Rick Gonzalez Joins Cast of NBC’s “Law & Order: Organized Crime”

Posted on July 30, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Rick Gonzalez is getting organized…

The 43-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actor has joined the cast of NBC’s Law & Order: Organized Crime for Season 3.

Gonzalez will portray an NYPD detective assigned to the Organized Crime unit.

The series follows Law & Order: SVU character Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni), a veteran detective who returns to the New York Police Department following his wife’s murder. He joins the Organized Crime Task Force.

Law & Order: Organized Crime is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group and Wolf Entertainment.

Gonzalez most recently starred in the Peacock series The Lost Symbol, based on the Dan Brown novel of the same name. Prior to that, he portrayed Rene Ramirez/Wild Dog in the CW’s Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow.

On the film side, his credits include Coach Carter, Old School, The Guilt Trip and War of the Worlds.

Octavio Pisano Promoted to Series Regular on NBC’s “Law & Order: SVU”

Posted on October 15, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Octavio Pisano is taking on more shifts…

The 35-year-old Latino actor and producer, who portrays Detective Joe Velasco on NBC’s Law & Order: SVU, has been promoted to series regular.

Pisano’s Joe Velasco is a former undercover and detective under Chief McGrath (Terry Serpico) who’s been assigned to the SVU. Pisano has appeared in 3 episodes so far, beginning with the season 23 premiere.

Season 23 picked up mere hours after last season’s finale, where Catalina Machado (Zabryna Guevara) was arrested for trafficking single mothers living in shelters in a complex housing-for-sex scheme. She now wants to flip on her superiors in exchange for a deal with the feds, and names a powerful congressman as the big fish. It’s a make-or-break case for the NYPD and puts enormous pressure on the entire SVU squad to get a conviction.

Starring Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU chronicles the lives of the Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department, an elite squad of detectives who investigate crimes of sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence.

Ice T, Peter Scanavino and Kelli Giddish also star.

Law & Order: SVU is TV’s longest-running primetime live-action series. It received a three-year renewal in 2020, taking it through Season 24.

Pisano starred alongside Michael Chiklis in the CBS All Access limited series Coyote. He was cast in the pilot for the New York Undercover reboot created by Dick Wolf and in Tyler Perry’s If Loving You Is Wrong. Pisano’s film credits include Ms Purple directed by Justin Chon, Badsville, Powder & Gold and Smartass.

Michael Rivera To Appear in Recurring Role on NBC’s “Law & Order: Organized Crime”

Posted on March 31, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Michael Rivera is joining the force…

The Latino actor has landed a recurring role opposite Christopher Meloni, Dylan McDermott, Tamara Taylor and Danielle Moné Truitt in NBC’s SVU spinoff series, Law & Order: Organized Crime.

Rivera joins a roster of recurring additions that includes Nicky Torchia and Ibrahim Renno.

In Law & Order: Organized Crime, Elliot Stabler (Meloni) returns to the NYPD to battle organized crime after a devastating personal loss. Stabler will aim to rebuild his life as part of a new elite task force that is taking apart the city’s most powerful criminal syndicates one by one. Meloni also is reprising his role as Stabler on SVU this season. No information about the other Organized Crime characters is being released.

Torchia will play Eli Stabler, the son of Meloni’s Elliot Stabler. Rivera will portray Detective Diego Morales, and. Renno will play Izak Bekher.

Law & Order: Organized Crime was created by Dick Wolf, who will executive produce. Fred Berner directed the first episode.

The series is produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

The drama will premiere at 10:00 pm on April 1 as part of a crossover with Law & Order: SVU that starts at 9:00 pm.

Rivera booked his first role on Law & Order in 2001 at the age of 12. Since then he has joined the Law & Order cast numerous times, as well as spinoffs Conviction, SVU and Criminal Intent. He also appeared in a fractional role with Meloni on HBO’s Oz.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Routs John Cummings to Earn Second Term in U.S. House of Representatives

Posted on November 4, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is heading back to The District…

The 31-year-old New York-born Puerto Rican politician, handily defeated Republican John Cummings in her bid for re-election as the U.S. Representative for New York’s 14th Congressional District.

AOC, as she’s known, took 68% of the vote, while her opponent, a former NYPD officer, scored 31% of the vote to earn a second term in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In 2018, the self-proclaimed Democratic socialist won the seat with nearly 80% percent of the vote, defeating Queens County Democratic Party leader and longtime Congressman Joe Crowley in the primary. She swept her way into the U.S. Congress with a historically diverse midterm group of freshman, including 36 women and 24 people of color.

Ocasio-Cortez currently sits on the House Financial Services Committee and Oversight and Reform Committee.

AOC has racked up several memorable moments in her relatively short time in Congress, including a searing takedown over the summer of Rep. Ted Yoho after he called her “crazy,” “disgusting” and a “f*cking bitch” on the steps of the U.S. Capitol within earshot of a reporter.

In a moving address to the House, she attacked deep-seated sexism and misogyny. “I want to thank him for showing the world that you can be a powerful man and accost women. It happens every day in this country,” she said, adding, “I am someone’s daughter too.”

Previously, AOC, whose parents are of Puerto Rico descent, was targeted by an infamous President Donald Trump racist Twitter tirade that urged her and Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, and Ilhan Omar to “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.” The four became known as The Squad, and all four won re-election on Tuesday night.

Shalim Ortiz to Appear in Starz & Lionsgate’s “Power” Spinoff “Ghost”

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Shalim Ortiz is seeing ghosts…

The 41-year-old Dominican and Puerto Rican actor and singer has landed a recurring role in Starz and Lionsgate’s Power spinoff Ghost.

