Octavio Rodriguez to Appear on Paramount+’s Drama “Landman”

Posted on April 7, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Octavio Rodriguez is officially a landman….

The Latino actor has landed a recurring role in the Paramount+ drama Landman from Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace.

Rodriguez is joined by Freeridge actor J.R. Villarreal on the recurring actor roster.

They join series regulars Billy Bob Thornton, Ali Larter, Michelle Randolph, Jacob Lofland, Kayla Wallace, James Jordan, Mark Collie, Paulina Chávez and Demi Moore; and recurring stars Jon Hamm, Colm Feore and Mustafa Speaks.

Set in the proverbial boomtowns of West Texas, Landman is a modern-day tale of fortune seeking in the world of oil rigs. Based on the 11-part podcast Boomtown, the series is an upstairs/downstairs story of roughnecks and wildcat billionaires fueling a boom so big, it’s reshaping our climate, our economy and our geopolitics.

Rodriguez will play Antonio, a hard man who is angry when his family suffers a tragedy.

Villarreal will play Manuel, an oil crewman who is looking for reprisal after a disaster.

Currently filming in and around Fort Worth, Texas, Landman is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, 101 Studios and Sheridan’s Bosque Ranch Productions exclusively for Paramount+.

Rodriguez’s credits include Chicago P.D., Grey’s Anatomy and Homeland.

ABC Renews Ryan Guzman’s “9-1-1” Series for Eighth Season

Posted on April 2, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Ryan Guzman has more emergency responses in his future…

ABC has renewed 9-1-1, starring the 36-year-old half-Mexican American actor, for an eighth season.

Guzman, who joined the cast in Season 2, portrays Edmundo “Eddie” Diaz in the procedural drama .

The season seven premiere of 9-1-1 in March delivered a cumulative audience of 11.76 million total viewers within the first seven days, and marked the series’ highest-rated multi-platform telecast in nearly two years in Adults 18-49. It paid homage to the disaster thriller The Poseidon Adventure.

The drama stands as ABC’s most-watched current series across all platforms this season.

Created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear, 9-1-1 is produced by 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios, in association with Ryan Murphy Television and Brad Falchuk Teley-Vision.

9-1-1 moved to ABC after six seasons on Fox ,where it was consistently one of the highest-rated shows. It now fits nicely into ABC’s Thursday lineup with Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19, both of which do well for for the Disney-owned broadcaster. This week’s new episode will mark the series’ 100th episode.

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Natalie Morales to Appear on Season 20 of ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy”

Posted on February 10, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Natalie Morales is taking the Hippocratic Oath.

The 38-year-old Cuban American actress has joined the cast of Grey’s Anatomy for the ABC medical drama series’ 20th season.

Morales will head to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital as a guest star.

She’ll appear as Monica Beltran, a pediatric surgeon whose pragmatism and level-headedness have made her one of the best in her field. Her willingness to push boundaries can be admirable and aggravating, but it’s always aimed at providing top-quality care to her patients.

But Morales isn’t the only Latinx artist set to appear on Season 20.

Freddy Miyares has also joined the cast.

The Latino actors will appear in a recurring role as Dorian, an intelligent, warm and likable patient who is involved in a serious accident and is struggling with his future.

Grey’s Anatomy Season 20 premieres on ABC on March 14 at 9:00 pm ET/PT with next day streaming on Hulu.

Morales’ previous credits include White Collar, Dead to Me, Parks and Recreation and The Grinder.

Miyares’ previous credits include When They See Us, DMZ and The L Word: Generation Q.

Colman Domingo Among Creative Coalition’s Television Humanitarian Awards Honorees

Posted on August 13, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Colman Domingo is being feted for his philanthropy…

The Creative Coalition has announced its high profile honorees for this year’s eighth annual Television Humanitarian Awards Gala, with the 52-year-old Belizean-Guatemalan American actor and social justice activist making the list.

Domingo appears on a roster that includes James Cromwell, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Samantha Hanratty, Melissa Rauch and Paul Scheer.

The Television Humanitarian Awards Gala, which takes place during Emmy week, highlights prominent figures in the television industry, as well as 2022 Emmy Award nominees who use the power of their celebrity for social good.

“Grey’s Anatomy” and co-executive producer and writer Jamie Denbo have also been named the recipient of the Your Voice Carries Weight Award – which honors a television leader for their advocacy work in obesity awareness – for the episode, “Living in a House Divided.”

