Tommy Martinez to Star in Peacock’s New Comedy Series “Laid”

Tommy Martinez is laying down a new path…

The 31-year-old Venezuelan actor will star in Peacock’s upcoming comedy series Laid as a series regular.

Tommy MartinezMartinez will star opposite Zosia Mamet and Michael Angarano in the series.

Martinez will play Isaac, Mamet will play AJ and Angarano will play Richie.

They join previously announced lead Stephanie Hsu in the series written and executive produced by Nahnatchka Khan and Sally Bradford McKenna.

Laid is based on the Australian series created by Marieke Hardy and Kirsty Fisher, and produced by Liz Watts.

It follows a woman who finds out her former lovers are dying in unusual ways and must go back through her sex timeline to confront her past to move forward. It’s described as a f*cked-up rom-com where the answer to “Why can’t I find love, is there something wrong with me?” is a resounding: “Yes, there is. The problem is definitely you.”

The series comes from Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Martinez was most recently a series regular on Freeform’s Good Trouble, which wrapped up its run after 5 seasons earlier this month. He played Gael Martinez since the show’s inception.

His additional television credits include Netflix’s Not Dead Yet, Prime Video’s Hunters, Mosquito Coast for Apple+, Showtime’s Shameless and the CW’s Riverdale.

Noah Centineo to Serve as Member of Tribeca Festival Jury

Noah Centineo has joined the jury…

The Tribeca Festival, which gets under way on Wednesday in New York, has announced members of the jury, including the 27-year-old part-Puerto Rican actor, who will decide winners in 15 award categories.

Noah CentineoIn addition to Centineo, the jury roster also includes Brendan FraserStephanie Hsu, Zoey Deutch, Dianna Agron, Zazie Beetz, Kate Siegel, Mark Duplass, Stephen Kay, Nina Dobrev, Clea DuVall, Piper PeraboChance the Rapper, Jeremy O. Harris, Andrew Ahn and Chloe Grace Moretz.

Along with the competitive categories, the Nora Ephron Award will be presented in the memory of the filmmaker and writer.

While the festival removed the word “film” from its name several years ago to reflect its broad range of offerings in games, podcasts, music and other areas, the film slate has continued as an identifying aspect of the event.

This year’s U.S. narrative feature jury includes Hsu, Ramin Bahrani, Zoey Deutch, Mike Flanagan and Tommy Oliver; the international feature jury includes Fraser, Zazie Beetz, Alfredo Jaar, Shirin Neshat and Kate Siegel; and the documentary feature jury includes Mark Duplass, Adam Goldberg, Stephanie Linus, Alexandra Pelosi and Ryan White.

Award categories span narrative and documentary features and shorts as well as the immersive Storyscapes vertical, games and audio storytelling. Winners will be announced June 15. The festival runs June 7 to 18.

The Tribeca Festival was founded in 2001 by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff. In 2019, James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems bought a majority stake in festival parent Tribeca Enterprises. After a year in virtual mode in 2020 due to Covid, the 2021 edition was the first North American festival to be held in person coming out of the pandemic. The last two Tribecas have unfolded in June, a change from the festival’s longtime berth in April. Organizers have indicated the new timing offers a lot of upside, including more favorable weather in New York, which helps with attendance and logistics for the many outdoor events typically on the schedule.

Jenna Ortega to Serve as Presenter at This Weekend’s SAG Awards Ceremony

Win or lose, Jenna Ortega will take the SAG Awards stage…

The Screen Actors Guild has announced the latest group of presenters for Sunday’s SAG Awards ceremony, with the 20-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexican American actress set to participate.

Jenna OrtegaOrtega is nominated in the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series category for her starring role in Netflix’s acclaimed series Wednesdaywhich has been renewed for a second season.

In addition to Ortega, the list of recently added presenters includes Jason Bateman, Jeff Bridges, Aubrey PlazaAdam Scott, Zendaya, SAG-AFTRA president Fran DrescherMatt Bomer, Ariana DeBose, Eugene Levy and Amy Poehler.

Previously announced presenters for the 29th annual ceremony include Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, Michelle Yeoh, Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Paul Dano, Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Jessie Buckley, Claire Foy, Rooney Mara, Jovan Adepo, Diego Calva and Li Jun Li.

The SAG Awards are set for Sunday, February 28, at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles. The ceremony, featuring the winners in the guild’s 15 acting categories, will stream live on Netflix’s YouTube channel.

