Gina Rodriguez Developing Series Adaptation of Sonoro Podcast “Princess of South Beach”

Posted on March 28, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Life’s a (south) beach for Gina Rodriguez.

The 38-year-old Puerto Rican actress and Golden Globe winner is developing a series adaptation of Sonoro podcast series Princess of South Beach for Netflix.

The streamer has optioned the podcast with the former Jane The Virgin star set to executive produce the project under her I Can & I Will Productions banner alongside Sonoro, iHeart’s My Cultura Network and Jasmine Romero .

Rodriguez is not currently attached to star in the series.

Additionally, the scripted podcast series has been renewed for a second season, set to premiere this fall.

Princess of South Beach is iHeart’s My Cultura Network’s top performing title and was nominated for Best Fiction Podcast at the Ambies last year.

The second season will be released in both English and Spanish and will be marketed to audiences globally. It will feature some of the first season’s biggest stars, including X Mayo, Gina Torres, Raul Esparza and Danny Pino.

Princess of South Beach follows Maria del Carmen and Gloria, twin sisters who were separated at birth and raised in dramatically different ways — one in a convent and the other in the lap of luxury. When a freak accident kills Gloria, Maria del Carmen assumes her identity and uncovers that Gloria’s rich family isn’t as picture-perfect as they seem.

The bilingual series pays homage to beloved telenovela tropes and adds modern twists. It stars Rachel Zegler, Esparza, Torres, Pino and Sheryl Rubio.

Season 2 will see Raul and Estrella set off on a road trip to figure out the whereabouts of Estrella’s long-lost high school sweetheart, Gabby, and in turn, uncover the dark past behind Esteban Calderon.

Camila Victoriano and Joshua Weinstein will executive produce season two on behalf of Sonoro, and Gisselle Bances for iHeart’s My Cultura Network. Romero served as a writer (alongside Joanna Hausmann) and director on Season 1 and will return in both capacities in the second season.

David Del Rio to Star Opposite Kathy Bates in CBS’ Drama Pilot “Matlock”

Posted on March 8, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

David Del Rio is (Mat)locking in his next project…

The 35-year-old Latinx actor/director and former Baker and the Beauty star and Leah Lewis have been cast as series regulars opposite Kathy Bates and Skye P. Marshall in CBS’ drama pilot Matlock.

The project is a new take on the classic legal television drama starring Andy Griffith, which hails from Jane the Virgin creator Jennie Snyder Urman and NCIS: Los Angeles star Eric Christian Olsen.

In Matlock, written by Urman and to be directed by Kat Coiro, after achieving success in her younger years, the brilliant septuagenarian Madeline Matlock (Bates) rejoins the work force at a prestigious law firm where she uses her unassuming demeanor and wily tactics to win cases and expose corruption from within.

Del Rio plays Billy, a charismatic young associate a few years out of law school and assigned to work on one of the firm’s biggest cases. He helps Matty navigate her new work environment as he seemingly knows more than he should.

Lewis plays Sarah, a Junior Associate eager to get ahead and not worried about being liked. Sarah is all ambition, determined to be seen for her smarts and willing to do anything to move up a peg at the firm. She is not pleased when she’s forced to work alongside Matty, lowering her position at the company even further.

Bates executive produces alongside Sutton Street’s Urman and Joanna Klein, Coiro, as well as Cloud Nine’s Olsen and John Will.

Del Rio can be seen as a lead in the Hulu Original series, Maggie, opposite Rebecca Rittenhouse. His most recent credits include starring as Mateo in ABC’s Baker and the Beauty. He also replaced Lin-Manuel Miranda in his Tony winning role on Broadway as Sonny in In the Heights, and teamed up with Miranda to star in the Emmy nominated Grease: Live on Fox.

Gina Rodriguez Signs Overall Deal with 20th Television

Posted on February 6, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Gina Rodriguez has a new deal…

The 38-year-old Puerto Rican Golden Globe-winning actress, the star and executive producer of Not Dead Yet, has signed an overall deal with 20th Television, the studio behind Rodriguez’s new ABC comedy series.

Under the pact, Rodriguez will develop, direct and executive produce new series across all platforms through her production company I Can & I Will, run by executive Molly Breeskin.

Rodriguez and Breeskin will continue to follow the company’s mission statement to create art that tells stories from the unheard and unseen, to discover and expose new talent, and to increase empathy and understanding for all communities.

“Gina is a true multi-hyphenate, an extremely talented performer who’s as adept at directing and producing as she is in front of the camera,” said 20th Television president Karey Burke. “She has an incredible eye for IP, an optimistic and uplifting point of view, and a unique ability to spotlight underrepresented voices and stories in a broad and ambitious way.”

Best known for her award-winning title role in Jane the Virgin, Rodriguez will next be seen in Robert Rodriguez’s Spy Kids reboot and Players, both for Netflix.

She recently appeared in Netflix’s Lost Ollie and Amazon’s I Want You Back and is heard in the title role of Netflix’s Carmen Sandiego animated series as well as in the streamer’s Big Mouth.

