Tag Archives: Jimmy Smits

Smits to Make Cameo Appearance in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”

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Jimmy Smits is going Rogue…

The 61-year-old Puerto Rican actor and Star Wars alum has confirmed that he’ll be appearing in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Jimmy Smits

Smits, who played Bail Organa in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, confirmed on The Talk that he’ll show up in Rogue One.

“Can you say the word cameo?” he said laughing. “Can you say the words small part?”

Star Wars fans will know that Bail Organa was the adoptive father to Princess Leia. He also bit the dust in A New Hope after the Death Star blows up the planet Alderaan. However, since Rogue One takes place before A New Hope, Smits’ character has yet to meet his end and is presumably working with the rest of the growing Rebel Alliance.

This won’t be the first time that Smits has returned to his Star Wars role. He offered his voice to the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video game back in 2008.

Peña Lands Series Regular Role on Fox’s Pilot “24: Legacy”

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Coral Peña is building her Hollywood legacy…

The Latina actress has been cast as a series regular opposite Miranda Otto and Corey Hawkins in Fox’s pilot 24: Legacy, a reboot of the network’s iconic 24 franchise with brand new characters and cast.

Coral Peña

Written by 24 veterans Manny Coto and Evan Katz and directed by Stephen Hopkins, who helmed the original 24 pilot, 24: Legacy chronicles military hero Eric Carter’s (Hawkins) return to the U.S. and the trouble that follows him back – compelling him to ask CTU for help in saving his life, and stopping what potentially could be one of the largest-scale terror attacks on American soil.

Bucatinsky will play Andy, a communication analyst at CTU who has enjoyed Rebecca’s (Otto) trust and is unhappily paired with bright, young, self-taught computer analyst Gia (Pena).

She joins previously announced cast members Teddy Sears, Anna Diop and Jimmy Smits.

Peña, a Hollywood newcomer, previously appeared on CBS’ Blue Bloods.

Smits to Star in Baz Luhrmann’s Netflix Music-Driven Drama “The Get Down”

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Jimmy Smits really knows how to get down…

The 59-year-old Puerto Rican actor has been tapped for a key role in Baz Luhrmann’s music-driven drama The Get Down for Netflix.

Jimmy Smits

Set in 1970s New York City, the series — a long-time passion project for Luhrmann — revolves around a ragtag crew of South Bronx teenagers who are wild in the streets — nothings and nobodies with no one to shelter them, except one another.

Smits will portray Francisco Cruz, aka “Papa Fuerte,” a South Bronx political boss who delivers services the City fails to provide – jobs, housing, healthcare, etc. A big man with brass, he navigates downtown politics the same way he handles his uptown turf – with ease and a touch of deception. Whether it’s his niece’s desire for disco stardom or a recent immigrant’s struggle to grab a hold of the American dream, if you want something in the neighborhood, you come to Papa Fuerte.

“The Puerto Rican culture of the ’70’s Bronx plays such a large role in the story we are telling that the character of Papa Fuerte had to be played by an actor who could bring experience, gravitas and authenticity to the role,” said Luhrmann. “I know our entire cast is excited to have someone of Jimmy’s talent joining us on the journey we are undertaking. We are thrilled to have him on The Get Down.”

The setup of The Get Down — the story of how 1970s New York City on the brink of bankruptcy gave birth to hip-hop, punk and disco told through the lives and music of several South Bronx teenagers — is familiar territory for Smits. Brooklyn born-and-raised, Smits, who is of Puerto Rican descent, spent his teens and early 20s in the city during the 1970s.

Following his role as pimp Nero Padilla on FX’s Sons of Anarchy, the Emmy-winning actor was offered multiple broadcast pilots this past season but opted to stay in the cable/digital space, leading to his casting on The Get Down, a project to which he immediately responded.

The 13-episode series from Luhrmann, Shawn Ryan and Sony Pictures Television, will debut in all Netflix territories in 2016.

Morales Lands Presidential Role on HBO’s Pilot “The Brink”

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Esai Morales’ next project will have him on the brink of political greatness…

The 51-year-old Puerto Rican actor has landed a co-starring a role in the HBO pilot The Brink.

Esai Morales

Directed by Jay Roach from a script by Roberto Benabib and Kim Benabib, The Brink is an epic dark comedy focusing on a geopolitical crisis and its effect on three disparate and desperate men: U.S. Secretary of State Walter Hollander (Tim Robbins); Alex Coppins (Jack Black), a lowly Foreign Service officer; and Zeke Callahan (Pablo Schreiber), an ace Navy fighter pilot.

