Brandon Larracuente to Star in Amazon Freevee’s Half-Hour Drama “On Call”

Posted on April 28, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Brandon Larracuente is officially on call…

The 28-year-old Puerto Rican actor will star opposite Troian Bellisario on On Call.

Originally set up at Amazon Freevee, the half-hour drama, from Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, will stream on Amazon’s main platform, Prime Video.

Amazon Studios has handed an official eight-episode order to the project, co-created by Tim Walsh and Elliot Wolf, which marks Wolf Entertainment’s first streaming series and its 10th current scripted series overall.

On Call is an adrenalized half-hour series following Traci Harmon, a veteran female training officer (Belisario) and her rookie male ride-along, Alex Diaz (Larracuente), as they navigate the loss of a fellow officer and politics of modern day policing — in the department and on the streets of Long Beach.

Belisario’s Traci Harmon is a veteran officer who’s disillusioned with the job and struggles to find her place in the department while training the next generation of officers.

Larracuente’s Alex Diaz is an ambitious Latino trainee who grapples with holding onto his optimistic outlook as he realizes the challenges he’ll face as a police officer in today’s climate.

On Call was originally picked up by then-IMDb TV — Amazon’s free, AVOD service which has since been rebranded as Amazon Freevee — in spring 2021, with Ben Watkins as showrunner and Elliot Wolf as executive producer. The creative team behind the project has since changed, with Walsh, former co-executive producer of Wolf Entertainment’s Chicago P.D., and Elliot as co-creators and executive producers. Elliot, son of Dick Wolf, has been leading Wolf Entertainment’s expansion into digital for the past five years, which now includes On Call as the company’s first streaming series.

Dick Wolf , Walsh, Elliot Wolf, former Chicago P.D. director/executive producer Eriq LaSalle, Arthur Forney and Peter Jankowski are executive producers. LaSalle is directing episodes 1, 2, 5 and 6 of the series, which recently started production in Long Beach.

Universal Television, a part of Universal Studio Group, produces in association with Wolf Entertainment and Amazon Studios.

“Everything old is new again. In 1958 there were 40 half-hour dramas and five one-hour dramas on television. Five years later, the numbers were basically reversed,” Dick Wolf said about doing On Call as a half-hour drama series back in 2021. “This is the perfect time to revive the half-hour format. It’s television popcorn. You can watch six episodes during a three-hour binge.”

Larracuente, is coming off a season-long stint as a series regular on ABC’s The Good Doctor. His other notable credits include Netflix series Bloodline and 13 Reasons Why and Freeform’s Party of Five.

Brandon Larracuente Lands Recurring Role on Season 6 of ABC’s “The Good Doctor”

Posted on April 20, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Brandon Larracuente has landed a special internship…

The 27-year-old Puerto Rican actor, who most recently starred in Freeform’s Party of Five, has landed a major recurring role on ABC’s The Good Doctor.

Larracuenta and fellow cast newcomer Savannah Welch will serve as the series’ newest St. Bonaventure interns.

Their characters will be introduced at the start of the recently picked up Season 6 and, as is the case with any new class of interns, the recurring castings include options for Larracuente and Welch to become series regulars.

Larracuente will play Daniel (aka Danny). In the hospital, he’s known to charm doctors and nurses alike, even with his interest in somewhat controversial alternative medicine. Outside of the hospital, he is a bit of a lone wolf and an intriguing mystery to his co-workers.

As recently revealed when ABC announced its season-finale dates, The Good Doctor‘s fifth season will conclude with Episode 18 as its season finale. The show kept its traditional production schedule from the last couple of years, filming 20 episodes per season, with the last two now premiering in the fall.

Larracuente and Welch are currently shooting their first episode, which will air at the top of Season 6.

The Good Doctor, which airs Monday nights at 10:00 pm on ABC, stars Freddie Highmore as Dr. Shaun Murphy, Hill Harper as Dr. Marcus Andrews, Richard Schiff as Dr. Aaron Glassman, Christina Chang as Dr. Audrey Lim, Fiona Gubelmann as Dr. Morgan Reznick, Will Yun Lee as Dr. Alex Park, Paige Spara as Lea Dilallo, Noah Galvin as Dr. Asher Wolke, and Bria Samone Henderson as Dr. Jordan Allen.

