Arturo Del Puerto Joins the Cast of Hulu’s “Downforce” Pilot

Posted on October 12, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Arturo Del Puerto has lined up his next project…

The 47-year-old half Puerto Rican and half Spanish actor has joined the 20^th Television pilot for Hulu’s Downforce.

Del Puerto is among a roster of new cast additions that includes Harry Delano, Reece Shearsmith and Amar Chadha-Patel.

The film stars Eve Hewson and Murray Bartlett.

Downforce follows Victoria (Hewson), the estranged daughter of a storied racing team’s owner, Sir Trevor (Bartlett), who is thrust back into the family business, leaving the pair to find common ground or risk destroying the team’s legacy.

Del Puerto plays Emiliano, the ostentatious Spanish owner of a competing team who’s hellbent on destroying Regent Racing.

Alec Berg will direct the pilot and executive produce alongside Adam Countee, who have overall deals at 20th Television.

Del Puerto is currently recurring on the Netflix series Pulse and will next appear in the Netflix/A&E series The Lincoln Lawyer‘s second season.

His additional credits include the Apple+ series For All Mankind, Westworld for HBO, Godfather of Harlem for MGM+ and HBO’s Camping.

On the film front, he played opposite Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman in Twentieth Century Fox’s Independence Day: Resurgence and the Universal Pictures feature Ride Along 2.

Danny Ramirez to Star in Season 2 of HBO’s “The Last of Us”

Posted on March 2, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

You haven’t seen the last of Danny Ramirez.

The 31-year-old Colombian & Mexican American actor has joined the cast for the second season of HBO’s The Last of Us.

Ramirez is among a roster of new cast additions that includes Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle and Spencer Lord.

Based on Naughty Dog’s video game, The Last of Us takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed.

Joel, played by SAG Award-winnerPedro Pascal, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.

Ramirez will play Manny, a loyal soldier whose sunny outlook belies the pain of old wounds and a fear that he will fail his friends when they need him most.

Barer portrays Mel, a young doctor whose commitment to saving lives is challenged by the realities of war and tribalism.

Gabrielle is Nora, a military medic struggling to come to terms with the sins of her past.

Lord plays Owen, a gentle soul trapped in a warrior’s body, condemned to fight an enemy he refuses to hate.

In addition to Pascal and Ramsey, Season 1 also starred Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, Nico Parker, Murray Bartlett, Nick Offerman, Melanie Lynskey, Storm Reid, Merle Dandridge, Jeffrey Pierce, Lamar Johnson, Keivonn Woodard, Graham Greene, Elaine Miles, Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker.

The Last Of Us Season 2 is written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television.

Ramirez’s previous credits include Top Gun: Maverick, The Gifted, On My Block and Black Mirror. He’ll portray Joaquin Torres in Captain America: Brave New World.

HBO Renews Pedro Pascal’s “The Last of Us” for Second Season

Posted on January 28, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

You haven’t seen the last of Pedro Pascal…

HBO has renewed its high-profile drama The Last of Us, starring the 47-year-old Chilean actor, for a second season.

The announcement comes just after two episodes of the video game-based series from Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann.

Earlier this month, The Last of Us scored the second-largest premiere after House of the Dragon since Boardwalk Empire’s launch in 2010.

Episode 1 has surpassed 22 million viewers domestically, up nearly five times from its premiere-night audience on January 15. Episode 2 drew 5.7 million viewers across HBO Max and linear telecasts in the U.S. Sunday night. That’s about a million more than the audience that tuned in for the premiere episode and it marks the largest Week 2 audience growth for any HBO Original drama series. The series also is strong on social media, trending No. 1 both in the U.S. and worldwide on Twitter during its series debut.

“Craig and Neil, alongside EP Carolyn Strauss, and the rest of our phenomenal cast and crew, have defined a genre with their masterful debut season of The Last of Us,” said Francesca Orsi, EVP of HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Films. “After pulling off this unforgettable first season, I can’t wait to watch this team outshine themselves again with Season 2.”

Based on Naughty Dog’s award-winning video game, The Last of Us takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed.

Joel, played by Pascal, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.

