John Leguizamo to Take Part in The People’s State of the Union

Posted on January 26, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

John Leguizamo is heading to State…

The 53-year-old Colombian actor/comedian will take part in what’s being dubbed as The People’s State of the Union.

Taking place a day before U.S. President Donald Trump deliverers his State of the Union speech, Lequizamo will join celebrities like Mark Ruffalo, activists, and representatives from political organizations in New York City on Monday, January 29.

The goal? To unite against Trump’s agenda and spur voters to win back U.S. Congress in the mid-term elections.

“In essence, it’s a better reflection of our state of the union based on a more populist point of view, based on the people’s point of view,” Ruffalo told People of the event. “I think it’s important because we have a president who has a difficult time with the truth, who has a radical, divisive agenda, and spends an enormous amount of time focusing on the negative and hopelessness and despair.”

“We want to celebrate this moment that we’re in of what is now probably one of the most influential and powerful and really beautiful movements to come into play in the United States since the civil rights movement,” Ruffalo continued, going on to describe the event as “a celebration of the power and the beauty of this movement, but also of our accomplishments and to focus on what’s to come in the immediate future.”

Other participants will include Whoopi Goldberg, Cynthia Nixon, Michael Moore, Kathy Najimy, Wanda Sykes, Lee Daniels, Rosie Perez and Fisher Stevens, as well as Andra Day and Common, who will perform their song “Stand Up for Something” from the film Marshall.

To watch the speakers and hear the topics discussed, tune into the live-stream at peoplessotu.org.

Perez to Star in NBC’s Drama Pilot “Drama High”

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Rosie Perez is heading back to school…

The 52-year-old Puerto Rican actress has been cast in a lead role in NBC’s drama pilot Drama High, from Friday Night Lights executive producer/showrunner Jason Katims and Jeffrey Seller, producer of the smash Broadway hit Hamilton.

Written by Katims, Drama High was inspired by the story of ground-breaking high school drama teacher Lou Volpe as chronicled in the book Drama High, written by one of Volpe’s students, Michael Sokolove.

The hourlong project revolves around an extraordinary working-class high school drama department and the incredible students who come alive under a passionate teacher and family man whose dedication to the program galvanizes the entire town.

Perez plays Tracey, the high energy with a no-holds-barred mouth current Drama School teacher and a former high school theater person who is finding someone else with passion and vision can still inspire her.

Perez joins previously cast Moana star Auli’i Cravalho.

After filming the pilot, Perez will shoot Bounty Hunters, a 6-episode series for Sky 1 in London with Jack Whitehall.

Rivera to Perform at “Concert for America: Stand Up, Sing Out!” on Inauguration Day

Posted on January 15, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Chita Rivera is standing up and singing out…

The 83-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress, dancer, singer and Broadway star will be spending inauguration day at a concert in New York City raising money for human-rights organizations.

Rivera, the first Hispanic woman and the first Latino American to receive a Kennedy Center Honors award, will perform at the Concert for America: Stand Up, Sing Out!

The event will be held at The Town Hall in Manhattan on January 20. It’s intended to be the first in a series of monthly benefit concerts and will be streamed live on Facebook.

In addition to Rivera, a two-time Tony Award winner, the lineup includes Kelli O’Hara, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Betty Buckley, Jessie Mueller and Billy Porter.

Others slated to perform include Sharon Gless, Andrea Martin, Bebe Neuwirth, Rosie O’Donnell, Rosie Perez, Caroline Rhea, Stephanie Mills and Charles Busch.

The concert is the brainchild of Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley, who also organized the Broadway for Orlando fundraising concert.

Mueller, currently starring in Waitress, will reach back to her Tony Award-winning role as Carole King to sing “Beautiful.” She hopes its message of love and tolerance resonates.

“Hate comes from a lack of love, so we can’t fight it with more of its own toxicity; we have to fill it with love,” she said. “There are really big things at stake. Things we can’t save or solidify or safeguard alone. We have to think bigger, we have to ask for help, we have to reach out to one another and band together. I hope this concert can be an example of that.”

