Aubrey Plaza Writing, Executive Producing & Starring in the Animated Series “Kevin”

Posted on October 7, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Aubrey Plaza is getting animated…

The 41-year-old half-Puerto Rican Emmy-nominated actress will write, executive produce and star in Prime Video’s upcoming adult animated series Kevin.

Plaza will star opposite Joe Wengert. Jason Schwartzman, Whoopi Goldberg, John Waters, Aparna Nancherla, Gil Ozeri and Amy Sedaris in the animated comedy.

Per the logline, loosely inspired by a real life break-up and the cat who was caught in the middle, Kevin is a hilarious and heart-warming story about finding where you belong in the world. After the unexpected break-up of his human “owners,”

Kevin moves into a local pet rescue in Astoria, Queens where a chaotic band of misfit animals will help him to figure out what he really wants out of life.

Plaza is Dana, a confident and career-driven young woman, Dana makes the grown up decision to end things with her boyfriend… but is blindsided by Kevin’s choice to venture out and live on his own.

Kevin is created and executive produced by Plaza and Joe Wengert, the latter also serving as showrunner.

The series is produced by Titmouse, Evil Hag Productions and Amazon MGM Studios.

Pedro Almodóvar to Receive Chaplin Award from Film at Lincoln Center

Posted on March 27, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Pedro Almodóvar has been selected to receive a special award…

The 75-year-old Spanish two-time Oscar-winning film director, screenwriter and author, who has had a decades-long relationship with the New York Film Festival, will receive a lifetime honor from its presenting organization next month.

The 50th annual Chaplin Award will be presented to the filmmaker on April 28 at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall.

Presenters who will pay tribute to him at the gala event include performer and artistic director Mikhail Baryshnikov; actress Rossy de Palma (the honoree’s longtime muse); pop star Dua Lipa; actor John Turturro; and filmmaker John Waters.

The Chaplin Award Gala is Film at Lincoln Center’s primary annual fundraising event. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit’s programs, including film series, educational initiatives, and marquee events like the New York Film Festival and New Directors/New Films.

The list of previous Chaplin recipients includes Jeff Bridges, Viola Davis, Robert De Niro, Barbara Streisand, Sidney Poitier, Michael Caine, Audrey Hepburn, Robert Altman, Billy Wilder and Elizabeth Taylor.

Almodóvar has had 15 films selected to screen at the New York Film Festival, including Oscar winners All About My Mother and Talk to Her.

His relationship with FLC began with when New Directors/New Films (a spring fest, on the opposite end of the calendar from NYFF in the fall) featured What Have I Done to Deserve This? in 1985 and Law of Desire in 1987.

He made his NYFF debut in 1988 with Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, which was that year’s Opening Night selection.

Other selections include Centerpiece films Bad Education, Volver and The Room Next Door; and Closing Night films Live Flesh, Talk to Her, Broken Embraces, and Parallel Mothers.

Melissa Villaseñor to Host This Year’s Film Independent Spirit Awards Ceremony

Posted on February 8, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Melissa Villaseñor has the spirit…

The 33-year-old Mexican actress, stand-up comedian and Saturday Night Live cast member is set to host this year’s Film Independent Spirit Awards ceremony.

The show will not be live from the Santa Monica Beach this year due to COVID-19.

Villaseñor, the first Latina cast member of NBC’s long-running SNL, cut her teeth on the stand-up circuit in Los Angeles, and was further propelled to stardom by being a semifinalist on the 2011 edition of America’s Got Talent before landing on the SNL cast.

She is famous for her impersonations of celebrities like Owen Wilson, Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani, Lady Gaga, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and more.

This year’s show will be airing on Thursday, April 22, on IFC and AMC+ at 10:00 pm ET, breaking tradition as the Spirits typically take place on the Saturday afternoon before Sunday’s Oscars.

Said Blake Callaway, Executive Director, IFC and SundanceTV, “Melissa and the unique circumstances of now will make this year’s ceremony like no other. It will certainly be a departure from the past, but with Melissa, the chances of Dolly, Ariana Grande, Bjork, Gwen Stefani, Julie Andrews and Lady Gaga showing up have skyrocketed.”

“As someone who considers herself a pretty dependent person, I’m truly honored to host the Film Independent Spirit Awards,” said Villaseñor.

Outside of SNL, Villaseñor has provided voiceovers in films like Toy Story 4 and Ralph Breaks the Internet. She also was a guest on Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee; and in projects like Hubie Halloween, Barry and Crashing, among others.

She’s currently working on her first book, a creative self-help journal forthcoming from Chronicle Books.

She joins a roster of past Spirit Awards hosts that includes Aubrey Plaza, Nick Kroll, Kristen Bell, Joel McHale, Patton Oswalt, Queen Latifah, John Waters, Samuel L. Jackson and Kumail Nanjiani.

Chita Rivera Among the Stars Taking Part in Fundraising Concert for Joe Biden, “In Our America: A Concert for the Soul of the Nation”

Posted on October 7, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Chita Rivera is Biden her time before the upcoming presidential election…

The 87-year-old half-Puerto Rican Broadway star will be among the stars of the Great White Way who’ll stage a fundraising concert for Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, with plans to stream the event on October 21.