The series hails from Sony Pictures Television and ABC Signature. David Shore is the executive producer and showrunner. Daniel Dae Kim, Erin Gunn, David Kim, Sebastian Lee, Liz Friedman and Mike Listo are also executive producers.

ABC Signature is a part of Disney Television Studios.

Larracuente headlined Freeform’s Party of Five reboot and is also known for his major recurring role on the hit Netflix show 13 Reasons Why and for playing Kyle Chandler’s son in Bloodline. Two of the series, Party of Five and Bloodline, were produced by Sony Television.

Camille Guaty to Star in the Live-Action Film Adaptation of Crockett Johnson’s Children’s Book “Harold and the Purple Crayon”

Posted on March 2, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Camille Guaty is seeing purple…

The 45-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actress is set to star opposite Zachary Levi, Zooey Deschanel, Lil Rel Howery and Ravi Patel in Sony Pictures’ live-action adaptation of Harold and the Purple Crayon.

Hailing from Oscar-nominated director Carlos Saldanha, the film is based on the 1955 children’s book by Crockett Johnson that follows Harold, a curious 4-year-old who, with his purple crayon, has the power to create a world of his own.

David Guion and Michael Handelman handled the screenplay adaptation. John Davis is producing through Davis Entertainment.

The film is slated for release in theaters on January 27, 2023.

Guaty recently wrapped a major recuring role on ABC’s hit series The Rookie. She’s previously appeared in series including The Good Doctor, Daytime Divas, Scorpion and Prison Break, and in such films as David Wain’s National Lampoon biopic A Futile and Stupid Gesture and Haifaa Al-Mansour’s Nappily Ever After for Netflix, and Damiel Barnz’ indie Cake, starring Jennifer Aniston.

Demián Bichir to Star in Jonas Cuaron’s Feature Film “Chupa”

Posted on June 18, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Demián Bichir is getting mythical…

The 57-year-old Mexican Oscar-nominated actor has joined the cast of Jonás Cuarón’s feature Chupa alongside Dominic Mariche, Adriel Manzano and Isabella Patron.

The film follows teenager Alex (Mariche), who while visiting his family in Mexico, gains an unlikely companion when he discovers a young chupacabra hiding in his grandpa’s shed. In order to save the mythical creature, Alex and his cousins (Manzano and Patron) must embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

Cuarón and Tim Sexton wrote the most recent screenplay based on an original script by Marcus Rinehart, Sean Kennedy Moore and Joe Barnathan.

“Demián, Dominic, Adriel and Isabella all bring a genuineness to the characters they play,” says Cuarón. “Growing up in both Mexico and the US, I’m fortunate to have my own life experiences to inspire the stories that I tell. It’s even more special to have found a cast that is able to lend an additional layer of authenticity to Chupa.”

The film is part of 26th Street Pictures’ first look deal at Netflix. 26th’s Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe are producing. EPs are G. Mac Brown and Brendan Bellomo.

Columbus said, “A story is only as good as the actors who can make it come to life. Demián is an acclaimed actor and after an extensive search, we’re thrilled with the true talent we’ve found in Adriel, Isabela and Dominic, all of whom lend heart and authenticity to their roles. We can’t wait for people around the world to meet them and see just how special they make this film.”

Bichir’s feature credits include Land, Godzilla vs. Kong, The Midnight Sky, The Hateful Eight and Alien: Covenant. He received a 2012 Best Actor Academy Award nomination for his turn in A Better Life.

Mariche starred on television shows like The Good Doctor, See and Are You Afraid of the Dark?.

Osvaldo Benavides to Star in Upcoming Fifth Season of ABC’s “The Good Doctor”

Posted on June 8, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Something Good is happening for Osvaldo Benavides.

The 41-year-old popular Mexican actor has joined the cast of ABC’s The Good Doctor as a series regular for the upcoming fifth season.

Benavides will portray Dr. Mateo Rendón Osma, an incredibly skilled trauma surgeon, who has spent many years working in Guatemala for a Doctors-Without-Borders type of organization. But Mateo hasn’t always been a hero; some rash actions during his residency will be back to haunt him and could complicate things.

