Perez Makes Her Debut on a High-Rated Premiere Episode of ABC’s “The View”

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Rosie Perez has taken her seat at the table and her place in television history…

The 49-year-old Puerto Rican actress, dancer and community activist, who was announced as the newest member of ABC’s The View, made her debut on the daytime talker on Monday as the show’s first-ever Latina co-host.

Perez is considered the panel’s most under-the-radar addition despite being an Oscar, Emmy and Golden Globe nominee. She served as a guest host on The View in February. And she’s been a guest on Rachel Maddow’s MSNBC program, formerly executive-produced by Bill Wolff, the ABC talker’s new executive producer.

Monday’s premiere, which also saw the return of the polarizing Rosie O’Donnell registered 3.902 million viewers — the show’s biggest opening audience in eight years — which is also the time when O’Donnell joined the show the first time back in 2006.

Monday’s opening was the long-running show’s second-biggest opening on record and hit a three-year high in target demos of women 18-49 and 25-54 with year-to-year opening leaps of 15% and 20%, respectively. In the younger demo, Monday’s debut logged 683,000 viewers and in the older it posted 911,000.

In addition to the two Rosies, former Republican political operative Nicolle Wallace also joins the The View. Whoopi Goldberg, meantime, is the only returning host from last season.

Wallace and Perez replaced Sherri Shepherd and Jenny McCarthy.

Perez to Serve as the First-Ever Latina Co-Host on ABC’s Long-Running “The View”

Posted on September 4, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Rosie Perez is changing the view on television… And, she’s making history in the process.

The 49-year-old Puerto Rican actress, dancer and community activist will join ABC’s The View when it returns for its eighteenth season on September 15.

Perez, who is set to appear on Broadway early next year in Larry David’s Fish in the Dark, becomes the first-ever Latina host in the daytime talk show’s history.

“Excited to be a part of an amazing show and a great team of women,” tweeted the Oscar-nominated actress after the announcement was made.

In addition to Perez, political commentator Nicolle Wallace will also join The View next season. A former communications director for George W. Bush, she appeared on the daytime talker last month as a guest co-host.

The women join a show with a very different makeup following the recent exits of Barbara Walters, Sherri Shepherd and Jenny McCarthy. Whoopi Goldberg is the only member from the previous season returning, while Rosie O’Donnell is coming back to the show after having held a seat in the 2006-2007 season.

The View has generally had five women in the mix, though Walters was not featured in every episode during her final years on the show.

Perez Joins the Cast of Larry David’s Broadway Play “Fish in the Dark”

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Rosie Perez is gone fishin’…

The 49-year-old Puerto Rican Oscar-nominated actress has joined the cast of Fish in the Dark, the new play written by and starring Larry David.

The comedy, which has lined up its Broadway dates and theater, revolves around a death in the family.

In addition to Perez, the ensemble cast will include Jayne Houdyshell and Jonny Orsini.

Nurse Jackie alum Jake Cannavale, Bobby Cannavale’s son, and veteran character actor Jerry Adler will also appear alongside David.

Fish in the Dark will be directed by Anna D. Shapiro.

Perez’s most recent Broadway outing was the 2007 production of Terrence McNally’s The Ritz.

Produced by Scott Rudin, Fish in the Dark swims into the Cort Theater for a run that begins previews February 2, prior to a March 5 opening. The Cort’s current occupant — This Is Our Youth starring Michael Cera, Kieran Culkin and Tavi Gevinson — also is produced by Rudin and helmed by Shapiro, in a run currently set to end in January.

Perez Joins Voice Cast of the Animated Film “The Hero Of Color City”

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Rosie Perez is adding a little color to her acting resume…

The 49-year-old Puerto Rican actress has joined the voice cast of Magnolia Pictures’ The Hero Of Color City.

The animated feature chronicles the adventures of a diverse band of crayons that come alive in a little boys room when he drifts off to sleep.