The event, which starts at 8:00 pm ET, is organized by the group Broadway for Biden and is called In Our America: A Concert for the Soul of the Nation, with donations going to the Biden Victory Fund.

In addition to Rivera, the lineup of the concert includes Derrick Baskin, Laura Benanti, Victoria Clark, Glenn Close, Chuck Cooper, Darren Criss, André De Shields, Renée Elise Goldsberry, John Goodman, Jayne Houdyshell, Jennifer Hudson, James Monroe Iglehart, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson, Norman Lear, Norm Lewis, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Rita Moreno, Karen Olivo, Ashley Park, Steven Pasquale, Carrie Preston, Kelani Queypo, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Phillipa Soo, Ephraim Sykes, BD Wong, the Broadway Dreams Foundation Choir, and the casts of Six and KPOP.

Liesl Tommy, director of the upcoming Aretha Franklin biopic Respect (with Hudson in the lead role), will direct the show. Tommy is the executive producer along with Julie Boardman, Nolan Doran, Halle Morse, and Jennifer Mudge.

The concert will stream on YouTube via news publisher NowThis, on Facebook via Broadway for Biden and NowThis, and on Broadway Unlocked.

In a statement, Tommy said, “It is a tremendous honor to direct this incredible collective of performers and artists, who are coming together to amplify the promise of Broadway and a nation that are future-looking, accessible, and deeply inclusive.”

The evening will include original material, stagings of musical numbers that have never been seen, and previews of productions bound for Broadway. Among those contributing are Chad Beguelin, Tony Kushner, Lynn Nottage, Robert O’Hara, Stacey Rose, Aurin Squire, DeLanna Studi, Paula Vogel and John Waters.

Christopher Gattelli, Lorin Latarro, Ray Mercer, and Abbey O’Brien will provide original choreography, with music direction by Jason Michael Webb. Chris Boardman and Charlie Rosen will provide orchestrations. Sean McLaughlin will serve as director of photography and Grady Bowman will be associate choreographer.

The event is in the vein of a fundraiser in 2012 for Barack Obama’s reelection campaign, called Barack on Broadway, that was produced by Margo Lion and others.

Pedro Almodóvar to be a Guest Speaker at the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s 50th Anniversary Gala

Posted on March 24, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Pedro Almodóvaris headed to the Big Apple for a special occasion…

The Film Society of Lincoln Center has invited the 69-year-old legendary Spanish director to be a guest speaker at its 50th Anniversary Gala on Monday, April 29, 2019 in Alice Tully Hall.

Reflecting and building upon the organization’s half-century introducing New York audiences to many of the industry’s most acclaimed and important filmmakers, the Gala will honor the Film Society’s legendary past and vibrant present, and look ahead as we extend our commitment to the film community.

Almodóvar will be joined by Darren Aronofsky, Jake Gyllenhaal, Dee Rees, and Martin Scorsese, Marielle Heller, Tilda Swinton, and John Waters, who will also be feted.

Almodóvar has a specialconnection with the New York Film Festivaland FSLC.

His film What Have I Done to Deserve This? (1984) screened in New Directors/New Films, and since then he has premiered 10 films in the New York Film Festival;

The 50th Anniversary Gala will tell the story of the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s semi-centennial, reflecting and building upon the organization’s half-century introducing New York audiences to many of the industry’s most acclaimed and important filmmakers. The special guest speakers will present this history alongside a collection of interviews and archival footage, photographs, and film clips that will reflect upon the organization and its role in New York City film culture. In honoring the past, the evening will celebrate a film community that is helping to shape the future of our art form.

Alba to Serve as a Guest Judge on Logo TV’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race”

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Life’s a drag for Jessica Alba…

The 33-year-old half-Mexican American actress will serve as a celebrity guest judge on the seventh season of Logo TV’s hit reality television competition series RuPaul’s Drag Race.

RuPaul plays the roles of host, mentor, and source of inspiration for the series, which details RuPaul’s search for “America’s next drag superstar.”

Alba has previously served as a guest judge on Cupcake Wars and Project Runway.

In addition to Alba, this season’s celebrity guest judges include Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, John Waters, Kathy Griffin, Olivia Newton-John, Alyssa Milano, Kat Dennings, Jordin Sparks, Mel B, Tamar Braxton, Rebecca Romijn, Santino Rice, Isaac Mizrahi, Michael Urie, Rachael Harris, Lucian Piane and Merle Ginsberg.

RuPaul’s Drag Race is also adding two new permanent judges to the mix. Carson Kressley (Queer Eye For The Straight Guy) and Ross Mathews (Chelsea Lately) will join returning judge Michelle Visage as they decide who will stay, lip-synch for their life or “Sashay Away.”

RuPaul’s Drag Race is slated to premiere at 9:00 pm ET on March 2 on Logo TV.

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

Tag Archives: John Waters