Moreno Honored by the Los Angeles Music Center

Posted on July 9, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Rita Moreno is the epitome of excellence, and now she’s being acknowledged for her performing arts background…

The 84-year-old Puerto Rican actress, the only Latina to secure an EGOT (winner of an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award), was feted for her performing arts legacy Thursday night at the Los Angeles Music Center’s inaugural summer soiree.

Moreno was presented with the center’s excellence in the performing arts award by The Nanny star Fran Drescher.

“She uses her celebrity and her fame for the greater good,” Drescher said of Moreno before welcoming her to the stage. “She leverages it for the advancement of women, for the advancement of the Latin community and anyone that happens to be marginalized in society.”

Moreno earned an Oscar for her portrayal of Anita in 1961’s West Side Story and landed Emmy wins for her guest appearances in The Rockford Files and The Muppet Show. She’s currently in production on the Netflix reboot of Norman Lear’s 1970’s-80’s family sitcom One Day at a Time.

Gracing the Music Center stage with humor and humility, Moreno devoted her acceptance speech to the loved ones who contributed to her multi-faceted career success, including her immigrant mother who “did all that she could to underwrite [her] dreams.”

“That sweet elixir that I call the arts requires more than the creativity and passion of the arts,” said Moreno. “There would be no Misty Copeland, no Rita Moreno, no Lin-Manuel Miranda, no Justina Machado apart from those of you who encourage, support and applaud.”

The award presentation was followed by an American Ballet Theatre production of Firebird, starring Misty Copeland, and an outdoor after-party in Downtown Los Angeles’ Grand Park.

Gomez Cast in Netflix’s Latino Remake of “One Day at a Time”

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Isabella Gomez’s Day has come…

The Latina actress has been cast in Netflix‘s One Day at a Time, a Latino remake of the classic Norman Lear sitcom, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The new multi-camera iteration will center on three generations of a Cuban-American family living under one roof.

Gomez has landed the series regular role of Elena, the radical teenage daughter of single mom Penelope. Elena is described as a 14-year-old girl who is in the throes of becoming a woman. A proud nerd, idealist and social justice warrior, Elena is opinionated and not afraid to speak her mind. But while she is Internet-wise, she is more foolish when it comes to the real world. She is particularly confounding to her more old-school grandmother, Abuelita Lydia.

Gomez joins Six Feet Under‘s Justina Machado, who will play Penelope, and Rita Moreno, who will play Lydia.

In the original ’70s series, Bonnie Franklin‘s single mom had two daughters, played by Mackenzie Phillips and Valerie Bertinelli. This time, Elena will be joined by a younger brother, Alex, who has yet to be cast.

The all-Latino One Day at a Time reboot finally got the Netflix pickup in February after prolonged talks. Lear is attached as an executive producer, along with How I Met Your Mother alum Gloria Calderon Kellett and Men of a Certain Age‘s Mike Royce, who are set to co-write and serve as co-showrunners. Michael Garcia will also exec produce, with Brent Miller onboard as a co-exec producer.

The comedy is produced by Act III Productions, Snowpants Productions and Small Fish Studios in association with Sony Pictures Television.

Gomez’s previous credits include Modern Family and Matador.

Barraza to Star in USA Network’s Drama Pilot “Queen Of The South”

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Adriana Barraza’s heading south for the upcoming television season…

The 58-year-old Mexican actress, an Oscar nominee for her performance in Babel, has landed a starring role in USA Network’s drama pilot Queen Of The South.

The project, an English-language adaptation of Telemundo’s blockbuster 2011 telenovela La Reina del Sur, is based on the best-selling book by Arturo Perez-Reverte.

Queen Of The South centers on Teresa Mendoza (portrayed by Alice Braga), who’s forced to go on the run when her drug-dealing boyfriend is unexpectedly murdered in Mexico.

Barraza will play Camilla, the lioness ex-wife of a powerful drug lord who is establishing her own empire in America.