Morales will portray Julian Navarro, the President of the United States.

While the U.S. is yet to elect a Hispanic president, that has been a popular trend on television that has included Jimmy Smits’ Matt Santos on The West Wing and Blair Underwood’s Elias Martinez on The Event.

Morales, who most recently co-starred on the second season of Starz’s Magic City, recently wrapped a supporting role in George Lopez’s feature La Vida Robot and has a recurring role on CBS’ Criminal Minds.

Smits’ “Sons of Anarchy” to Premiere in September

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Jimmy Smits will be causing all sorts of anarchy this September…

FX has announced plans to launch the sixth season of its top-rated drama Sons of Anarchy, featuring the 58-year-old actor reprising his role as Neron “Nero” Padilla.

Jimmy Smits

In February, FX confirmed reports that Smith, who earned a Critics’ Choice Awards nomination in the Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series category for his acclaimed role, would be reprising his role on the biking drama series.

Sons of Anarchy is a high-octane drama with darkly comedic undertones that centers on the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in California’s Central Valley.

It explores the notorious outlaw motorcycle club’s quest to protect its livelihood while ensuring that their simple sheltered town remains untainted by confronting threats from drug dealers, corporate developers and overzealous law officers.

The premiere episode, running 90-minutes, will air on FX on September 10 at 10:00 pm ET/PT. The series will continue to run on Tuesdays.

Bichir’s New FX Series “The Bridge” Named to the Most Exciting New Series List

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Demián Bichir’s new FX series hasn’t debuted yet, but it’s already earning awards…

The 49-year-old Mexican actor’s The Bridge has been named to on the Critics’ Choice Television Awards’ The Most Exciting New Series list.

Demian Bichir in The Bridge

The Bridge, which will debut on Wednesday, July 10, explores the high tensions on the U.S.-Mexico border.

When an American judge known for her anti-immigration views is found dead on the bridge connecting El Paso and Juarez, Sonya Cross (portrayed by Diane Kruger) from the El Paso Police Department must work with her Mexican counterpart from Chihuahua State Police, Marco Ruiz (Bichir), to catch a serial killer operating on both sides of the border.

The Bridge joins the Showtime dramas Ray Donovan and Masters Of Sex, CBS’ summer series Under the Dome, ABC’s drama Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the NBC comedy The Michael J. Fox Show on the list.

The most exciting new series recipients are voted based on pilots and early episodes, if available.

The ceremony is slated for June 10 at The Beverly Hilton. It will be webcast live at 8:00 pm PT on UStream.

Celebrity presenters include Malin Akerman, Angela Bassett, Miranda Cosgrove, Hugh Dancy, Cat Deeley, Maria Menounos, Elisabeth Moss, Aubrey Plaza, Emmy Rossum, Jimmy Smits, Eric Stonestreet and Sam Trammell.

Smits Earns Critics’ Choice Television Award Nomination for His “Sons of Anarchy” Role

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It’s no wonder Jimmy Smits is returning for the next season of Sons of Anarchy… His role as Neron “Nero” Padilla has earned some serious praise.

The 57-year-old Puerto Rican actor has earned a Critics’ Choice Television Award nomination in the Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series category for his performance on FX’s biker drama.

Jimmy Smits on Sons of Anarchy

Smits starred in 12 of Sons of Anarchy’s 13 episodes last season. And, he’s set to appear in all episodes next season.

It’s the first Critics’ Choice Television Award nomination for the former West Wing star and Golden Globe and Emmy-winning actor.

Meanwhile, Louis C.K. continues to earn critical love…

The 45-year-old Mexican American actor/comedian has been nominated in the Best Actor in a Comedy Series category for his role on FX’s Louie, a show he created.

In addition, his series in nominated for Best Comedy Series. The show is up against The Big Band Theory, The Middle, New Girl, Parks and Recreation and Veep.

The awards will be handed out June 10 at the Beverly Hilton.

Here’s a complete look at the list of nominees.