He was introduced in The Good Doctor‘s two-part Season 4 finale. The two-episode arc came with a Season 5 series regular option for Benavides, which was picked up after The Good Doctor was renewed last month.

In Part 1 of the Season 4 finale, which aired last week, Mateo met the San Jose St. Bonaventure team and was assisting them with the surgical mission in Guatemala.

Along with the humanitarian work, sparks flew between Mateo and Dr. Audrey Lim (Christina Chang). After he joined her for a taxi ride from a local bar to the hotel the night before the first surgeries, the duo were kidnapped by a desperate man, and they teamed up to deliver a baby for the man’s niece who was in distress. The two then spent the night together, and judging by the promo for Part 2 of the finale, which airs tonight, June 7, it would not be a one-night stand.

Osvaldo is one of three new series regular additions for Season 5; The Good Doctor recently promoted Season 4 recurring players Noah Galvin, who plays Asher Wolke, and Bria Samoné Henderson (Jordan Allen).

The trio are being named series regulars at the end of a season that is bidding farewell to two original Good Doctor cast members, Nicholas Gonzalez, who exited after the season premiere, and Antonia Thomas, whose final episode is this week.

This marks the first major English-language role for Benavides who has built a formidable resume of Spanish-language starring film and TV roles in Mexico, as well as series for U.S. networks like Univision and Telemundo and global streamers like Netflix.

His most recent credits include Netflix’s Monarca and La suerte de Loli, which is currently airing on Telemundo.

Nicholas Gonzalez to Star in NBC’s Sci-Fi Drama “La Brea”

Posted on March 23, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Nicholas Gonzalez is ready to sink into a new role…

The 45-year-old Mexican American actor, who has starred as Dr. Neil Melendez on ABC’s The Good Doctor for the last three seasons, will co-star opposite Eoin Macken, Natalie Zea and Jon Seda in NBC’s sci-fi drama La Brea.

Gonzalez also joins previously cast Veronica St. Clair, Chiké Okonkwo, Jack Martin, Zyra Gorecki and Lily Santiago.

In La Brea, written by David Appelbaum, when a massive sinkhole mysteriously opens in Los Angeles, it tears a family in half, separating mother (Zea) and son (Martin) from father (Macken) and daughter (Gorecki). When part of the family find themselves in an unexplainable primeval world alongside a disparate group of strangers, they must work to survive and uncover the mystery of where they are and if there is a way back home.

Gonzalez will play Levi Brooks, an Air Force pilot and Gavin’s (Macken) best friend who is recruited to lead the mission to save the people who fell into the sinkhole.

Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, is the studio, producing with Keshet Studios.

For the past three seasons, Gonzalez was a series regular on ABC’s hit medical drama The Good Doctor, playing the popular character of Dr. Melendez, who died in the two-part Season 4 premiere. His series credits include Being Mary Jane, How to Get Away With Murder and Pretty Little Liars.

Camille Guaty to Appear on ABC’s “The Rookie”

Posted on January 8, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a rookie moment for Camille Guaty…

The Puerto Rican and Cuban American actress is set to appear in a multi-episode arc on ABC’s The Rookie.

Guaty will play Sandra De la Cruz, a businesswoman with nefarious connections who has been the target of a murder attempt.

Her character will be introduced in the Sunday, January 17 episode titled “La Fiera.”

Created by Alexi Hawley, The Rookie stars Nathan Fillion as John Nolan, the oldest rookie at the Los Angeles Police Department.

The series, which also stars Mekia Cox, Alyssa Diaz, Richard T. Jones, Titus Makin, Melissa O’Neil and Eric Winter, is produced by Entertainment One (eOne) and ABC Signature.

Guaty is known for her starring role on VH1’s dramedy series Daytime Divas, where she played Nina, an award-winning journalist and one of the five co-hosts on the popular talk show, “The Lunch Hour.”

She can most recently be seen guest starring on The Good Doctor, as well as in Netflix film Nappily Ever After, directed by Haiffaa Al Mansour, and A Futile and Stupid Gesture, a biopic on Doug Kennedy, the man who started National Lampoon, where Guaty plays his wife.

