Tag Archives: NBC

Diany Rodriguez to Star in “NCIS: Origins,” CBS’ “NCIS” Prequel Series

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Diany Rodriguez has found her origin(s) story…

The Latina actress joined the cast of NCIS: Origins as a series regular.

Diany RodriguezCBS’ prequel to the venerable procedural has a straight-to-series order for the 2024-2025 broadcast season.

In the CBS Studios-produced series, Rodriguez joins previously cast stars Austin Stowell, Mariel Molino and Kyle Schmid, as well as new addition Tyla Abercrumbie.

Executive produced and narrated by Mark Harmon, Origins begins in 1991, years prior to the events of NCIS, and chronicles Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ younger years. In the prequel, Gibbs (Stowell) starts his career as a newly minted special agent at the fledgling NIS Camp Pendleton office where he forges his place on a gritty, ragtag team led by NCIS legend Mike Franks (Schmid).

Rodriguez will portray Special Agent Vera Strickland, a no-nonsense, sharp-witted Brooklynite who’s tough as nails and never minces words. She’s spent her entire career being underestimated by misogynistic morons (as she calls them), but if it’s a fight those good ol’ boys are looking for, then it’s a fight they’re going to get.

Molino plays Special Agent Lala Dominguez.

Mark Harmon and his son Sean Harmon executive produce alongside David J. North and Gina Lucita Monreal who are co-writing the premiere episode and serving as co-showrunners. Jason Kennedy, Krysti Baxter and Meredith Goble are the casting directors.

Rodriguez recurred as Weecha Xiu on NBC’s The Blacklist.

Her recent credits include an arc on Peacock’s Twisted Metal and a guest spot on CBS’ drama series The Equalizer.

Pablo Castelblanco to Star in Reba McEntire’s Untitled NBC Comedy Pilot

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Pablo Castelblanco is on the Reba-ound…

The Colombian actor has been cast in Reba McEntire’s untitled NBC comedy pilot.

Pablo CastelblancoCastelblanco is among a roster of new cast additions that Tokala Black Elk and Rex Linn.

The pilot follows Bobbie (McEntire) who inherits her father’s restaurant and is less than thrilled to discover that she has a new business partner in the half-sister she never knew she had.

Belissa Escobedo will star as Bobbie’s half-sister and Melissa Peterman will play a bartender at the tavern who wishes she was Bobbie’s sister.

Castelblanco will play Steve, the accountant for the tavern who does his work at the bar. He has OCD and doesn’t like change.

Castelblanco most recently starred as Gabriel Tovar, a series regular role, on ABC’s Hillary Swank-led drama Alaska Daily.

His additional credits include HBO’s Room 104, Netflix’s Dear White People and Scream Queens for Fox.

On the big screen, he was the lead of the independent feature Ganymede.

Tatyana Ali to Appear on Season Three of ABC’s Hit Comedy Series “Abbott Elementary”

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Tatyana Ali is heading to the classroom…

The 45-year-old half-Afro-Panamanian American actress and singer will appear on season three of ABC’s hit comedy series Abbott Elementary.

Tatyana AliAli, best known for her roles on NBC’s The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and CBS’ long-running soap opera The Young and the Restless, is among a list of recently announced guest stars/recurring stars that includes Lana Condor, Keegan-Michael Key, Cree Summer and Karan Soni.

It’s been a star-studded season on the Emmy-winning series.

During Sunday’s post-Oscars special episode, Bradley Cooper made a special appearance, while Season 3 kicked off in February on a high note with guest appearances from Philadelphia Eagles players Jalen Hurts, Brandon Graham and Jason Kelce.

The series has also previously had guest appearances from Taraji P. Henson, Ayo Edebiri, Vince Staples and Leslie Odom Jr.

Abbott Elementary takes place in a predominantly Black Philadelphia public school. Quinta Brunson, who created the series, plays Janine Teagues, an optimistic second-grade teacher who makes it her mission to help enrich her students’ lives while also managing her own personal life.

Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, William Stanford Davis and Sheryl Lee Ralph also star.

Justina Machado to Star in Netflix’s First Original Medical Procedural “Pulse”

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Justina Machado’s pulse is on the rise…

The 51-year-old Puerto Rican actress has been cast as the first series regular on Pulse, Netflix’s first medical procedural original.

Justina MachadoHailing from first-time creator Zoe Robyn, who serves as showrunner and executive producer alongside veteran.

The show’s first two episodes will be directed and executive produced by Kate Dennis.

Pulse will feature a mix of medical cases and office romances. In it, while the staff of Miami’s busiest Level 1 Trauma Center navigate medical emergencies, young ER doc Dani Simms is unexpectedly promoted to Chief Resident amidst the fallout of her own provocative romantic relationship.

