Adrienne Bailon-Houghton Strikes Talent & Development Deal with NBCUniversal Television & Streaming

Posted on October 15, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton is ready for primetime…

The 38-year-old Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian American actress, singer and television personality is moving into primetime television with a talent and development deal at NBCUniversal.

Bailon-Houghton, the first Latina daytime talk show host on English-language television on the recently canceled daytime series The Real, has struck the deal with NBCUniversal Television and Streaming and it includes unscripted opportunities across its networks and streaming service Peacock to serve as host and/or producer.

NBCUniversal has struck similar talent deals with the likes of Miley Cyrus and Meghan Trainor.

In addition to hosting The Real, Bailon-Houghton has her own YouTube channel, All Things Adrienne, hosts design show House to Home on CleoTV, and was a contestant on Fox’s The Masked Singer in 2019.

She began her career as a member of R&B girl group 3LW and later became a member of pop group the Cheetah Girls. She has also acted in series That’s So Raven and Raven’s Home and movies like Coach Carter.

“I’ve had some incredible opportunities throughout my career, and many of my favorite moments have come from stepping into a hosting role,” said Bailon-Houghton. “From co-hosting The Real to whatever the future holds, these are the opportunities that I thrive for. I’m thrilled to have the support of the incredible team at NBCU as I continue to grow in my career and couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come.”

“We’ve long admired Adrienne’s talents and been so impressed with how she has been able to connect and relate with her audience,” added Tomii Crump, Head of Unscripted Casting and Talent, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “We’re looking forward to aligning her with projects where she can really thrive and show all that she has to offer.”

Rick Gonzalez Joins Cast of NBC’s “Law & Order: Organized Crime”

Posted on July 30, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Rick Gonzalez is getting organized…

The 43-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actor has joined the cast of NBC’s Law & Order: Organized Crime for Season 3.

Gonzalez will portray an NYPD detective assigned to the Organized Crime unit.

The series follows Law & Order: SVU character Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni), a veteran detective who returns to the New York Police Department following his wife’s murder. He joins the Organized Crime Task Force.

Law & Order: Organized Crime is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group and Wolf Entertainment.

Gonzalez most recently starred in the Peacock series The Lost Symbol, based on the Dan Brown novel of the same name. Prior to that, he portrayed Rene Ramirez/Wild Dog in the CW’s Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow.

On the film side, his credits include Coach Carter, Old School, The Guilt Trip and War of the Worlds.

Ashanti to Star In & Produce the Rom-Com “The Plus One”

Posted on September 21, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Ashanti won’t be going it alone…

The 40-year-old half-Afro-Dominican singer/actress has signed on to star in and produce the romantic comedy The Plus One.

Ashanti will play Lizzie, whose only request of her “Male of Honor” Marshall is that he doesn’t bring his hated ex Marie to her destination wedding. But lovesick Marshall brings her as his plus one, and Marie does everything in her power to wreck Lizzie’s big day.

Filming is scheduled to start in December in Florida.

The film’s director and additional cast members have yet to be revealed.

Ashanti most recently starred in the Sony Pictures Worldwide acquisition Honey Girls, which wrapped in March.

Her movie credits to date include Coach Carter with Samuel L. Jackson, The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz, John Tucker Must Die and Resident Evil: Extinction.

The singer, who has sold more than 27 million records worldwide, will be getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2022.

Ashanti to Star in Build-A-Bear’s Live-Action Film “Honey Girls”

Posted on March 12, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Ashanti is ready to grin and (build-a-)bear it!

The 40-year-old part-Dominican American Grammy-winning singer and actress will star alongside digital star Tessa Brooks in Honey Girls from Build-A-Bear Entertainment.

The live-action project is based on Build-A-Bear’s Honey Girls toy line.

In addition to Ashanti, who appeared in John Tucker Must Die, will star alongside Aliyah Mastin, Ava Grace, and Frankie McNellis, all playing the titular Honey Girls.

Music video director Trey Fanjoy makes her feature film directorial debut based off a screenplay by Mike Mariano and Cindy McCreery.

Honey Girls will include Julia Michels, another Grammy winner, as Music Supervisor. Lady Gaga collaborator Mark Nilan, Jr., who won a Grammy in 2020 for his work on the soundtrack to A Star Is Born, writes original songs.