Proceeds will benefit groups that protect civil rights, women’s health and environmental protection, including Planned Parenthood, Southern Poverty Law Center, National Immigration Law Center and The Sierra Club Foundation. Tickets range from $25 to $50.

Perez & Fellow Broadway Stars Sing DNC Tribute to Victims of Gun Violence

Posted on July 28, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Rosie Perez is sharing the love at the Democratic National Convention…

The 51-year-old Puerto Rican actress, community activist, talk show host, author, dancer and choreographer joined fellow Broadway stars Audra McDonald, Idina Menzel and others to promote peace and support Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Perez and the gang performed their charity single “What the World Needs Now is Love“ as a tribute to victims of gun violence during the D.N.C. on Wednesday (July 27).

Performers included Ben Vereen, Darren Criss, Brian Stokes Mitchell, with each getting a chance to sing the classic song written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, inciting the audience to join arms and sing along in unity.

The joyous performance also included Kristen Bell, Debra Messing, Richard Kind and Stephanie J. Block, Tyne Daly and more.

Perez & Fellow Stars Sing Broadway for Orlando Charity Single on “Maya & Marty”

Posted on June 22, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Rosie Perez is spreading the love for a good cause…

The 51-year-old Puerto Rican actress, community activist, talk show host, author, dancer and choreographer joined fellow Broadway stars on Tuesday night’s episode of Maya and Marty to show solidarity with Orlando‘s LGBT community.

Hosts Maya Rudolph and Martin Short joined Perez and the group in the first live performance of the single, “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” which was recently recorded by dozens of Broadway stars to benefit the LGBT community in Orlando after the mass shooting that left 49 dead and 53 injured.

Perez, Megan Hilty, Sean Hayes, BD Wong, Jessie Mueller, Billy Porter, Fran Drescher and more stars performed the new version of the Burt Bacharach–Hal David song while images of Orlando and New York’s historic Stonewall Inn were shown.

The mass shooting at Orlando nightclub Pulse happened just hours before the Tony Awards on June 12. The ceremony itself was dedicated to its victims and just days later, the charity single was announced.

All proceeds from the sale of the song will benefit the LGBT Center of Central Florida. It can be downloaded at BroadwayRecords.com.

Dawson Appears in Special #IAmAnImmigrant PSA

Posted on June 1, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Rosario Dawson is embracing her roots…

The 37-year-old Puerto Rican and Afro-Cuban American actress has joined several Hollywood stars in commemorating Immigrant Heritage Month with a new PSA in partnership with Welcome.us.

Dawson appears in the PSA that also features Bobby Cannavale, Lupita Nyong’o, Wilmer Valderrama, Rosie Perez and Harry Shum, Jr.

The ‪#IAmAnImmigrant clip aims to recognize the multiple and vibrant roles immigrants – whether forced or voluntarily – contributed in the creation of the United States.

“You can trace back from trains being built and cities and industries being developed because of different influxes of people who came in,” said Dawson, the daughter of a Puerto Rican and a Cuban immigrant. “It’s incredible to be a part of a culture that’s just still living. What we expect or think about what America is, it’s fluid.”

It’s this fluidity that most excites Kenyan-Mexican Nyong’o about the country. “What I think is so wonderful about America is the fact that it is a society of immigrants,” she said,

Miami-born Colombian-Venezuelan Valderrama agrees, saying “every time we get a chance to say out loud that we are an immigrant, I think it’s important that we embrace that opportunity.”

Perez to Appear on TBS’ Comedy Series “Search Party”

Posted on May 4, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Rosie Perez is sending out a search party…

The 51-year-old Puerto Rican actress has joined the cast of TBS’ comedy series Search Party.

Perez will join Ron Livingston, Parker Posey and Christine Taylor as recurring actors on the show, while Brandon Micheal Hall has signed on as a series regular.

Slated to premiere in late 2016, Search Party is a dark comedy about four self-absorbed 20-somethings who become entangled in an ominous mystery when a former college acquaintance named Chantal suddenly disappears.