BEST COMEDY SERIES
• The Big Bang Theory – CBS
• Louie – FX
• The Middle – ABC
• New Girl – FOX
• Parks and Recreation – NBC
• Veep – HBO

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
• Don Cheadle (House of Lies) – Showtime
• Louis C.K. (Louie) – FX
• Jake Johnson (New Girl) – FOX
• Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS
• Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation) – NBC
• Jeremy Sisto (Suburgatory) – ABC

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
• Laura Dern (Enlightened) – HBO
• Zooey Deschanel (New Girl) – FOX
• Lena Dunham (Girls) – HBO
• Sutton Foster (Bunheads) – ABC Family
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep) – HBO
• Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) – NBC

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
• Max Greenfield (New Girl) – FOX
• Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS
• Alex Karpovsky (Girls) – HBO
• Adam Pally (Happy Endings) – ABC
• Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) – NBC
• Danny Pudi (Community) – NBC

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
• Carly Chaikin (Suburgatory) – ABC
• Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS
• Sarah Hyland (Modern Family) – ABC
• Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS
• Eden Sher (The Middle) – ABC
• Casey Wilson (Happy Endings) – ABC

BEST GUEST PERFORMER IN A COMEDY SERIES
• Melissa Leo (Louie) – FX
• David Lynch (Louie) – FX
• Bob Newhart (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS
• Patton Oswalt (Parks and Recreation) – NBC
• Molly Shannon (Enlightened) – HBO
• Patrick Wilson (Girls) – HBO

BEST DRAMA SERIES
• The Americans – FX
• Breaking Bad – AMC
• Downton Abbey – PBS
• Game of Thrones – HBO
• The Good Wife – CBS
• Homeland – Showtime

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
• Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) – AMC
• Damian Lewis (Homeland) – Showtime
• Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead) – AMC
• Timothy Olyphant (Justified) – FX
• Matthew Rhys (The Americans) – FX
• Kevin Spacey (House of Cards) – Netflix

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
• Claire Danes (Homeland) – Showtime
• Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel) – A&E
• Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife) – CBS
• Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) – BBC America
• Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) – AMC
• Keri Russell (The Americans) – FX

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
• Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad) – AMC
• Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones) – HBO
• Michael Cudlitz (Southland) – TNT
• Noah Emmerich (The Americans) – FX
• Walton Goggins (Justified) – FX
• Corey Stoll (House of Cards) – Netflix

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
• Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter) – Showtime
• Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) – HBO
• Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad) – AMC
• Regina King (Southland) – TNT
• Monica Potter (Parenthood) – NBC
• Abigail Spencer (Rectify) – Sundance

BEST GUEST PERFORMER IN A DRAMA SERIES
• Jim Beaver (Justified) – FX
• Jane Fonda (The Newsroom) – HBO
• Martha Plimpton (The Good Wife) – CBS
• Carrie Preston (The Good Wife) – CBS
• Diana Rigg (Game of Thrones) – HBO
• Jimmy Smits (Sons of Anarchy) – FX

BEST MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
• American Horror Story: Asylum – FX
• Behind the Candelabra – HBO
• The Crimson Petal and the White – Encore
• The Hour – BBC America
• Political Animals – USA
• Top of the Lake – Sundance

BEST ACTOR IN A MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
• Benedict Cumberbatch (Parade’s End) – HBO
• Matt Damon (Behind the Candelabra) – HBO
• Michael Douglas (Behind the Candelabra) – HBO
• Toby Jones (The Girl) – HBO
• Al Pacino (Phil Spector) – HBO
• Dominic West (The Hour) – BBC America

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
• Angela Bassett (Betty & Coretta) – Lifetime
• Romola Garai (The Hour) – BBC America
• Rebecca Hall (Parade’s End) – HBO
• Jessica Lange (American Horror Story: Asylum) – FX
• Elisabeth Moss (Top of the Lake) – Sundance
• Sigourney Weaver (Political Animals) – USA

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
• James Cromwell (American Horror Story: Asylum) – FX
• Peter Mullan (Top of the Lake) – Sundance
• Zachary Quinto (American Horror Story: Asylum) – FX
• Sebastian Stan (Political Animals) – USA
• David Wenham (Top of the Lake) – Sundance
• Thomas M. Wright (Top of the Lake) – Sundance

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
• Ellen Burstyn (Political Animals) – USA
• Sienna Miller (The Girl) – HBO
• Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story: Asylum) – FX
• Lily Rabe (American Horror Story: Asylum) – FX
• Imelda Staunton (The Girl) – HBO
• Alfre Woodard (Steel Magnolias) – Lifetime

BEST REALITY SERIES
• Duck Dynasty – A&E
• The Moment – USA
• Pawn Stars – History Channel
• Push Girls – Sundance
• Small Town Security – AMC
• Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan – BBC America

BEST REALITY SERIES – COMPETITION
• Chopped – Food Network
• Face Off – Syfy
• Shark Tank – ABC
• So You Think You Can Dance – FOX
• Survivor – CBS
• The Voice –

