Jessica Marie Garcia Signs with Creative Artists Agency (CAA)

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Jessica Marie Garcia has new representation…

The 36-year-old Cuban & Mexican American actress has signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA).

Garcia currently recurs on the NBC comedy series Lopez Vs. Lopez opposite George and Mayan Lopez, as cousin ‘Yesika’. Before that, she starred on Netflix’s “Most-Binged Original” hit series On My Block as the spitfire ‘Jasmine Flores’, a role that earned her a Teen Choice Award nomination for Best Summer TV Actress and an MTV Movie & TV Award nomination.

She also appeared in Gina Rodriguez’s Disney+ series Diary of a Female President as ‘Camila,’ as well as recurring on Shonda Rhimes’ How To Get Away With Murder playing ‘Rhonda’ opposite Viola Davis. Additionally, she starred in all four seasons of the Disney Channel original series Liv and Maddie as ‘Willow Cruz.’

Her feature film Avenge the Crows, in which she plays ‘Peaches,’ a tough inner-city gang member, starring alongside Danny Trejo and Lou Diamond Phillips, is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. You can see her earlier work on shows including ABC’s The Middle, as the tough wrestlerette, ‘Becky,’ and as ‘Sierra Cruz’ on ABC Family’s Huge.

Garcia is also a member of the all-female ensemble cast of Betch: A Sketch Show, streaming now on Paramount+. She has also lent her voice to both seasons of the Love in Gravity podcast, which received special recognition at the 2023 GLAAD Awards. She additionally voiced ‘Renee Montoya’ in the hit original audio drama Batman Unburied for Spotify and voiced ‘Ami’ for the audio original book The Honeymoon Crashers by the writing duo Christina Lauren.

Garcia is branching out with her production shingle, where she has been writing and producing, most recently with her film Illegally Brown, directed by Gabby Revilla Lugo, which was recently on the festival circuit. She also shot the film What To Expect with director Gabriela Garcia Medina.

Netflix to Begin Streaming Britney Spears’ “Crossroads,” Co-Starring Zoe Saldana, in February

Posted on January 28, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Zoë Saldana is back at a crossroads…

Britney Spears’ first film Crossroads, which co-starred the 45-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actress, is headed to Netflix.

The 2002 film will hit the streamer on February 15.

The film hasn’t been on streaming platforms or available from digital retailers since its release.

Crossroads features Spears as “Lucy,” a character who reunites with her childhood best friends Kit (Saldana) and Mimi (Taryn Manning). A cross-country road trip ensues with Mimi’s friend Ben (Anson Mount).

The film was written by Shonda Rhimes.

It returned to theaters last year for two nights in October to coincide with the release of Spears’ memoir, The Woman in Me.

Director Tamra Davis said at that time, “I recently rewatched Crossroads and was so enthralled with the time capsule of nostalgia that this incredible ensemble cast brings to the screen. Britney is absolutely breathtaking to watch, and Shonda is showing us her early expertise in writing complicated female characters.”

Netflix announced the news on social media. “The first movie to ever star the one and only Britney Spears has never been available on streaming… but that’s about to change!” the streamer wrote. “We’re thrilled to announce that Crossroads will finally be available on Netflix — GLOBALLY — starting February 15.”

Crossroads also stars Kim Cattrall, Justin Long, Dan Aykroyd and Jamie Lynn Spears, who plays the younger version of her sister Britney’s character.

M. Angélica Garcia Named to President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities

Posted on April 16, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

M. Angélica Garcia has joined the committee…

The Latina educational leader, who serves as president of Berkeley City College, has been named to the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities by President Joe Biden.

Bruce Cohen and Lady Gaga will serve as the co-chairs of the revived committee.

