Jaramillo to Star in FX’s “Sons of Anarchy” Spinoff Pilot “Mayans MC”

Posted on March 1, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a ride or die moment for Antonio Jaramillo.

The Latino actor will co-star opposite JD Pardo in Mayans MC, the Sons of Anarchy spinoff pilot for FX from Kurt Sutter.

Set in the aftermath of Jax Teller’s death at the end of SOA’s seven-season run in 2014, Mayans MC will focus on the struggles of Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes (Pardo), a prospect in the Mayan MC charter on the California/Mexico border. EZ is the gifted son of a proud Latino family, whose American dream was snuffed out by cartel violence. Now, his need for vengeance drives him toward a life he never intended and can never escape.

Jaramillo will play Michael “Riz” Ariza, Vice President of the Mayans MC Santo Padre and former leader of a local Mexican MC that was patched over by the Mayans. He uses his even-tempered charm to mask his mistrust and lingering resentment.

In addition to Pardo, Jaramillo joins previously cast Edward James Olmos, John Ortiz and Clayton Cardenas.

Mayans MC was co-created by Sutter and Elgin James. Sutter is set to executive produce and direct the pilot; James is co-executive producer for Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions.

Jaramillo recurred as Jennifer Lopez’s ex on the first season of NBC’s Shades of Blue and also recurred on TNT’s Dallas reboot. In features, he co-starred opposite Demián Bichir in Oliver Stone’s Savages.

Pardo to Star in FX’s “Sons of Anarchy” Spinoff Pilot “Mayans MC”

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

JD Pardo is ridin’ high…

The 36-year-old Argentine-El Salvadoran American actor has been cast as the lead in Kurt Sutter’s Sons of Anarchy spinoff pilot for FX, Mayans MC.

Pardo, a Daytime Emmy Award nominee for his appearance on East Los High, is taking the baton from Charlie Hunnam, whose Jax Teller led the mothership series.

Set in the aftermath of Jax Teller’s death at the end of SOA’s seven-season run in 2014, Mayans MC will focus on the struggles of Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes (Pardo), a prospect in the Mayan MC charter on the California/Mexico border. EZ is the gifted son of a proud Latino family, whose American dream was snuffed out by cartel violence. Now, his need for vengeance drives him toward a life he never intended and can never escape.

Pardo joins previously cast Edward James Olmos, who plays EZ’s father, John Ortiz and Clayton Cardenas.

Mayans MC was co-created by Sutter and Elgin James.

Pardo, known for his role as Jesus on Hulu’s Emmy-nominated original series East Los High, as well as the role of Jason Neville in Revolution, fielded interest from multiple pilots.

His feature credits include The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 and Snitch.

Ortiz to Guest Star on TBS’ “The Guest Book”

Posted on January 15, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

John Ortiz has signed in…

The 48-year-old Puerto Rican actor will guest star on TBS’ The Guest Book, the new 10-episode comedy series from My Name Is Earl’s Greg Garcia.

The Guest Book emerged from Garcia’s habit of writing fictitious stories in the guest books of various rental cabins in an effort to freak out the next renters. Now he is bringing some of those stories to life on screen centering on the vacation home Froggy Cottage and its visitors. While the house and cast of characters living in this small mountain town remain the same, each episode will feature a different set of vacationing guests.

The anthology-style show, written by Garcia and executive produced by him and Alix Jaffe, will premiere in August.

It will star Kellie Martin (Army Wives), Charlie Robinson (Hart of Dixie), Aloma Wright (Suits), Carly Jibson (Broadway’s Hairspray), Lou Wilson (Tween Fest), Garret Dillahunt (The Mindy Project), Laura Bell Bundy (Scream Queens) and Eddie Steeples (My Name Is Earl).

Martin will play Officer Kimberly Leahy, who serves on the police force in the small mountain town of Mount Trace. Robinson is Wilfrid, an easygoing, friendly gentleman who manages a group of mountain rental cottages with his wife, Emma, played by recurring guest star Wright. Jibson is Vivian, a tough, strong-willed woman who runs a bikini bar called Chubbys with her stepson Frank, played by Wilson.

In addition to Ortiz, other guest stars include Danny Pudi (Community), Jenna Fischer (The Office), Tommy Dewey (The Mindy Project), Lauren Lapkus (Orange Is the new Black), Michaela Watkins (Casual), Mary Lynn Rajskub (24), Michael Rapaport (Sully), Kate Micucci (Raising Hope), Jaime Pressly (My Name Is Earl), Stockard Channing (The Good Wife), Andrew J. West (The Walking Dead), David Zayas (Gotham), Shannon Woodward (Westworld), Margo Martindale (The Good Wife) and Stephnie Weir (The Comedians).

Ortiz to Star in the Sci-Fi Film “God Particle”

Posted on May 28, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

John Ortiz has landed a God-sized role…

The 48-year-old Puerto Rican has signed on to star in God Particle, the Julius Onah-helmed sci-fi film from Paramount Pictures and JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot.

The script from 22 Jump Street’s Oren Uziel and Star Trek Beyond’s Doug Jung centers on the effort by scientists aboard an international space station looking for a new energy source to try to tap the power of the mysterious “God Particle,” inadvertently triggering catastrophic side effects.

Production is now set to begin on June 10 in Los Angeles on the movie that already stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Oyelowo, Daniel Bruhl, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris O’Dowd, Zhang Ziyi and Aksel Hennie.

A February 24, 2017 release date has been staked out.

Ortiz to Star in Legendary’s “Kong: Skull Island”

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

John Ortiz is going bananas for his latest role…

The 47-year-old Puerto Rican actor, director and producer has joined the cast of Legendary’s Kong: Skull Island.

Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, the story is about a man (Tom Hiddleston) who travels to the mythical island and home of the king of the apes. A team of explorers ventures inside what they find to be a treacherous island. The story is said to honor the King Kong lore but in a different time period.

Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson and John Goodman also star in the project, which is expected to go before the cameras this fall.

No word on the character Ortiz will play.

Ortiz co-starred on Rake and just wrapped a role in Zach Braff’s remake of Going In Style.

He’ll next be seen in Danny Boyle’s Steve Jobs and Disney’s The Finest Hours.

Ortiz Lands Roles in “Going In Style” and “A Dog’s Purpose”

Posted on September 10, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

John Ortiz is ending the year with a bang, landing back-to-back film roles…

The 47-year-old Puerto Rican actor, director and producer will first star in New Line Cinema’s upcoming comedy Going In Style, directed by Zach Braff from a script by Theodore Melfi.

Ortiz will portray “Jesus,” a Mensa smart criminal who is socially responsible and deplores society’s treatment of the elderly.

He joins Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Alan Arkin, along with Ann-Margret, Peter Serafinowicz, Joey King and Christopher Lloyd, in the remake of the 1979 classic.

Ortiz will then follow up that film with the live action DreamWorks feature A Dog’s Purpose, based on the novel by W. Bruce Cameron.

The film is a series of vignettes directed by Lasse Hallstrom and starring Bradley Cooper (as the voice of the dog), along with Dennis Quaid, Britt Robertson, KJ Apa, Juliet Rylance and Peggy Lipton.

Ortiz stars in his segment as “Carlos”, a stern, all business cop who trains his dog to assist him in solving crime.

Ortiz can next be seen in Disney’s The Finest Hours, starring Chris Pine and Casey Affleck, and directed by Craig Gillespie, as well as Danny Boyle’s Steve Jobs.

He recently wrapped the indie A Woman, A Part starring opposite Maggie Siff and directed by Elisabeth Subrin.

Ortiz to Star in Universal Pictures’ Steve Jobs Biopic

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

John Ortiz has landed a new Job…

The 46-year-old Puerto Rican actor, director and producer has been cast in Universal Pictures’ Steve Jobs film, which kicked off production last month in San Francisco.

Ortiz, who stars in Michael Mann’s Blackhat, will play Joel Pforzheimer, the GQ magazine journalist who is seen interviewing Jobs (Michael Fassbender) throughout the Aaron Sorkin-penned film.

Danny Boyle is directing and Uni, which picked up the project from Sony Pictures, said it plans to release the film on October 9.

Ortiz, who recurs on HBO’s comedy Togetherness and just wrapped Disney’s The Finest Hours opposite Chris Pine.

Ortiz Cast in Disney’s “The Finest Hours”

Posted on September 27, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

John Ortiz’s finest hour has arrived…

The 46-year-old Puerto Rican actor, director and producer has joined the cast of Disney’s The Finest Hours, which chronicles the massive rescue mission that’s launched when a pair of oil tankers split in two off the coast of Cape Cod in 1952.

Directed by Craig Gillespie, the film stars Chris Pine and Casey Affleck, as well as Keiynan Lonsdale, Michael Raymond James and Rachel Brosnahan

Seen recently in Fox Searchlight’s The Drop, Ortiz will play A.B. Seaman Wallace Quirey.

His recent credits also include Michael Mann’s upcoming feature Blackhat as well as a recurring role on HBO’s Togetherness.

His other film credits include Carlito’s Way, Miami Vice and American Gangster.

Trailer Released for Rapace’s “The Drop,” Featuring the Late James Gandolfini

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

There’s overwhelming interest in Noomi Rapace’s latest project…

Fox Searchlight has released the trailer for The Drop, starring the 34-year-old half-Spanish actress.

The film, which opens in theaters on September 19, features the late James Gandolfini in what would be his last movie.

The crime drama, based on a screenplay from author Dennis Lehane (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone), follows lonely bartender Bob Saginowski (Hardy) through a covert scheme of funneling cash to local gangsters — “money drops” — in the underworld of Brooklyn bars. Under the heavy hand of his employer and cousin Marv (Gandolfini), Bob finds himself at the center of a robbery gone awry and entwined in an investigation that digs deep into the neighborhood’s past where friends, families and foes all work together to make a living — no matter the cost.

Michael R. Roskam (Bullhead) directed the movie, which also stars Matthia Schoenaerts, John Ortiz, Ann Dowd and James Frecheville  .

Gandolfini died in June at age 51 of a heart attack while vacationing in Italy. Following his death, he also appeared in Enough Said, released last September.

Ortiz Cast in Fox’s Dramedy Pilot “Rake”

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Silver Linings Playbook’s John Ortiz could be appearing on the small screen in the near future…

The 43-year-old Puerto Rican actor has been cast opposite Greg Kinnear in Fox’s dramedy pilot Rake, which is based on an Australian series of the same name.

In the project, Kinnear will portray a brilliant but self-destructive criminal defense lawyer named Keegan Joye.

Ortiz, who appeared in HBO‘s horse racing drama Luck, will play Ben, a friend of Keegan’s from law school and the yin to his yang. He’s conservative and not flashy, solid, reliable and a decent family man. Not one to seek out the spotlight, Ortiz’s character recognizes that Keegan is the performer of the two and together they make a solid team — both in and out of court.

Ortiz, whose credits also Fast & Furious, joins a cast that includes Miranda Otto as Keegan’s ex-wife, Necar Zadegan as one of his best friends and Bojana Novakovic as Mikki, the love interest for Kinnear’s character.

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