Garcia to Direct CBS’ Untitled Mexican American Cop Family Drama Pilot

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Rodrigo Garcia has a new Latino-themed project to work on…

The 57-year-old Colombian television and film director is set to direct CBS’ Mexican American cop family drama pilot.

Written by Homicide creator Paul Attanasio in a return to the cop drama beat, and to directed by Garcia, the untitled drama revolves around the multi-generational members of a Mexican-American family with deep roots in San Diego as they intertwine personally and professionally due to their powerful careers in law enforcement.

CBS had been trying for two years to develop a drama about a multi-generational Latino family of cops in Los Angeles — a West Coast take on Blue Bloods, which is about a multi-generational New York family in law enforcement. Last season, a project known as Protect & Serve was written by Elizabeth Davis Beall. It didn’t go to pilot.

Meanwhile, Attanasio met with the producers with a brand-new take on the general Latino family cop idea, which led to his San Diego-set script that’s now getting a pilot green light.

The new setting has an increased relevance post-elections as San Diego is on the U.S.-Mexico border, where President Donald Trump is planning to build a wall.

Garcia has directed episodes of In Treatment, Big Love, Boomtown, Six Feet Under and The Sopranos.

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.

Machado to Star in ABC’s Medical Drama Pilot “Warriors”

Posted on February 22, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Morena Baccarin isn’t the only Latina warrior…

Justina Machado will join the former Homeland star as a series regular on ABC’s medical drama pilot Warriors.

Inspired by the goings-on at the Walter Reed Military Medical Center, Warriors follows the best and brightest active-duty military doctors and nurses as they practice trailblazing medicine.

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican actress will play Anna, the chief surgical scrub nurse for Dr. George Mann (Don Hany), who is impervious to his teasing but not his bad jokes.

Machado’s previous television credits include appearances on ABC Family’s The Fosters, ABC’s Desperate Housewives, HBO’s Six Feet Under and NBC’s ER.

Cuesta’s “Kill the Messenger” ThisClose to Landing its Female Lead

Posted on June 28, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Michael Cuesta may have found his leading lady…

Rosemarie DeWitt is in final talks to take on the female lead role in Kill the Messenger, which will be directed by the 49-year-old Latino film and television director.

Kill the Messenger is a true-story thriller about journalist Gary Webb, a San Jose Mercury News reporter who committed suicide after being the target of a smear campaign when he linked the CIA to a scheme to arm Contra rebels in Nicaragua and import cocaine into California.

Jeremy Renner will play Webb, which will be released worldwide by Focus Features.

Along with serving as an executive producer on Blue Bloods and Dexter, Cuesta has also directed episodes of series like Homeland, True Blood and Six Feet Under.

His film credits include L.I.E., 12 and Holding and Roadie.

The Exchange Acquires International Rights to Rodriguez’s “CBGB”

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Freddy Rodríguez’s latest film will be getting international exposure…

The Exchange has acquired the international distribution rights to CBGB, which stars the 38-year-old Puerto Rican actor and former Six Feet Under star.

Rodríguez portrays Idaho in the film about the infamous New York City underground music club.

Directed by Randall Miller, the film also stars Alan Rickman as Hilly Kristal, CBGB’s founder who took chances on bands like Blondie, Television, the Ramones, the Talking Heads, Dead Boys and The Police.

Malin Akerman, Rupert Grint, Johnny Galecki, Ashley Greene, Justin Bartha, Joel David Moore and Donal Logue also form part of the large ensemble cast.

The Exchange will offer the film to overseas buyers at the Cannes Film Festival; Paradigm has the domestic distribution rights.

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.

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

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Ricardo Chavira could be returning to television in the near future…

The 41-year-old Mexican American actor, best known for his role as Eva Longoria’s TV husband Carlos Solis on ABC’s Desperate Housewives, has landed one of the lead roles in NBC’s comedy pilot Welcome to the Family.

Chavira will star opposite Mike O’Malley 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.

Mary McCormack is also slated to star in the project, which is being produced by Sony Television.

Chavira will portray the divorced Latino father of the boy who got O’Malley and McCormack’s daughter pregnant – an ex-convict who has turned his life around.

Chavira’s other credits include recurring roles on Six Feet Under and The Division, as well as guest-starring roles on Joan of Arcadia, Kingpin and Monk.

Rodriguez to Star in NBC’s Medical Pilot “After Hours”

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Freddy Rodriguez is heading to the emergency room…

The The 37-year-old Puerto Rican actor has been cast as a lead in the hour-long NBC medical pilot After Hours.

The project, to be directed by Pierre Morel, revolves around the graveyard shift in the emergency room at San Antonio Medical Center.

Rodriguez will portray hospital administrator Michael Ragosa, the new Comptroller for the Night Shift. A wannabe doctor who had to drop out of med school because of vision problems, Ragosa is a real bureaucrat for whom the bottom line seems to be everything.

Rodriguez joins the recently cast Eoin Macken for the pilot.

Rodriguez, whose credits include Six Feet Under, Ugly Betty and Chaos, next stars in Seal Team 6, which premieres this Sunday on National Geographic.

He most recently wrapped a lead role in Randall Miller’s indie CBGB. Rodriguez’s series credits include Ugly Betty and Chaos.

García to Direct “We’re Just Married”

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Rodrigo García is getting ready to tie the knot with his next feature film…

The 53-year-old Colombian-born television and film director has signed on to direct We’re Just Married.

Written by David Rabe, the film will star the scribe’s daughter, American Horror Story’s Lily Rabe.

“I’m ecstatic to be in the Rabe business with David and Lily,” said Garcia. “This script is a perfect portrait of a highly complicated, emotionally charged and painfully funny romantic triangle. And, like all of David Rabe’s works, it is a gift to writers and directors.”

García, the son of Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez, most recently directed Albert Nobbs, which landed stars Glenn Close and Janet McTeer acting Academy Award nominations last year.

He’s also served as a director on HBO’s highly acclaimed dramas Carnivàle. In Treatment and Six Feet Under.

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