Led by Alia Shawkat, the cast features an ensemble of young comic actors, including John Early, John Reynolds and Meredith Hagner.

Hall plays Julian, Dory’s journalist ex-boyfriend who seeks the truth no matter who it hurts. Perez is Lorraine, a realtor whose life may be in peril for knowing too much about the missing girl. Livingston plays Keith, a private detective who takes Shawkat’s Dory under his wing in the hunt for the missing Chantal. Posey is Brick, the head of an artisanal boutique which turns out to be much more sinister than expected. And Taylor plays Gail, Dory’s bored and wealthy employer who revels in getting the scoop on her hunt for Chantal.

TBS Originals is producing Search Party in association with Jax Media.

FilmRise Acquires Worldwide Rights to Perez’s “Five Nights in Maine”

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Rosie Perez is ready for the Maine event…

FilmRise has acquired the exclusive worldwide distribution rights to Maris Curran’s Five Nights in Maine, starring the 51-year-old actress.

The Toronto International Film Festival indie drama centers on a man who goes to rural Maine after his wife’s tragic death to seek answers from his estranged, cancer-stricken mother-in-law.

In addition to Perez, the film also stars David Oyelowo and Dianne Wiest.

Trailer Released for Guzman’s “Puerto Ricans In Paris”

Posted on June 6, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Luis Guzman is Paris bound…

The official trailer has been released for Ian Edelman’s directorial film debut Puerto Ricans In Paris, starring the 58-year-old Puerto Rican actor.

Co-written by Edelman and Neel Shah, the comedy revolves around brothers-in-law, Eddie (Edgar Garcia) and Luis (Guzman), who are highly regarded counterfeit detectives dispatched to Paris to recover a stolen purse.

Rosario Dawson, Rosie Perez, Alice Taglioni, Miriam Shor and Frederic Anscombre come along for the heist and hijinks.

The pic, executive produced by Pitbull, premieres at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 12 at the Regal L.A. Live Cinemas with a second screening June 17.

Blacc Receives Two NAACP Image Award Nominations

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Aloe Blacc may be the man to beat…

The 35-year-old Panamanian American singer-songwriter has landed two NAACP Image Award nods, making him this year’s most nominated Latino entertainer.

Presented by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the awards honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music and literature.

Blacc, earning his first-ever Image Award nominations, received a nod for Outstanding New Artist, where he’s up against
Erica Campbell, Jhene Aiko, Liv Warfield and the  3 Winans Brothers.

Additionally, he scored a nomination in the Outstanding Song category for his smash hit single “The Man.”

Meanwhile, Sofia Vergara has earned fourth NAACP Image Award nomination the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series category for her star-making role as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on ABC’s Modern Family. The 42-year-old Colombian actress, ranked as one of the most powerful women in the world by Forbes, won the award in 2011.

Zoe Saldaña picked up a nomination in the Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance for her voice work on Guillermo del Toro’s animated film The Book of Life. The 35-year-old half-Dominican/half-Puerto Rican American actress voices the character of Maria in the CGI romantic comedy, which is set during the Mexican holiday of the Day of the Dead.

Other Latinos nominated for a 2015 NAACP Image Award include Scandal’s Guillermo Diaz, Dora and Friends: Into the City’s Fatima Ptacek, Soledad O’Brien and Rosie Perez.

The 46th annual NAACP Image Awards will be handed out on February 6 in a ceremony telecast live by TV One.

