Disney+ Renews Alisa Reyes’ “Proud Family” Revival, “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder,” for Second Season

Posted on April 18, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

There are more proud moments in Alisa Reyes’ future…

Disney+ has given The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, its Proud Family revival – featuring the 41-year-old Latina actress as part of the voice cast – a second season renewal.

The news comes only days before the first season’s upcoming finale on Wednesday, April 20. Season 2 has started production.

The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, from creator Bruce W. Smith and executive producer Ralph Farquhar, picks up the story of its central character, Penny Proud, and includes her madcap family: parents Oscar and Trudy, twin siblings BeBe and CeCe, and grandmother Suga Mama (and Puff).

Of course, it would not be The Proud Family without Penny’s loyal crew Dijonay Jones, LaCienega Boulevardez (Reyes) and Zoey Howzer, among others.

The series touts the voice talents of original cast members Kyla Pratt, Tommy Davidson, Paula Jai Parker, JoMarie Payton, Cedric the Entertainer, Karen Malina White, Soleil Moon Frye, Reyes, Carlos Mencia, Maria Canals-Barrera, Alvaro Gutierrez, Raquel Lee Bolleau and Marcus T. Paulk.

Set to return for Season 2 are Keke Palmer, Billy Porter, Zachary Quinto, EJ Johnson, Asante Blackk, Artist “A Boogie” Dubose, Bresha Webb and Aiden Dodson.

Disney+ also unveiled a buzzy lineup of Season 2 guest stars.

Set to appear are Chance the Rapper, Gabrielle Union, Normani, Leslie Odom Jr., Anthony Anderson, Dominique Dawes, Gabby Douglas, Latina Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez, Jane Lynch, Holly Robinson Peete, Maury Povich, Storm Reid, Courtney B. Vance and Spanish actress Liana Mendoza.

In addition to Smith and Farquhar, Calvin Brown, Jr. is co-executive producer and story editor, Jan Hirota is producer, Eastwood Wong is art director, and directors are Latoya Raveneau, Rudi Bloss and Tara Nicole Whitaker.

Eva Longoria to Guest Star on Disney+’s “The Proud Family” Revival “Louder and Prouder”

Posted on September 15, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Eva Longoria is preparing for a moment of Proud…

Disney+ has locked in a stacked cast of guest stars and new recurring talent for The Proud Family revival Louder and Prouder, including the 46-year-old Mexican American actress/producer, in commemoration of the original animated series’ 20th anniversary.

In addition to Longoria, best known for her starring role on Desperate Housewives, the guest-starring voice cast will feature A-listers from the worlds of music, film, TV and sports including Lizzo, Lil Nas X, Chance the Rapper, Normani, Leslie Odom Jr., Tiffany Haddish, Lena Waithe, Anthony Anderson, Gabrielle Union, Debbie Allen, James Pickens Jr., Courtney B. Vance, Jane Lynch, Marsai Martin, Jaden Smith, Glynn Turman, Lamorne Morris, Brenda Song, Tina Knowles, Holly Robinson Peete, Al Roker, Bretman Rock, Gabby Douglas, Laurie Hernandez and Dominique Dawes, among others.

The series is set to launch on Disney+ in 2022

New recurring stars announced include Asante Blackk as Penny’s boyfriend, Kareem; rapper Artist “A Boogie” Dubose as Maya’s gamer brother, Francis “KG” Leibowitz-Jenkins; Raquel Lee Bolleau, who will reprise her role as Nubia Gross; and Marcus T. Paulk, who reprises his role as Penny’s classmate, Myron.

Airing on Disney Channel between 2001 and 2005, The Proud Family followed the misadventures of teenager Penny Proud (Kyla Pratt) and her numerous eccentric family members.