In addition to Perez, who will voice the character of Red, The Hero Of Color City’s voice cast will include Owen Wilson, Jessica Capshaw, Christina Ricci, Wayne Brady and Craig Ferguson.

The animated film will be directed by Frank Gladstone.

It’s the latest project for Perez, who recently signed on to star in the indie film Five Nights in Maine.

Perez Starring in the Indie Drama “Five Nights In Maine”

Posted on May 11, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Rosie Perez will spend five nights in the extreme northeast…

The 49-year-old Puerto Rican Oscar-nominated actress, dancer and community activist has been cast in Five Nights In Maine.

The indie drama stars David Oyelowo as a man reeling from the tragic loss of his wife who visits his estranged mother-in-law (portrayed by Dianne Wiest) in Maine seeking answers.

The film is being directed by Maris Curran, who wrote the script.

Teyonah Parris, Stephen Henderson and Hani Furstenberg round out the cast.

The project earned backing from the San Francisco Film Society/Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grant, as well as a Cinereach grant.

Perez Starring in ABC;s Comedy Pilot “An American Education”

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Rosie Perez is headed back to the halls of learning…

The 49-year-old Puerto Rican Oscar-nominated actress, dancer and community activist will star opposite Jack Whitehall in ABC’s single-camera comedy pilot An American Education.

Based on the BBC Three series Bad Education, British actor-comedian Whitehall – who created and starred in the original series – is reprising his role as Alfie Wickers, now a British transplant and an unorthodox young teacher in the San Diego public school system. Alfie loves his students but his youthful, often naive enthusiasm and unconventional methods put him at odds with the test-obsessed administrators.

Perez will portray Rita Gomez, the school’s hard-assed Vice Principal, a terrifying force that grew up in a bad neighborhood who intimidates Alfie by her no-nonsense, bullish, self-righteous, by-the-numbers approach to ruling the school, or how she sees it, her kingdom.

Peter Huyck and Alex Gregory wrote the script from a story they co-wrote with Whitehall and Ben Cavey.

Perez, who got her big break in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing in 1988, last appeared on television on Showtime’s Nurse Jackie and Fox’s The Cleveland Show in 2012.

Rodriguez to Star in Fox’s Drama Pilot “Gang Related”

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Ramón Rodriguez is preparing to infiltrate the San Francisco Police Department…

The 33-year-old Puerto Rican actor has landed the lead role in Fox’s drama pilot Gang Related.

Rodriguez, who last appeared on television in ABC’s short-lived Charlie’s Angeles re-do, will portray Ryan Lopez, a gang member who infiltrates the SFPD and rises through the ranks in the department. In the process, he must learn to balance his obligations to his crime family with the increasing sense of loyalty for his new family — the SFPD’s Gang Task Force.

Rodriguez – who has been writing his own screenplay with Rosie Perez, Only For My Son, which he plans to direct and produce with her – previously starred in Battle: Los Angeles and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

Leguizamo’s Film “Fugly!” to Be Released This Summer

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Things are about to get Fugly! for John Leguizamo at the box office…

The 48-year-old Colombia-born comedian/actor’s autobiographical film Fugly! will be released in the United States this summer through 108 Media, according to IndieWire.com.

The film is an adaptation of the two-time Tony nominee’s one-man Broadway show Ghetto Klown, which traces Leguizamo’s journey from a young aspiring actor in New York City to his extensive Hollywood career in films like Carlito’s Way, Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge! and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.

Fugly! co-stars Rosie Perez, Radha Mitchell, Griffin Dunne, Yul Vasquez, Tomas Milian and Ally Sheedy.

Ghetto Klown, which opened on Broadway in March 2011, closed in July 10 after 95 performances. The production earned Leguizamo a Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Solo Performance. The show then moved in to play in Los Angeles in September 2011, before moving to London’s Charing Cross Theatre the following month.

The news of Fugly!’s release comes on the heels of the announcement that ABC has placed a pilot order for a television sitcom based on Leguizamo’s life.

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