Taylor Ortega to Star in Prime Video‘s Paul Feig-Directed Action Comedy “Grand Death Lotto”

Posted on April 3, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Taylor Ortega is playing the lotto…

The Latina writer, comedian and actor has joined the cast of Prime Video‘s Paul Feig-helmed action comedy Grand Death Lotto.

In addition to Ortega, who starred in HBO’s Succession, other new cast additions include Michael Hitchcock, Becky Ann Baker, Sam Asghari, Leslie David Baker, Murray Hill and Adam Ray.

The actors join an ensemble led by John Cena, Awkwafina and Simu Liu, which also includes Ayden Mayeri, Seann William Scott, Dolly de Leon and Donald Elise Watkins.

Written by Rob Yescombe, the film currently in production is set in a very near future, in which a Grand Lottery has been established in economically challenged California. The only catch? You’ll need to kill the winner before sundown in order to legally claim their prize. New L.A. transplant Katie (Awkwafina) accidentally finds herself with the winning ticket and must join forces with amateur jackpot protector Noel (Cena) to make it to sundown in order to claim her multi-billion-dollar prize, all while dealing with Noel’s protection rival Louis Lewis (Liu), who also wants to get her to sundown in order to claim his rich protection commission.

Ortega is a series regular on Fox’s mockumentary series Welcome to Flatch, directed and executive produced by Feig, and has also been seen in Starz’s continuation of Party Down, as well as the HBO Max anthology Love Life and HBO’s Succession. She’ll next be seen leading the indie comedy Wine Club from directors Eric D. Cohen and Matthew Hirschhorn.

Sofia Carson to Speak at This Year’s Women in Entertainment Summit

Posted on June 18, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Sofia Carson will be celebrating women in entertainment…

The 29-year-old Colombian American actress/singer will speak at the 2022 Women in Entertainment Summit.

Carson, best known for her work on the Disney Channel’s Descendants franchise, is among a list of new additions to the speakers lineup that includes Connie Britton, Chandler Kinney and Reign Edwards.

The actresses will all participate in fireside chats at the June 22 event, which marks WIE’s first summit since 2019 and its sixth overall.

This year’s panel topics include how creatives keep a beloved story relevant to up and coming audiences, how media companies are expanding their offerings to meet the needs of today’s consumers, how to negotiate deals within the IP and talent rights space, and much more.

Previously announced speakers for Women in Entertainment Summit 2022 include Paul Feig, Karen Pittman and Alexandra Shipp, among dozens of other executive producers, writers, executives and stars from within the entertainment and media industries.

This edition of WIE will be held at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, California.

Founded by Renee Rossi and Gretchen McCourt, WIE aims to bring together women and men who are “dedicated to celebrating the empowerment of women in all areas of the entertainment industry.”

“Our mission is and always has been to share knowledge from incredible women who have built successful businesses in the world of entertainment and media,” Rossi said when the return of WIE Summit was revealed. “We are back stronger than ever this year – combining a group of vastly dynamic speakers and panel topics to curate an event that I’m confident will help aspiring professionals grow and evolve their careers.”

Oscar Montoya to Star in HBO Max’s Comedy Pilot “Minx”

Posted on December 11, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar Montoya is a real minx…

The Colombian actor has been cast as a series regular opposite Ophelia Lovibond in HBO Max’s comedy pilot Minx.

The pilot hails from writer Ellen Rapoport, Paul Feig’s Feigco Entertainment and Lionsgate Television.

Written by Rapoport and directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg, the half-hour Minx is set in 1970s Los Angeles and centers on Joyce (Lovibond), an earnest young feminist who dreams of producing a magazine by, for and about women and joins forces with a low-rent publisher to create the first erotic magazine for women.

Montoya will portray Richie, the magazine’s recently out-of-the-closet photographer.

Montoya’s previous credits include Bless the Harts, Tales from the Closet and CollegeHumor Originals.

Desmin Borges to Appear on Fox’s Series “This Country”

Posted on December 7, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Desmin Borges is heading to this country…

The 36-year-old half-Puerto Rican actor has landed a recurring role in Fox’s This Country, Jenny Bicks’ and Paul Feig’s remake of the BBC comedy.

In the half-hour series, a documentary crew goes to a small town to study young adults and their current concerns. Their focus is the daily lives of cousins Kelly (Chelsea Holmes) and Shrub Mallet (Sam Straley) and their idiosyncratic surroundings.

Seann William Scott, Aya Cash, Taylor Ortega, YouTuber Krystal Smith and Justin Linville also star.

Borges will play Jimmy Jameson, the rival editor to Cheryl (Cash) in the town next to Flatch. Borges will join the series, currently filming in North Carolina, beginning in Episode 2. Feig is directing the series’ first three episodes.

This Country is based on the eponymous BBC Three series, which ran on the British public broadcaster’s youth-skewing network for three seasons from 2017-20. The BAFTA-winning series, which was written by and starred Daisy May Cooper and Charlie Cooper, was set in the Cotswolds in rural England.

The role reunites Borges with Cash, his former You’re the Worst co-star. Borges portrayed Edgar Quintero on five seasons of the FX comedy-drama. He also stars as Dan on the Netflix limited series Living with Yourself opposite Paul Rudd, as well as in films like Private Life, alongside Paul Giamatti, Kathryn Hahn, Molly Shannon, John Carroll Lynch and Denis O’Hare. Borges most recently can be seen as Wilson Wilson in Amazon’s Utopia, co-starring John Cusack and Rainn Wilson.

This Country is produced by Lionsgate, BBC Studios, Fox Entertainment and Feigco Entertainment.

Taylor Ortega to Star in Fox’s Comedy Pilot “This Country”

Posted on March 5, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Taylor Ortega is headed to the country-side…

The Latina actress has joined the cast of Fox’s single-camera comedy pilot This Country, starringSeann William Scott.

Ortega joins new additions to the cast that include Chelsea Holmes, Sam Straley and Krystal Smith.

Written by Jenny Bicks and to be directed by Paul Feig,This Countryis a half-hour mockumentary inspired by the BBC Threeformat created by Daisy May Cooper and Charlie Cooper.

The show follows the daily lives of cousins Kelly (Holmes) and Shrub Mallet (Straley), who are trailed by a documentary crew as they go to a small town to study young adults and their current concerns. The show follows the pair as they pursue their dreams, confront challenges and fight each other for frozen pizza. These two don’t have much, but they do have each other.

Ortega will play Nadine, Shrub and Kelly’s old high school classmate who is beautiful, successful and married to Kelly’s old crush, Dylan. Nadine is the “big fish” in the “small pond” of Flatch.

Ortega played Shego in the Kim Possible TV movie. She guest-starred on Succession and will be seen in the upcoming anthology series Love Life, starring Anna Kendrick.

Baccarin to Star Opposite Melissa McCarthy in Paul Feig’s Comedy “Spy”

Posted on May 1, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

The spy’s the limit for Morena Baccarin…

The 34-year-old Brazilian actress and Homeland star has been cast in 20th Century Fox’s female comedy Spy.

It’s the latest film from writer-director Paul Feig and will star Bridesmaids scene-stealer star Melissa McCarthy.

Baccarin, who earned a Primetime Emmy award nomination for her work on Showtime’s Homeland, will play Karen Walker in the film.

The comedy, about a CIA analyst who gets a shot at field work, reunites also stars Rose Byrne, Jude Law, Jason Statham and Bobby Cannavale.

Spy is slated for a Memorial Day 2015 release.

Cannavale In Talks to Appear in the Melissa McCarthy-Starrer “Spy”

Posted on March 29, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Bobby Cannavale has his spy on a new movie role…

The 43-year-old half-Cuban American actor is in talks to join the cast of Spy, the Melissa McCarthy action comedy from director Paul Feig.

The film, which at one point was titled Susan Cooper, centers on a CIA analyst who goes into the field to find the person responsible for the death of her lover.

Jude Law is already on board as the ill-fated lover, a suave super-spy, while Jason Statham will play an overconfident yet clumsy spy. Also in the cast are Rose Byrne and British comedienne Miranda Hart.

Cannavale is in negotiations to portray one of the villains, an Italian lothario.

Feig will direct the film from a script he wrote.

Cannavale, who won a Primetime Emmy for his performance on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, also appears in Jon Favreau‘s upcoming indie Chef.

He has Imagine, a drama with Al Pacino and Annette Bening, and Annie, Sony‘s remake starring Jamie Foxx, in the can and was recently cast in Martin Scorsese’s untitled rock ‘n’ roll HBO pilot.

Bichir to Make Screenwriting & Directorial Debut with “Refugio”

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Demián Bichir is expanding his profile in Hollywood…

The 49-year-old Mexican actor, who will be starring in FX’s new series The Bridge, is set to make his debut as a screenwriter and director on the independent film Refugio.

The film tells the story of a young dreamer, born in the circus, who embarks on a search to find his long lost true love. An emotional journey from boyhood to manhood, from Mexico to the United States, the film is about hope, redemption and fate.

The Oscar-nominated actor, who next stars in the Paul Feig-directed Fox/Chernin Entertainment comedy The Heat with Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock, is also part of the ensemble of Machete Kills.

Principal photography will begin on Refugio this fall in the U.S. and Mexico.

Bichir to Star in “Dom Hemingway”

Posted on October 4, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

He may be known for his dramatic work… But Demian Bichir will soon be showing off his comedic chops on the big screen…

The 49-year-old Mexican actor, who received an Oscar nod this year for his work in A Better Life, will play a crime boss in the black comedy Dom Hemingway from The Matador writer-director Richard Shepard.

Jude Law and Richard E. Grant were already signed on to star in the revenge story. Law plays an eponymous larger-than-life safecracker who’s back on the streets of London after 12 years in prison and anxious to get some money in exchange for keeping his mouth shut. But things take a turn for the worse when he sets off to visit Bichir’s capo in the south of France.

Shooting is expected to start on October 15 in the south of France.

Bichir recently appeared in Oliver Stone’s Savages with Benicio del Toro and Salma Hayek, and he’’ll next be seen in Robert Rodriguez’ Machete Kills with Sofia Vergara and Danny Trejo, as well as Paul Feig’s The Heat with Sandra Bullock.

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