In addition to Garcia, Cohen and Lady Gaga, other committee members include Latino educator and journalist Horacio Sierra; musician Jon Batiste; Constance M. Carroll, president of the California Community Colleges Baccalaureate Association; actor George Clooney; Harvard professor Philip J. Deloria; actress Jennifer Garner; art historian, museum director and curator Nora Halpern; bookstore owner and former congressman Steve Israel; producer-writer Marta Kauffman; producer Ricky Kirshner; actor Troy Kotsur; Bad Robot Prods. co-CEO Katie McGrath; Laura Penn, executive director of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society; artist and educator Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya; author and Stanford Professor Emeritus Arnold Rampersad; producer and author Shonda Rhimes; retired attorney and CPA Kimberly Richter Shirley; writer and actress Anna Deavere Smith; singer-songwriter Joe Walsh; actress, director and producer Kerry Washington; and Pauline Yu, president emerita of the American Council of Learned Sciences.

Biden announced last year that he was reviving the committee, which was disbanded during the presidency of Donald Trump.

The committee, set up in 1982 during Ronald Reagan’s administration, advises the president and heads of cultural agencies on ways to elevate the importance of the arts, including through federal support.

In 2017, remaining Obama-era members of the committee resigned in protest of Trump’s response to the Charlottesville riots. Trump did not renew the executive order for the committee.

Biden issued an executive order in September reviving the committee.

In the order, Biden pledged that his administration would “advance the cultural vitality of the United States by promoting the arts, the humanities, and museum and library services,” including when it comes to advancing equity, accessibility and opportunity. The order also pledges to “strengthen America’s creative and cultural economy, including by enhancing and expanding opportunities for artists, humanities scholars, students, educators, and cultural heritage practitioners, as well as the museums, libraries, archives, historic sites, colleges and universities, and other institutions that support their work.”

A number of the members of the committee have ties to Biden, including as campaign donors and supporters. Along with Stephanie Cutter, Kirschner served as executive producer of Biden’s inaugural. Kaufmann hosted First Lady Jill Biden at her home for a midterm fundraising event in September. Batiste performed at a White House state dinner in December.

During the Obama administration, Cohen also served as the entertainment industry liaison for Joining Forces, the initiative from First Lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden to support military service members, veterans and their families. Lady Gaga performed at Biden’s inauguration, and traveled with him to support an initiative to address campus sexual assault.

Jennifer Lopez Joins Michelle Obama’s ‘When We All Vote’ Initiative

Posted on January 31, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Jennifer Lopez is helping get out the congressional vote…

The 52-year-old Puerto Rican superstar is among the celebrities who’ve joined a national nonpartisan voting initiative launched by former Michelle Obama as the effort gears up for the November congressional elections.

“Are you ready for the midterm elections?” the former first lady asks in the a video announcement.

J.Lo is one the newest co-chairs of Obama’s When We All Vote initiative, alongside H.E.R, Steph Curry, Becky G and Bretman Rock.

They join Selena Gomez, Tom Hanks, Liza Koshy, Janelle Monae, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Chris Paul, Megan Rapino, Shonda Rhimes, Kerry Washington and Rita Wilson.

The volunteer co-chairs use their platforms to help boost voter registration and education with the goal of helping increase turnout for congressional and state elections in November. Democrats currently have slim majorities in both the House and Senate.

“The right to vote is so important and I hope to inspire many in my generation to exercise that right often and purposefully,” H.E.R said in a statement provided by When We All Vote. “That’s the only way that we can hope to make change in policies that affect us all now and for many years to come.”

Mrs. Obama launched the voter education and registration initiative for the 2018 midterm elections.

Miguel Nolla Developing Latin Trap-Themed Series “Trap Queen” for Freeform

Posted on April 14, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Miguel Nolla could be bringing a taste of Puerto Rican music to television.

Freeform has put Trap Queen, a music rich series created by the Puerto Rican Scandal and Roswell, New Mexico writer, in development with Danny Strong executive producing.

An alum of the Disney•ABC Writing Program, Nolla will serve as showrunner on the Puerto Rico-set series.

The drama focuses on a gay young man who returns to Puerto Rico after a life-changing event. With the burgeoning local music scene as both the backdrop and the soundtrack, that move forces him to face family and romantic issues he thought he had left behind and never expected.

Trap music is a tenet of Southern hip-hop that bubbled up into the mainstream in the early 2000s from the likes of T.I., Jeezy and Gucci Mane. The term trap is a derivative of the Atlanta slang for a place where drugs are purchased and sold.

