latino actor Jorge A. Jimenez and Mexican American actress Olivia Trujillo round out the cast.

Jesse Harris will direct the film from his own script, and he’ll produce. Hale will serve as executive producer.

Gonzalez currently stars on ABC’s The Good Doctor. His other television credits include appearances on Being Mary Jane, Narcos, How to Get Away With Murder and Pretty Little Liars.

His film credits include The Purge: Anarchy, Falling Awake and Rockaway.

Karla Souza to Star in ABC’s Family Comedy Pilot “Home Economics”

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Karla Souza is cooking things up…

The 34-year-old Mexican actress will star in ABC’s family comedy pilot Home Economics.

Starring Caitlin McGee and Topher Grace, the series is described as ‘similar to Modern Family’ and revolves around three adult siblings: one in the 1 percent, one in the middle class, and one barely holding on.

The project hails from writers Michael Colton and John Aboud, the Tannenbaum Co., Lionsgate Television and ABC Studios. It was written by

Colton and Aboud and inspired by Colton’s family.

McGee plays the oldest sibling, Sarah, a therapist for at-risk kids, married to a teacher, and they’re often scraping to make ends meet. Of her siblings, she earns the least money, but she does the most socially important work (as she frequently reminds them). She’s a doting mom to her two kids and tries to be a guru to her two brothers, who obviously would be lost without her wisdom.

Grace plays Tom, the middle sibling and middle-class.

Souza will play Marina. A proud first-generation New Yorker whose parents came from Latin America, Marina is a former lawyer married to struggling novelist Tom (Grace). She’s constantly exhausted by caring for her seven-year-old daughter and toddler twin boys. Marina would like to go back to work one day, if only to escape her children. A rule-follower, Marina is often in conflict with her brother-in-law Connor, who never met a corner he didn’t try to cut. She’s pushed to the max and ready to call everyone out on how much easier they have it.

Souza is returning to ABC after starring in How To Get Away With Murder for the first five seasons. She recurred on the sixth and final season while shooting Pablo Larrain’s upcoming limited series El Presidente for Amazon.

After starring in three of the highest grossing films in Mexico (Que Culpa Tiene El Nino, Nosotros Los Nobles and Instructions Not Included), Souza was last seen on the big screen starring in Everybody Loves Somebody for writer/director Catalina Aguilar Mastretta.

Esai Morales to Star as the Villain in “Mission: Impossible 7”

Posted on May 22, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Esai Morales has found a new mission…The 57-year-old Puerto Rican actor has joined the cast of Mission: Impossible 7, replacing Nicholas Hoult s the film’s villain.

The Paramount and Skydance co-production was close to starting production in Italy, when the world shut down due to COVID-19 and that included the Christopher McQuarrie-directed film, which will see Tom Cruise reprise his Ethan Hunt spy character.

The delay put Hoult in conflict with another commitment.

Mission: Impossible 7 is expected to start production in late summer or early fall.

The film was scheduled for release on July 23, 2021 but has been moved to November 19, 2021 to account for the delay.

The entire franchise through six movies has amassed over $3.57 billion for Paramount.

Morales, who rose to acclaim as Bob Morales in La Bamba, most recently completed a stint on How To Get Away With Murder.

His other credits include television roles on Magic City, Chicago P.D. and NCIS: Los Angeles, and film roles in Gun Hill Road, Fast Food Nation and Spare Parts.

Gerardo Celasco to Star in Quibi’s Drama Series “Swimming with Sharks”

Posted on March 1, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Gerardo Celasco has gone swimming…

The 37-year-old Salvadoran American actor has been cast opposite Kiernan Shipka and Diane Kruger in Quibi’s drama series Swimming with Sharks.

Billed as a contemporary update of George Huang’s 1994 film that both celebrates and skewers the Hollywood studio system, the Lionsgate-produced series is written and produced by Kathleen Robertson, and directed by Tucker Gates, with Chris Cowles also producing.

In the series adaptation with a female twist, Lou (Shipka), a young female assistant, works for Joyce (Kruger), a sole female studio head, at a company filled with manipulators, schemers and intrigue, but little do they know Lou is poised to outwit them all.

Celasco will play Miles, a moderately talented artist and the husband of Joyce Holt (the big moneymaker in the household). Miles and Joyce have a complicated relationship based on love, money and power.

Celasco, who rose to acclaim on NBC’s Passions, co-stars in the upcoming Foxthriller series neXt. He’s known for his multi-season arc on ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder.

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