I Can & I Will produced two seasons of Disney+’s Diary Of a Future President, for which Rodriguez directed the pilot and co-starred as the future president. With her family, she established the We Will Foundation to champion underprivileged youth through arts, education, scholarship funding and financial literacy.

“At I Can & I Will, we are constantly working to expand the narrative of underrepresented communities and I am over the moon to join forces with the incredible leaders at 20th in that mission,” said Rodriguez.

Mario Lopez to Co-Host This Year’s Rose Parade

Posted on December 21, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Everything’s comin’ up roses for Mario Lopez.

The 49-year-old Mexican American actor/television personality will co-host NBC’s live broadcast of the 134th Rose Parade with Ana Gasteyer.

Lopez, who returns as co-host for the second consecutive year, and American Auto star Gasteyer will lead the network’s coverage of the annual event from 11:30-1:00 pm ET (8:30-10:00 am PT) on Monday, January 2 in Pasadena, CA.

The parade will also be livestreamed on Peacock.

This will be NBC’s 96th year broadcasting the Rose Parade, beginning on radio in 1927 and then televising the annual event beginning in 1954.

Former Arizona congresswoman and gun violence survivor and prevention advocate Gabby Giffords will serve as the 2023 Grand Marshal of the parade, which is themed “Turning the Corner.”

The parade begins with a B-2 Spirit flyover and features floral covered floats, performers, marching bands, equestrian teams and more.

The Rose Parade is produced by LX.TV, a production unit of the NBC Owned Television Stations.

Lopez, a two-time Emmy winner, is host of Access Hollywood and Access Daily with Mario & Kit. He’s known for his starring role on the hit teen series Saved By the Bell and appeared and produced two seasons of the Saved By The Bell reboot for NBC’s Peacock. Lopez, who is under an overall development deal with NBCUniversal, recently appeared on NBC’s This is Us and CW’s Jane the Virgin.

Television Academy Names Rita Moreno to This Year’s Hall of Fame Class

Posted on October 25, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Rita Moreno is entering a special hall…

The Television Academy has announced its 26th Hall of Fame class, with the 90-year-old Puerto Rican entertainer among the honorees.

Moreno will be joined by choreographer and actress Debbie Allen, documentarian Ken Burns, BET founder Robert L. Johnson, CBS executive Bob Daly and cinematographer Donald A. Morgan.

Moreno, an EGOT winner (Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, Tony Awards), is a two-time Emmy winner for The Muppet Show and The Rockford Files.

She has starred in series including The Electric Company, Sesame Street, Nine to Five, Oz, Cane, Happily Divorced, Jane the Virgin, and the Latinx reimagining of Norman Lear’s One Day at a Time.

Moreno’s many accolades also include the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Arts, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, the Kennedy Center Honors and the Peabody Award.

Moreno is among two of the honorees who’ve already received honorary awards from the Television Academy. She was awarded a “Televisionary Award” in 2008. Allen received a Governors Award last year.

The Hall of Fame event will take place on Wednesday, November 16, at the Television Academy’s Saban Media Center in North Hollywood, California.

In addition to the induction of the 2022 Hall of Fame recipients, the event will include the presentation of the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award to actor/director/activist Sean Penn and the unveiling of new busts of four previous inductees.

“These legendary performers, creators, craftspeople and television executives are luminaries in our industry,” Frank Scherma, chairman and CEO of the Television Academy, said in a statement. “Their work has influenced and immeasurably elevated the current television landscape and culture. We are proud to induct these trailblazers into the Hall of Fame and honored to celebrate their extraordinary contributions to our industry.”

“This year’s honorees have told the American story through television in ways that will forever shape our history and culture,” said Rick Rosen, Hall of Fame selection committee chair (who is also WME co-founder and head of television). “Whether they reshaped the industry itself through visionary leadership or created pieces of work that have had a lasting legacy, these individuals will forever be remembered for the impact they’ve had on the medium.”

The 2022 Hall of Fame honorees join more than 150 individuals previously inducted into the Hall of Fame since its inception in 1984. The honors were presented every year from 1984 to 1993, but the Academy has skipped 13 years since then for various reasons. This is the first induction class since 2019.

In addition to Rosen, this year’s Hall of Fame selection committee included Marcy Carsey, Emmy-winning producer; Pearlena Igbokwe, chairman of Universal Studio Group; Peter Roth, former chairman of Warner Bros. Television Group; Nina Tassler, co-chief executive officer of PatMa Productions; and Dana Walden, chairman of Disney General Entertainment Content.

Ricardo Chavira to Appear Opposite Kim Cattrall in Netflix’s Drama Series “Glamorous”

Posted on August 28, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Ricardo Chavira is about to lead a glamorous life…

The 50-year-old Mexican American actor and former Desperate Housewives star has landed a heavily recurring role opposite Kim Cattrall in Netflix’s drama series Glamorous, from Jordon Nardino and Damon Wayans Jr.

