Vico Ortiz Joins Voice Cast of New Animation Series “Atlantis Rocks”

Vico Ortiz has a rockin’ new project…

The 32-year-old Puerto Rican actor, drag king and activist has joined the voice cast of the animation series Atlantis Rocks, created by actor, producer and star Coty Galloway, who voiced Avocato on Warner Bros. animation series Final Space.

Vico OrtizOrtiz, who has starred in Transparent and Our Flag Means Death, joins a voice cast roster that includes Phill LaMarr, Tara Strong, Olan Rogers, Dan Brumm, Sophia Thomas, Valory Pierce, Bailey Galloway and Da’Jonte Phillips.

Atlantis Rocks is a comedy-satire set in the fictional town of Los Sandeles, where after a series of disasters, sanitation worker, Fleming (Galloway) decides to confront the dump that is his life and sanitize the crap out of it. LaMarr plays Earl, a rambling yet lovable catfish, whose true meaning of his wise words eventually comes to light. Strong plays a smart, independent, and not-your-typical girl next door, with witty humor that shines through as Cora, an evolved dolphin aka Dolphinian, and Ortiz is Ben, an overly analytical and nervous albacore tuna fish.

Galloway raised funds for the pilot presentation of Atlantis Rocks through a successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, and an infusion of private financing.

With the skills of Swedish cartoonist/animator Daniel Arruda Massa, and original score helmed by composer Davis Harwell, Atlantis Rocks production is currently underway. Post-production will be designed and mixed by Folklore Sound, the post-production team behind the Disney animated hit, Bluey.

“We are elated to have such a stellar, diverse, and inclusive cast on board for Atlantis Rocks, said an excited Galloway. “Each actor brings a unique energy and authenticity to their respective characters, enhancing the overall storytelling experience. Fans of animation and good storytelling are going to fall in love with these relatable characters. We’re navigating the currents to get Atlantis Rocks to series.”

Vico Ortiz Signs with Paradigm

Vico Ortiz has new representation.

The Latinx, non-binary and gender-fluid actor has signed with Paradigm.

Vico OrtizOrtiz is a known for their work in HBO Max’s Our Flag Means Death and The Sex Lives of College Girls, and Starz’s Vida.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Ortiz’s first breakthrough role was in Amazon Prime Video’s Transparent. They then appeared in recurring roles for Freeform’s The Fosters and Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, and Netflix’s Lucifer. They appeared in Starz’s Vida, where their drag king alter ego Vico Suave made their screen debut.

Currently Ortiz is a series regular on Our Flag Means Death, appearing opposite stars Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby. They play Jim, the first non-binary pirate to exist in a period piece. Their additional credits include S.O.Z: Soldados o. Zombies, American Horror Story: 1984Criminal Minds9-1-1Ray Donovan and Jane The Virgin.

Beyond television, they were a co-lead in The Syed Family Xmas Eve Game Night, which premiered at TIFF in 2021. Ortiz also received a 2021 Queerties Award nomination for their performance in the buzzed about queer digital series, These Thems.

Beyond their on-screen work, Ortiz is an activist and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. They championed organizations including The Dru Project and the Los Angeles LGBTQ Center..

Ortiz is a known for their work in HBO Max’s Our Flag Means Death and The Sex Lives of College Girls, and Starz’s Vida.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Ortiz’s first breakthrough role was in Amazon Prime Video’s Transparent. They then appeared in recurring roles for Freeform’s The Fosters and Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, and Netflix’s Lucifer. They appeared in Starz’s Vida, where their drag king alter ego Vico Suave made their screen debut.

Currently Ortiz is a series regular on Our Flag Means Death, appearing opposite stars Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby. They play Jim, the first non-binary pirate to exist in a period piece. Their additional credits include S.O.Z: Soldados o. Zombies, American Horror Story: 1984Criminal Minds9-1-1Ray Donovan and Jane The Virgin.

Beyond television, they were a co-lead in The Syed Family Xmas Eve Game Night, which premiered at TIFF in 2021. Ortiz also received a 2021 Queerties Award nomination for their performance in the buzzed about queer digital series, These Thems.

