Vergara to Star in the Revenge Thriller “Bent”

Posted on March 24, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Sofia Vergara is getting bent into shape…

The 44-year-old Colombian American has been cast as one of the leads in the revenge thriller Bent.

From AMBI Media Group / Deadly Codes Productions, the film will also star Karl Urban, and Andy Garcia as leads in the film/

Written and directed by Bobby Moresco, based on characters created by Joseph O’Donnell, Bent follows Danny Gallagher (Urban), a shamed and discredited narcotics detective who, upon his release from prison, makes plans to seek revenge on the accuser who framed him and killed his partner. Through his quest, Gallagher is forced to confront a ruthless, seductive government agent (Vergara), who may or may not be on his side; and his mentor (Garcia), a retired cop who’s fought corruption his entire career.

The film is set to begin filming in Rome this month.

Vergara, best known for her critically acclaimed role on ABC’s Modern Family, has starred in the films The Smurfs, New Year’s Eve, Happy Feet Two,The Three Stooges, Escape from Planet Earth, Machete Kills, Chef and Hot Pursuit.

Cruz’s “Orange Is the New Black” Named Best Comedy Ensemble at the SAG Awards

Posted on January 30, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Life’s still a SAG (award) for Jackie Cruz…

The 23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards recognized the best performances for the year in both television and film on Sunday night, with the 30-year-old Dominican-American actress, musician and former model’s Orange Is the New Black taking home the best ensemble in a comedy series award.

Orange Is the New Black won the comedy ensemble trophy for the third straight year.

The prison comedy-drama series topped The Big Bang Theory, Black-ish, Veep, and Modern Family, which won the award for four years before Orange Is the New Black started its streak.

In addition to Cruz, Latina actresses in the ensemble cast include Laura Gómez, Diane Guerrero, Selenis Leyva, Dascha Polanco and Elizabeth Rodriguez.

The awards were handed out at the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles.

Boyce Avenue Releases Cover of The Chainsmoker’s “Closer,” feat. Sarah Hyland

Posted on November 15, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandro Luis Manzano are closer to having a new hit…

The Puerto Rican singer and his brothers, Daniel Enrique Manzano and Fabian Rafael Manzano, all members of Boyce Avenue, have joined voiced with Modern Family star Sarah Hyland for an impressive cover of a current hit.

The actress recently revealed her singing chops by teaming up with Boyce Avenue for an acoustic rendition of The Chainsmokers‘ biggest hit to date “Closer.”

“Loved working on this cover of ‘Closer’ with our friend @Sarah_Hyland,” Boyce Avenue tweeted.

Hyland’s vocals sweep over the stripped-down acoustic versionas she takes on Halsey‘s verse and harmonizes over the chorus.

The Chainsmokers also tweeted to both Hyland and Boyce Avenue after hearing the duet. “Hey @Sarah_Hyland and @boyceavenue you sound awesome!” the EDM duo wrote. “So cool y’all did that.”

Vergara Among 49 Celebrities Appearing in Orlando Massacre Tribute Video

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Sofia Vergara is urging people to stop the hate…

The 43-year-old Colombian actress and Modern Family star is among the 49 celebrities honoring the 49 victims of the Orlando shooting massacre in a Ryan Murphy-Produced tribute video.

The 18-minute tribute, directed by Murphy and Ned Martel, was released this week by the Human Rights Campaign.

“On June 12, forty-nine innocent people — most of them Latino — were killed at Pulse nightclub in Orlando simply because of who they were,” reads the description of the video on YouTube. “It’s on all of us to keep their memories alive, and to ensure part of their legacy becomes meaningful action to end hate violence.”

The video features a photo of each victim, accompanied by a celebrity recounting that person’s individual story. It was filmed over three days, at Fox Studios in Los Angeles.

“The hate that stole these 49 individuals from all those who loved them has been allowed to flourish in our country for too long,” said Murphy in a statement. “No person is born hating another, and we have an obligation as Americans to stand up against prejudice and bigotry that would incite violence against someone simply for who they are. I am proud to have joined with Ned Martel, my talented colleagues, and the Human Rights Campaign to honor these 49 heroes and stop the hate.”

In addition to Vergara, other Latino celebrities who participated in the video include Lea Michele, Edgar Ramirez, George Lopez, Diego Boneta, Demi Lovato, Kid Cudi, Jordana Brewster and Guillermo Díaz.

Learn more at: http://www.hrc.org/StopTheHate.

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

Posted on April 2, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

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.

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”

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

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.

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.