Machado plays Natalie Cruz, a brilliant and politically-savvy doctor, who oversees both administration and medicine in her role as the Chair of Surgery and Emergency Medicine.

Bradley Gardner, Emma Forman and Michael Klick also executive produce the series, which is slated to begin production in March in Albuquerque.

The greenlight for Pulse comes after Robyn and Cuse worked with a writers room last year to craft scripts.

Machado recently starred in the Amazon/Blumhouse series The Horror Of Dolores Roach based on the popular Spotify podcast of the same name.

She previously headlined Netflix/Pop’s acclaimed One Day At a Time reboot and recently guest starred on NBC’s Lopez vs. Lopez.

Machado will next star in the independent feature The Throwback from director Mario Garcia.

Laz Alonso Signs with Independent Artist Group for Representation

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Laz Alonso is going independent…

Independent Artist Group has signed the 49-year-old Afro-Cuban American actor for representation.

Laz AlonsoAlonso is best known for starring on the hit Amazon series The Boys, centering on vigilantes’ efforts to take down a group of corrupt superheroes, which returns for its fourth season this year.

On the show developed by Eric Kripke from the same-name comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, Alonso portrays the vigilante Mother’s Milk, sharing the screen with Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty and more.

He’s also currently voicing the title character on Netflix’s animated series My Dad the Bounty Hunter,.

Alonso’s past television credits include A&E’s cult hit Breakout Kings, Starz’s Power Book II: Ghost, TNT’s Southland, NBC’s Deception and The Mysteries Of Laura and Spectrum Originals’ L.A.’s Finest.

On the film side, he’s been seen portraying the villain Fenix opposite Vin Diesel in multiple Fast & Furious titles, also appearing in James Cameron’s Avatar. Other notable big screen credits include the Jason Statham action thriller Wrath of Man, Kathryn Bigelow’s Detroit, Spike Lee’s Miracle at St. Anna, Stomp the Yard, Jarhead and Constantine.

Additionally, Alonso has executive-produced titles including Alan Jacobs’ TIFF drama Down for Life, in which he starred alongside Danny Glover, and the indie thriller Detained co-starring Abbie Cornish. He heads up the production company Abundancia Pictures as CEO and continues to be represented by Authentic Talent and Literary Management and attorney Rick Genow at Goodman, Genow, Schenkman.

Marcello Hernandez Stars in Nissan’s Upcoming Super Bowl Commercial

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It’s a family affair for Marcello Hernandez… with a Regional Mexican twist.

The 26-year-old Cuban and Dominican American stand-up comedian, actor and Saturday Night Live cast member stars in Nissan’s upcoming Super Bowl commercial, appearing alongside the members of Grupo Frontera

Marcello HernandezThe 60-second commercial released on Monday (February 5) features Hernandez retelling the riveting story about his unexpected, yet adventurous journey while test-driving the latest Nissan Pathfinder. Just as he hits the road, Hernandez gets calls from his abuela, sister and uncle asking him — and the Nissan salesperson as his co-pilot — to pick them up. So, they do.

“From the dealership to the mountains, desert and beach, Hernandez and the salesperson make their way through this epic adventure, the Pathfinder navigates various terrains while thrilling everyone across all generations of the family,” an official description of the ad reads.

As he’s telling this nail-biting story in a diner, Grupo Frontera pops up from a booth behind him and asks Hernandez to keep narrating his epic adventure. “Qué? No, sigue, sigue,” the group orders.

The ad will air on TelevisaUnivision on Sunday, February 11, as part of the network’s Super Bowl 2024 broadcast for Spanish-language viewers.

Univision will also broadcast a pre-kickoff performance — featuring a special performance by Puerto Rican star Myke Towers — presented by Nissan, which will air on Univision at 4:00 pm ET Sunday from the Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

“At Nissan, we’re always looking for ways to deeply connect with our customers,” said Marisstella Marinkovic, chief marketing officer, Nissan USA, in a statement. “We’re using the nation’s biggest game day to air an in-language spot that reignites the love of Nissan among bicultural Latinos, who comprise many of our customers. From our partnership with TelevisaUnivision, to the Latino talent and the director we casted, we brought music and sports together to create a thrilling in-language and in-culture experience.”

“This is a significant moment for TelevisaUnivision, and we’re excited for Nissan to debut their Spanish-language creative to our audience,” added John Kozack, executive vice president of multimedia sales at TelevisaUnivision. “Latinos are an economic powerhouse, and this national stage provides the perfect opportunity for brands like Nissan to reach this fast-growing demographic – and further our goal of showcasing the value and importance of in-language and in-culture advertising to this consumer base.”