David DeSantos to Appear on the CW’s “Roswell, New Mexico”

Posted on October 29, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

David DeSantos is heading to the CW…

The 45-year-old Mexican American actor has landed a recurring role on Roswell, New Mexico.

DeSantos will portray Edgar, a character described as “an enigmatic leader who intersects with Roswell’s heroes on a clandestine mission to better understand the unknown. Though he comes from an army background, Edgar has a wistful outlook on the universe. He believes that sometimes the best approach to an established problem is a fresh and creative perspective. Edgar will seek out those who align with his cause — but as a keeper of secrets he’ll expect loyalty and discretion, no matter the cost.”

DeSantos currently recurs on the CBS drama All Rise and TNT’s Animal Kingdom.

His other credits include The Rookie, NCIS: New Orleans, The Good Doctor and SEAL Team.

On the feature side, he can be seen in the indie Windows on the World alongside Luna Lauren Velez, Edwards James Olmos and Ryan Guzman.

Wilson Cruz to Take Part in Classic “Superman” Radio Series Reenactments During Next Week’s ‘DC FanDome: Explore the Multiverse’ Virtual Event

Posted on September 5, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Wilson Cruz is preparing for a super project…

The 46-year-old Puerto Rican actor will take part in Warner Bros. and The Creative Coalition’s reenactments of the 1940s Superman radio series to take place during DC FanDome: Explore the Multiverse on September 12. The acclaimed original long-running radio serial originally aired from 1940 to 1951.

The reenactments of the Superman radio series will be available all day during the virtual confab and feature an all-star roster of actors toplined by Cruz, who stars on Star Trek: Discovery, Tim Daly and Daniel Dae Kim as the Man of Steel himself.

Using original scripts from the long-running radio serial recently unearthed from the Warner Bros. Studios vault, this rare production will allow fans to experience one of their favorite superheros in a unique way.

“We are thrilled to join comic fans and creators at DC FanDome: Explore the Multiverse to bring the original Superman to life and celebrate the arts,” said The Creative Coalition CEO Robin Bronk. “We encourage Superman fans to learn more about The Creative Coalition’s mission to support the arts by visiting TheCreativeCoalition.org. We are grateful to Warner Bros. and DC for supporting that work.”

In addition to Cruz, Daly and Kim, the radio series will feature Jason Alexander, Troian Bellisario, Erich Bergen, Anthony Carrigan, Terry Crews, Sam Daly, Lea DeLaria, Giancarlo Esposito, Sean Giambrone, The Good Doctor’s Nicholas Gonzalez, Jason Isaacs, Richard Kind, Eric McCormack, Dean Norris, CCH Pounder, Anthony Rapp, Yolonda Ross, Caterina Scorsone, Tony Shalhoub, Tamara Tunie, Henry Winkler, Alfre Woodard and Constance Zimmer.

Click here to learn more about the DC FanDome: Explore the Multiverse.

Nicholas Gonzalez to Star in the Survival Thriller “Borrego”

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Nicholas Gonzalez is ready to lay down the law…

The 44-year-old Mexican American actor will star opposite Lucy Hale in the survival thriller Borrego.

Hale will play a young botanist who relocates to a small desert town to study an invasive plant species. While out conducting research, she comes to the aid of a downed plane only to find herself taken captive by an inexperienced drug mule who forces her to lead a trek across the sweltering desert to his drop.

The local sheriff (portrayed by Gonzalez) is drawn into the hunt as his rebellious daughter sets out to find the missing botanist, all while being pursued by a local drug receiver.

Costa Rican actor Leynar Gómez, Latino actor Jorge A. Jimenez and Mexican American actress Olivia Trujillo round out the cast.

Jesse Harris will direct the film from his own script, and he’ll produce. Hale will serve as executive producer.

Gonzalez currently stars on ABC’s The Good Doctor. His other television credits include appearances on Being Mary Jane, Narcos, How to Get Away With Murder and Pretty Little Liars.

His film credits include The Purge: Anarchy, Falling Awake and Rockaway.

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