Anjelah Johnson-Reyes to Serve as Presenter at This Year’s PGA Awards

Anjelah Johnson-Reyes is headed to the PGA Awards

The Producers Guild of America has revealed the presenters lineup for the 34th annual PGA Awards, to be held on Saturday at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, with the 40-year-old half-Mexican American actress/comedian making the list.

Anjelah JohnsonIn addition to Johnson-Reyes, other notable celebrities set to take the stage to present throughout the evening include Angela Bassett, Austin Butler, Billy Eichner, Bob Odenkirk, Brendan Fraser, Cate Blanchett, Danielle Deadwyler, Dave Burd, Diego Luna, Eugenio Derbez, Hannah Einbinder, Hong Chau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jay Ellis, Kate Hudson, Ke Huy Quan, Kerry Condon, Leslie Odom, Jr., Michelle Williams, Michelle Yeoh, Mo Amer, Monica Barbaro, Nicole Byer, Paul Dano, Robert Rodriguez, Ron Howard, Sacha Baron Cohen, Sandra Oh, Sherry Lansing and Stephanie Hsu.

The PGA Awards celebrate the producers behind the best films, television series, and new media projects of the year.

Widely known as a reliable bellwether for the Best Picture category at the Oscars, the PGA has nominated Avatar: The Way of Water, The Banshees of Inisherin, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Elvis, Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Fabelmans, Glass Onion: Knives Out Mystery, Tár, Top Gun: Maverick and The Whale for its Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures Award.

The 2023 Producers Guild of America Awards is produced by Anchor Street Collective for the Producers Guild of America.

Diego Calva to Serve as Presenter at This Weekend’s SAG Awards Show

Diego Calva is heading to this weekend’s SAG Awards

The 30-year-old Mexican actor, the star of Babylon, will serve as a president at the 29th annual ceremony this weekend.

Diego CalvaCalva is among the second round of presenters that includes Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, Michelle Yeoh from Everything Everywhere All at OnceThe Banshees of Inisherin stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson; Paul Dano, Gabriel LaBelle and Michelle Williams of The FabelmansWomen Talking’s Jessie Buckley, Claire Foy and Rooney Mara; and Calva’s Babylon co-stars Jovan Adepo and Li Jun Li.

The first batch of presenters included Andrew GarfieldEmily BluntJessica ChastainDon CheadleCaleb McLaughlinPaul Mescal and Ashley Park.

The 29th annual gala is set for Sunday, February 28, at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

The ceremony, featuring the winners in the guild’s 15 acting categories, will stream live on Netflix’s YouTube channel.

Calva is nominated in the marquee ensemble film award category alongside his Babylon cast mates. It’s his first SAG Awards nomination.

Luis Guzmán to Star in Rian Johnson’s Peacock Series “Poker Face”

Luis Guzmán is playin’ poker

The 66-year-old Puerto Rican actor will star in Peacock’s Poker Face, a mystery drama series starring Natasha Lyonne, hailing from Rian Johnson, his T-Street banner and MRC Television.

Luis GuzmánGuzman is among a roster of new cast additions that includes Cherry JonesHong Chau and Reed Birney.

Details of their roles, as well as plot details of the 10-episode anthology-like series are being kept under wraps.

In addition to Lyonne, the four join previously announced cast members Adrien Brody, Angel Desai, Audrey Corsa, Benjamin Bratt, Charles Melton, Chloe Sevigny, Clea DuVall, Danielle MacDonald, Dascha Polanco, Ellen Barkin, Jasmine Aiyana Garvin, Jameela Jamil, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Judith Light, Leslie Silva, Lil Rel Howery, Niall Cunningham, Nicholas Cirillo, Nick Nolte, Ron Perlman, S. Epatha Merkerson, Shane Paul McGhie, Simon Helberg, Stephanie Hsu, Tim Blake Nelson and Tim Meadows.

Johnson is the creator, writer and director of Poker Face and will also executive produce alongside T-Street partner Ram Bergman and the company’s television president Nena Rodrigue. Nora Zuckerman and Lilla Zuckerman (Prodigal Son, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D) serve as showrunners and executive producers. Lyonne also will serve as an executive producer via her Animal Pictures. The company’s Maya Rudolph and Danielle Renfrew Behrens will co-executive produce.

Guzmán is best known for his roles in Steven Soderbergh’s films such as Out of Sight, The Limey, and Traffic, and in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and Punch-Drunk Love.

On television, he has had key roles on Showtime’s Shameless, Epix’s Godfather of Harlem and Perpetual Grace, LTD.

David Castañeda to Star in Peacock’s Drama Series “Poker Face”

David Castañeda has a real poker face

The 32-year-old Mexican American actor has joined the cast of Natasha Lyonne and Rian Johnson series Poker Face at Peacock.

