Castro to Star in Ang Lee’s “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk”

Posted on April 18, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Arturo Castro has a long walk ahead of him…

The 29-year-old Guatemalan actor has joined the cast of Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, Ang Lee’s feature adaptation of the Ben Fountain novel.

The film follows a group of servicemen sent on a “victory tour” after returning from combat in Iraq. Billy Lynn and his comrades will return to battle after the tour ends with a halftime show of a Dallas Cowboys football game on Thanksgiving Day.

Castro will play Marcellino “Mango” Montoya, a steady and skeptical member of Lynn’s Bravo Company who has become a pretty good amateur politician, speaking to Latino groups in Spanish in praise of military esprit de corps.

Castro portrays Jaime on Comedy Central’s Broad City. Other recent credits include appearances on television’s The Good Wife and the features Sun Belt Express and Indigo Children.

He next appears in Mi America, Kid Witness and Memoir.

Pascal to Star in Netflix’s Pablo Escobar-Themed Drama Series “Narcos”

Posted on June 7, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Pedro Pascal is ready to take down a notorious drug lord…

The 39-year-old Chilean actor will star opposite Wagner Moura on Netflix‘s drama series Narcos.

Directed by Jose Padilha and written by Chris Brancato, Narcos is the true-life story of the growth and spread of cocaine drug cartels across the globe and the efforts of law enforcement to meet them head on in brutal, bloody conflict.

It centers on notorious Colombian cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar (Moura) and Javier Pena (Pascal), a Mexican DEA agent sent to Colombia on a U.S. mission to capture and ultimately kill him.

Executive produced by Padilha, Narcos will premiere on Netflix in 2015.

Pascal most recently wrapped a major recurring role on HBO’s blockbuster fantasy series Game Of Thrones. He also recently recurred on USA’s Graceland and CBS’ The Mentalist.

Paladin Pictures Acquires the Psychological Thriller “After,” Starring Gonzalez

Posted on May 4, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Mandy Gonzalez’s latest project will be released in August…

Paladin Pictures has acquired the distribution rights to the psychological thriller After, which stars the half-Mexican American actress/singer and Broadway star.

From first-time director Pieter Gaspersz, the film tells the tale of a middle class family in upstate New York centered around cheerful but fragile matriarch Nora, whose family stone-cutting business is slowly failing and whose delicate balance is threatened by a secret that could change everyone’s lives forever.

Gonzalez stars as Molly Valentino in the film, which was written by Sabrina Gennarino.

After will be released on August 8 in partnership with Accretion Films.

The film also co-stars John Doman, Pablo Schreiber, Adam Scarimbolo, Diane Neal, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Bruno Gunn and Gennarino.

Gonzalez, who starred in the Broadway musical Wicked, has also appeared in Across the Universe (directed by Julie Taymor), In God’s Hands, The Good Wife, Third Watch and Guiding Light.

Moreno Earns Drama Desk Nomination for “Year of the Rooster”

Posted on April 27, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Bobby Moreno’s latest Broadway role could have him ruling the roost this awards season…

The part-Panamanian actor has earned a Drama Desk nomination in the Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play category for his physically demanding stage role as a bird in Year of the Rooster.

Moreno portrays Odysseus Rex, a rooster with issues, in Eric Dufault’s dark cockfighting comedy.

“I watched a lot of bird documentaries. David Attenborough has this series called The Life of Birds,” Moreno tells The New York Times about the research that went into his role. “Birds’ eyes focus in a very funny way. My performance is based on their movements that are jittery. But I don’t want it to be too much. I’m probably onstage for 25 minutes. The trick is what quick stories can I tell. There’s a kiss in the show that’s now a bird kiss because of something I saw in a documentary.”

Moreno, who has appeared on CBS’ The Good Wife, is up against Casa Valentina’s Reed Birney, Choir Boy’s Chuck Cooper, Outside Mullingar’s Peter Maloney, The Jacksonian’s Bill Pullman and The Glass Menagerie’s Brian J. Smith.

Meanwhile, Tony Award-winning actor and playwright Ruben Santiago-Hudson has earned a nod in the Outstanding Solo Performance category for his role in August Wilson’s How I Learned What I Learned.

The 57-year-old half-Puerto Rican actor will face off against This is My Office’s David Barlow, Character Man’s Jim Brochu, Grounded’s Hannah Cabell, Becoming Dr. Ruth’sDebra Jo Rupp and Satchmo at the Waldorf’s John Douglas Thompson.

Santiago-Hudson, who portrayed Captain Roy Montgomery on ABC‘s Castle, previously won a Tony Award in 1996 for his performance in Seven Guitars.

The 59th edition of the Drama Desk awards will take place on June 1 at The Town Hall in New York City.