Variety’s Marc Malkin will host this year’s ceremony, which is scheduled to be held on Sunday, September 11, 2022 in Los Angeles.

“The incredibly talented individuals we are honoring at the TV Humanitarian Awards exemplify Hollywood at its best – dynamic stars who use their voices to make the world a better place,” said The Creative Coalition president and actor Tim Daly.

The Creative Coalition CEO Robin Bronk added in a statement: “We have a long history of honoring entertainment industry leaders for their good work and these days it’s more important than ever to use the platforms of the arts for positive change.”

All proceeds from the special charity event benefit The Creative Coalition’s year-round work to protect and advance the arts.

Adam Rodriguez Among Six Original “Criminal Minds” Cast Members In Talks For Show’s Paramount+ Revival

Posted on February 5, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Adam Rodriguez may be returning to his Criminal roots…

The 46-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actor is among the original cast members reportedly in final talks to star in the Criminal Minds revival for Paramount+.

In addition to Rodriguez, other fan favorite cast members who’ve reportedly agreed to come back include Joe Mantegna, Kirsten Vangsness, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler and Paget Brewster, subject to closing their deals and availability.

Contract talks with Rodriguez and the other original cast members have been put on hold, according to Deadline, as Criminal Minds lead studio, ABC Signature, is focusing on making a deal with the series’ longtime executive producer/showrunner Erica Messer.

Negotiations with Messer, who has an overall pact with the studio, are still ongoing, with the two sides getting closer to a deal.

A license agreement for a 10-episode new season of Criminal Minds has been reached between Paramount+ and the studios behind the crime drama, ABC Signature and CBS Studios.

Rodriguez and the other five originals represent the majority of Criminal Minds’ cast in its 15th and final season.

The original series, created by Jeff Davis, follows a group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral Analysis Unit, using behavioral analysis and profiling to investigate crimes and find perpetrators. The group is led by Senior Agent David Rossi (Mantegna) and includes Agents JJ Jareau (Cook), Tara Lewis (Tyler) and Luke Alvez (Rodriguez) as well as Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia (Vangsness) and Unit Chief Emily Prentiss (Brewster).

The classic broadcast procedural is being serialized for binge-driven streaming consumption, with the team coming back together to investigate a single case over 10 episodes in the new season for Paramount+.

Criminal Minds is among ViacomCBS’ most prized titles in the streaming era. It had been a top performer on Netflix since before the streamer started releasing viewership information. While Paramount+ has all 15 seasons, Netflix carries the first 12. They accounted for 33.9 billion minutes of viewing on the global platform, making it the most watched title on Netflix in 2021. Criminal Minds also was the third-most-streamed series in 2020 on Netflix behind The Office and Grey’s Anatomy, with 590M hours viewed.

Sara Ramírez to Star in HBO Max’s “Sex and the City” Sequel Series, “And Just Like That …”

Posted on May 21, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Sara Ramírez is heading to the City…

The 45-year-old Mexican actor and Grey’s Anatomy alum will appear alongside Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis in And Just Like That …, HBO Max’s upcoming Sex and the City sequel series, from executive producer Michael Patrick King.

And Just Like That… follows Carrie (Parker), Miranda (Nixon) and Charlotte (Davis) navigating the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s.

The 10-episode, half-hour series is scheduled to begin production this summer in New York.

Ramírez will play new character Che Diaz (they/them), a non-binary, queer stand-up comedian who hosts a podcast on which Carrie Bradshaw is regularly featured. Che is a big presence with a big heart whose outrageous sense of humor and progressive, human overview of gender roles has made them and their podcast very popular.

“Everyone at And Just Like That … is beyond thrilled that a dynamically talented actor such as Sara Ramírez has joined the Sex and the City family,” said King. “Sara is a one-of-a-kind talent, equally at home with comedy and drama – and we feel excited and inspired to create this new character for the show.”

The HBO series Sex and the City was created by Darren Star based on Candace Bushnell’s book. Parker, Davis and Nixon executive produce with Julie Rottenberg, Elisa Zuritsky, John Melfi and King. Writers include King, Samantha Irby, Rachna Fruchbom, Keli Goff, Rottenberg and Zuritsky.

Tony Award winner and Emmy nominee Ramírez made history playing the longest-running LGBTQ+ character on TV, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Callie Torres, for over a decade on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. Ramírez also played the series regular role of Kat Sandoval on CBS’ Madam Secretary.

Ramírez was the voice of Queen Miranda on Disney’s animated series Sofia the First and Mamá Calaca in Vampirina. They also have executive produced three films, Loserville, Out of Exile: Daniel’s Story and Netflix’s The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson.

Ramírez was awarded the Ally For Equality Award by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation in 2015, and the Trailblazers Award by the New York LGBT Center in 2017. They have also been acknowledged by the City of Los Angeles as a queer bisexual Mexican-American activist and artist working across intersections to advance liberation.

In June of 2019, Ramírez performed “Over the Rainbow” at the NYC opening ceremony of World Pride.

Tessa Ferrer to Star in Apple TV+’s New Basketball-Themed Drama Series “Swagger”

Posted on January 18, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Tessa Ferrer’s got some serious swagger…

The 34-year-old part-Puerto Rican actress and former Grey’s Anatomy star has joined the ensemble cast of Apple TV+’s new basketball-themed drama series Swagger.

The project, which hails from NBA superstar Kevin Durant and Imagine’s Brian Grazer, stars O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Oscar-nominated Quvenzhané Wallis.

Ferrer will be a series regulars alongside Isaiah Hill, Shinelle Azoroh, 32-year-old part-Afro-Dominican actor Tristan Mack Wilds, Caleel Harris, Latino actor/producer Jason Rivera, Solomon Irama, Ozie Nzeribe and James Bingham.

Written and directed by Bythewood, who also serves as showrunner, Swagger is inspired by Durant’s youth basketball experiences. It explores the world of youth basketball, and the players, their families and coaches who walk the fine line between dreams and ambition, and opportunism and corruption. Off the court, the show reveals what it’s like to grow up in America.

Wilds will portray Alonzo Powers, the grassroots division leader at a major shoe company.

Ferrer will portray Meg Bailey, a former basketball player and coach for the rival team.

Rivera will play Nick, a player from Puerto Rico with the drive to become the best player in the country.

The drama is co-produced by Imagine Television Studios and CBS Television Studios.

Aloe Blacc Ranks Among Tunefind’s List of Top Artists for 2020

Posted on December 25, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Aloe Blacc has made his mark on television and film this year…

Tunefind has revealed its top shows, songs, movies and artists in terms of onscreen syncs for 2020, with the 41-year-old Panamanian American singer earning a spot.

Blacc comes in at No. 5 on the Top Artists list. He’s the highest ranking male and only Latinx artist on the chart.

Among this year’s placements, Blacc’s single“Honestly” was featured on This Is Us, while his single “Give a Little Bit” was featured on Grey’s Anatomy.

For the fourth year in a row, ABC‘s Grey’s Anatomy rules the top shows list, maintaining its stature as one of the top television shows for music discovery, a reputation it’s held since its premiere in 2005.

Tunefind is a music discovery website that partners with The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard to present the Top TV Songs chart each month (ranking songs that appear in TV shows each month using a combination of metrics from Tunefind and Nielsen Music/MRC Data).

Here are the full rankings for 2020, via Tunefind:

Top Songs
1. “On the Radio,” Chip Taylor, Sex Education
2. “Emerge,” Fischerspooner, Westworld
3. “Ooh La La (feat. Greg Nice & DJ Premier),” Run the Jewels, Ozark
4. “This Year’s Love,” Jasmine Thompson, Lucifer
5. “Crazy,” Daniela Andrade, The Umbrella Academy
6. “You’re Somebody Else,” Flora Cash, Locke & Key
7. “Fire for You,” Cannons, Never Have I Ever
8. “I Can’t Remember Love,” Anna Hauss, Robert Wienroder & William Horberg
9. “Remember (feat. Jacob Banks),” Seinabo Sey, Power
10. “Keep You Safe,” Lindsey Ray, Grey’s Anatomy

Top TV Shows
1. Grey’s Anatomy (supervisor: Alexandra Patsavas & Kacey Truman)
2. Lucifer (Justin Kamps & Alexandra Patsavas)
3. The Blacklist (John Bissell)
4. The Umbrella Academy (Jen Malone)
5. Supernatural (Alexandra Patsavas & Justin Kamps)
6. Peaky Blinders (Amelia Hartley, Pete Saville & Zoe Ellen Bryant)
7. Sex Education (Matt Biffa)
8. Shameless (Ann Kline)
9. Power (Jennifer Ross)
10. All American (Madonna Wade Reed)