Beyond their on-screen work, Ortiz is an activist and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. They championed organizations including The Dru Project and the Los Angeles LGBTQ Center.

Trailer Released for Colindrez’s “I Love Dick”

Roberta Colindrez is celebrating an Amazon project…

The streaming service has released the teaser trailer for I Love Dick, featuring the Mexican actress.

Roberta Colindrez

After a premiere at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, the latest Amazon series from the Transparent creator Jill Soloway launches on May 12 – and, as the trailer reveals, there’s a slew of sex, feminist art criticism, Lone State lust, and a lot of obsession

Described as a “soapy delicious psycho-sexual comedy set in an art town” by Soloway, I Love Dick is based on the 1997 novel by Chris Kraus.

In addition to Colindrez, who portrays Devon, the series also stars Kathryn Hahn, Kevin Bacon, India Menuez, Sebastian Cole and Lilly Mojekwu.

Colindrez, who stars in the Broadway musical Fun Home, has previously appeared on television in Girls, Boardwalk Empire and Gotham.

Cannavale to Appear in “Variety Studio: Actors on Actors” Series

Bobby Cannavale is ready to talk shop…

Variety and PBS SoCal have announced the line-up for the fourth installment of their awards season series “Variety Studio: Actors on Actors,” with the 45-year-old half-Cuban American actor making the final cut.

Bobby Cannavale in Vinyl

Available to stream on Variety.com, the new “Actors on Actors” season will feature one-on-one discussions between this year’s Emmy contenders.

Along with Cannavale, who stars in HBO’s Vinyl, this year’s conversations, which will be printed in the June 7 issue of Variety, will also include Aziz Ansari (“Master of None”), Rachel Bloom (“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”), Emilia Clarke (“Game of Thrones”), Jamie Lee Curtis (“Scream Queens”), Kirsten Dunst (“Fargo”), Jay Duplass (“Transparent”), Billy Eichner (“Difficult People”), Sam Heughan (“Outlander”), Tom Hiddleston (“The Night Manager”), Felicity Huffman (“American Crime”), Lady Gaga (“American Horror Story”), Jennifer Lopez (“Shades of Blue”), Rob Lowe (“Grinder”), Rami Malek (“Mr. Robot”), Thomas Middleditch (“Silicon Valley”), Aaron Paul (“The Path”), Sarah Paulson (“American Crime Story”), Krysten Ritter (“Jessica Jones”), Tracee Ellis Ross (“Black-ish”), Patrick Stewart (“Blunt Talk”), John Travolta (“American Crime Story”), Courtney B. Vance (“American Crime Story”) and Kerry Washington (“Confirmation”).

“Variety is thrilled to cover the best actors on television in this season’s ‘Actors on Actors’ for PBS stations,” said Variety‘s executive TV editor Debra Birnbaum in a statement. “This season’s lineup includes actors from some of the top new television programs and showcases the wide diversity of roles for actors on broadcast, cable and streaming platforms.”

PBS SoCal will premiere the segment in two episodes, one on June 12 and the other on June 19.

“Through their craft, the actors interviewed on ‘Actors on Actors’ effortlessly spark our imaginations and take us to new places,” said PBS SoCal president and CEO Andy Russell in a statement. “Through this partnership with Variety we are pleased to enhance the experience of fans of great television – providing them greater insight into the people who bring them their favorite dramas, comedies and more.”

Padilha’s Netflix Crime Thriller “Narcos” Earns British Academy Television Awards Nomination

José Padilha’s latest project is earning special recognition overseas…

The 48-year-old Brazilian film and television director, producer and screenwriter has earned his first-ever British Academy Television Awards nomination for his Netflix original series Narcos, starring frequent collaborator Wagner Moura.

José Padilha

Padilha’s crime thriller, which tells the true story of notorious drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, earned a nod in the Best International Series category from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).

Narcos

The series, which was renewed for a second season in September 2015, is up against The Good Wife, Spiral and Transparent.

