Tag Archives: Girls

Ramirez Among Several Latinos Taking Part in PBS-Sponsored Conversations at This Year’s TED Talks

Posted on by
Reply

Sara Ramirez is ready for a revolution…

The 39-year-old half-Mexican actress and Grey’s Anatomy star will cohost a PBS-sponsored conversation about the future of teaching at this year’s TED Talks.

Sara Ramirez

TED, the nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, and PBS recently announced a series of live talks, to be filmed at Town Hall this November.

Ramirez’s talks, scheduled for November 1 and 2, will include the participation of former White House chef Sam Kass, educator Sal Khan, How to Raise an Adult author Julie Lythcott‐Haims, The Future Project CEO Andrew Mangino, Punished: Policing the Lives of Black & Latino Boys author Victor Rios, and Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence educator Dena Simmons.

Meanwhile, clinical psychologist Hector Garcia will take part in another PBS-sponsored Ted Talk entitled “War & Peace” on November 3 and 4.

Garcia’s talk will center on soldiers who’ve returned to the United States in the years following the September 11 terrorist attacks.

He’ll be hoined by Girls star and Marine Corps veteran Adam Driver, Oscar nominee Sebastian Junger and ethnographer Simon Sinek.

In another talk, Mexican-American academic, businessman and speaker Juan Enriquez, author of  and Radiolab research director Latif Nasser will discuss the changing world and the future of our planet in a talk entitled “Science & Wonder” on November 5 and 6.

On hand to perform at the events will be Grammy nominees Rufus Wainwright and Angela McCluskey, as well as musicians Paul Cantelon and John “Scarpper” Sneider, and the Brazilian percussion ensemble Harlem Samba.

Each of the programs will be filmed and broadcast as three one-hour specials to premiere on PBS in 2016.

Diaz to Star in MGM’s Action Horror Film “The Belko Experiment”

Posted on by
1

It experiment time for Melonie Diaz…

The 31-year-old Puerto Rican actress has joined the cast of the MGM action horror pic The Belko Experiment.

Melonie Diaz

Written and produced by Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn, the film is set to begin production next month in Bogota with director Greg McLean.

Diaz will play Dany Wilkins, the new girl at Belko Corporation. It’s her first day working in the building, and she really couldn’t have chosen a worst first day, since this is the day the employees are forced to either kill each one other or be killed.

Diaz starred in 2014 Sundance hit Fruitvale Station, and her recent credits also include HBO’s Girls and the features X/Y and The Cobbler.

Morales to Star Opposite Rob Lowe & Fred Savage in Fox’s Comedy Pilot “The Grinder”

Posted on by
Reply

Natalie Morales is ready for the daily grind(er)…

The 30-year-old Cuban American actress will co-star opposite Rob Lowe and Fred Savage in The Grinder, Fox’s comedy pilot from Andrew Mogel, Nick Stoller and Jarrad Paul.

Natalie Morales

Written by Mogel and Paul and directed by Jake Kasdan, The Grinder stars Lowe as beloved TV lawyer Dean Sanderson (aka “The Grinder”). When his long-running hit series comes to an end, he finds himself at a crossroads in life and decides to move back to his small hometown, thinking he has the experience to take over his family’s law firm. Once there, he butts heads with his brother, Stewart Sanderson (Savage).

Morales will play Claire, a paralegal who works at Stewart’s law firm. She has never seen an episode of Dean’s TV show and is unimpressed with his celebrity.

The project will also star Mary Elizabeth Ellis and William Devane.

Morales’ credits include the feature films Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and Going the Distance, as well as television roles on Girls, Parks and Recreation, Trophy Wife and The Newsroom.

Rodriguez Wins Her First-Ever Golden Globe for Her Starring Role on “Jane the Virgin”

Posted on by
9

Gina Rodriguez is officially a golden girl…

The 30-year-old Puerto Rican actress took home the award for Best Actress, Television Comedy at this year’s Golden Globes.

Gina Rodriguez

Rodriguez, who was celebrating her first-ever Golden Globe nomination, won the award for her breakout starring role on the CW’s Jane the Virgin, beating out previous winner Lena Dunham (Girls), as well as seasoned veterans like Nurse Jackie’s Edie Falco and Veep’s Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

“This award is so much more than myself,” Rodriguez said as she tearfully accepted the award. “It represents a culture that wants to see itself as heroes.”

Backstage after picking up her Golden Globe, Rodriguez expanded on her speech.

“First and foremost, the nomination alone was a win for me because it allowed our culture, it allowed Latinos to see themselves in a beautiful light,” Rodriguez said. “For me, the win meant everything.”

“I’m definitely part of the testament that it’s changing. It’s not only something that I see, but something I experience everyday.”

Rodriguez also said her big win “…allowed [Latinos] to see themselves invited to the same party. We want to create the effect that shows Latinos as the investment bankers and the lawyers that exist in my own home.” Rodriguez was referring to her sisters, who she thanked in her speech for being role models. One is an investment banker; the other is a lawyer.

Rodriguez is the first Latina actress to take home the Best Actress in a TV comedy prize since Ugly Betty’s America Ferrera in 2007.

But Rodriguez isn’t the only Latino/a to pick up an award during Sunday night’s show…

Alejandro González Iñárritu took home the award for Best Screenplay for co-penning the script for his dark comedy Birdman, which Michael Keaton called an “unbelievably gutsy, polished look at human nature.”

González Iñárritu shares the prize with his fellow writers Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo.

The seven-time nominee previously won a Golden Globe in 2007 for Babel, picking the prize for Best Picture – Drama.

Here’s a look at the winners at the 72nd annual Golden Globe Awards:

FILM

Drama
Boyhood

Actor, Drama
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

Actress, Drama
Julianne Moore, Still Alice

Comedy or Musical
The Grand Budapest Hotel

Actor, Comedy or Musical
Michael Keaton, Birdman

Actress, Comedy or Musical
Amy Adams, Big Eyes

Director
Richard Linklater, Boyhood

Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood

Supporting Actor
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

Animated Feature Film
How to Train Your Dragon 2

Screenplay
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo, Birdman

Original Song
John Legend, Common, Glory (Selma)

Original Score
Johann Johannsson, The Theory of Everything

Foreign Film
Leviathan

PRIME-TIME TELEVISION

Drama
The Affair

Actor, Drama Series
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards

Actress, Drama Series
Ruth Wilson, The Affair

Comedy
Transparent

Actor, comedy series
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent

Actress, comedy series
Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin

Miniseries or TV movie
Fargo

Actor, Miniseries or TV Movie
Billy Bob Thornton, Fargo

Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or TV Movie
Matt Bomer, The Normal Heart

Actress, Miniseries or TV Movie
Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Honorable Woman

Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or TV Movie
Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey

Miguel Reveals New Music on His SoundCloud Page

Posted on by
Reply

Miguel is in a sharing mood…

The 29-year-old half-Mexican American singer-songwriter has released three new songs on his SoundCloud page.

Miguel

From the looks of it, Miguel is working on a cohesive new project of his own. Before 2012’s Kaleidoscope Dream and after his debut, the singer released three free EPs, which helped build buzz while showing the new direction his music was taking.

Of the three songs, “Coffee” is the strongest, full of Miguel’s trademark mixture of big, fuzzy guitars and sweet romance.

Since Kaleidoscope Dream, Miguel has been staying busy mostly by working for others. He added some hooks to rap songs, contributed to the soundtrack for the TV show Girls, and dueted with both Janelle Monae and Mariah Carey. He also helped write “Rocket” for Beyonce — an explicit D’Angelo homage — and “Kind Of… Sometimes…. Maybe…” for Jessie Ware, which Billboard recently named one of the Top Ten R&B Tracks of the year.

He also teamed with Lorde and Chemical Brothers on The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt. 1 soundtrack.

Rodriguez Earns First-Ever Golden Globe Nomination

Posted on by
Reply

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 Girls’ Lena 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 Lies’ Don Cheadle, Derek’s Ricky Gervais, Shameless’ William 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”

Miguel Releases “Simple Things” Music Video, Featuring Sports Illustrated Model Gigi Hadid

Posted on by
Reply

Miguel is sharing some simple things with his fans…

The 28-year-old half-Mexican American singer-songwriter has released the official music video for “Simple Things,” which he recorded earlier this year for Lena Dunham‘s HBO series Girls.

Miguel

Miguel keeps things simple in the black-and-white cinematic clip, which premiered on YouTube earlier this week.

It begins with Miguel leaving a party while at another place, his on-screen love interest, played by Sports Illustrated model Gigi Hadid, is seen leaving her hotel room.

The two walk through the streets and eventually meet on a beach, where they smile, laugh and spend the rest of the day together.

“Simple Things” appears in Girls Volume 2: All Adventurous Women Do…, the soundtrack album that also features songs by Lily Allen, Beckand Jenny Lewis, among others.

Miguel is currently working on his next studio album, which he expects to release this fall. The new record, his third studio effort, will serve as the follow-up to 2012’s critically acclaimed “Kaleidoscope Dream.”

Leyva Promoted to Series Regular on Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black”

Posted on by
Reply

Forget red! Selenis Leyva is seeing orange…

The 41-year-old Cuban-Dominican American actress has been promoted to series regular on Netflix’s hit prison comedy Orange Is The New Black, which was recently picked up for a third season well-before its second-season premiere.

Selenis Leyva

Leyva plays the quick-witted and sharp-tongued Gloria Mendoza in the series, which also stars Taylor Schilling, Jason Biggs, Laura Prepon and Kate Mulgrew.

“Gloria is sassy, there’s a fierceness about her and you know that eyebrow, when it goes up, you know she means business,” Leyva told Huffington Post in an interview. “And that’s like my thing [laughs]. When I’m a little bit upset, my eyebrow goes up and that is a trait that my beautiful mother passed down to me [laughs]. We always knew in the house ‘mommy’s upset, her eyebrow just went up.’”

Selenis, who has appeared on Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Girls, will next be seen opposite Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy and Naomi Watts in the feature film Saint Vincent de Van Nuys.

Season 2 of Orange Is The New Black premieres on Netflix on June 6 with all 13 episodes available at launch.

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

Posted on by
Reply

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.

Cynthia Lopez

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.”