Fat Joe to Return as Guest Host on “The Wendy Williams Show” in March

Posted on March 1, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Fat Joe is marching forward to help a friend…

The Wendy Williams Show has lined up its guest hosts for the month of March, including the 51-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban rapper.

The month kicks off with comedian Kym Whitley and actor Finesse Mitchell hosting from Monday, March 7 through Friday, March 11.

Frequent guest hosts Fat Joe and Remy Ma will take the helm beginning Monday, March 14 through Friday, March 18.

Main guest host Sherri Shepherd, who was recently announced to succeed Williams with her own syndicated talk show Sherri, will return to the purple chair beginning Monday, March 21 through Friday, March 25.

Closing out the month will be TV personality Carson Kressley and actress Vivica A. Fox in their debut as guest hosts from Monday, March 28 through Friday, April 1.

Shepherd, along with Michael Rapaport have been the lead guest hosts of the show with Williams out, but Rapaport is no longer on the schedule.

The Wendy Williams Show is slated to continue through the end of this season with rotating guest hosts, including Shepherd, as Williams has been sidelined with health issues for the entire season.

Fat Joe to Guest Co-Host “The Wendy Williams Show”

Posted on January 30, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Fat Joe is returning to the hosting chair…

The Wendy Williams Show has announced guest hosts for the month of February amid Williams’ continued absence due to health issues, with the 51-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban rapper set to return to the show.

Fat Joe and Remy Ma will make a return appearance as they take over the reins beginning Monday, February 7, through Friday, February 11.

Comedian Michael Rapaport will return as guest host of the syndicated daytime talker beginning Monday, January 31, through Friday, February 4.

Bevy Smith and Terrence J, who make their co-hosting debut, will host from Monday, February 14 through Friday, February 18, and Sherri Shepherd from February 21, through February 25.

Rapaport returns to take the helm from Monday, February 28, through Friday, March 4.

The show has pulled in a rotating list of guest hosts since the beginning of the 13th season. The scheduled September premiere was pushed three times due to Williams’ COVID-19 diagnosis, followed by ongoing health issues.

Williams has battled various maladies over during the past few years. Her battle with Graves disease, an immune system disorder, dates to 1999, and her show went on hiatus in 2018. She also passed out on live TV in 2017 during the show’s Halloween episode, an incident that was attributed to dehydration.

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).

Open Road Films to Release Verastegui’s “Little Boy” Next February

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Eduardo Verastegui will be performing the duties of a man of the cloth early next year.

Open Road Films has set a February 27, 2015 release date for Little Boy, the inspirational family film starring the 40-year-old Mexican actor-model-singer as Fr. Crispin.

Directed by Mexican filmmaker Alejandro Monteverde and executive produced by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, the film centers on a 7-year-old boy willing to do whatever it takes to end World War II so he can bring his father home.

In addition to Versategui, the film also stars Emily Watson, Tom Wilkinson, Kevin James, Ben Chaplin, Michael Rapaport, Cary Tagawa, Ted Levine, David Henrie and Jakob Salvati.

Pepe Portillo and Monteverde wrote the script.

Open Road Films acquired the U.S. distribution rights to the film last month.

Open Road Films to Distribute “Little Boy,” Starring Verastegui,” in the U.S.

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Eduardo Verástegui‘s latest little project will be heading to American theaters…

Open Road Films has acquired the U.S. distribution rights to Little Boy, a new family film featuring the 40-year-old Mexican actor-model-singer as Fr. Crispin.

Executive produced by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, the film stars Emily Watson and Tom Wilkinson and centers on a 7-year-old boy who is willing to do whatever it takes to end World War II and bring his father home.

In addition to Verástegui, Watson and Wilkinson, the cast also includes David Henrie, Kevin James, Ben Chaplin, Michael Rapaport, Cary Tagawa, Ted Levine and 7-year-old newcomer Jakob Salvati.

It was directed by Mexican filmmaker Alejandro Monteverde and written by Pepe Portillo and Monteverde.

“Little Boy is a truly uplifting movie that resonates with family audiences, and we are thrilled to add it to our slate,” Open Road CEO Tom Ortenberg said as he made the announcement with Burnett.

Verastegui, who will soon appear in Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, earned a Grace Award in 2008 for Most Inspirational Movie Acting for his role in the critically acclaimed film Bella.

Martinez to Star in History’s “Texas Rising” Miniseries

Posted on March 15, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Olivier Martinez’s stock is rising with a new project…

The 48-year-old half-Spanish actor has joined the cast of History’s miniseries Texas Rising (working title) from A+E Studios and ITV Studios America.

Executive produced by History’s Leslie Greif (Hatfields & McCoys), the project will detail the Texas Revolution against Mexico and the rise of the legendary Texas Rangers.

The miniseries, consisting of eight hour-long episodes, will be directed by Roland Joffé.

Martinez will portray Mexican general Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.

Other members of the all-star cast include Christopher McDonald, Trevor Donovan, Bill Paxton, Brendan Fraser, Ray Liotta, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Thomas Jane, Chad Michael Murray, Michael Rapaport and Max Thieriot.

Monteverde Signs with Creative Artists Agency (CAA)

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandro Monteverde’s stock is on the rise in Hollywood…

The 36-year-old Mexican filmmaker has signed on with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) just as his latest project, Little Boy, is garnering critical acclaim.

His latest film centers on a young American boy who tries to bring his father back from World War II. The film stars Kevin James, Emily Watson, Tom Wilkinson and Michael Rapaport.

Monteverde’s first film, Bella won the People’s Choice Award at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival and the director of the Department of Citizenship gave Monteverde the “American by Choice” award for Bella‘s positive contribution to Latino art and culture in the U.S.

Mesquida’s “Kiss of the Damned” Opening in Limited Release

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Roxane Mesquida is sinking her teeth into the American box office this weekend…

The 31-year-old part-Spanish actress is starring in the vampire drama/thriller Kiss of the Damned, which opens in limited release this weekend.

Written and directed by Xan Cassavetes, the film revolves around a vampire, Djuna, who resists the advances of Paolo, but soon gives into their passion.

Cassavetes initially had the idea for Kiss Of The Damned after taking a house tour some years ago. The home eventually became the venue for the thriller/drama.

“I went through the house and the nature of its setting felt so transitory — it’s a weekend house and it’s the setting for a transitory vampire,” said Cassavetes. “I looked at the house a year and a half before writing the screenplay.”

After working on other projects, Cassavetes remembered the house and wrote the screenplay for Kiss Of The Damned in only three weeks. She and her team were able to put together the financing elements from previous films.

“I wanted French actors because the movie has the flavor of a beautiful European flavor,” said Cassavetes. “I also wanted relatively unknown actors because I thought it was more powerful to buy into that.”

Along with Mesquida, the film also stars Joséphine de La Baume, Milo Ventimiglia, Anna Mouglalis and Michael Rapaport .

Kiss Of The Damned will open in New York and Los Angeles this weekend, then expand to Atlanta, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Seattle, Washington, D.C., Cambridge, MA and Coral Gables, FL the following weekend with additional cities added throughout May and early June.

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