The British Academy Television Awards will be handed out on May 8.

Here’s the detailed information on the category:

INTERNATIONAL SERIES
THE GOOD WIFE Production Team – Scott Free Productions, King Size Productions, CBST/More 4
NARCOS Jose Padilha, Eric Newman, Chris Brancato – Gaumont International Television/Netflix
SPIRAL Vassili Clert, Anne Landois – Canal + Creation Originale/Son et Lumiere/In association with BBC Four/BBC Four
TRANSPARENT Production Team – Amazon Studios/Amazon Prime Instant Video

Leyva and Her “Orange Is the New Black” Castmates Take Home Second Consecutive SAG Award

Life’s still a SAG for Selenis Leyva

This weekend, the 43-year-old Cuban and Dominican actress and her fellow Orange Is the New Black castmates took home the award for Best Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Orange Is the New Black Cast

The Netflix series was nominated alongside CBS‘ The Big Bang Theory, Comedy Central‘s Key & Peele, ABC‘s Modern FamilyAmazon‘s Transparent and HBO‘s Veep.

In addition to Leyva, other Latinas who form part of the ensemble cast include Jackie Cruz, Dianne Guerrero, Dascha Polanco and Elizabeth Rodriguez.

J.K. Simmons and Patricia Arquette presented the award to the OITNB cast, who won in the comedy ensemble category for the second consecutive year.

The 22nd Annual SAG Awards, honoring achievements in film and television, took place at the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles.

Here’s a complete look at this year’s winners.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Uzo Aduba, Orange Is the New Black

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
Orange Is the New Black

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Queen Latifah, Bessie

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Idris Elba, Luther

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Spotlight 

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Leonardo DiCaprio, The

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Brie Larson, Room

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Downton Abbey

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards 

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Viola Davis, How to Get Away With Murder 

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
Mad Max: Fury Road 

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series
Game of Thrones

Louis C.K. Earns Six Primetime Emmy Award Nominations

Louis C.K. continues to be an Emmy darling…

The nominations for the 2015 Primetime Emmy Awards have been announced, with the 47-year-old Mexican American stand up comedian, actor, writer, producer, director and editor earning six nominations.

Louis C.K.

Louis C.K., who holds the record for most Emmy nominations in a single year (9), is nominated in the Lead Actor, Comedy category for the fifth straight year for his starring role on FX’s Louie. He’ll face off against Black-ish’s Anthony Anderson, EpisodesMatt LeBlanc, House of LiesDon Cheadle, The Last Man On Earth’s Will Forte, ShamelessWilliam H. Macy and Transparent’s Jeffrey Tambor.

Louis C.K., the creator, star, writer, director and executive producer of Louie, is also nominated in the Writing for a Comedy Series and Directing for a Comedy Series, and Outstanding Comedy Series categories for his behind-the-scenes work on the series.

Additionally, Louis C.K. earned his third consecutive nomination in the Guest Actor, Comedy series for his guest hosting work on Saturday Night Live.

His final nomination comes in the Writing for a Variety Special for his comedy special Louis C.K.: Live At The Comedy Store.

But Louis C.K. isn’t the only Latino nominee this year…

Former gang member turned rising actor Richard Cabral earned his first-ever Emmy nomination.

The Latino actor earned his nod in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie category for his work on work on American Crime.

Jane the Virgin’s velvety-voiced narrator Anthony Mendez also earned his first nomination.

The bilingual actor, who studied cemetery architecture in college and worked in radio production before pursuing a voice-over acting career, earned his nom in the Outstanding Narrator category. He’ll face off against Neil deGrasse Tyson, Miranda Richardson, Peter Coyote and Henry Strozier.

Andy Samberg is set to host the Primetime Emmy Awards telecast, which will air live Sept. 20 on Fox. The three-hour ceremony will originate from the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

 

Rodriguez Earns TCA Award Nomination from the Television Critics Association

It’s another nomination for Gina Rodriguez

The Television Critics Association has announced the nominations for the 31st annual TCA Awards, with the 30-year-old Puerto Rican actress earning a nod.

Gina Rodriguez

Rodriguez, who won a Golden Globe for her starring role in Jane the Virgin, is nominated in the Individual Achievements in Comedy category.

The Jane the Virgin star is up against Veep’s Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Inside Amy Schumer’s Amy Schumer, Transparent’s Jeffrey Tambor and Fresh Off the Boat’s Constance Wu.

The 2015 TCA Awards recognize outstanding television programming in the 2014-2015 season, honoring actors, producers and programs in a variety of categories, including news and information, youth, reality, drama and comedy.

The winners of the 31st Annual TCA Awards will be announced at the invitation-only presentation on Saturday, August 8, 2015, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, as part of the group’s bi-annual industry conference, the summer press tour.

The Television Critics Association is a media organization with more than 200 professional TV critics and journalists from the United States and Canada.

Here’s a look at this year’s nominees:

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep,” HBO – (2014 Winner in Category)
Gina Rodriguez, “Jane The Virgin,” The CW
Amy Schumer, “Inside Amy Schumer,” Comedy Central
Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent,” Amazon
Constance Wu, “Fresh Off the Boat,” ABC 

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
Viola Davis, “How to Get Away with Murder,” ABC
Jon Hamm, “Mad Men,” AMC
Taraji P. Henson, “Empire,” Fox
Matthew Rhys, “The Americans,” FX
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul,” AMC 

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NEWS AND INFORMATION
“CBS Sunday Morning,” CBS
“The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” Comedy Central
“Frontline,” PBS
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” HBO
“60 Minutes,” CBS 

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN REALITY PROGRAMMING
“The Amazing Race,” CBS
“The Chair,” Starz
“Dancing with the Stars,” ABC
“RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Logo – (2014 Winner in Category)
“Shark Tank,” ABC 

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN YOUTH PROGRAMMING
“Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” PBS
“The Fosters,” ABC Family – (2014 Winner in Category)
“The Legend of Korra,” Nickelodeon
“Sesame Street,” PBS
“Switched at Birth,” ABC Family

OUTSTANDING NEW PROGRAM
“Better Call Saul,” AMC
“Empire,” Fox
“The Flash,” The CW
“Jane the Virgin,” The CW
“Transparent,” Amazon 

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIES, MINISERIES AND SPECIALS
“Bessie,” HBO
“The Honorable Woman,” SundanceTV
“The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst,” HBO
“Olive Kitteridge,” HBO
“Wolf Hall,” PBS 

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY
“The Big Bang Theory,” CBS
“Inside Amy Schumer,” Comedy Central
“Jane the Virgin,” The CW
“Transparent,” Amazon
“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” Netflix 

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
“The Americans,” FX
“Empire,” Fox
“Game of Thrones,” HBO
“Justified,” FX
“Mad Men,” AMC 

HERITAGE AWARD
“Friends,” NBC
“Late Show/Late Night with David Letterman,” CBS/NBC
“The Shield,” FX
“Star Trek,” NBC
“Twin Peaks,” ABC

PROGRAM OF THE YEAR
“The Americans,” FX
“Empire,” Fox
“Game of Thrones,” HBO
“Mad Men,” AMC
“Transparent,” Amazon

Rodriguez Earns First-Ever Golden Globe Nomination

Gina Rodriguez is a globe-al sensation…

The 30-year-old Puerto Rican actress has earned her first-ever Golden Globe nomination.

Gina Rodriguez

Rodriguez picked up the nod from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in the Best Actress in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy category for her breakout starring-role on the CW’s Jane the Virgin.

She’s up against GirlsLena Dunham, Nurse Jackie’s Edie Falco, Veep’s Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Orange Is the New Black’s Taylor Schilling.

Additionally, Rodriguez’s Jane the Virgin, which made the American Film Institute’s list of the best televisions shows of the year, was nominated in the Best TV Series, Musical or Comedy category.