Ashanti will star as global pop-star Fancy G, the host of a talent competition that seeks to discover the next great solo artist. Three young musicians sign up for it but quickly discover that they are “better together” — a reference to the song “Everything Is Better” written for the Honey Girls toy line. They form a secret band called Honey Girls and, with an immediate viral mega hit on their hands, perform in disguise to avoid elimination by Fancy G. In the end, the competitors must decide what is more important — fame or friendship.

“The Honey Girls story uses the power of music as a catalyst to both encourage the celebration of individuality while recognizing that we can also be ‘better together,’ wrapped in a fun girl-empowerment story of discovery,” Sharon Price John, President and CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc., said in a statement.

Ashanti was last seen on screen on an episode of the CW‘s Dynasty on season 3, and she also starred in the Lifetime movie A Christmas Winter Song. Aside from her music, which includes her self-titled award-winning, chart-topping album and her most recent single drop “2:35 (I Want You),” Ashanti is also known for roles in Coach Carter, Resident Evil Extinction, and The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz.

Honey Girls is produced through Foundation Media Partners with Patrick Hughes serving as producer. John is also acting as executive producer.

The film was acquired by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions and is expected to release this fall.

Gonzalez Lands Series Regular Role on ABC Family’s Comedy Pilot “Tough Cookie”

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Rick Gonzalez has a sweet new role…

The 35-year-old Dominican and Puerto Rican actor has landed a series regular role on ABC Family’s comedy pilot Tough Cookie.

From Awkward creator Lauren Iungerich and David Janollari, it centers on a young mother who isn’t ready to parent and her daughter who doesn’t want to be parented. It takes a village to raise a child — or, rather, a child to raise a village.

Gonzalez will portray Seth Whitfield, who works for the San Francisco Department of Children’s Services.

Gonzalez was a series regular on Rush, as well as Reaper. His other credits include appearances on Medium, Castle, Lie to Me, The Protector and The Closer.

His film credits include Coach Carter, The Guilt Trip and War of the Worlds.

Gonzalez Starring in the USA Network’s Drama Pilot “Rush”

Posted on November 26, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Rick Gonzalez is about the feel The Rush…

The 34-year-old Dominican and Puerto Rican actor has been cast in USA Network’s drama pilot Rush.

Written and directed by Jonathan Levine, the project is in the vein of USA’s Royal Pains, as it follows an on-call doctor.

It centers on Dr. William Rush (portrayed by Tony Ellis) who is not your average on-call doctor — he’s not attached to any hospital, he’s highly discreet no matter what the ailment as long as the client can pay his cash-only premium and the doctor can party with the best of them.

The Coach Carter star will portray Manny Maquis, a well-connected dealer, who considers Rush a friend, as well as a client.

Gonzalez’s most recent credits include co-starring in Lady Gaga’s “Judas” music video, a guest-starring role on NCIS and a starring role on the CW series Reaper.

Ashanti to Star on Lifetime’s “Army Wives” Next Season

Posted on December 1, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

It’s ten-hut time for Ashanti …

The 32-year-old part-Dominican singer/actress is joining the cast of Lifetime’s Army Wives for its upcoming seventh season.

Ashanti – who joins the cast as a series regular – will play Latasha Durant, an optimistic mother of three, a sexy, fun woman who knows how to keep a husband – and how to keep him in line.

It’s the first series regular role for Ashanti, whose previous television credits include appearances on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Las Vegas.

She’s also appeared on film in the John Tucker Must Die, Coach Carter and Resident Evil Extinction.

Filming on Army Wives’ seventh season will begin in mid-December in Charleston, South Carolina.

Gonzalez Cast in NBC’s Bad Girls Pilot

Posted on February 25, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

He may have recently portrayed Jesus in Lady Gaga‘s music video for “Judas”… But now Rick Gonzalez is preparing to go bad.

The 32-year-old half-Dominican/half-Puerto Rican actor has joined the cast of NBC’s drama pilot Bad Girls.

Adapted from the long-running U.K. series of the same name, the project follows the ins and outs of a group of unlikely women in a federal prison: a scandalous female warden, her new protégé and a host of inmates — some mothers, some friends — who struggle with loyalties to people on the inside and outside.

Gonzalez, best known for his role as Timo Cruz in the movie Coach Carter, will play a hot, tattooed ex gang-banger who is now a correctional officer at the women’s prison and the object of lust among the female inmates.

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