Here’s the complete list of nominees:

Outstanding Play
Nell Benjamin, The Explorers Club
Steven Levenson, Core Values
Conor McPherson, The Night Alive
Richard Nelson, Regular Singing
Bruce Norris, Domesticated
Robert Schenkkan, All The Way
John Patrick Shanley, Outside Mullingar

Outstanding Musical
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
Aladdin
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Fun Home
Love’s Labour’s Lost
Rocky
The Bridges of Madison County

Outstanding Revival of a Play
I Remember Mama
London Wall
No Man’s Land
Of Mice and Men
The Cripple of Inishmaan
The Model Apartment
Twelfth Night (Shakespeare’s Globe Production)

Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Les Misérables
Violet

Outstanding Actor in a Play
Bryan Cranston, All The Way
Hamish Linklater, The Comedy of Errors
Ian McKellen, No Man’s Land
David Morse, The Unavoidable Disappearance of Tom Durnin
Chris O’Dowd, Of Mice and Men
Daniel Radcliffe, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Denzel Washington, A Raisin in the Sun

Outstanding Actress in a Play
Barbara Andres, I Remember Mama
Tyne Daly, Mothers and Sons
Audra McDonald, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill
Laurie Metcalf, Domesticated
J. Smith-Cameron, Juno and the Paycock
Harriet Walter, Julius Caesar

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Neil Patrick Harris, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Adam Jacobs, Aladdin
Andy Karl, Rocky
Jefferson Mays, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
Steven Pasquale, The Bridges of Madison County
Bryce Pinkham, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder

Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Sutton Foster, Violet
Idina Menzel, If/Then
Jessie Mueller, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Kelli O’Hara, The Bridges of Madison County
Margo Seibert, Tamar of the River
Barrett Wilbert Weed, Heathers: The Musical

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Reed Birney, Casa Valentina
Chuck Cooper, Choir Boy
Peter Maloney, Outside Mullingar
Bobby Moreno, Year of the Rooster
Bill Pullman, The Jacksonian
Brian J. Smith, The Glass Menagerie

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Betty Buckley, The Old Friends
Julia Coffey, London Wall
Diane Davis, The Model Apartment
Celia Keenan-Bolger, The Glass Menagerie
Jan Maxwell, The Castle
Sophie Okonedo, A Raisin in the Sun

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Danny Burstein, Cabaret
Nick Cordero, Bullets Over Broadway: The Musical
Joshua Henry, Violet
James Monroe Iglehart, Aladdin
Rory O’Malley, Nobody Loves You
Bobby Steggert, Big Fish

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Stephanie J. Block, Little Miss Sunshine
Anika Larsen, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Adriane Lenox, After Midnight
Sydney Lucas, Fun Home
Laura Osnes, The Threepenny Opera
Jennifer Simard, Disaster!
Lauren Worsham, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder

Outstanding Director of a Play
Joe Calarco, A Christmas Carol
Tim Carroll, Twelfth Night
Thomas Kail, Family Furniture
Bill Rauch, All The Way
Anna D. Shapiro, Domesticated
Julie Taymor, A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Outstanding Director of a Musical
Sam Gold, Fun Home
Michael Mayer, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Bartlett Sher, The Bridges of Madison County
Susan Stroman, Bullets Over Broadway: The Musical
Alex Timbers, Rocky
Darko Tresnjak, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder

Outstanding Choreography
Warren Carlyle, After Midnight
Steven Hoggett, Kelly Devine, Rocky
Danny Mefford, Love’s Labour’s Lost
Casey Nicholaw, Aladdin
Susan Stroman, Bullets Over Broadway: The Musical
Sonya Tayeh, Kung Fu

Outstanding Music
Jason Robert Brown, The Bridges of Madison County
Andrew Lippa, Big Fish
Steven Lutvak, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
Alan Menken, Aladdin
Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe, Heathers: The Musical
Jeanine Tesori, Fun Home

Outstanding Lyrics
Howard Ashman, Tim Rice, and Chad Beguelin, Aladdin
Jason Robert Brown, The Bridges of Madison County
Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
Michael Friedman, Love’s Labour’s Lost
Michael Korie, Far from Heaven
Lisa Kron, Fun Home

Outstanding Book of a Musical
Chad Beguelin, Aladdin
Robert L. Freedman, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
Joe Kinosian and Kellen Blair, Murder for Two
Lisa Kron, Fun Home
Douglas McGrath, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Marsha Norman, The Bridges of Madison County

Outstanding Orchestrations
Jason Robert Brown, The Bridges of Madison County
John Clancy, Fun Home
Larry Hochman, Big Fish
Steve Sidwell, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Michael Starobin, If/Then
Jonathan Tunick, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder

Outstanding Music in a Play
Lewis Flinn, The Tribute Artist
Elliot Goldenthal, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Rob Kearns, The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle
Tom Kochan, Almost, Maine
Nico Muhly, The Glass Menagerie
Duncan Sheik, A Man’s a Man

Outstanding Revue
After Midnight
I’m a Stranger Here Myself: Musik from the Weimar and Beyond
Le Jazz Hot: How the French Saved Jazz
Til Divorce Do Us Part
What’s It All About? Bacharach Reimagined

Outstanding Set Design
Christopher Barreca, Rocky
Alexander Dodge, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
Richard Hoover, Small Engine Repair
Santo Loquasto, Bullets Over Broadway: The Musical
Ian MacNeil, A Doll’s House
Donyale Werle, The Explorers Club

Outstanding Costume Design
Constance Hoffman, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
William Ivey Long, Bullets Over Broadway: The Musical
Zane Pihlstrom, Nutcracker Rouge
Loren Shaw, The Mysteries
Jenny Tiramani, Twelfth Night
David C. Woolard, The Heir Apparent

Outstanding Lighting Design
Christopher Akerlind, Rocky
Jane Cox, Machinal
David Lander, The Civil War
Peter Mumford, King Lear
Brian Tovar, Tamar of the River
Japhy Weideman, Macbeth

Outstanding Projection Design
Robert Massicotte and Alexis Laurence, Cirkopolis
Sven Ortel, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Aaron Rhyne, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
Shawn Sagady, All The Way
Austin Switser, Sontag: Reborn
Ben Rubin, Arguendo

Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical
Kai Harada, Fun Home
Peter Hylenski, Bullets Over Broadway: The Musical
Peter Hylenski, Rocky
Brian Ronan, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Dan Moses Schreier, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder Jon Weston, The Bridges of Madison County

Outstanding Sound Design in a Play
M.L. Dogg, The Open House
Katie Down, The Golden Dragon
Paul James Prendergast, All The Way
Dan Moses Schreier, Act One
Christopher Shutt, Love and Information
Matt Tierney, Machinal

Outstanding Solo Performance
David Barlow, This is My Office
Jim Brochu, Character Man
Hannah Cabell, Grounded
Debra Jo Rupp, Becoming Dr. Ruth
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, August Wilson’s How I Learned What I Learned
John Douglas Thompson, Satchmo at the Waldorf

Unique Theatrical Experience
Charlatan Cirkopolis
Mother Africa
Nothing to Hide
Nutcracker Rouge
The Complete and Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O’Neill Vol. 2

Carbonell to Guest-Star on CBS’ “The Good Wife”

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Nestor Carbonell is reporting for wife duty…

The 46-year-old Cuban/Spanish American actor will guest-star on CBS’ The Good Wife.

Carbonell will portray a charming entrepreneur who catches Alicia Florrick’s eye, according to CBS.

In the episode, set to air on May 4, Alicia (Julianna Margulies) has a chance encounter with Carbonell’s character, Daniel Irwin, during jury duty, which makes her begin to consider her options outside of her marriage. Alicia will ask for guidance from none other than her mother, Veronica (Stockard Channing), who knows a thing or two about playing the field.

In the wake of Will’s death — and Peter’s not exactly compassionate response — Alicia told her husband that they would stay together for their careers, but that he was free to date whomever he wanted.

Carbonell’s previous television credits include appearances on Lost, Psych, Ringer, Wilfredand Person of Interest. He currently stars on Bates Motel.

The Good Wife airs Sundays at 9/8c on CBS.

Lopez Named NYC’s New Leader of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Cynthia Lopez is the new leader of the Big Apple’s film and television community…

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has named the Latina film and television veteran as New York City’s new commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.

The native New Yorker, who served as executive vice president and co-executive producer of American Documentary and PBS documentary series POV, has more than two decades of experience in New York City’s film and television industries.

At POV, she was responsible for all aspects of development including programming, community engagement, digital strategies and overall strategic growth of the organization.

During Lopez’s tenure, POV earned numerous awards and last year was one of only 13 nonprofits worldwide to receive a $1 million MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions.

“The film and television industries are central to New York City’s cultural vitality and to economic strength,” de Blasio said in a statement. “Cynthia has the experience and understands how the industry works in the city, and as commissioner, she will lead the administration’s efforts to continue keeping New York City a top filming destination — while opening up the industry to New Yorkers from all five boroughs.”

Lopez has made it a priority to promote the work of filmmakers from traditionally unrepresented groups and mentor first-time filmmakers, but she’s also something of a left-field choice, with insiders describing her as a sleeper candidate with extensive experience.