Top New TV Shows
1. Virgin River (supervisor: Lindsay Wolfington)
2. The Queen’s Gambit (Randall Poster)
3. Outer Banks (Liza Richardson)
4. Watchmen (Liza Richardson)
5. Normal People (Juliet Martin & Maggie Phillips)

Top Movies
1. 365 Days (supervisor: Mateusz & Michal Sarapata)
2. 6 Underground (Dave Jordan & Trygge Toven)
3. To All the Boys: PS I Still Love You (Laura Webb & Lindsay Wolfington)
4. The Gentlemen (Matt Aberle)
5. The Old Guard (Julia Michels)
6. Trolls World Tour
7. Let It Snow (Season Kent)
8. After We Collided (Josh Kessler & Dylan Bostick)
9. The Kissing Booth 2 (Linda Cohen)
10. Little Women (Spring Aspers)

Top Artists
1. Lizzo
2. Billie Eilish
3. Ariana Grande
4. Rayelle
5. Aloe Blacc
6. John Legend
7. Sleeping At Last
8. Dua Lipa
9. Jacob Banks
10. Ruelle

Top Composers
1. Ezra Furman
2. Graham Coxon
3. Ramin Djawadi
4. Jeff Russo
5. Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross

Tracy Vilar to Star in the Netflix Dramedy “Maid”

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Posted on October 12, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Tracy Vilar is maid to order…

The 52-year-old Latina actress has been cast as a series regular opposite Margaret Qualley in Maid, Netflix’s dramedy series from writer Molly Smith Metzler, John Wells Productions, Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television.

Written by Metzler, Maid is inspired by Stephanie Land’s bestselling memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive. It revolves around Alex (Qualley), a single mother who turns to housekeeping to — barely — make ends meet as she battles against poverty, homelessness, and bureaucracy. Told primarily through her point of view, Maid is described as a beautiful, alive, gritty and inspiring exploration of poverty in America.

Vilar will play Yolanda, the owner of “Value Maids,” the cleaning business that eventually employs “Alex” (Qualley). A woman who suffers no fools and runs a tight ship, Yolanda has managed to survive in a world (and economy) that is not always kind to her.

In addition to Qualley, Vilar joins previously cast Andie MacDowell, Nick Robinson and Anika Noni Rose. Maid is currently filming in Vancouver.

Vilar co-starred on the CBS comedy series Partners. Her television series credits include major roles on Fox’s House and TNT’s Saved and guest shots on three Shondaland/ABC series, Grey’s Anatomy, How To Get Away with Murder and For the People. She also appeared in the features Grace of My Heart and K-Pax.

Ariela Barer to Star in ABC’s Erin Brockovich-Inspired Drama Pilot “Rebel”

Posted on February 21, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Ariela Barer is ready to rebel…

The Mexican American actress will star in ABC’s drama pilot Rebel, inspired by the life of activist Erin Brockovich.

Barer will star as a series regular opposite Katey Sagaland Tamala Jonesin the project.

Executive produced by Brockovich, Rebel hails from Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19 showrunner Krista Vernoff, Davis Entertainment, Sony Pictures Television and ABC Studios.

Written by Vernoff, Rebel centers on Annie “Rebel” Bello (Sagal), a blue-collar legal advocate without a law degree. A funny, messy, brilliant and fearless woman who cares desperately about the causes she fights for and the people she loves.

Barer will play Ziggie. The rebellious adopted daughter of Aiden and Rebel, Ziggie is going through a bad patch. She got hooked on pain medication after an injury, but has been drug-free for the last 72 days. A teenager who needs to attend Narcotics Anonymous meetings on a very regular basis, Ziggie is vulnerable as hell and needs her mother — only her mother is busy-busy-busy with her latest cluster of tormented clients.

Barer most recently played the role of Gert Yorkes in Marvel’s Runaways,and she recurred on Atypical and One Day At A Time.

In film, she portrayed Olivia in feature Lady Worldand will next be seen as a lead in upcoming Disfluencyand in a supporting role in The Ultimate Playlist of Noise.

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