David Castañeda

Lyonne will lead the drama series, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Stephanie Hsu also set to appear along with Castañeda.

Plot and character details for the series are being kept largely under wraps, though sources say the series will follow a procedural format and see Lyonne’s character working to solve different murders in each episode.

Poker Face received a 10-episode order at Peacock in March 2021. Johnson created the series and executive produces via T-Street Productions. MRC Television will produce.

Castañeda is best known for his role in the hit Netflix series The Umbrella Academy, on which he plays Diego. The third season of the series will premiere on June 22.

His other television credits include Blindspot and Southland.

He’ll next star opposite Christoph Waltz in Season 2 of the Roku series Most Dangerous Game.

He has also appeared in films like Sicario: Day of the Soldado, The Tax Collector, End of Watch and The Guilty at Netflix.

Rita Moreno to Perform in PBS’ “Wicked in Concert” Special

It’s a wicked time for Rita Moreno

The 89-year-old Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer, a living Latina legend, will take part in PBSWicked in Concert special.

Rita Moreno

Co-hosted by the Tony Award-winning musical’s original Broadway stars Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, the musical event will feature performances by Moreno, Mario Cantone, Gavin Creel, Ariana DeBose, Cynthia Erivo, Stephanie Hsu, Jennifer Nettles, Alex Newell, Isaac Powell, Amber Riley, Gabrielle Ruiz and Ali Stroker.

The starry line-up was announced by Nouveau Productions Executive Producer Robert Pullen. The concert special will air on Sunday, August 29 at 9:00 pm ET on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS Video App.

The concert, directed by Baayork Lee, is designed as a celebration of the return of Broadway following the 16-month COVID-19 pandemic shutdown.

This special will feature reimagined, never-before-heard Wicked musical arrangements created by music director and conductor Luke Frazier just for this broadcast, with performances filmed in multiple locations including Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and New York City.

Since opening on Broadway in 2003, Wicked, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman based on Gregory Maguire’s novel reimagining some characters from The Wizard of Oz, is the fifth longest-running show in Broadway history.

The musical has been seen by over 60 million people worldwide and has amassed over $5 billion in global sales.

Ariana DeBose to Take Part in Virtual Concert to Benefit the Covenant House Charity for Homeless & Trafficked Youth

Ariana DeBose  is helping homeless and trafficked youth…

The 29-year-old half-Afro-Puerto Rican actress, singer and dancer, known for her work in musical theatre and on So You Think You Can Dance, will take part in a virtual concert event to benefit the Covenant House charity for homeless and trafficked youth.

Ariana DeBose

DeBose joins a 50-plus roster of stars who’ll perform or appear for the May 18 fundraiser that includes Meryl StreepDiane Keaton, Jon Bon JoviRachel BrosnahanStephen ColbertMartin ShortDolly PartonDionne WarwickStephanie J. BlockTony ShalhoubCharlie DayChris O’DowdZachary Leviand Zachary Quinto.

A Night of Covenant House Stars, to be held on Monday, May 18 at 8:00 pm ET on the Broadway on Demand streaming platform, will be co-hosted by six-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald and 60 Minutes orrespondent John Dickerson, both members of the Covenant House Board of Directors.

The event is designed to support Covenant House, the international, mostly privately funded charity providing housing, food and healthcare to children and youth facing homelessness, and the front-line staff working during the COVID-19crisis.

“This virus does not get the last word,” said Covenant House President & CEO Kevin Ryan. “This amazing group of stars uniting in love to help us care for kids is proof positive of that.”

Other stars slated to appear include Robin Thicke, Deborah CoxQuentin Earl DarringtonDarius de HaasMary Elizabeth EllisEden EspinosaJordan FisherStephanie Hsu,Randy JacksonCapathia JenkinsJeremy JordanRamona KellerAlex NewellKaren OlivoDawn O’Porter, Laura OsnesBenj PasekJodi Picoult, Shereen PimentelAndrew RannellsKeala SettleJake David SmithWill SwensonBobby Conte ThorntonAna VillafaneFrank Wildhorn, and the Broadway Inspirational Voices choir.

Event proceeds will benefit Covenant House’s work across 31 cities, in six countries.

The May 18 fundraiser will mark the launch of the Broadway on Demand platform (the company had previously announced a May 17 program). Viewers can watch the Covenant House event free of charge.

In addition to Broadway on DemandA Night of Covenant House Starscan be streamed on iHeartRadio BroadwayFacebookTwitchYouTube, and Stars in the House.