Glamorous, which originally had been ordered to pilot at The CW in 2019, tells the story of Marco Mejia, played by previously announced Miss Benny, a gender-nonconforming queer young man whose life seems to be stuck in place until he lands a job working for legendary makeup mogul Madolyn Addison (Cattrall). It’s Marco’s first chance to figure out what he wants out of life, who he actually is and what it really means for him to be queer.

Chavira plays Teddy. The handsome personal full-time driver for makeup mogul Madolyn Addison (Cattrall), as well as maybe her closest confidant. Professional but unpolished, Teddy isn’t wowed by Madolyn’s celebrity or beauty and enjoys calling her out on her bullshit and telling it to her like it is. Their friendly sparring and frank relationship betray a chemistry that could lead to more, if either of them was willing to admit it.

Nardino writes and exec produces the 10-part drama series, which is also executive-produced by Wayans Jr. and Kameron Tarlow of Two Shakes Entertainment. CBS Studios is the studio.

Chavira most recently appeared in the Netflix series Selena as a series regular and can next be seen in the upcoming third season of Apple’s Truth Be Told. He is best known for his portrayal of Carlos Solis in the hit ABC series Desperate Housewives. Other credits include Kevin Can Wait, Jane the Virgin, The Santa Clarita Diet, and Scandal.

Gina Rodriguez to Star in Robert Rodriguez’s Next “Spy Kids” Film for Netflix

Posted on June 25, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Gina Rodriguez is ready for her next adventure…

The 37-year-old Puerto Rican Golden Globe-winning actress will star in Spy Kids creator Robert Rodriguez’s next installment of the hot family adventure film franchise.

The Jane the Virgin star will star opposite Zachary Levi, Everly Carganilla and newcomer Connor Esterson in the upcoming film from Netflix, Skydance and Spyglass.

Robert Rodriguez will write, direct and produce the next film, which will introduce the world to a new family of spies. Racer Max will co-write the film.

The film marks Rodriguez’s second family film with Netflix following the success of the 2020 family action film We Can Be Heroes.

This latest Spy Kids chapter is set after the children of the world’s greatest secret agents unwittingly help a powerful game developer unleash a computer virus that gives him control of all technology, leading them to become spies themselves to save their parents and the world.

David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger will produce for Skydance, which will oversee development and production. Elizabeth Avellan and Max will also produce. Spyglass’ Gary Barber and Peter Oillataguerre will executive produce. Nick Nesbit will be Netflix’s creative lead on the film.

Rodriguez most recently landed a starring role in the ABC’s single-camera comedy Not Dead Yet, which just got picked up to series. She also was tapped to lead the Amazon series Last Known Position.

She was most recently seen in Amazon’s I Want You Back as well as Awake.

Carganilla was most recently seen in The Afterparty, The Haunted Man and The Chair.

Brian Jordan Alvarez to Executive Produce, Write & Star In FX’s Comedy Pilot “English Teacher”

Posted on June 2, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Brian Jordan Alvarez is heading to the classroom..

FX has given the green light to the comedy pilot English Teacher from the 34-year-old Latino producer, actor and writer and Paul Simms.

Alvarez will executive produce, write and star in the pilot.

English Teacher is a comedy about gay high school English teacher Evan (Alvarez) and his fellow teachers in Austin as they try to balance the competing demands of the students and their parents in a world where the rules seem to change every day.

Alvarez has appeared on Will & Grace, Get Shorty, Grace and Frankie and Jane the Virgin.

He also created the web series The Gay and Wonderous Life of Caleb Gallo.

Justina Machado to Star in Mario Garcia’s Indie Comedy “The Throwback”

Posted on April 25, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

It’s throwback time for Justina Machado.

The 49-year-old Puerto Rican actress will star opposite Will Sasso in The Throwback, an indie comedy marking the feature directorial debut of Mario Garcia.

The project will be heading into production in Tampa next month.

The film follows a married couple (Machado and Sasso) in full-blown midlife crisis who are thrown into further turmoil when the wife (Machado), an underappreciated and stressed ‘supermom,’ suffers a post-traumatic breakdown during the holiday season, causing her to regress to her 19-year-old college party-girl self.

Garcia wrote the script and will produce via his company Garcia Interactive, alongside Michael A. Alfieri of Miantri Films and Doug Fox. Machado and Sasso’s longtime manager, Danielle Del, will executive produce alongside Machado and Sterling Macer Jr.

Machado recently starred as Penelope on Sony Picture Television’s revival of One Day at a Time. She will next be seen in the Blumhouse-produced Amazon series, The Horror of Dolores Roach.

The actress has also been seen on series like Queen of the South, Jane the Virgin and Six Feet Under, among many others.

Her additional film credits include All Together Now, The Purge: Anarchy, The Call and The Accidental Husband.

Vico Ortiz Signs with Paradigm

Posted on April 16, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Vico Ortiz has new representation.

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

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: 1984, Criminal Minds, 9-1-1, Ray 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..