She quickly becomes a mother figure to Teresa (Braga), but their relationship escalates into a battle of wills that will leave more than a few bodies in its wake.

Barraza most recently appeared in Guillermo del Toro’s FX series The Strain and the feature Cake. Her 0ther film credits include Amores Perros, Thor, Drag Me To Hell and The 33.

The Queen of the South cast includes Justina Machado and Hemky Madera.

Machado Starring in Lifetime Film’s “The Last of Robin Hood”

Posted on April 10, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Justina Machado hasn’t heard the last of Robin Hood…

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican actress has a role in Lifetime Film’s The Last of Robin Hood, which was recently acquired by Samuel Goldwyn Films for U.S. distribution.

The Kevin Kline-starrer was co-written and co-directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland.

The biopic focuses on the final years of Errol Flynn’s life (Kline), as well as his May-December romance with starlet Beverly Aadland (Dakota Fanning), and the role of Aadland’s mother (Susan Sarandon) had in encouraging the relationship.

“The Last Of Robin Hood captures a very unique aspect of Hollywood and celebrity,” Samuel Goldwyn Films SVP Peter Goldwyn said in announcing the pickup.

“The film takes place in 1959, but it might as well be 2014. You have an aging superstar struggling to maintain his fame, a starlet chasing her big break, a manipulative ‘stage’ mother, and the public’s timeless curiosity, almost obsession with, ‘celebrity.’ The non-stop, sensational tabloid coverage of Errol Flynn’s life and relationship mirrors exactly the kind of coverage this story would receive in Hollywood 55 years later.”

The Last of Robin Hood also stars Bryan Batt, Max Casella, Jason Davis, Matt Kane, Patrick St. Esprit and Ric Reitz.

Samuel Goldwyn Films is planning a fall theatrical release for the biopic.

Lifetime network-affiliated Lifetime Films was launched as a division of A+E Studios in June 2013 and develops, produces and acquires female-focused indie movies. Robin Hood was its first project. It since has partnered with Viola Davis, Julius Tennon’s JuVee Prods. and Sara Risher’s ChickFlicks to produce Lila And Eve, starring Davis and Jennifer Lopez.

Machado’s previous credts include Welcome to the Family, The Fosters, Private Practice, Switched at Birth and Desperate Housewives.

Moreno Cast as “Abuelita” in NBC’s “Welcome to the Family”

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Rita Moreno will have Family duty in the near future…

The 81-year-old Puerto Rican actress/singer/dancer has joined the cast of NBC‘s new sitcom Welcome to the Family.

Moreno, who’ll receive the SAG Award‘s Life Achievement statue in January, will play Abuelita, the sassy grandmother of Lisette (portrayed by Justina Machado), who looms large over the Hernandez family.

Moreno’s character, expected to first appear in November, is described as extremely religious, judgmental, tough, perpetually scowling and rude. The thought of disappointing Abuelita is so unappealing that Lisette and her family tell her elaborate lies about their lives whenever she comes to visit.

Moreno is best known for her roles in West Side Story, The Electric Company and Oz. She’s also among an elite group of performers to have won an Oscar, Emmy, Tony and Grammy.

In addition to Moreno and Machado, the new comedy series also stars Ricardo Chavira, Joey Haro and Fabrizio Guido.

Welcome to the Family premieres Thursday, October 3 at 8:30 pm ET on NBC.

Longoria to Guest Star on NBC’s New Comedy “Welcome to the Family”

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

She may be the executive producer of Lifetime’s hit series Devious Maids… But that doesn’t mean Eva Longoria won’t be back in front of the cameras again soon.

In fact, the 38-year-old Mexican American actress, who will be receiving a special award from the NCLR this evening, will guest star on an episode of NBC’s upcoming comedy series Welcome to the Family, which stars her onscreen husband from the long-running ABC dramedy Desperate Housewives, Ricardo A Chavira.