The spinoff picks up shortly after thePowerseries finale, with Tariq (Michael Rainey Jr.) working to get his mother Tasha (Naturi Naughton) out of jail after she took the fall for her son in James St. Patrick/Ghost’s (Omari Hardwick) murder.

Ortiz will play Danilo Ramirez, an NYPD officer stationed in the Tejadas’ backyard of Queens, NY. Ramirez will find himself torn between the duties of his badge and duty to the ones he loves.

Mary J. Blige and Cliff ‘Method Man’ Smith also star.

Executive produced by series creator and showrunner Courtney Kemp (End of Episode) and Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson (G-Unit Film and Television), Ghost also stars Power alum Shane Johnson once again as federal prosecutor Cooper Saxe.

Ortiz most recently appeared in ABC’s Grand Hotel. He previously starred on Starz’s Magic City.

His other notable television credits include CSI: Miami, Cold Case and NBC’s Heroes.

On the film side, Ortiz has appeared in The Winged Man and Bad Ass, among others.

Ramses Jimenez to Star in NBC’s Drama Pilot “Lincoln”

Posted on March 20, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Ramses Jimenez has a bone to pick…

The 35-year-old Dominican actor has landed a series regular role opposite Russell Hornsby, Michael Imperioli and Arielle Kebbel in NBC/s drama pilot Lincoln (formerly known as The Bone Collector).

The project is based on the best-selling book series by Jeffery Deaver that was adapted into the 1999 movie starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie.

Written by VJ Boydand Mark Bianculliand directed by Seth Gordon, Lincoln follows legendary forensic criminologist Lincoln Rhyme (Hornsby), who was seriously injured during his hunt for the diabolic serial killer known as the Bone Collector. Called back into action when the killer re-emerges, Lincoln forms a unique partnership with Amelia Sachs (Kebbel), a young beat cop who helps him hunt the deadly mastermind while also taking on the most high-profile cases in the NYPD.

Jimenez will play Eric Ortiz, an NYPD detective and Sellitto’s (Imperioli) new partner.

Sony Pictures Televisionand Universal Televisionwill produce the project in association with Keshet Studios.

Jimenez recurs on Starz’s breakout Latinxseries Vida. He previously recurred on Fear the Walking Dead and Wisdom of the Crowd.

NBC Picks Up Stephanie Beatriz’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” for a Sixth Season After Fox’s Cancellation

Posted on May 12, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Stephanie Beatriz isn’t retiring after all…

Shortly after Fox cancelled Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the cop comedy series, starring the 37-year-old Argentine-born American actress, has been picked up by NBC for a 13-episode sixth season.

NBC, whose sister studio Universal TV produces the Andy Samberg-starring series, was one of the potential suitors for the comedy after its cancellation.

NBC also was among the broadcast networks that bid for the Brooklyn Nine-Nine pitch from creators Mike Schur and Dan Goor when it hit the marketplace in 2012 before the project landed at Fox in a very competitive situation.

“Ever since we sold this show to Fox I’ve regretted letting it get away, and it’s high time it came back to its rightful home,” said Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment. “Mike Schur, Dan Goor, and Andy Samberg grew up on NBC and we’re all thrilled that one of the smartest, funniest, and best cast comedies in a long time will take its place in our comedy line-up. I speak for everyone at NBC, here’s to the Nine-Nine!”

Created by the Parks and Recreation duo of Goor and Schur, former college roommates, Brooklyn Nine-Nine centers on Peralta, played by Saturday Night Live alum Samberg, a screwball who happens to be a real good cop. His captain in the NYPD’s 99th Precinct is Raymond Holt, a seen-it-all and emotion-challenged captain played by Andre Braugher, who scored three consecutive Emmy noms for Supporting Actor from 2014-2016. Terry Crews, Melissa Fumero, Joe Lo Truglio, Beatriz, Chelsea Peretti, Joel McKinnon Miller and Dirk Blocker also star.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which was Fox’s highest-rated live-action comedy series this season among adults 18-49, is produced by Universal Television.

The show won two Golden Globes in its freshman season — for best comedy series and best actor in a comedy series (Samberg).

Solis to Star in CBS’ Nancy Drew-Based Drama Pilot “Drew”

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Felix Solis is a man of mystery…

The 44-year-old Puerto Rican actor, film director and producer has been added to the cast of Drew, CBS’ drama pilot based on the Nancy Drew character from the classic mystery book series.

Written by Joan Rater and Tony Phelan and directed by James Strong, Drew is described as a contemporary take on the character from the books, with Nancy, now in her 30s, working as a detective for the NYPD, where she investigates and solves crimes using her uncanny observational skills, all while navigating the complexities of life in a modern world.

Solis will play Lieutenant Ford, who moved to New York after his wife died under suspicious circumstances. He was a person of interest but never charged. He left all that behind and tries to forget his past by burying himself in work.

Solis, who recurred as Special Agent Jeffrey Clarke on The Following, will next be seen in ABC’s The Family.

Olivo Lands Recurring Role on FX’s Horror Drama “The Strain”

Posted on January 29, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

No strain, no gain for America Olivo…

The 38-year-old part Chilean and part Spanish/Basque actress, singer and model has joined the cast of FX’s horror drama The Strain in a recurring role for its upcoming third season.

The thriller, from Guillermo del Toro and Carlton Cuse, is based on the best-selling The Strain Trilogy by del Toro and Chuck Hogan.

Olivo will play Kate Rogers, who commands a squad of NYPD combatants.

Olivo, who starred on Chicago P.D., recently guest-starred in an episode of CBS’ Blue Bloods and recurs on Degrassi: The Next Generation.

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