Ruivivar Lands Recurring Role on TNT’s “Southland”

Anthony Ruivivar will be reporting for police duty in the near future…

The 42-year-old part-Spanish actor has landed a major recurring role on the fifth season of TNT’s cop drama series Southland.

Anthony Ruivivar III

Ruivivar – best known for his role as a paramedic in NBC’s long-running series Third Watch – has been cast in a season-long arc as Lucero, a veteran Los Angeles police officer and a Mexican American born and raised in East Los Angeles.

Ruivivar’s recent television credits include appearances on Burn Notice, American Horror Story, Criminal Minds and Lie to Me.

Lovato to Perform on TNT’s “Christmas in Washington” Special

Demi Lovato will be spending Christmas in our nation’s capital…

The 20-year-old half-Mexican singer and The X Factor judge, who will be performing in VH1’s annual Divas concert, will headline the annual Christmas in Washington special airing December 21 on TNT, along with “Gangnam Style” sensation PSY and the Supreme Diana Ross.

Demi Lovato

Late-night talk show host Conan O’Brien will host the telecast, which will be taped in Washington D.C.’s National Building Museum, for the second consecutive year.

Additional performers include former American Idol winner Scotty McCreery, who recently released an album of holiday music, as well as Smash star Megan Hilty and former The Voice finalist Chris Mann.

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will attend.

This is the 14th year TNT will be broadcasting Christmas in Washington to benefit the Children’s National Medical Center.

First Teaser Released for Molina’s “Monday Mornings” Series

It’s only fitting that TNT would release the first teaser trailer for the medical drama Monday Mornings on Monday…

The new series from producer David E. Kelley and practicing neurosurgeon and CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, stars Alfred Molina, Ving Rhames, Jamie Bamber and Jennifer Finnegan.

TNT's Monday Mornings

Based on the book of the same name by Gupta, the title refers to the hospital’s weekly morbidity and mortality conference, when doctors gather with their peers for a confidential review of complications and errors in patient care.

The action “follows the lives of doctors as they push the limits of their abilities and confront their personal and professional failings.”

“It is so realistic! I think I could actually perform surgery in the operating room here on our set… It is mind-bending to see the words from the book come to life here on this amazing Monday Mornings set with these superb actors. We are going to take people into a world of medicine they have never seen before.” said Gupta.

The regular inclusion of the “M&M meetings” is one way the show differs from previous TV medical dramas.

Alfred Molina in Monday Mornings

Molina, the 59-year-old half-Spanish actor – who has starred in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, An Education and Chocolatleads the staff at Chelsea General as Dr. Harding Hooten, the steely-eyed chief of surgery.

The series will premiere on February 4 on TNT.

Click here to view the trailer at EW.com.

Becker Joins the Cast of TNT’s “Dallas” Reboot

Kuno Becker’s career is going south… To Southfork, that is.

The 34-year-old Mexican actor and former telenovela star has joined the cast of TNT’s Dallas reboot, which was picked up for a 15-episode second season following a successful summer run.

Kuno Becker

Becker will portray Andres, the troubled brother of Elena (Jordana Brewster). As a boy, Andres (“Drew” to friends and family) witnessed his father’s death, which turned him into an angry juvenile delinquent. He ended up enlisting in the military, and after a tour in Iraq straightened him up, found work on oil rigs all over the globe. Andres will undoubtedly provoke the wrath of Bobby, J.R. and the rest of the Ewings when he returns to Southfork to continue drilling where his father left off.

Becker, who rose to fame in Latin America in telenovelas like Pueblo chico, infierno grande and Soñadoras, had a recurring role on CBS‘ short-lived legal drama The Defenders. He also appeared on three episodes of CSI: Miami‘s final season last year, where he shared screen time with Hollywood legend Raquel Welch. And he gained international notoriety as the star of the Goal! film trilogy.

Varela Expecting Her First Child

Leonor Varela is preparing for the most challenging role of her life: Mother.

The 39-year-old Chilean actress/model is pregnant with her first child, according to People magazine.

Leonor Varela

Varela—who portrays con artist Veronica Martinez on TNT‘s Dallas reboot, which was picked up for a second season recently—is expecting her child with producer Lucas Akoskin, who is currently working on Words with Gods.

“The couple [is] over the moon,” Varela’s rep tells the magazine.

Varela’s previous credits include Blade II and Cleopatra.

Gonzalo’s “Dallas” Gets Picked Up for a Second Season

It’s official… Julie Gonzalo’s character on TNT’s Dallas reboot will live to scheme another day…

TNT has renewed Dallas, which stars the 30-year-old Argentine-American actress as Rebecca Sutter and 32-year-old Brazilian-American actress Jordana Brewster, for a second season.

Julie Gonzalo

Dallas will return in 2013 with 15 new episodes.

Dallas has been a success for us on every level: pitch-perfect writing, smart directing and buzz-worthy performances by a new generation of stars and their iconic counterparts,” said Michael Wright, president, head of programming for TNT.

Kicking off with a two-hour premiere earlier this month, Dallas posted the highest scripted series premiere on all cable channel for the year-to-date. And it continues performing well, averaging 6.9 million viewers so far.

Gonzalo previously starred on Eli Stone and Veronica Mars.

TNT Picks Up Molina’s “Monday Mornings”

It looks like Alfred Molina has contracted a serious case of the Mondays

TNT has given a series order to Monday Mornings, a medical drama pilot starring the 58-year-old half-Spanish actor and Ving Rhames.

Alfred Molina in Monday Mornings

From Emmy-winning writer-producer David E. Kelley and CNN chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta—on whose book the project is based—Monday Mornings is a “superb drama brought to life with passion by a gifted ensemble cast and some of the best creative minds working in television today,” said TNT’s head of programming Michael Wright.

Formerly called Chelsea General, the series follows the lives of doctors at the fictional Chelsea General Hospital in Portland as they push the limits of their abilities and confront their personal and professional failings. The title refers to the hospital’s weekly morbidity and mortality conference, when doctors gather with their peers for a confidential review of complications and errors in patient care.

Based on a book by Gupta, TNT has picked up 10 episodes of Monday Mornings, which will premiere in summer 2013.

In addition to Molina and Rhames, the series stars Jamie Bamber, Jennifer Finnigan, Bill Irwin, Keong Sim, Sarayu Rao and Emily Swallow.

Cibrian to Guest Star on “Rizzoli & Isles”

Eddie Cibrian is about to have a dynamite summer…

The 38-year-old Cuban American actor has landed a multi-episode arc on the upcoming season of TNT’s crime drama Rizzoli & Isles, according to TVLine.com.

Eddie Cibrian

Cibrian, who previously starred on Sunset Beach and Third Watch, will play Dennis Rockmond, a motivational speaker who will woo Maura Isles (Sasha Alexander) during the show’s third season.

Rizzoli & Isles will return on Tuesday, June 6 at 9:00 pm ET on TNT.

Brewster Towels Down for Latest “Dallas” Promo

Its towel time for Jordana Brewster and the gang of TNT’s Dallas reboot…

Jordana Brewster

The 31-year-old Brazilian-American actress and her towel-clad cast members appear in a shower room in the latest just-released promo image for the highly anticipated series.

The still evokes one of the classic scenes from the original primetime soap—which aired on CBS from 1978–1991. In that iconic clip, Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy)—after being dead for a season—reappeared alive and well in the shower to reveal that the entire season had all been a dream.

TNT's Dallas Teaser Ad

For those who may not get the reference, TNT’s promo department added the tagline, “They’re Back. And No, You’re Not Dreaming.”

Brewster and the next generation of Ewings appear front and center in the image, while Duffy’s pose is nearly identical to that of the original scene.

Dallas is set to premiere this summer on TNT.

The Closer’s Cruz to Guest Star on White Collar

He’s played a beloved detective on TNT’s The Closer for seven seasons… And, now Raymond Cruz will be back behind the badge on another hit show…

The 50-year-old Mexican American actor, best known as The Closer’s Detective Julio Sanchez, will guest star on the upcoming season of White Collar, according to TVGuide.com.

Raymond Cruz

But don’t expect Cruz to be an exemplary lawman… He’ll play Sheriff Enrico Morales, a corrupt local official on a small island town who crosses paths with Neal (Matt Bomer) and Mozzie (Willie Garson). Neal and Mozzie were last seen fleeing from the FBI to an unknown locale in the Season 3 finale.

White Collar started production on Season 4 Monday in Puerto Rico, and is expected to return to the USA lineup this summer.

Cruz joins previously announced upcoming guests Mekhi Phifer, Gregg Henry and AliasMia Maestro.

Along with appearing on The Closer, which will wrap its seven season-run this summer, Cruz’s credits include My Name is Earl, Nip/Tuck and Breaking Bad.