Jennifer Lopez to Serve as Musical Guest on “Saturday Night Live”

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Jennifer Lopez is preparing for a busy Saturday night…

The 54-year-old Puerto Rican superstar will be the musical guest on the February 3 episode of NBC’s late night sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live.

Jennifer LopezLopez has appeared on the show numerous times including three appearances as musical guest and three times as host.

Her new album, This Is Me… Now, comes out February 16.

The Bear star Ayo Edebiri will serve as the host for the first time.

Saturday Night Live is produced in association with Broadway Video. The creator and executive producer is Lorne Michaels.

Melanie Martinez to Perform at This Year’s Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival

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Melanie Martinez is headed to Bonnaroo…

The 28-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American singer will perform at this summer’s Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, which will take place on the ‘Roo Farm in Manchester, TN on June 13-16.

Melanie MartinezMartinez, who rose to acclaim after appearing on the third season of NBC’s The Voice, will perform on Saturday, June 15.

This year’s headlining acts include Post Malone, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fred Again… and Pretty Lights.

Other performers include Megan Thee Stallion, Cage the Elephant, Maggie Rogers, Carly Rae Jepsen, Diplo, T-Pain, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit and Jon Batiste, among many others.

The acts will take to 10 stages for the four-day event featuring sets running into the early morning, as well as sunrise performances.

Bonnaroo 2024 will feature more than 150 performances across the campground, 150 food vendors (including vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options) and free water stations.

Jacob Elordi Tries Conquering His Fears in “Saturday Night Live” Promo Ahead of Hosting Debut

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Jacob Elordi is preparing for a special late-night debut…

The 26-year-old half-Spanish Australian actor and Saltburn star will host Saturday Night Live for the first time ever this weekend, and in the first promo teasing his debut, Elordi is seen struggling even before he gets to his opening monologue.

Jacob Elordi,As Elordi walks through the famous wood and glass doors at Studio 8H he stops, anxiously looking at the steps that lead to the main stage.

“They all make it look so easy,” he says to himself as a montage of previous hosts walking down the stairs plays.

Cast members Marcello Hernandez and Punkie Johnson appear to offer encouragement.

Elordi tries walking down the stairs in a crouch, sliding and bumping down the steps on his butt before finally launching himself over the edge for a fully upright descent.

SNL airs this Saturday, January 20 at 11:30 pm ET/8:30 pm PT on NBC and streams live on Peacock with Elordi as host and musical guest Reneé Rapp.

Krysta Rodriguez & Fellow “Smash” Cast & Crew to Mount Fully Staged & Choreographed Workshop This Month

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Krysta Rodriguez is one step closer to smashing it on Broadway again…

Smash, the stage musical adaptation of the NBC musical series of the same name starring the 39-year-old Latina actress/singer and Broadway star, is set to take another major step in its march to Broadway.

Krysta Rodriguez,The cast and crew will gather for six weeks starting this month to mount a fully staged and choreographed workshop, with an orchestra, culminating in five performances for recruited audiences.

The new Susan Stroman-directed musical, inspired by the NBC TV series, is slated for Broadway in the 2024-25 season.

In addition to Rodriguez, who starred on the original television series as Ana Vargas, the workshop cast includes Brooks Ashmanskas, Alex Brightman, Yvette Nicole Brown, Bella Coppola, newcomer Nihar Duvvuri, Casey Garvin, Robyn Hurder, Kristine Nielsen and Jonalyn Saxer.

The full company includes Wendi Bergamini, Giovanni Bonaventura, Jim Borstelmann, Zachary Downer, Tiffany Engen, Ashley Blair Fitzgerald, Megan Kane, Caleb Marshall-Villarreal, Connor McRory, JJ Niemann, Tanairi Sade Vazquez, Brian Shepard, Sarah Sigman, Jake Trammel and Katie Webber.

Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who wrote songs for the series, also handle the score for the Smash musical, which will feature tunes from the TV show as well as new material. Book writers are Bob Martin and Rick Elice.

The musical is produced by Steven Spielberg, Robert Greenblatt and Neil Meron.

“Bob, Steven and I are thrilled to take this next big development step on the road to bringing ‘Smash’ where it was always meant to be: a Broadway theater,” Meron tells me. “Not a week goes by when someone doesn’t tell us how much they loved the original series, and it’s time to pull back the curtain on how we’re transforming this show into a funny, joyous stage musical.”

Greenblatt adds, “This workshop/rehearsal process will give the creative team a chance to get reactions from real theatergoers who will experience it for the first time in a theater setting. We’re so fortunate to be working with this fantastic cast of Tony and Emmy nominees, and it will be exciting to see the show on its feet, fully staged by Susan Stroman and choreographed by Josh Bergasse.”

Rodriguez’s previous theater credits include Cabaret, Into the Woods, West Side Story, Spring Awakening and The Addams Family.