NBC
BEST REALITY HOST
• Tom Bergeron (Dancing With the Stars) – ABC
• Cat Deeley (So You Think You Can Dance) – FOX
• Gordon Ramsay (Hell’s Kitchen/Masterchef) – FOX
• RuPaul (RuPaul’s Drag Race) – Logo
• Ryan Seacrest (American Idol) – FOX
• Kurt Warner (The Moment) – USA

BEST TALK SHOW
• Conan – TBS
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart – Comedy Central
• The Ellen DeGeneres Show – Warner Brothers Television Distribution
• Jimmy Kimmel Live! – ABC
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon – NBC
• Marie – Hallmark Channel

BEST ANIMATED SERIES
• Adventure Time – Cartoon Network
• Archer – FX
• Phineas and Ferb – Disney Channel
• Regular Show – Cartoon Network
• The Simpsons – FOX
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Cartoon Network

Smits Returning to FX’s “Sons of Anarchy” Next Season

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It looks like Jimmy Smits’ biker days aren’t over yet…

The 57-year-old Puerto Rican actor will reprise his role as Neron “Nero” Padilla on the upcoming sixth season of FX’s Sons of Anarchy.

Jimmy Smits

Smits, appeared as the former gangbanger in 12 of Anarchy’s 13 episodes last season, has signed on to appear in all of the episodes next season.

The Emmy-winning actor most recently wrapped up a successful run in Motherf**ker With The Hat at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre.

Sons of Anarchy is the highest-rated series ever on FX, and its recent fifth season ranks as the series’ highest-rated yet with first-run episodes averaging 6.37 million total viewers.

The sixth season of Sons of Anarchy is shaping to be even more intense and volatile than the last.

Production is set to begin in late spring for the show’s September premiere.

Navarro to Guest Star on “Sons of Anarchy”

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Dave Navarro will soon be carving his way onto FX’s most-watched drama…

The 45-year-old Mexican American guitarist will guest star in the last two episodes of Sons of Anarchy this season.

Dave Navarro

Navarro, who plays in Jane’s Addiction and cover band Camp Freddy, will portray a member of the Biz Lats gang with close ties to Jimmy Smit’s character Nero.

In addition to joining the motorcycle club, Navarro and his band Jane’s Addiction will perform a cover of “Sympathy for the Devil” for this season’s finale.

Hayek Executive-Producing “The Cisco Kid” Reboot for CBS

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Salma Hayek is looking to bring an iconic Latino character back to television…

CBS has put in development The Cisco Kid – a reimagining of the half-hour Western television series starring Duncan Renaldo in the title role – with the 46-year-old Mexican actress, director and producer and X-Men’s Lauren Shuler Donner executive producing the project.

Salma Hayek

The Cisco Kid, written by Diego Gutierrez, is being hailed as a modern day retelling of the classic story of a handsome outlaw and his faithful sidekick similar to Lethal Weapon. It follows Cisco as he returns to Los Angeles after serving several tours as a Marine in Afghanistan.

After witnessing the murder of his father, Cisco and his best friend/fellow Marine, Sam, team up to solve the case and subsequently find themselves doing what the authorities can’t — defending the city’s oppressed and disenfranchised.

The Cisco Kid

First introduced in O. Henry’s 1907 short story The Caballero’s Way, the Cisco Kid became a fixture of 20th century pop culture — a rare achievement for a Latino character. The character went on to headline more than a dozen movies, beginning with the 1914 silent film The Caballero’s Way and most recently a 1994 TV movie starring Jimmy Smits as Cisco and Cheech Marin as his sidekick Pancho. The role won an Academy Award for Warner Baxter, who played Cisco in several movies. The Cisco character also spawned radio shows, comic books as well as an oft-covered song by War. On television, The Cisco Kid syndicated series starring Renaldo ran from 1950-56.

In its quest to create Latino-themed projects, CBS – the network behind the drama series Cane and comedy Rob, decided to place its bets on this fourth high-profile reboot at the network this season. CBS also has reboots of Beverly Hills Cop from Shawn Ryan and Eddie Murphy, the Vince Vaughn-produced The Brady Bunch, and Have Gun, Will Travel from David Mamet.

Hayek’s production company Ventanarosa co-produced the ABC dramedy Ugly Betty as part of its goal to develop, produce and acquire mainstream projects that either draw on Latin themes or feature Latin talent, both in front of and behind the camera. In features, the company has produced films like Frida. In addition, she’s developing The Prophet, an animated adaptation of Kahlil Gibran’s book, which has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide.