TV Land Gives Series Order to Garcia’s Dark Comedy “Impastor”

Posted on October 2, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Aimee Garcia is returning to television…

The 35-year-old Mexican American and Puerto Rican actress, who last starred on CBS’ short-lived series Vegas, will return to the boob tube on TV Land’s Impastor, which has received the go-ahead signal.

The network has given a 10-episode series order to the dark comedy, hailing it as the type of comedy the network is looking for “as TV Land evolves its original series – innovative, unconventional, and hilariously funny for an audience that enjoys smart humor with a hint of heart,” said TV Land President Larry W. Jones.

Along with Garcia, Impastor also stars Michael Rosenbaum, Sara Rue, Mircea Monroe, Mike Kosinski, and David Rasche.

From Christopher Vane, it revolves around Buddy Dobbs (Rosenbaum), a gambling, pot-smoking slacker on the run from a loan shark who steals a man’s identity and ends up posing as the new gay pastor in a small, tightknit town. Although he’s tempted to immediately run off with the pastor’s money, Buddy has a change of heart when he realizes that the people there, including his prim church assistant Dora (Rue), actually like this new and semi-improved alter ego — and he kind of likes them back.

Impastor is executive produced by Vane and Rosenbaum, along with Eric and Kim Tannenbaum. Rob Greenberg directed the pilot.

The series will premiere in 2015.

Garcia to Star in TV Land’s Dark Comedy “Impastor”

Posted on July 24, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Aimee Garcia is a total impastor…

The 35-year-old Mexican American and Puerto Rican actress and Dexter alum has been cast opposite Mircea Monroe and Michael Rosenbaum in TV Land’s single-camera dark comedy Impastor.

Written by Christopher Vane and directed by Robert Greenberg, the story centers on Buddy (Rosenbaum), a lowlife on the run from his debts who hides away in a small town by conning its residents into thinking he’s their new gay pastor.

Garcia will portray Buddy’s put-upon girlfriend LeeAnne. Her character is described as a bartender in San Francisco who is used to Buddy leading a chaotic, trouble-jammed lifestyle. A little bored with all the constant upheaval in his life, she dismisses his latest tale of danger and drama. But after Buddy disappears, and apparent suicide, LeeAnne has a new set of problems: dealing with her snarky mother, dealing with the cops, dealing with a funeral director, and (most complicated of all) dealing with Buddy’s criminal creditors on top of the guilt of “abandoning” him.

Monroe plays Alexa Cummings, the sexy head trustee of Loomis Lutheran Church, who’s instantly attracted to the new pastor in town, Buddy. Alexa’s sophistication hides a mysterious past.

Garcia recently appeared in MGM’s RoboCop reboot.

Moreno to Star in NBC’s Comedy Pilot “Old Soul”

Posted on February 9, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Rita Moreno is ready to share her old soul…

The 82-year-old Puerto Rican actress, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s SAG Awards, has been cast in NBC’s comedy pilot Old Soul.

Moreno will star opposite Natasha Lyonne in the single-camera pilot.

Co-created and executive-produced by Amy Poehler, Old Soul centers on a reformed wild child Nadia (Lyonne) who has a business caring for the elderly and feels she has more in common with her colorful old clients than she does with people her age.

Moreno will portray one of Nadia’s clients, a character that appears tailored for her down to the name, Rita. A sexy old gal and a ball of joy, Moreno’s character is described as a flamboyant, larger-than-life Broadway vet who has been happily married to her writing partner/husband for over 50 years.

Moreno, an Oscar, Emmy, Tony Award and Grammy winner, most recently co-starred on the TV Land comedy series Happily Divorced.

Moreno Receives Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2014 SAG Awards

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Life’s a SAG for living legend Rita Moreno…

The 82-year-old Puerto Rican actress/singer/dancer, a Grammy, Oscar, Golden Globe and Tony Award winner, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Saturday night.

Moreno accepted the special prize from Morgan Freeman, who called the West Side Story star his “dear old friend,” as well as a “world-class actress, singer, dancer and fighter who battled to break through the racial and sexual barriers that plagued Hollywood‘s Golden Age.”

Moreno did a victory lap onstage after receiving a standing ovation before saying that she was “f—ing thrilled,” but the audio had been was cut during the live broadcast when she dropped the F-bomb.

She later apologized for “that word” before saying, “Actually, I’m not.”

Alluding to her surprised acceptance speech for her Oscar, she said she still honestly can’t believe she’s received SAG’s honor.

Moreno, who briefly flirted with Jeremy Renner and Brad Pitt, also said she hoped she was receiving the Life Achievement Award “early in the third act of my life.” She finished by singing several lines from “This is All I Ask.”

A showbiz veteran and a SAG member for more than six decades, Moreno is one of only 11 people to have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony — a feat known as the EGOT.

She first appeared on the big screen in the reform-school drama So Young, So Bad in 1950, and afterward was put under contract as an ingenue at MGM, where a casting director changed her first name to Rita.

Moreno’s first film for the studio was the Mario Lanza musical The Toast of New Orleans, and she had a small role as the flapper actress Zelda Zanders in Singin’ in the Rain two years later.

She would go on to star in such films as The King and I, West Side Story — for which she won her Oscar in 1962 — and Carnal Knowledge.

Moreno won her Grammy for The Electric Company Album in 1972, her Tony for The Ritz in 1975, and her two Emmys for appearances on The Muppet Show and The Rockford Files in 1977 and 1978.

She continues to stay busy, having just finished a run as Fran Drescher’s mother in the TV Land comedy Happily Divorced.

She will appear next in the upcoming indie drama Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks with Gena Rowlands.

Moreno to Receive SAG Lifetime Achievement Award

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

She’s already the only Hispanic performer to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony (EGOT)… And, now Rita Moreno is getting another acting prize.

The 81-year-old Puerto Rican actress/singer/dancer has been named the 50th recipient of SAG-AFTRA’s highest honor – the SAG Lifetime Achievement Award.

The SAG Awards are bestowing the award on Moreno for her career achievements and humanitarian accomplishments.

Given annually to an actor who fosters the “finest ideals of the acting profession,” the union’s top accolade will be doled out at the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, which will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS on January 18, 2014.

In addition to being one of a rare class of performers to win the career EGOT, Moreno has also been the recipient of the Library of Congress Living Legends Award, the National Medal of Arts and the HOLA Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actresses.

Moreno, who recently released her best-selling memoir Rita Moreno: A Memoir, has had a nearly 70-year career in the industry.

She currently portrays Fran Drescher’s mother in TV Land’s sitcom Happily Divorced.

Hernandez Heading to Universal Television

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Fernando J. Hernandez is taking a universal leap…

The former Ryan Seacrest Productions executive will be heading to Universal Television to serve in the newly created position of SVP of Alternative Development.

In that role, Hernandez will be responsible for all Universal Television reality productions, spearheading new development and overseeing the studio’s in-house producers and ongoing talent deals.

Hernandez most recently served as the EVP of Development and Production at Ryan Seacrest Productions, a position he held since 2009. There, he oversaw all aspects of the company’s original programming, spearheading the development and production of the company’s slate of non-scripted and scripted television properties, including Keeping Up With The Kardashians for E!, Shahs Of Sunset for Bravo, Married To Jonas for E! as well as the pilot for Draw Something at CBS and the upcoming ABC special TV’s Most Dynamic Duos.

Earlier in his career, Hernandez served as executive producer on TV Land’s She’s Got The Look, ABC Family’s Venus & Serena: For Real, and MTV’s Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen & Dave.

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

Tag Archives: TV Land