Louder and Prouder is currently in production at Disney Television Animation and will pick up the story of its central character, as it catches up with her parents Oscar (Tommy Davidson) and Trudy (Paula Jai Parker), her twin siblings BeBe and CeCe, her grandmother Suga Mama (JoMarie Payton) and dog Puff, and members of her loyal crew including Dijonay Jones (Karen Malina White), LaCienega Boulevardez (Alisa Reyes) and Zoey Howzer (Soleil Moon Frye), among others.

Other original cast members reprising their roles, as previously announced, are Cedric the Entertainer, Carlos Mencia, Maria Canals-Barrera and Alvaro Gutierrez. Additional recurring cast members new to the world of The Proud Family include Keke Palmer, Billy Porter, Zachary Quinto, and EJ Johnson.

The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder is executive produced by Bruce W. Smith and Ralph Farquhar, who served in the same capacity on the original series.

All seasons of The Proud Family are currently available for streaming on Disney+. Disney+ has release a 20th anniversary featurette, in which Louder and Prouder stars reflect on their draw to the original series.

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.

Martin Sheen to Take Part in The People Concern’s Homelessness-Themed Virtual Fundraiser

Posted on May 31, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Martin Sheen is shining a spotlight on homelessness…

The People Concern, one of Los Angeles’s largest housing and social services agencies, will hold a virtual fundraiser this Friday, June 4, featuring the 80-year-old half-Spanish American actor, to help benefit homeless Angelenos and other local human right causes.

The live, online charity event will be hosted by Emmy-winning actress Jane Lynch.

In addition to Sheen, the program will feature special guest appearances by Ben Vereen, Marianne Jean-Baptiste and James Beard Award-winning chef Roy Choi.

The People Concern CEO John Maceri expressed the urgency of combatting homelessness in this critical time.

“We’re deeply grateful to our friends and supporters in the entertainment community who are shining a spotlight on the urgent need for all of us to step up and help the 66,000 experiencing homelessness here in LA, the largest unsheltered group in the country. The power of your voice has global impact and we urge more of you reach out and work with us, together we can make sure LA is the blueprint for the rest of the country solving homelessness with permanent, supportive housing. This is your Dunkirk moment,” Maceri said.

Maceri believes with eviction moratoriums coming up in June, Los Angeles is facing a “tsunami of homelessness,” with as many as 370,000 in LA alone at risk.

Tonight! With The People Concern & LA Chefs For Human Rights is scheduled this Friday, June 4, at 7 PM.

For those interested, visit https://tonight.funraise.org/.

Annie Gonzalez to Star in ABC Comedy Pilot “Bucktown”

Posted on April 9, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Annie Gonzalez is buck-ed up!

The Latina actress has been cast as a series regular in the ABC comedy pilot Bucktown, from Emily Wilson, Tom Werner and Sara Gilbert and ABC Signature.

Gonzalez will star opposite Sofia Capanna, Shannon Woodward, Jane Lynch and Nicole Richie.

Written by Wilson and directed by Betsy Thomas, Bucktown centers on Amy (Woodward), who, after being dumped by her boyfriend and kicked out of her apartment on the eve of a big promotion, finds refuge at her mom’s house in the blue-collar neighborhood where she grew up.

Gonzalez will play Jessie, Amy’s opinionated best friend who works beside her as an assistant at the ad agency.

Gonzalez can currently be seen as Lidia on the hit Netflix series Gentefied. Other recent credits include Starz’s Vida, Showtime’s Shameless and Amazon’s Good Girls Revolt.

“Glee” Cast to Reunite for Special Tribute to Naya Rivera’s Character Santana Lopez at GLAAD Media Awards

Posted on March 25, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Naya Rivera will be the focus of a special tribute at this year’s GLAAD Media Awards…

Glee cast members Jacob Artist, Chris Colfer, Darren Criss, Vanessa Lengies, Jane Lynch, Kevin McHale, Heather Morris, Matthew Morrison, Alex Newell, Amber Riley, Harry Shum Jr., Becca Tobin, and Jenna Ushkowitz will reunite at the virtual edition of the awards show on April 8 for a special tribute to the legacy of the Santana Lopez, the character portrayed by the late half-Puerto Rican actress/singer and Glee star, who drowned last July while on an outing with her son on California’s Lake Piru.