Leyva and Her “Orange Is the New Black” Castmates Take Home Second Consecutive SAG Award

Posted on January 31, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Life’s still a SAG for Selenis Leyva…

This weekend, the 43-year-old Cuban and Dominican actress and her fellow Orange Is the New Black castmates took home the award for Best Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

The Netflix series was nominated alongside CBS‘ The Big Bang Theory, Comedy Central‘s Key & Peele, ABC‘s Modern Family, Amazon‘s Transparent and HBO‘s Veep.

In addition to Leyva, other Latinas who form part of the ensemble cast include Jackie Cruz, Dianne Guerrero, Dascha Polanco and Elizabeth Rodriguez.

J.K. Simmons and Patricia Arquette presented the award to the OITNB cast, who won in the comedy ensemble category for the second consecutive year.

The 22nd Annual SAG Awards, honoring achievements in film and television, took place at the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles.

Here’s a complete look at this year’s winners.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Uzo Aduba, Orange Is the New Black

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
Orange Is the New Black

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Queen Latifah, Bessie

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Idris Elba, Luther

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Spotlight

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Leonardo DiCaprio, The

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Brie Larson, Room

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Downton Abbey

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Viola Davis, How to Get Away With Murder

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
Mad Max: Fury Road

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series
Game of Thrones

Beatriz to Perform at Young Storytellers Foundation Fundraiser

Posted on October 5, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Stephanie Beatriz is ready for something big…

The 34-year-old half-Colombia/half-Bolivian actress is among the thespians who’ve signed up to perform at the Young Storytellers Foundation’s 12th annual The Biggest Show fundraiser.

Taking place on October 24 at New Roads School in Santa Monica, California, The Biggest Show event takes selected screenplays from throughout the previous school year for a staging that also serves as the organization’s biggest annual fundraiser.

The non-profit Young Storytellers group sends volunteers into dozens of Los Angeles-area public elementary schools to work with fifth grade students on developing short screenplays.

Over the course of eight weeks, the students learn the basics of crafting a dramatic narrative by working one on one with mentors, many of them industry writers. At the end of the program, each student’s screenplay is brought to life at an evening event for family and friends with a group of volunteer actors.

In addition to Beatriz, one of the stars of Fox’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the cast for this year’s The Biggest Show will also feature Keegan-Michael Key, Max Greenfield, Jack Black, Judy Greer, Tom Lennon and Jason Mantzoukas.

Brothers Randy and Jason Sklar will serve as hosts.

Young Storytellers Foundation was formed in 1997 by a group of film students that included future Glee and American Horror Story co-creator Brad Falchuk.

Beatriz’s credits include television appearances on The Closer, Modern Family, Southland, Jessie and Hello Ladies.

Alba to Make Cameo Appearance in “Entourage” Film

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Jessica Alba is joining an extra special entourage…

The 33-year-old half-Mexican-American actress is set to make a cameo appearance in the highly anticipated Entourage movie.

Nearly 5-years after the HBO series ended its run, Vinnie Chase and his posse are coming back. As this new trailer reveals Vince, Turtle, Drama, E and former super agent and now studio boss Ari Gold are back and larger than ever on the big screen.

The Warner Bros. film looks to be living up to its tagline of “Dream Large. Live Larger.” In addition to original cast members Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, and Jeremy Piven, the film also stars Alba, NFLers Russell Wilson and Tom Brady Liam Neeson, Voice coach and mega-producer Pharrell, Star Trek’s George Takei, Andrew Dice Clay, beloved billionaire Warren Buffett, Armie Hammer, Kelsey Grammer and Modern Family’s Ed O’Neil.

The Entourage movie opens in theaters on June 5.

Gonzalez to Star in Fox’s Comic Book Drama Pilot “Lucifer”

Posted on March 13, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Nicholas Gonzalez has landed a devil of a role…

The 39-year-old Mexican American actor has landed a series regular role in Fox’s comic book drama pilot Lucifer, written by Tom Kapinos and directed by Len Wiseman for Warner Bros. Television and Jerry Bruckheimer Television.

Based on the characters from the DC Entertainment’s Vertigo, the series centers on Lucifer (portrayed by Tom Ellis) who, bored and unhappy as the Lord of Hell, resigns his throne and abandons his kingdom for the gorgeous, shimmering insanity of Los Angeles, where he gets his kicks helping the Los Angeles Police Department punish criminals.

Gonzalez will play Dan, a gruff LAPD homicide detective, who is wary of Lucifer’s (Ellis) involvement with his wife and daughter.

Gonzalez’s previous television credits include appearances on Jane the Virgin, Sleepy Hollow, The Flash, Modern Family and Witches of East End.

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