Here’s the full list of categories with Latino nominees:

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance
Jamie Foxx – “Rio 2″ (20th Century Fox)
Loretta Devine – “Doc McStuffins” (Disney Junior)
Morgan Freeman – “The Lego Movie” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Village Roadshow Pictures/Ratpac-Dune Entertainment/Lego System A/S/Vertigo Entertainment/Lin Pictures)
Tracy Morgan – “The Boxtrolls” (Focus Features)
Zoe Saldana – “The Book of Life” (20th Century Fox)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Adrienne C. Moore – “Orange is the New Black” (Netflix)
Laverne Cox – “Orange is the New Black” (Netflix)
Lorraine Toussaint – “Orange is the New Black” (Netflix)
Sofia Vergara – “Modern Family” (ABC)
Yara Shahidi – “black-ish” (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Alfred Enoch – “How to Get Away with Murder” (ABC)
Courtney B. Vance – “Masters of Sex” (Showtime)
Guillermo Diaz – “Scandal” (ABC)
Jeffrey Wright – “Boardwalk Empire” (HBO)
Joe Morton – “Scandal” (ABC)

Outstanding Performance by a Youth in a Youth/Children’s Program (Series or Special)
Amber Montana – “Haunted Hathaways” (Nickelodeon)
China Anne McClain – “How to Build a Better Boy” (Disney Channel)
Curtis Harris – “Haunted Hathaways” (Nickelodeon)
Fatima Ptacek – “Dora and Friends: Into The City!” (Nickelodeon)
Taliyah Whitaker – “Wallykazam!” (Nickelodeon)

Outstanding Documentary (Television)
“American Experience: Freedom Summer” (PBS)
“Bad Boys” (ESPN)
“Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown” (HBO)
“Rand University” (ESPN)
 “The War Comes Home: Soledad O’Brien Reports” (CNN)

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
Brigette Munoz-Liebowitz – “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” – Road Trip (FOX)
Aisha Muharrar – “Parks and Recreation” – Ann & Chris (NBC)
Regina Hicks – “Instant Mom” – A Kids’s Choice (Nickelodeon and Nick@Nite)
Sara Hess – “Orange is the New Black” – It Was the Change (Netflix)
Mindy Kaling – “The Mindy Project” – Danny and Mindy (FOX)

Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
Ken Whittingham – “Parks and Recreation” – Prom (NBC)
Ken Whittingham – “The Mindy Project” – Think Like a Peter (FOX)
Reginald Hudlin – “Bad Judge” – Knife to a Gunfight (NBC)
Linda Mendoza – “Bad Judge” – One Brave Waitress (NBC)
Stan Lathan – “Real Husbands of Hollywood” – No New Friends (BET)

Outstanding New Artist
Aloe Blacc (XIX Recordings/Interscope Records)
Erica Campbell (My Block Inc./eOne Music)
Jhene Aiko (Def Jam Recordings)
Liv Warfield (Kobalt Label Services)
3 Winans Brothers (BMG)

Outstanding Song
“We Are Here” – Alicia Keys (RCA Records)
“The Man” – Aloe Blacc (Interscope Records)
“Pretty Hurts” – Beyoncé (Columbia Records)
“i” – Kendrick Lamar (TDE/Interscope)
“Good Kisser” – Usher (RCA Records)

Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/ Auto Biography
 “Breaking Ground: My Life in Medicine” – Louis Sullivan with David Chanoff (University of Georgia Press)
“Handbook for an Unpredictable Life: How I Survived Sister Renata and My Crazy Mother, and Still Came Out Smiling (with Great Hair)” – Rosie Perez (Crown Archetype)
“Life In Motion” – Misty Copeland (Touchstone)
“Mayor for Life” – Marion Barry, Omar Tyree (Strebor Books)
“Stand Up Straight and Sing!” – Jessye Norman (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Outstanding Literary Work – Children
“Beautiful Moon” – Tonya Bolden (Author), Eric Velasquez (Illustrator) (Abrams/Abrams Books for Young Readers)
“Little Melba and Her Big Trombone” – Katheryn Russell-Brown (Author), Frank Morrison (Illustrator) (Lee & Low Books)
“Malcolm Little” – Ilyasah Shabazz (Author), AG Ford (Illustrator) (Simon & Schuster)
“Searching for Sarah Rector” – Tonya Bolden (Abrams/Abrams Books for Young Readers)
“Dork Diaries 8: Tales From A Note-So-Happily Ever After” – Rachel Renee Russell with Nikki Russell and Erin Russell (Simon & Schuster)

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

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