“Having spent my entire career working in the television and film industries in New York, I’m honored to join the de Blasio administration,” Lopez said in a statement. “New York City is a thriving center of production and home to thousands of creative professionals who contribute to the film and television industries — and I look forward to leading the administration’s efforts to drive more film production to New York.”

The commission over the last decade has revitalized the city’s film and TV production, bringing millions of dollars to the state via aggressive tax credits and a streamlined permit process. Currently 29 TV series are based in New York, while an average of 200 films — from tentpole blockbusters to indies — are shot here each year. It is estimated that 130,000 New Yorkers work behind the scenes in film and TV production.

Since 2004, film and television production has grown from $5 billion to $7.1 billion, with such films as Darren Aronofsky‘s Noah and Martin Scorsese‘s The Wolf of Wall Streetand Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2filming in New York.

Television also thrived under Bloomberg’s reign with The Blacklist, Person of Interest, Girls and The Good Wife (where de Blasio made a recent guest appearance in a taxi cab video) becoming staples on New York City streets, and the growth of numerous studios including Steiner Studios, Silvercup, Kaufman Astoria and Broadway Stages.

Steiner Studios chairman Douglas C. Steiner said of de Blasio’s pick, “It’s incredibly challenging to produce television shows and feature films. It’s exponentially more difficult to make documentaries. Cynthia Lopez has had a stellar career in the documentary field. We’re thrilled with her selection as the commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment — her experience in the trenches will help make New York City even more attractive to the exploding industry of content creation, which is vital to the city’s future.”

Aspillaga to Appear in Recurring Role on Starz’s Drama “Flesh and Bone”

Posted on March 21, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Vanessa Aspillaga is seeing Starz…

The 41-year-old Latina actress has landed a guest recurring role on Starz‘s ballet drama Flesh and Bone.

The series follows Claire (portrayed by Sarah Hay), a young dancer with a distinctly troubled past, as she joins a prestigious ballet company in New York.

Aspillaga will portray Monica, the company’s assistant manager, who is stable, extremely good at her job and at managing her boss.

Aspillaga’s previous credits include television appearances on Law & Order, Elementary, The Good Wife and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Her film credits include Gun Hill Road, Morning Glory and Love & Other Drugs.

Pascal Cast in the ABC Drama Pilot “Exposed”

Posted on February 22, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Pedro Pascal’s latest project has been exposed…

The 38-year-old Chilean actor, who will be making his debut on HBO’s Game of Thrones in the near future, has been cast in ABC’s drama pilot Exposed.

From writer Charles Randolph, Peter Traugott’s TBD Entertainment and Universal Television, the project centers on Anna, an investigative journalist who’ll stop at nothing to uncover the truth, including making questionable alliances.

Pascal will portray Oscar, Anna’s boyfriend, who’s frustrated that she’s unwilling to take their relationship to the next level.

In addition to Pascal, the show will also star Sandrine Holt and Peter De Jersey.

Pascal, who recently landed a role on CBS’ The Mentalist, previously had arcs on CBS’ The Good Wife, ABC’s Red Widow and USA’s Graceland.

First Look at Pascal’s “Game of Thrones” Character, The Red Viper

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

It’s Game on for Pedro Pascal…

HBO has released the first official images from Game of Thrones‘ fourth season, including images of the 38-year-old Chilean actor in character.

Pascal, who recently landed a role on CBS’ The Mentalist, is set to portray Prince Oberyn Martell, better known as the Red Viper in the upcoming season of the network’s hit series.

Pascal’s character comes to Kings Landing seeking revenge for the death of his sister, who was killed by the Lannisters when the Mad King was overthrown.

Pascal, who had a guest-starring role on Showtime’s Homeland, has previously had arcs on CBS’ The Good Wife, ABC’s Red Widow and USA’s Graceland.

The season four premiere of Game of Thrones is set for Sunday, April 6.

Pascal Cast in Recurring Role on CBS’ “The Mentalist”

Posted on January 25, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Pedro Pascal is about to go Mental…

The 38-year-old Chilean actor has landed a recurring role on CBS’ Simon Baker-starrer The Mentalist.

The Graceland alum will portray FBI Special Agent Marcus Pike, according to TVLine.

Pike is described as a “charming” blue-collar cop with FBI smarts. When he asks Jane (Simon Baker) and Lisbon (Robin Tunney) to help find a band of art thieves, he’s immediately attracted to Lisbon and tries to sweep her off her feet.

Pascal, who will also appear in an iconic role on the new season of HBO’s hit drama Game of Thrones, will debut in Episode 16 and appear in at least five episodes.

Pascal, who appeared in a guest starring role on Showtime’s Homeland, has previously had arcs on CBS’ The Good Wife and ABC’s Red Widow.

The Mentalist airs Sundays at 10:00 pm ET on CBS.

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

Tag Archives: The Good Wife