“I’m humbled, honored, and frankly overwhelmed that so many people have tuned in and connected with our retelling of Joel and Ellie’s journey. The collaboration with Craig Mazin, our incredible cast & crew, and HBO exceeded my already high expectations,” said executive producer Druckmann. “Now we have the absolute pleasure of being able to do it again with season two! On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog & PlayStation, thank you!”

In addition to Pascal and Ramsey, Season 1 also stars Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, Nico Parker, Murray Bartlett, Nick Offerman, Melanie Lynskey, Storm Reid, Merle Dandridge, Jeffrey Pierce, Lamar Johnson, Keivonn Woodard, Graham Greene, Elaine Miles, Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker.

“I’m so grateful to Neil Druckmann and HBO for our partnership, and I’m even more grateful to the millions of people who have joined us on this journey,” said executive producer Mazin. “The audience has given us the chance to continue, and as a fan of the characters and world Neil and Naughty Dog created, I couldn’t be more ready to dive back in.”

The Last of Us is written and executive produced by Mazin and Druckmann. The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television.

First Trailer Released for Robin de Jesus’ Limited Series “Welcome to Chippendales”

Posted on September 14, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Robin de Jesus is chipp-ing in…

A first look trailer at Hulu’s Welcome to Chippendales, a limited series starring the Puerto Rican actor and Kumail Nanjiani, has been released.

The 45-second teaser features a tricked-up version of Journey’s “Any Way You Want It.”

The sprawling true-crime saga follows Somen “Steve” Banerjee (Nanjiani), a socially awkward Indian immigrant who became the unlikely founder of the world’s greatest male-stripping empire — and let nothing stand in his way in the process.

“A world of luxury — right at your fingertips,” Banerjee says. But plenty of others want their piece of the action, including Nick De Noia (newly minted Emmy winner Murray Bartlett). His involvement ultimately doesn’t go over all that well.

Annaleigh Ashford, Juliette Lewis, Quentin Plair, Andrew Rannells, Dan Stevens and Nicola Peltz as the doomed Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten. Philip Shahbaz plays Peter Bogdanovich.

Robert Siegel and Nanjiani executive produce alongside Dylan Sellers, Jenni Konner, Matt Shakman, Emily V. Gordon, Nora Silver and Rajiv Joseph, who wrote the series along with Mehar Sethi.

Shakman directs.

Welcome to Chippendales starts streaming November 22 on Hulu.

HBO Offers Sneak Peek at Season 2 of “The White Lotus,” Which Will Star Aubrey Plaza

Posted on July 18, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Aubrey Plaza’s career is blossoming…

The 38-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress/comedian will star in the second season of HBO’s The White Lotus.

The premium cable channel offered a first look from the Sicily-based Season 2 via a promo that highlighted new and returning series coming up for release.

Jennifer Coolidge will be joined by her fellow The White Lotus original cast member Jon Gries in the HBO dark comedy’s second season.

The first season of the series – created, written, directed and executive produced by Mike White – was set at a tropical Hawaiian resort, following the exploits of various guests and employees over the span of a week. Coolidge portrayed Tanya McQuoid—a troubled vacationer mourning the loss of her mother—with Gries as her love interest, Greg.

While Tanya and Greg left Hawaii together after meeting on their respective trips, it hadn’t been confirmed until now that the characters remain together up through Season 2. The footage from the new promo shows Tanya holding onto Greg on the back off a motorcycle.

The White Lotus recently earned 20 Emmy nominations for its first season, with Coolidge among those landing their first. The show’s first season ensemble also included Murray Bartlett, Connie Britton, Sydney Sweeney, Alexandra Daddario, Jack Lacy, Fred Hechinger, Brittany O’Grady, Natasha Rothwell, Steve Zahn, Lukas Gage and more.

Although it was initially presented as a limited series, The White Lotus was renewed for a second season in August, after debuting to critical acclaim and a No. 1 ranking on HBO.

The next edition of the series will follow a different group of vacationers as they book their stay at an Italian White Lotus property and settle in temporarily amongst its inhabitants.

In addition to Plaza, others joining The White Lotus in Season 2 include Will Sharpe, Sabrina Impacciatore, Theo James and Meghann Fahy, as well as F. Murray Abraham, Adam DiMarco, Tom Hollander, Michael Imperioli, Haley Lu Richardson, Leo Woodall, Beatrice Grannó and Simona Tabasco.

Robin de Jesús to Appear in Hulu’s Chippendales History-Themed Series “Immigrant”

Posted on March 2, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Robin de Jesús is cashing in his chip(pendales)…

The 37-year-old Puerto Rican three-time Tony Award-nominated actor has joined the cast of Hulu’s Immigrant in a recurring role.

de Jesús will portray Ray Colon, a proud Nuyorican from the Bronx who comes on the Chippendales scene as the resident handyman and self-proclaimed jack of all trades. Affable and eager-to-please, Ray reveres founder Somen “Steve” Banerjee (Kumail Nanjiani) and their growing friendship finds Ray in more than one compromising situation as the season progresses.

Immigrant tells the true story of Banerjee, the Indian-American entrepreneur who started Chippendales. The series will detail the insane, darkly comedic, crime-ridden story behind the unique male revue that became a cultural phenomenon.

The cast includes Dan Stevens, Murray Bartlett, Annaleigh Ashford, Quentin Plair, Andrew Rannells and Nicola Peltz.

Nanjiani will also executive produce alongside series creator Robert Siegel, Dylan Sellers, Jenni Konner, Matt Shakman, Emily V. Gordon, Nora Silver, and Rajiv Joseph, who will write on the series along with Mehar Sethi.

Siegel and Konner serve as co-showrunners and Shakman will direct. Jacqui Rivera is co-executive producer and Annie Wyman is co-producer. 20th Television serves as the studio on the series.

de Jesús most recently starred in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tick, Tick, Boom!, based on the stage musical of the same name by Jonathan Larson, for Netflix.

He previously appeared in the Ryan Murphy-produced Netflix film, The Boys in the Band, reprising his Tony award-nominated role.

Castillo Upped to Series Regular on HBO’s “Looking”

Posted on November 7, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Expect to see more of Raúl Castillo on the small screen…

The Latino actor has been upped to series regular for the upcoming second season of HBO’s Looking.

Created by Michael Lannan and executive produced by Andrew Haigh and Sarah Condon, the show revolves around three friends in San Francisco who explore the varied options available to a new generation of gay men.

Castillo, whose television credits include apperances on Blue Bloods, Law and Order and Nurse Jackie, recurred on Season 1 as Richie Donado.

Jonathan Groff, Frankie J. Alvarez and Murray Bartlett star on the series.

Looking’s second season will premiere on Sunday, January 11 at 10:00pm.

HBO Renews Alvarez’s “Looking” of Second Season, Raul Castillo Upped to Series Regular

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Frankie J. Alvarez won’t be looking for a new acting gig anytime soon…

HBO has given a second-season renewal to its gay-themed dramedy Looking, which stars the Latino actor as Agustín, as the Cuban-American artist Agustín.

Created by Michael Lannan, the series centers on a group of gay friends living in San Francisco.

Looking’s renewal comes after a third consecutive week of series highs posted by the ensemble comedy this past Sunday when it drew 519,000 viewers at 10:30 pm, up 54% from the series premiere five weeks ago.

Including encores, Looking averaged 749,000 viewers on Sunday, with its episodes attracting a gross audience of 2 million viewers season to date.

Despite its soft ratings start last month, HBO officials were encouraged by the attention the show has been getting as they consider a show being part of the cultural conversation as important as overall ratings.

In addition to Alvarez, the series stars Jonathan Groff, and Murray Bartlett. Joining them as new regulars for Season 2 are Lauren Weedman, Raúl Castillo and Russell Tovey who are all recurring this season.

HBO Orders Alvarez’s Untitled Pilot Project to Series

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Frankie J. Alvarez has landed his first series…

HBO is sending the Latino actor’s yet-to-be-titled pilot to series.

The network has given an eight-episode order to the untitled dramedy from Michael Lannan, which revolves around three friends in San Francisco (Alvarez, Murray Bartlett and Jonathan Groff), who explore the fun and sometimes overwhelming options available to a new generation of gay men.

Andrew Haigh directed the pilot, which was written by Lannan based on feature script Lorimer.

Production is expected to start in the fall in San Francisco for a 2014 premiere.

Alvarez’s credits include a guest-starring role on NBC’s Smash, as well as several stage projects.

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