But Rodriguez isn’t the only Hispanic Golden Globe nominee…

Louis C.K. has picked up his second career nomination from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

The 47-year-old Mexican American received the nod in the Best Actor in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy category for his starring role in FX’s He’s up against House of LiesDon Cheadle, Derek’s Ricky Gervais, ShamelessWilliam H. Macy and Transparent’s Jeffrey Tambor.

In the motion picture categories, Alejandro González Iñárritu has earned two individual nominations for his dark comedy Birdman.

The Mexican filmmaker is up for Best Director – Motion Picture, as well as Best Screenplay – Motion Picture for co-penning the script for Birdman with Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo.

In addition, González Iñárritu’s Birdman is nominated for Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy.

Antonio Sanchez, meantime, has picked up his first-ever Golden Globe nomination.

The 43-year-old Mexican jazz drummer and multiple Grammy winner has been nominated in the Best Original Score – Motion Picture category for his work on Birdman.

Sanchez’s drumming serves as the main musical ingredient in Iñarritu’s film. His work has already won the Sound Stars Award for best Film Score at the 2014 Venice Film Festival and won the Hollywood Music in Media Awards prize for best original film score.

The Guillermo del Toro-produced The Book of Life has received a nod in the Best Animated Feature category. The Day of the Dead-themed film is up against Big Hero 6, The Boxtrolls, How to Train Your Dragon 2 and The Lego Movie.

The 72nd Golden Globe Awards will be held on January 11 with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler returning as the show’s hosts.

Here’s a look at the categories with Latino/a nominees:

MOTION PICTURES

Best Comedy
Birdman,” produced by Alejandro González Iñárritu
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Into the Woods”
“Pride”
“St. Vincent”

Best Director
Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Ava Duvernay, “Selma”
David Fincher, “Gone Girl”
Alejandro González Iñárritu, “Birdman”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”

Best Screenplay
Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Gillian Flynn, “Gone Girl”
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, and Armando Bo, “Birdman”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Graham Moore, “The Imitation Game”

Best Animated Feature
“Big Hero 6”
The Book of Life,” produced by Guillermo del Toro
“The Boxtrolls”
“How to Train Your Dragon 2”
“The Lego Movie”

Best Score
“The Imitation Game”
“The Theory of Everything”
“Gone Girl”
Birdman,” composed by Antonio Sanchez
“Interstellar”

TELEVISION

Best TV Comedy or Musical
“Girls”
Jane the Virgin
“Orange Is the New Black”
“Silicon Valley”
“Transparent”

Best Actress in a TV Comedy
Lena Dunham, “Girls”
Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”
Gina Rodriguez, “Jane the Virgin”
Taylor Schilling, “Orange Is the New Black”

Best Actor in a TV Comedy
Louis CK, “Louie”
Don Cheadle, “House of Lies”
Ricky Gervais, “Derek”
William H. Macy, “Shameless”
Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent”

Rodriguez’s “Jane the Virgin” Named to the American Film Institute’s List of Best TV Shows of 2014

The kudos keep coming in for Gina Rodriguez’s latest project…

The 30-year-old Puerto Rican actress’ critically acclaimed CW series Jane the Virgin has been named to the American Film Institute’s list of the best television shows of the year, which it calls “culturally and artistically representative of the year’s most significant achievements in the art of the moving image.”

Gina Rodriguez in Jane the Virgin

Rodriguez’s Jane the Virgin is among five freshman series named to the AFI’s 10 choices, along with ABC’s How To Get Away With Murder, Cinemax’s The Knick, HBO’s Silicon Valley and Amazon’s Transparent.

Also making the list are FX’s The Americans and Fargo, HBO’s Game Of Thrones, Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black and AMC’s Mad Men.

“We celebrate these… television programs as more than just milestones in a year of excellence.” AFI President and CEO Bob Gazzale said. “They are a part of our American cultural heritage – collectively, a new chapter in the story of the art form and of our nation.”

In October, Jane the Virgin received a full-season order after garnering overwhelming support from critics and viewers alike. Additionally, it turned Rodriguez into one of these season’s breakout stars.

Jane The Virgin, based on a Venezuelan telenovela, is produced by CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television, in association with Electus.