The tribute will honor the 10-year anniversary of Santana’s coming out as lesbian in the musical comedy. Glee is a GLAAD Media Award winning series and the reunion will spotlight Santana’s impact on LGBTQ teens and Latinx LGBTQ representation on television. Demi Lovato, who played Santana’s girlfriend on Glee, will introduce the special tribute.

The GLAAD Media Awards will be hosted by Niecy Nash and stream on YouTube on April 8 at 8:00 pm ET. The event will also stream on Hulu on April 8 starting at 10:00 pm ET, and will be available to stream on-demand on the streamer until the end of June.

Laurie Hernandez Joins Voice Cast of Nickelodeon’s Specials “Middle School Moguls”

Posted on September 12, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Laurie Hernandez is headed back to middle school…

Nickelodeon has ordered Middle School Moguls, four CG-animated half-hour specials featuring the 18-year-old Puerto Rican Olympic gold medal gymnast and Dancing with the Stars champion as part of the voice cast.

Middle School Moguls is inspired by the concept created by Gina and Jenae Heitkamp, who also serve as co-executive producers.

The specials chronicle the ambitions of four new friends striving to create their own companies while attending Mogul Academy, an entrepreneurial school where kid-business dreams come true. They follow students Valeria (Hernandez), Winnie (Daniella Perkins), Celeste (Jade Pettyjohn) and Yuna (Haley Tju), who are empowered by Mogul Academy to test their business creativity, innovation and grit, but being a kid boss comes with grown-up challenges so they’ll have to think outside of the box and “mogulize” if they want to make their big dreams a reality.

Additional voice cast includes Tim Gunn as Wren, a non-binary teacher in the Mogul Academy Fashion Branch, and Jane Lynch as Victoria Steele, the Headmaster of Mogul Academy. Additional casting news to come.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Gina and Jenae Heitkamp to bring Middle School Moguls to life on screen and to showcase authentic stories that speak to today’s generation of ambitious kids,” said Chris Viscardi, Nickelodeon’s Senior Vice President, Production and Development, Animation. “Kids today are learning about entrepreneurial opportunities at a much younger age. They want to start their own business and make business playful and empowering. They believe nothing is unattainable. Middle School Moguls taps into this entrepreneurial movement – building businesses based on kids’ unique skills, boundless inventiveness and taking action to pursue their passions.”

Hernandez’s previous television credits include co-hosting American Ninja Warrior Junior, and a cameo on Stuck in the Middle.

Morales to Compete on NBC’s “Hollywood Game Night”

Posted on March 20, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

It’s game on for Natalie Morales…

The 44-year-old Puerto Rican and Brazilian American broadcast journalist, the Today Show West Coast anchor and an NBC News correspondent, will appear on this season of NBC’s Hollywood Game Night.

Hosted by Glee star Jane Lynch, this game night show brings regular people face-to-face with celebrities.

In addition to Morales, this season’s famous contestants include Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley from This Is Us, Ben Feldman from Superstore, plus Michael Bolton, NE-YO, Mike Colter, Margaret Cho, Gabby Douglas, Taye Diggs, and RuPaul.

Hollywood Game Night will premiere on Monday, August 7 at 10 pm ET.

Moto to Serve as a Presenter at the Creative Arts Emmys

Posted on September 9, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Bethany Mota is about to get creative…

The 20-year-old YouTube sensation will serve as a presented at this weekend’s two-night Creative Arts Emmys.

The Television Academy has revealed news that Mota, a former contestant on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, will be a presenter on Sunday night. She joins a roster that includes Lori Greiner, Erinn Hayes, Marilu Henner, Jane Lynch, Tyler Oakley, Chris Parnell, Ryan Seacrest and Neil deGrasse Tyson.

FXX will air the 2016 Creative Arts Emmy Awards on September 17.

Mota to Serve as a Presenter at This Weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys