Luna to Star on “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Gabriel Luna is riding high…

The 33-year-old Latino actor will star as Ghost Rider on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Gabriel Luna

Luna, whose credits include Wicked City and Matador, will portray Ghost Rider in the upcoming fourth season.

The character has a long history with Marvel comics. He was a motorcycle stuntman who after a deal with Mephisto had the power to control hellfire.

The character was played by Nicolas Cage in the feature Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.

 

Ochoa Lands Recurring Role on TNT’s “Animal Kingdom”

Christina Ochoa is moving to a new kingdom

The 31-year-old Spanish actress has landed a recurring role on TNT’s upcoming drama series Animal Kingdom.

Christina Ochoa

Hailing from John Wells Prods. in association with Warner Horizon Television, the pilot centers on 17-year-old Joshua “J” Cody (Finn Cole), who moves in with his wild, freewheeling grandmother (Ellen Barkin) and uncles in their Southern California beach town after his mother ODs. He is pulled into their life of indulgence and excess and soon discovers that it’s all being funded by the bank robberies they commit.

Ochoa will portray Renn Randall, a sexy, irreverent surfer who is Craig’s (Ben Robson) lover and drug connection.

Ochoa recurred on El Rey Network’s Matador. Her other credits include guest spots on The Neighbors, Modern Family and I Hate My Teenage Daughter.

Gomez Cast in Netflix’s Latino Remake of “One Day at a Time”

Isabella Gomez’s Day has come…

The Latina actress has been cast in Netflix‘s One Day at a Time, a Latino remake of the classic Norman Lear sitcom, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Isabella Gomez

The new multi-camera iteration will center on three generations of a Cuban-American family living under one roof.

Gomez has landed the series regular role of Elena, the radical teenage daughter of single mom Penelope. Elena is described as a 14-year-old girl who is in the throes of becoming a woman. A proud nerd, idealist and social justice warrior, Elena is opinionated and not afraid to speak her mind. But while she is Internet-wise, she is more foolish when it comes to the real world. She is particularly confounding to her more old-school grandmother, Abuelita Lydia.

Gomez joins Six Feet Under‘s Justina Machado, who will play Penelope, and Rita Moreno, who will play Lydia.

In the original ’70s series, Bonnie Franklin‘s single mom had two daughters, played by Mackenzie Phillips and Valerie Bertinelli. This time, Elena will be joined by a younger brother, Alex, who has yet to be cast.

The all-Latino One Day at a Time reboot finally got the Netflix pickup in February after prolonged talks. Lear is attached as an executive producer, along with How I Met Your Mother alum Gloria Calderon Kellett and Men of a Certain Age‘s Mike Royce, who are set to co-write and serve as co-showrunners. Michael Garcia will also exec produce, with Brent Miller onboard as a co-exec producer.

The comedy is produced by Act III Productions, Snowpants Productions and Small Fish Studios in association with Sony Pictures Television.

Gomez’s previous credits include Modern Family and Matador.

Sapene to Star in WE tv’s Docuseries “My Life is a Telenovela”

Enrique Sapene is opening a window to his television life…

WE tv has ordered eight hour-long episodes of My Life is a Telenovela docuseries, featuring the 32-year-old Venezuelan actor.

Enrique Sapene

Set in Miami, and produced by Matador, the series will follow a group of beautiful and fierce Latina actresses and actors working in this hyper-competitive world. It begins with several characters vying for the same role in a real life telenovela being produced by Telemundo, resulting in drama and fireworks on both sides, says WE tv.

In addition to Sapene, the show also features fellow telenovela stars including Raquenel, Sissi Fleitas, Gustavo Pedraza and Liliana Gonzalez.

Sapene’s credits include Tómame o Déjame, Pecadora and Hacienda Heights.

My Life is a Telenovela is set to premiere later this year.

Gadiot to Star Opposite Alice Braga in USA’s “Queen of the South”

Peter Gadiot’s career is going South

The 29-year-old half-Mexican actor, who starred on ABC’s Once Upon A Time In Wonderland, has landed a series regular role in USA Network’s upcoming telenovela-based drama Queen of the South.

Peter Gadiot

Based on best-selling book La Reina Del Sur by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Queen Of The South tells the story of Teresa Mendoza (Alice Braga). When her drug-dealing boyfriend unexpectedly is murdered in Mexico, Teresa is forced to go on the run and seek refuge in America, where she teams with an unlikely figure from her past to bring down the leader of the very drug trafficking ring that has her on the run. In the process, she learns the tools of the trade and strategically positions herself to become the leader of the cartel.

Gadiot will play James Valdez, a newly minted capo of Camila’s (Veronica Falcón) crime organization who has an in-depth and realistic understanding of how the narco world works. Despite his brutish ability to ferret out punishment to those who cross him, Valdez surprises Teresa with his humanistic sense of moral justice and becomes one of her closest allies in America.

Known as the swashbuckling hero Cyrus on Once Upon A Time In Wonderland, Gadiot most recently appeared in Spike’s miniseries Tut opposite Ben Kingsley and before that wrapped a season-long arc on the Robert Rodriguez, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci produced series Matador.

Monreal to Star in Untitled Lowrider Project from Universal Pictures

Yvette Monreal is ridin’ low

The 22-year-old Latina actress has landed a leading role in the untitled lowrider project from Universal Pictures, Blumhouse Productions and Imagine Entertainment.

Yvette Monreal

Gabriel Chavarria, Demian Bichir and Theo Rossi are also starring in the inspirational drama that’s set in the youth culture of East Los Angeles’ world of lowrider cars and street tagging.

The story tells of a teen (Chavarria) caught between his traditional father (Bichir) and his estranged gangbanger brother, Ghost (Rossi), who are both competing in the annual lowrider “Supershow.”

Monreal, who was a regular on Robert Rodriguez’ Matador television series, will portray the romantic interest for Chavarria, taking on the role of a smart, talented maverick of a girl who is a fellow tagger but who also has a scholarship to Columbia University in New York.

Ricardo de Montreuil is directing.

Monreal has also recurred on MTV’s Faking It.

WE tv Developing New Reality Series “The Real Women of Telenovelas”

It looks like you may soon get an up close and personal look at the lives of your favorite telenovela stars…

WE tv is currently developing a new unscripted series The Real Women of Telenovelas. The show will focus on the lives of up-and-coming actresses and actors in the oh-so-competitive world of telenovelas.

Television

Set in Miami and produced by Matador, the series features the real-life drama behind the short-run Spanish language soap operas.

First produced in Mexico and Latin America, over the last few years South Florida has become the new home base for production of this TV genre, and Miami has earned the nickname, “Telenovela Tinseltown,” as aspiring stars descend upon the city in the hopes of making it big.

The series will follow the colorful frenemies who compete for roles and dates, walk the same red carpets and fight for the same spotlight and are ready to take their careers to the next level.

The Real World Of Telenovelas asks the question, which, if any, of these ambitious talents will be the next breakthrough star?

“The world of telenovelas has everything we look for in a WE tv show – compelling characters, conflict, consequence and comic relief,” said WE tv president Marc Juris. “We could not be more excited about this project and bringing these beautiful women and their stories and highly charged relationships to WE tv viewers. I think we’ll find the lines on the scripts in these TV dramas sometimes pale in comparison to real life.”

Banderas to Receive Honorary Goya Award for His “Stellar Career”

Antonio Banderas has earned an extra special prize…

The Spanish Film Academy will honor the 54-year-old Spanish actor with an honorary Goya Award for the organization calls a “stellar career on both sides of the Atlantic.”

Antonio Banderas

The academy’s board of directors unanimously voted to honor Banderas for having “developed a versatile trajectory as an actor, have shown his own point of view as a director and having immersed himself in the role of producer to support national values.”

Calling him a hometown-Malaga boy “without borders,” the academy applauded his career punctuated by “risks and commitment.”

Banderas rose to acclaim in some of the most exemplary roles in Pedro Almodovar’s earlier works like Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down, Labyrinth of Passion, Matador, Law of Desire and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

But he also forged a successful career in Hollywood with films like Zorro, Shrek, Philadelphia, Desperados and Interview with a Vampire.

Banderas, who has directed the films Crazy in Alabama and Summer Rain, recently returned to Spain with his latest Spanish project, the apocalyptic science fiction Automata, which he presented at the San Sebastian International Film Festival.

Banderas is currently filming Hugh Hudson’s The Master of Altamira alongside Rupert Everett and Golshifteh Farahani.

Banderas’ special presentation will take place next February at Spain’s premiere film gala in Madrid.

Rodriguez to Be Feted by Non-Profit Educational Organization L.A.’s Promise

Robert Rodriguez has promise

L.A.’s Promise will honor the 46-year-old Mexican American at its annual gala.

Robert Rodriguez

The nonprofit organization aims to improve public schooling in south Los Angeles, with a coverage area that includes two high schools (Manual Arts and West Adams Prep) and one middle school (John Muir). Its initiatives to increase the schools’ performance and involvement in the community are funded in part by the annual gala.

Rodriguez and Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chairman Jeff Shell will be feted at the event, which will be held on September 30 at Universal Studios Hollywood‘s Globe Theatre.

“Our 2014 honorees have a long history of advancing the educational opportunities for underserved communities like the students that L.A.’s Promise serves,” the organization’s president and CEO Veronica Melvin said in a statement. “Jeff and Robert have lent their names and their time to our initiatives in order to help lead the charge in preparing every child in our LA’s Promise Neighborhood to be college and career-ready, healthy and successful in life.”

Rodriguez launched his own cable network, the El Rey Network, in 2013. Its programming includes Matador and From Dusk Till Dawn, an adaptation of his Quentin Tarantino-scripted vampire film. Rodriguez’s film directorial credits include Sin City, Spy Kids and the Machete franchise.

Shell will be present at the event, but Rodriguez is unable to attend.

This year’s event chairs include Steven SpielbergGeorge LucasJ.J. Abrams and NBCUniversal vice chairman Ron Meyer; previous honorees include Ryan SeacrestTom Cruise and Fox chairman and CEO Jim Gianopulos.

In conjunction with the gala, the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park will be opened for 1,200 L.A.’s Promise students for the evening. The gala attendees will have the opportunity to join them after a cocktail reception and awards ceremony.

“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate students’ success than to reward them with a night of fun and adventure through the theme park,” L.A.’s Promise board co-chair Frank Marshall said in the statement.

Monreal to Appear in Recurring Role on MTV’s “Faking It”

Yvette Monreal is about to fake it to make it…

The Latina actress has signed on to appear in a recurring role on Faking It, MTV’s faux-lesbian comedy series from showrunner Carter Covington.

Yvette Monreal

In season two, everyone is faced with a dilemma that forces them to tell the truth or keep a secret. Best friends Amy (Rita Volk) and Karma (Katie Stevens) struggle with figuring out their relationship after Amy revealed her true feelings for Karma.

Monreal, who has appeared on El Rey Network‘s action drama series Matador, will portray Regan, a hip, edgy lesbian with a rebellious streak. She’s a cater-waiter by day and DJ by night who is fiercely out and proud and independent with a husky voice and sexy confidence who supports herself and her music career with odd jobs.

The casting keeps Monreal in the MTV family after a small role on Awkward.

Monreal’s casting comes after MTV renewed the series for a second season of 10 episodes following its divisive season finale.

Faking It season two debuts Tuesday, September 23 at 10:30 p.m. on MTV.