According to Longoria, Chavira called and asked her to come on the show and she agreed, adding that she’s very excited to be working with him again.

The Sony Pictures Television-produced series centers on a Caucasian and Latino family forced together by the unplanned pregnancy of their teen kids. Sparks between Longoria and Chavira will fly again as Longoria will play Ms. Nunez, the English teacher of Demetrio (Fabrizio Guido) who has a romantic history with the boy’s father Miguel (Chavira) from before he was married.

The series also stars Joey Haro and Justina Machado.

Valderrama Joins Voice Cast of Fox’s Animated Comedy “Murder Police”

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Wilmer Valderrama will be on the beat soon…

The 33-year-old Venezuelan/Colombian American actor has been cast in Murder Police, an animated series set to debut next season on Fox, according to Entertainment Weekly.

The workplace comedy, which was co-created by 27-year-old Mexican American animator Jason Ruiz and Family Guy’s David A. Goodman, chronicles the adventures of a neurotic detective named Manuel Sanchez (voiced by Ruiz) and his questionable, unreliable colleagues at a city precinct.

Valderrama will assume the role of envelope-pushing undercover cop Donel.

Fox has ordered 13 episodes of the show, which also includes Jane Lynch, Will Sasso, Chi McBride, Peter Atencio and Justina Machado among the voice cast.

Haro Lands Role in NBC’s “Welcome to the Family” Pilot

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Joey Haro is about to make things a little awkward for his familia in his next television project…

The Cuban-American actor, who has appeared on MTV’s Awkward and Fox’s Glee, has landed the role of Junior in NBC’s comedy pilot Welcome to the Family.

He’ll portray the son of Latino parents, portrayed by Despertate Housewive’s Ricardo Chavira and Six Feet Under’s Justina Machado in the project, which chronicles just how two cultures collide when a white family and a Latino family are united by their children, who fare falling in love must deal with an unplanned pregnancy.

Mike O’Malley and Mary McCormack will also star in the comedy pilot as the white parents.

Haro, best known for portraying Clark Stevenson on Awkward and one of the dapper Warblers on Glee, appeared on Broadway as Chino in the West Side Story revival in 2009.

Machado to Star in NBC’s “Welcome to the Family” Pilot

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

She shared scenes with Eva Longoria on Desperate Housewives… And now Justina Machado will be acting alongside Longoria’s TV husband.

The Puerto Rican actress has been cast as one of the leads in NBC’s comedy pilot Welcome to the Family. She’ll portray Ricardo Chavira’s ex-wife in the project, which also stars Mike O’Malley and Mary McCormack.

Machado’s character Lisette works at the Department of Motor Vehicles and is committed to co-parenting her son with her ex-husband Miguel (Chavira).

The project chronicles just how two cultures collide when a white family and a Latino family are united by their children, who fare falling in love must deal with an unplanned pregnancy.

It’s Machado’s latest pilot project this season, following her casting in USA’s Paging Dr. Freed project.

Machado’s television credits include HBO’s Six Feet Under, ER and Three Rivers.

Machado Cast in USA’s “Paging Dr. Freed” Pilot

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Justina Machado will be heading back to the hospital in the near future…

The 40-year-old Puerto Rican actress has landed the last regular role in USA’s single-camera comedy pilot Paging Dr. Freed, which begins shooting in Los Angeles this week.

The project centers on gynecologist brothers David (Kyle Howard) and Jonathan (Joel David Moore) who inherit their father’s thriving medical practice and have to deal with their meddling mother (Annie Potts).

Machado, who has appeared on the medical shows ER and Three Rivers, will portray the no-nonsense office manager and gatekeeper at the practice who acts as the brothers’ tough-loving figure at the workplace.

Machado is best known for her role as Vanessa Diaz on the HBO drama series Six Feet Under. She most recently appeared on the final season of ABC’s Desperate Housewives.

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

Tag Archives: Justina Machado