Over the decades the style has been picked up in various forms by artists from Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Cardi B and all the way to Taylor Swift.

Latin trap is the Puerto Rican subgenre that incorporates some of the island’s reggaetón style and other elements.

A former assistant to Shonda Rhimes, Florida State University grad, Nolla’s other credits include an episode of the Grey’s Anatomy web series, Freeform’s Stitchers, Showtime’s Hombre and Netflix’s First Kill, among more.

Dolores Huerta to Be Honored at This Year’s Girl Up #GirlHero Awards

Posted on October 23, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Dolores Huerta is living legend in the Latino community… And, now she’s being heralded as a girl hero.

The 90-year-old Mexican American labor leader and civil rights activist, who co-founded the National Farmworkers Association (which later became the United Farm Workers) with Cesar Chavez, will be one of the honorees at this year’s Girl Up #GirlHero Awards.

Huerta, television super-producer Shonda Rhimes, #metoo and Founder Tarana Burke for their work on gender equality at its third annual ceremony, which will take place on International Day of the Girl.

The virtual event will take place online on Thursday, October 29 at 12:00 pm ET with Girl Up Champion Nigel Barker as co-host.

In addition, Girl Up executive director Melissa Kilby will highlight Girl Up’s Gen Z leaders fighting for change while special guests will make appearances on the event’s virtual red carpet.

“Today we’re celebrating gender equality giants, at a time when there’s a lot at stake for girls and women,” said Kilby. “We’re honored to stand with them in building a brighter, more equal movement by relentlessly showing that girls are and have always been leading us toward a better future.”

The awards will honor lifelong civil rights advocate Huerta, who models how standing for a cause can change the world. Rhimes will be honored for her work as a storyteller that explores the most relevant topics of our time, reflecting the world as we know it onscreen with dynamic characters; and Burke who founded #metoo, a movement that kicked off a worldwide wave of women taking a stand against violence and discrimination.

The honorees will participate in conversations with Girl Up’s own girl changemakers Ina Bhoopalam, Alliyah Logan, and Rym Badran as they share their work for gender equality.

The one-on-one conversations will highlight advocates, allies, and activists shaking up accepted norms and changing the trajectory of global gender equality over the course of their lifetime.

Honorees of last year’s #GirlHero Awards in Los Angeles were Cara Delevingne, Jameela Jamil and Kate Hudson.

Stephanie McMahon, Pamella Roland, LaVerne Council, Amanda Fata, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Michelle King, Alexandra Trustman, Shaun Robinson, Tracy Shaffer and Chantelle Siegel will serve as this year’s co-chairs of the event.

Rita Moreno Dons ‘Vote’ Mask as Part of When We All Vote’s New ‘Get Out The Vote’ Campaign

Posted on September 4, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Rita Moreno isn’t masking her feelings about the importance of voting this year…

With the November election right around the corner, the 88-year-old Puerto Rican Oscar-winning actress and Latina icon is encouraging people to do their civic duty without uttering a single word.

Moreno is taking part in When We All Vote’s new campaign.

Director and producer Allen Hughes has brought together a wide range of artists, athletes, industry leaders, and notable community members wearing a “VOTE” face covering to inspire maximum voter participation.

Those taking part in this year’s mask campaign include Tony Bennett, Dr. Dre, Robert De Niro, Larry David, Megan Rapinoe, Sean Penn, David Crosby, Snoop Dogg, Diane von Furstenberg, Padma Lakshmi, Sterling K Brown, Tyler Oakley, Kevin Love, Ron Howard, Judd Apatow, Lindsey Vonn, Michael Keaton, Bryan Cranston, Sandra Oh, Steve Buscemi, Pamela Adlon, Christopher Poindexter, Rita Moreno, Iliza Shlesinger, and Deepak Chopra, along with healthcare worker Cady Chaplin.

“This is clearly an existential election year, and it’s critical that every eligible voter in every community engage in this election,” Hughes says. “The very soul of our nation is on the ballot November 3rd, 2020.”

Launched in 2018 by co-chairs Michelle Obama, Tom Hanks, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Janelle Monae, Chris Paul, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, When We All Vote uses a data-driven approach to increase participation in elections. The group focuseson increasing participation in every election while closing the race and age voting gap. The goal is to change the culture around voting, harnessing grassroots energy, and through strategic partnerships to reach every American.

In addition, Michelle Obama has added Selena Gomez, Liza Koshy, Megan Rapinoe, Shonda Rhimes, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kerry Washington, and Rita Wilson to this year’s co-chair list.

For more information on the organization and its new campaign, visit whenweallvote.org.

Selena Gomez Signs On as Co-Chair of When We All Vote Organization

Posted on November 10, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Selena Gomez is getting out the vote…

The 27-year-old Mexican American singer/actress has signed on as a co-chair of the national organization When We All Vote.

Gomez joins a roster of new co-chairs that includes Liza Koshy, Shonda Rhimes, Megan Rapinoe,Tracee Ellis Rossand Kerry Washington.

The organization was launched in 2018 by co-chairs Michelle Obama, Tom Hanks ,Lin-Manuel Miranda, Janelle Monae, Chris Paul, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.

When We Vote bills itself as a nonpartisan group dedicated to increasing voter participation. The announcement marks a year until the date of the 2020 elections, which includes the presidential race.

Hanks said “registering new voters is an act of hope and taking part in the American idea.” He added that voting guarantees the blessings of “liberty for the grandkids.”

Torres Lands Recurring Role on ABC’s “The Catch”

Posted on September 15, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Gina Torres has landed The Catch of the day…

The 47-year-old Cuban American actress has landed a recurring role on the second season of the ABC drama series The Catch, from Shonda Rhimes’ ShondaLand and ABC Studios.

As usual with ShondaLand shows, no details about Torres’ character have been revealed.

Executive produced by Rhimes, The Catch centers on Alice Vaughan (Mireille Enos), a private investigator for high-end clients. Torres joins T.R. Knight, who also was recently cast in a recurring role.

Torres just wrapped her starring role as Jessica Pearson on USA Network’s Suits in this week’s Season 6 summer finale, having been with the legal drama series since its launch.

At ABC and ABC Studios, Torres toplined the drama pilot The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez this past season and previously recurred on Revenge.

Her other notable television roles include the shotgun-toting mercenary Zoe Washburne on Joss Whedon’s Firefly, (she also played the character in Whedon’s feature Serenity), the soul-eating Jasmine on Whedon’s Angel and a recurring gig on NBC’s Hannibal.

Torres film work includes The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions and I Think I Love My Wife opposite Chris Rock.

Ferrer to Star in Shonda Rhimes’ ABC Comedy Pilot “Toast”

Posted on March 9, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Tessa Ferrer is the toast of the town…

The 29-year-old part-Puerto Rican actress and Grey’s Anatomy alumna, the granddaughter of José Ferrer, has been cast in Toast, ABC’s hybrid comedy pilot from Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers’ Shondaland, Scott Foley and Greg Grunberg.

Written by Foley and Grunberg and directed by Gail Mancuso, the project revolves around engaged couple Max Leeds (Jono Kenyon) and Paige (not yet cast), who, over their wedding rehearsal dinner, have their eclectic family and friends give toasts recalling anecdotes about the couple — but flashbacks reveal that the toasts don’t always get it right, as we watch the true story of their complicated, funny and relatable road to marriage.

Kenyon’s Max is awkwardly handsome, charming and unassuming, and worried about what his bride-to-be’s family thinks about him. After all, they couldn’t be more different: Paige is a sorority girl from a close-knit wealthy Austin family, and he’s a college dropout with a questionable credit history and a father in prison.

Ferrer is Jules, an up-for-anything Texas tomboy who is Max’s closest friend, his biggest champion and business partner. Fiercely loyal and protective, she knows Max better than he knows himself, and worries that he is too focused on the wrong things when it comes to meeting the right woman.

Ferrer played Dr. Leah Murphy on Grey’s Anatomy on Seasons 9 and 10, and she recurred on CBS’ Extant and on Stephen Falk’s FX comedy You’re The Worst.

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